I'm thinking of setting up a 90 gal long with sump (L 54 inch x W 25 inch x H 64 inch) on wood stand to replace the current 75 gal. The total weight will be around 1200 lbs. Will the floor area support that kind of weight? Here is the picture of the purposed location and view from the basement.
<Need help! >Tank and Floor Question
- Thread starter moonyrat
- Start date
billdogg
Well-known member
so the tank is parallel with the floor joists?. The jump form a 75 to a 90 is negligible, but just for my own piece of mind, I would probably reinforce the floor a little anyway. A pair of 2x6 or 8's with a piece of plywood sandwiched between to stretch between the joists at mid-tank, and a floor jack to hold it in place. You'd be able to park a tank there.
jm.02
jm.02
Jefftopgun
New member
Is there a rule here?
Suppose as good of a time for a first post. Upgrading from a 100 gallon (perp to joint on load bearing wall) to a 240-270 (8ft x 3ft by 17in) so I'm spreading the load over 32 square feet, also a load bearing wall, used to be an exterior wall. I figured I would get under and add at least 4 jacks on sheets of aluminum or steel to disperse the load, but wasn't thinking it was a requirement, just my piece of mind × ability to level the last 1/4 inch of the floor.
Suppose as good of a time for a first post. Upgrading from a 100 gallon (perp to joint on load bearing wall) to a 240-270 (8ft x 3ft by 17in) so I'm spreading the load over 32 square feet, also a load bearing wall, used to be an exterior wall. I figured I would get under and add at least 4 jacks on sheets of aluminum or steel to disperse the load, but wasn't thinking it was a requirement, just my piece of mind × ability to level the last 1/4 inch of the floor.
mcgyvr
New member
In general a floor is typically designed to carry 40 pounds per square foot..
So a 10ft x 10ft room can have 4000lbs on that floor without issue..
Jefftopgun
New member
Is that for the whole room? I thought it was for the floor under tank specifically...
Like my tank specifically is takes up 24 square feet, I think I said 32 earlier but I promise, I can math lol.
But technically its only load bearing around the perimeter, so what 22 feet worth of 3 inch boards, only a couple square feet, but then the subfloor acts as shoring, dispersing the load over a larger area.
But then I guess you could throw another wrench in the mix. If the floor is designed to hold 40lbsf, to support the load in the middle of the floor, the design would hold way more against a wall. My room is 12x20, the tank is situated against the wall between the room and the garage, I would call this an exterior wall due to the step down from crawl space to slab. The tank is centered on this wall with 2 feet between front of house exterior wall, and middle of house load bearing wall (think old style ranch home). So I know every home is different, but would you say this tank will need foundation strengthening?
Like my tank specifically is takes up 24 square feet, I think I said 32 earlier but I promise, I can math lol.
But technically its only load bearing around the perimeter, so what 22 feet worth of 3 inch boards, only a couple square feet, but then the subfloor acts as shoring, dispersing the load over a larger area.
But then I guess you could throw another wrench in the mix. If the floor is designed to hold 40lbsf, to support the load in the middle of the floor, the design would hold way more against a wall. My room is 12x20, the tank is situated against the wall between the room and the garage, I would call this an exterior wall due to the step down from crawl space to slab. The tank is centered on this wall with 2 feet between front of house exterior wall, and middle of house load bearing wall (think old style ranch home). So I know every home is different, but would you say this tank will need foundation strengthening?
der_wille_zur_macht
Team RC
The 40 lbs per square foot design goal is meant to be uniform, but yes it's conservative for loads near the supporting structure compared to loads far away from the support and it doesn't really address really high loads over small areas. It is meant to be for the entire floor, though. 40 pounds times the entire square footage of the room should equal the load you can carry (when you add up everything in the whole room, not just your fish tank).
It's worth pointing out that a house built in 2017 is going to look pretty different, structurally, than one built in 1817. Hence, it's hard to talk about rules of thumb without knowing the individual structure. It quickly becomes a guessing game, and people in this forum are often super conservative (which makes sense, from a liability perspective).
If you want a bunch of opinions, feel free to post some photos and details about your home's structure and construction. If you want to know for sure, get an engineer or a competent general contractor to look at it.
It's worth pointing out that a house built in 2017 is going to look pretty different, structurally, than one built in 1817. Hence, it's hard to talk about rules of thumb without knowing the individual structure. It quickly becomes a guessing game, and people in this forum are often super conservative (which makes sense, from a liability perspective).
If you want a bunch of opinions, feel free to post some photos and details about your home's structure and construction. If you want to know for sure, get an engineer or a competent general contractor to look at it.
Jefftopgun
New member
Ill work on getting some photos up, although I may be sol on the engineer I tried like h*** to get them to come out and look when i wanted to add on to garage an everyone wanted 500 $ to show up lol.
New here, does this place host pictures or is it the photobucket kinda thing (if so whose got the best hosting sort of thing, ie links don't change 24/7 ECT).
New here, does this place host pictures or is it the photobucket kinda thing (if so whose got the best hosting sort of thing, ie links don't change 24/7 ECT).
der_wille_zur_macht
Team RC
This is when it's a good time to have a buddy in the field, so it costs a beer or two instead of half a grand. :lol:
You can attach photos to threads, or use an image hosted anywhere on the web. I think there are tutorials around somewhere, maybe in the help forum.
You can attach photos to threads, or use an image hosted anywhere on the web. I think there are tutorials around somewhere, maybe in the help forum.
If it was me I would sister two 2x8 or 6 depending on current joist and run under center of tank if not able to do this put 2x8 or 6 cross blocks every 12 inches between joist already there to disperse weight between two existing joist under tank when blocking use hangers for blocks they will hold better than toenailing if running new joist make sure it is supported on both sides with 4x4 or 2 2x4 nailed together
