Semi-Fishroom Questions

divemaster99

Dovii
MFK Member
Jan 10, 2014
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Pittsburgh, PA
So until I can get my basement remodeled and turn it into my Fishroom, my dining room is my "semi-Fishroom" since when it's just me and my parents we normally eat in our family room (don't judge :)). So since our dining room is only ever used on the holidays I decided to put some tanks in it. Right now it holds 2 of my 4 indoor tanks and will probably be getting another in it soon. It's basically my place to do work and enjoy some of my tanks. It's also great for fish since it's cool due to lack of electronics usage in it which is great for the tanks I have in it now (both are natives).

So, here's my concern. Even though it only gets used by anyone other than me on holidays that still means that it gets used a good 3-5 times a year. During that time there's 6 people in it at a time and 2-4 people in the room right in front of it. Now take it there are only this many people in here for a few hours a day only a few times a year if that makes a difference. Not only do I worry about weight being an issue since it's on the first floor (my garage is under it), I'm also worried about the fish potentially getting stressed with people walking in and out so much where as when it's just me in the room I only walk around every half hour or so and for the rest of the time I'm either looking at tanks or doing work.

I suppose I could cover all the tanks with skittish fish in them during holidays so that problem could be avoidable but I'm more concerned about the weight than anything else. What with 6 adult people and several tanks on a first floor room. So do you guys think the room can support enough weight for me to add more tanks or should I stop at the two I have in it now and find another place for any new tanks I setup?

If you can follow this, this is the order of the tanks I'd be adding into the room. Let me know when I should stop for either weight or electricity issues.

20 Tall (already setup in room). Whisper 40 air pump, 24" light.
30 Long (already setup in room). Whisper 40 air pump, 36" light.
20 Tall (I haven't set it up yet). Whisper 40 air pump, 24" light, potentially a heater if I do tropicals.
10 Gallon (I haven't set it up yet). Whisper 20 air pump, 20" light, potentially a heater is I do tropicals.
Fluval 6 Gallon (I haven't set it up yet). Everything Built in.
(Let me know if I could hold more than his many tanks (in my dreams right :))

Hope you could follow that last part, I don't think the room could take many more tanks really but I'm no architect and I'm sure a lot of you on here could answer my concerns much better than I could try to.

So my final questions are. Is this room a good spot to be adding more than 2 tanks to? How many of the above tanks could I have in this room? Am I going to have any weight or electricity issues, if so at how many tanks would I run into these?
 

Vanica

Gambusia
MFK Member
Mar 22, 2014
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As long as the tanks aren't in the middle of the room I can't really see an issue. Those tanks are all pretty small so if they are spread out throughout the room the floor should be fine.
 

divemaster99

Dovii
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Jan 10, 2014
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As long as the tanks aren't in the middle of the room I can't really see an issue. Those tanks are all pretty small so if they are spread out throughout the room the floor should be fine.
They would be on the walls, yes. I have one 20 tall in one corner (actually the corner of the house as well), a 30 tall in a room corner, the other 20 tall would be going in the corner (which is actually half way down my houses outer wall but still in the room corner and on a wall), and the 10 and 5 would be going next to each other in another corner.

So you don't think there'd be any electricity issues.
 

deeda

Silver Tier VIP
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Mar 26, 2008
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I agree the tanks you've posted should not pose any problem weight wise. However, you will need to check your electrical outlets in that room and see if they are all on the same circuit and what amps that circuit is. I don't believe the equipment you listed is a problem but you need to find out what other household equipment is on that circuit.
 

Drstrangelove

Potamotrygon
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Oct 21, 2012
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The weights not an issue. And people coming into the room isn't an issue. Wood is a material that flexes under stress and as long as the stress is not constant for a long time (talking days, weeks, months), it will simply flex back.


Can't answer the electricity issue since it's your house and your circuits. It's possible that your breaker panel will give you limits. If not, just attach more lights and or equipment in the room (to every outlets) until a fuse blows. That's your absolute limit. In most cases I would expect the single room to have it's own circuit.


The heaters in the tanks are an issue if all are on at the same time. It might indeed be a lot of power so you may want to minimize wattage on the heaters. You can run an extension from another room (if it's on a separate circuit) and distribute some of the load if it's needed.
 

divemaster99

Dovii
MFK Member
Jan 10, 2014
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Pittsburgh, PA
The weights not an issue. And people coming into the room isn't an issue. Wood is a material that flexes under stress and as long as the stress is not constant for a long time (talking days, weeks, months), it will simply flex back.


Can't answer the electricity issue since it's your house and your circuits. It's possible that your breaker panel will give you limits. If not, just attach more lights and or equipment in the room (to every outlets) until a fuse blows. That's your absolute limit. In most cases I would expect the single room to have it's own circuit.


The heaters in the tanks are an issue if all are on at the same time. It might indeed be a lot of power so you may want to minimize wattage on the heaters. You can run an extension from another room (if it's on a separate circuit) and distribute some of the load if it's needed.
My dining room is on it's own circuit and the only thing that would be running in that room other than the tanks is the room light. Not sure how many amps though. I'll try to minimize the heaters if I can, or maybe try to find something cool I can breed in them that doesn't need a heater such as temperate livebearers (most tanks will be for breeding). I'm more worried about what you said about the floor though. Unlike most houses I don't have a hardwood floor, if you took my carpet off it would be a plywood floor so I'm not sure how much weight it'll hold.
 

Drstrangelove

Potamotrygon
MFK Member
Oct 21, 2012
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Unlike most houses I don't have a hardwood floor, if you took my carpet off it would be a plywood floor so I'm not sure how much weight it'll hold.
If you "see" plywood under your carpet, it's because the plywood has wood, steel or concrete underneath. Plywood is part of the floor. (Underneath is wood, I'd guess.) Unsupported plywood 1 or 2" would be below code for a floor and no one would ever build a floor with thicker plywood as the cost is insane. Wood's structural strength is from depth and flexibility, so a 1-2" plywood floor by itself would be below code.

A 1" plywood floor supported by wood 2x6's or 2x8's perpendicular to the plywood and spaced 16" on center across an I-beam might be acceptable. (It might be narrower than 16" more like 8-10", but I'm not a house builder and I haven't built a floor in 20 years.) A 1" plywood flood on top of poured concrete might be acceptable. As I mentioned, I've lain a floor in my own home and 1" plywood flexes like crazy when you walk on it unless it has much support underneath. I'm certain that a whole room with just unsupported plywood would bend under it's own weight.

If your floor was built to code...and if you passed inspection...it was built to code, then it will hold those tanks.
 

reptilerescued

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Jul 19, 2014
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Your fine.
I have 6 tanks in the house same as you 1st floor open basement instead of garage.
150 two 30's two 55's and a 29.

For me the hard thing is keeping my kids from throwing stuff around. they are young.
Fish get used to commotion. The only ones I've been told that don't are discus. and I don't have any of them.

The worste was putting the turtles next to the couch. We watch them more then TV and they are a HUGE distraction when trying to watch a movie.

I'd have more tanks but I'm out of room and have some outside .
like the quarentine tank and the plant starter also another turlte that comes inside in the winter. ( both small ten gallon jobs that go in the basement in the winter.)
 
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