Looking at putting a larger tank in a single wide. Is it even possible?

F

Fishels

New member
Hey there guys, gals and fish people. I was into the hobby with dad during my teens and now I’m in my late 20’s and want to possibly try a reef tank. I may be moving to a singlewide trailer soon. I haven’t even seen the trailer (I know this will make a difference ) so I don’t know how solid it will be and I’m in the beginning stages of maybe moving. I know one of the Mobile homes is supposedly pretty new.

I was wondering if keeping a 125-180 gallon tank is even something that is possible with extra support under the home. And if so how much support would I need and how do I determine if that’s an option? I was looking at least a 125 gallon as I want a snowflake eel and a 6 foot tank. In my current apartment the limit is 10 gallons :(

I’ve seen people with double wides saying i was fine but then I saw threads claiming a 50 gallon would be too much. Any thoughts and advice would be welcome and I will continue to update the topic If I do actually see it in person.

I can have more than a 10 in the trailer but I was getting discouraged reading a bigger one might not be possible and I’m not sure I wanna move just for that. Thanks for reading.
 
griss said:
You could always shore up the joists once you determine how strong the structure is. @Misled any thoughts?
Click to expand...
Is there any viable formula to actually determine how strong something is? I know that sounds incredibly dumb but I’m just not a very practical guy when it comes to some of this stuff. My father is in constrution so I definitely plan on showing him the property. I guess it would come down to how many joists there were and which way they run? Thank you for your time I hope there is a way.
 
Welcome to RC! Is it possible? Absolutely. Will it require reinforcement? Quite possibly. How to do it? I’ve read, though have not done, that jacking up the floors about a half inch or so and sliding cinderblock under the joists where the tank will go works. Again no experience with this.

With that said, I feel it will be determined on how the joists are spaced and placed. A standard 180 gallon tank weighs around 1900lbs filled with water but that does not include stand weight, water displaced by sand and rock, or any sump system.

The way I was told, is it’s best if the tank can run perpendicular across multiple joists and if it’s near a support wall. I hope this helps some!
 
I agree with Shane. Don't think of your question in the terms of a "single wide", think of your question in terms of the structural integrity of the floor/foundation. Mobile homes are typically built with steel beams running the length of the trailer and horizontal board joists. As Shane said, check where the steel joists are in relation to where you want to put the tank (the steel joist is probably close to the wall.

I would also check the flooring where you are putting the tank. Often particle board is used (which I don't how strong it would be under a tank/stand). I would put a piece of plywood or something under the stand for better weight distribution.
 
I didn't reply because the internet gave me floor loading from 40 to 200 pounds per square foot for a mobile home. I think I calculated a 125 would be 77. 75 and 55 gallons also give numbers in the 70s.
Water is 8 pounds per gallon and everything you put in the tank is heavier than the water it displaces.
125 x 8 = 1000 pounds

It greatly depends on how the home was installed and what is under it.
If you compact earth, build a foundation and shore it up under the tank, the home may settle around the tank and push the tank area up through the floor. If you don't shore it up the home may sag toward the tank over time.

I ended up with
Ask someone smarter than me.
I have seen 55 gallon tanks in mobile homes before but none larger.
 
To follow up, my 65 with sump was in a double wide in the middle (where the two sides connect). I’ve seen a single wide with a 150 but you could tell there was flooring issues (I believe he had it parallel with the floor joists and you could see the water move significantly when you walked by it).
 
wvned said:
I didn't reply because the internet gave me floor loading from 40 to 200 pounds per square foot for a mobile home. I think I calculated a 125 would be 77. 75 and 55 gallons also give numbers in the 70s.
Water is 8 pounds per gallon and everything you put in the tank is heavier than the water it displaces.
125 x 8 = 1000 pounds

It greatly depends on how the home was installed and what is under it.
If you compact earth, build a foundation and shore it up under the tank, the home may settle around the tank and push the tank area up through the floor. If you don't shore it up the home may sag toward the tank over time.

I ended up with
Ask someone smarter than me.
I have seen 55 gallon tanks in mobile homes before but none larger.
Click to expand...
Yikes. Stuff like that definitely scares me
 
reefing102 said:
To follow up, my 65 with sump was in a double wide in the middle (where the two sides connect). I’ve seen a single wide with a 150 but you could tell there was flooring issues (I believe he had it parallel with the floor joists and you could see the water move significantly when you walked by it).
Click to expand...
Dang man that sounds like nightmare fuel. I definitely need to find out more about the structure. I’m curious as to what I could have without any extra support. Like for example would a 40 gallon even work(just thinking out loud).
 
I think a 40 gallon would work perfectly fine without any issues. You’re looking at about 450ish lbs. The way I look at it is many people weigh about 200lbs, plus the weight of a sofa is probably 80-100lbs. So two people on a couch is about 500lbs (granted weight distribution is different and can be a factor).
 
reefing102 said:
I think a 40 gallon would work perfectly fine without any issues. You’re looking at about 450ish lbs. The way I look at it is many people weigh about 200lbs, plus the weight of a sofa is probably 80-100lbs. So two people on a couch is about 500lbs (granted weight distribution is different and can be a factor).
Click to expand...
I agree
 
It depends on the age of the home (what codes were in effect when it was built). Typically a live load of 40 psf is the minimum design spec and most likely don't exceed that due to weight and cost.

As mentioned above, water is 8.33 pounds/gallon - rock, sand, and glass are heavier. So using 10 pounds/gallon will give you a safer estimate.
150 gallons would be roughly 1,500 pounds spread over ~15 square feet or ~100psf

The issue here (as mentioned above) is not typically going to be complete floor failure, but instead significant deflection and bouncing.


It depends on the foundation and climate (freeze thaw, etc.)
The load could be supported from underneath - (as mentioned above) this depends on the foundation. Is it on slab, on runners, on piers, etc.

It depends on where in the home the tank is going.
The center of the room, against the wall, over the main beam, etc.

In general, bigger tanks are going to shake a good bit due to the lack of rigid structure.

As you have already surmised, it would be best to see the home first and get some details and then make a decision according to the data that you gather.
 
I once moved a 200 out of a single wide that had been there for multiple years. They blocked it with jack stands under the trailer where the tank sat.

On another move I was asked to help move another tank, this was my old 7' Oceanic, softest ride ever
 

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