how big is too big of a tank on a main floor ?

[Squirtle919]

I would ask your girlfriends dad, he will know what wood is used and how well its all put together etc. we can all guess whats there but if he did most the building he should have a ruff memory and should be able to tell you the max safe load for the floor with ease.

Sounds like you should be fine better safe then sorry though.

 

[skjl47]

Hello; At least one tank in the picture is likely running parallel to the floor joists. My guess is that it is the bigger of the two. They are separated far enough that it is likely that neither tank is a load on the same joist. These are unproven guesses.
Here is an address to a site that discusses the load capacity of floors.

http://badmanstropicalfish.com/articles/article28.html

My take is that the question can only be answered by someone with knowledge of structure actually having a look to see what you have and what condition it is currrently in.

 

[rob1984]

Condition better be the same as the day it was built hahaha 8-10yrs old it like a new house pretty well... And yes the bigger tank the one I'm referring to that has 4-5 joist under it IF the joist all run along the same as the furnace room downstairs

 

[poppalina]

Yes all the floor joists should run in the same direction, and if the tank in on an outside wall you should be fine provide the structure has not been compromised by improper cutting of the joists by the other contractors plumbers,HVAC, and electricians. Sorry if I offended anyone I am a Licensed contractor and have that argument with the other trades all the time.

 

[rob1984]

Yes all the floor joists should run in the same direction, and if the tank in on an outside wall you should be fine provide the structure has not been compromised by improper cutting of the joists by the other contractors plumbers,HVAC, and electricians. Sorry if I offended anyone I am a Licensed contractor and have that argument with the other trades all the time.

yea it is on a outside wall, actually both tanks are on a outside wall.... i think i may still ask my gf dad and see if he thinks it should hold the tank and such tho... how much weight are we actually talking about with a 220g glass tank (72x24x30) filled with water, likely 100-150lbs worth of sand 2-3 canister filters (2-fx5's/rena xp3) unless the 220 i grab has a sump

 

[skjl47]

Hello; As a rule of thumb I estimate large tanks at around 12 pounds per gallon with stand, substrate and other equipment. The actual weight could be even more depending on what is actually used. A 220 may weigh 2640 pounds or so. To this load all other items in the area need to be added.

If the new tank is to occupy one of the current locations as in the earlier picture, then one of the tanks will be resting on a joist or two in a parallel orientation. The tank in a parallel orientation in the picture appears to be near the center of the supporting joist. This will be a somewhat weaker point along those few joists that are carrying the load of the tank. Even thou both tank locations are on outside walls, one wall will run parallel to the floor joists and the other outside wall will run perpendicular. Parallel joists under heavy loads like tanks are generally able to hold less due to only one or two joists actually being under the load and if the load is nearer the center of the joist.

The other tank will be resting on the joists and be running perpendicular. Perpendicular is the best way as the load is carried by more joists. A 72 inch tank with joists on 16 inch centers may have 4 joists under the tank. This tank will also be on the strongest part of the joists near where they rest on the sill of the foundation wall. If you can determine the way the joists run, you can be sure to place the biggest tank in a perpendicular orientation.

 

[Johnnylightning]

Go for it and the floor starts to sag go under the house and prop it up with a jack. I did that in my trailor.

Sent from my PG86100 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

 

[skjl47]

Yes all the floor joists should run in the same direction, and if the tank in on an outside wall you should be fine provide the structure has not been compromised by improper cutting of the joists by the other contractors plumbers,HVAC, and electricians. Sorry if I offended anyone I am a Licensed contractor and have that argument with the other trades all the time.

Hello; Had this issue with my current house. Several floor joists had been notched during the installation of garage door opener. I spent several days and many hours sistering in additional joists to brace. You never know untill someone takes a look.
Even a new built house can have structural issues. Watch Holmes Inspection. There have been some episodes about fixing such issues in nearly new houses.
The load of large can be great enough to cause issues. The floor may not collapse but there can be expensive damage even so.

 

[Squirtle919]

Yes all the floor joists should run in the same direction, and if the tank in on an outside wall you should be fine provide the structure has not been compromised by improper cutting of the joists by the other contractors plumbers,HVAC, and electricians. Sorry if I offended anyone I am a Licensed contractor and have that argument with the other trades all the time.

its those plumbers mate they dont know how to use power tools properly lol.

 

[vanman]

Make a fish room in the basement with all three! Then you"ll go down their and have your own space.lol .

I was a code enforcement officer for all systems up to three story building. 16inch on center floor joist means very little until we know the dimensions of the joint ie 2x6, 2x8 etc. Then I would have to know the span. The length of the joists until there is another support. Then I would need to know the thickness of the floor plywood and weather it is two apposing layers or one with your flooring over it. You see code is the minimum to hold a normal static load and this varies from state to state. Fish tanks are not static in an earthquake they are a live load. With this info I could give you a bit of advice. Without this info everyone would be guessing and taking on a liability. A 220 gallon tank swaying is a great deal more pressure on a structure then one would think. As it sits it would only be about 1lb per square inch of floor surface which does not seem like a lot. but when it starts moving all the weight shifts from one side to another increasing the weight to a live weight to over 7000 lbs on one end then the other and back etc. This is where structures run into problems. 3+ inch concrete is always better when over 150 gallons.