Tank on a wood laminate floor

[segen77]

Is there any issue with having a tank on a laminate floor? Will it compress the laminate and start to lean or is there no issue. Should you put something down under the tank before filling it?

 

[Giants13]

have mine on it and its fine, the only thing is you gotta make sure you whipe up any water the spills on the floor.

 

[Shewillbemine]

What size tank?

 

[segen77]

I'm looking at somewhere between 75-150.

 

[Shewillbemine]

If you're looking at closer to 150 gallons, remember that with saltwater, that'll be about 1300 lbs already. Assuming you're using a stand, possibly a sump, plus live rock and equipment, you're inching closer to 1 ton. You'll want to worry more about the subsurface, depending on your home'so foundation.

At the very least, I'd want something between the stand and the laminate so that it doesn't leave pressure marks once the tank is removed in the future.

And yes, wipe up the water with the quickness.

 

[RayAllen3422]

To reiterate what others said, I would be very wary about having a tank on laminate if any water gets in the cracks it will warp/bulge at the seems. You have to put plastic down when putting on concrete for this reason. You may want to consider putting a protective layer between the tank and the floor even if it's just thin plastic.

 

[laga77]

You may want to consider putting a protective layer between the tank and the floor even if it's just thin plastic.

I`m sorry but that is a great way to trap water under the tank. Once you spill, the water will wick between the floor and stand. It will then stay there because it cannot evaporate. If no plastic, it has a chance of evaporating.

 

[RayAllen3422]

I`m sorry but that is a great way to trap water under the tank. Once you spill, the water will wick between the floor and stand. It will then stay there because it cannot evaporate. If no plastic, it has a chance of evaporating.

I guess it depends on how expensive the laminate and how much you care if it gets ruined. Even the smallest amount of water will ruin laminate. Unfortunately I'm speaking from experience of the warping and bulging of the laminate. The laminate will soak the water in especially at the joints before any evaporation can occur.

 

[ThaBeast]

Laminate is terrible flooring for almost anything, consider replacing before setting up an aquarium. There are commercial grade vinyl floors out there that hold up to reef tanks if you want the laminate look & cleanability

 

[chimmike]

TBH, I had my 100g cube on laminate for a year with absolutely no problems. This laminate says you can mop it just like regular flooring, so maybe that's a difference.

Either way, I had zero issues and still have the flooring in that room. No bubbling, delamination, etc.

It helps that I didn't spill a ton of water on it.

Of course, it's on top of a slab too, so weight support is not an issue.

 

[Taahirs]

I've got a 400gal tank on laminate flooring. As said above, just make sure not to mess water on it. Any if you do clean it asap

 

[Reef Frog]

If you still can, it's a decent idea to get some extra flooring and store it. It may come in handy if an accident occurs, you need to get rid of or move the tank. Or sell the house. Manufacturers often discontinue flooring lines after a few years so get it while you can.