how to build tanks that can fit on pallet racks?

Smertrios

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 18, 2007
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USA
"My idea" is producing tropical fish for wholesale with efficient use of floor space to help keep heating and cooling bills down by using pallet racks to increase the number of usable tanks per square foot. Is this possible and reasonable? Read on please...

I know racks at globalindustrial have capacities of...

5 foot wide is 3800 pounds per shelf (depth of 18,24,36 and 48 inches)
6 foot wide is 2750 ""
8 foot wide is 2150 ""

The capacities are for shelving listed as...
http://www.globalindustrial.com/g/storage/bulk-rack/extra-heavy-duty/extra-high-capacity-bulk-rack

Will flexing of the shelf be a problem? The load on the concrete a problem? 3 shelves each at upto 3800 pounds is alot of weight especially if "addon" shelves are used doubling the potential weight on each leg.

I want to use glass and make the tanks the whole size of the rack using dividers to make smaller tank areas as necessary. Reason for using glass is the obvious transparency and strength but also the cost. I was looking at glasscages prices for cut size of glass in 1/8,1/4,1/2 and 3/4 sizes and was impressed. $3 per square foot for 1/4" makes the glass cost for a typical 55 gallon tank $73. Thats hardly cheap but not bad. I am checking local prices tomorrow just out of curiosity. This is all just concept nothing I am planning on doing at least not yet =/
 

gilberbt

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Mar 16, 2010
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Indianapolis, IN
I have seen similar shelving units and have considered doing the same thing someday. As far as weight you should be ok as a filled tank weights about 10 lbs/gallon so if each shelf had a 55g on them that would only be approx 550 lbs each shelf.

If you do something like a 6 ft wide stand and use 4 ft long tanks and stagger them on each shelf and only have the shelving the width of the tank you could have lower clearance on the tanks (so half the width of the tank has acces from above) and get an extra shelf or two on that stand. I saw something similar to this for quarantine tanks on the tanked show and you may be able to have shelving every 2 ft or so.
 

sirdavidofdiscus

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Feb 16, 2008
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Kent, OHIO
That seems like light duty pallet racks. I've worked in chemical plants that would have pallets 3 high and 2 wide between uprights, about 8ft by 36in. each pallet would wiegh 1800lbs. That would be 3600 on the 8 ft lengths.
Or go into a home improvement store and look at their racks. each pallet of concrete wieghs 2000-2500 lbs. those are on 8x 4 ft racks.
 

Smertrios

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 18, 2007
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USA
Local glass place is expensive compared to glasscages quoting $3.50 per square foot for 1/8" and $5.20 for 1/4"... Going to need a bigger city I think. I have no idea how to ship big heavy items like glass economically =/ Still all just a "plan" that may never happen but would be nice to have cheap glass to work with. Any ideas where to buy sheets of glass? How about the delivery? There such a thing as "cheap" shipping when you can't own your own trucking company?
 
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