Tank weight vs floor.

[Infernapes]

Hello, I am buying a 385 gallon odd ball shaped tank. 6.5feet x 4feet x 2feet but it only has 3 corners. My concern is that the weight of the tank could definitely hurt my floors,

I would like to have it on my first floor up against an outside wall. With probably 2 8k lb support jacks supporting a 4x4 8foot beam under it. Beam and jacks would probably be 18in from wall, jacks would be in 2-2.5 feet from edge of beam.
Does anyone have an idea if that would be okay, or any better ideas would be great.

 

[Backfromthedead]

Really depends on the floor itself. You said youre placing it against a load bearing wall correct? Am i correct in assuming the height is 2 feet and not 4 feet? This makes a big difference.

If it were me, I'd probably use two floor jacks and the beam, like you mentioned, but place them further off the wall. I would want the jacks supporting directly under the corners or sections of the tank that protrude furthest from the wall, if that makes sense.

 

[Infernapes]

4 feet high 2 feet wide.

That was kinda my plan but it would only really have 1 corner away from the wall, so you are saying to have the beam say 26 inches from the basement wall (saying to inches because of the trim molding.

 

[fishhead0103666]

The fact that it’s 4 feet tall and only 2 feet wide will means that the pounds per inch will be a lot higher so more stress on the floor.

 

[Infernapes]

That's why I'm asking for help. I have these floor jacks(jack posts) they say they are rated at 9,100 at full hight. Not quite sure how they facture that though.

 

[RD.]

The following was written by Kevin Bauman, a structural engineer and fish keeper.

http://www.african-cichlid.com/Structure.htm

HTH

 

[Backfromthedead]

View attachment 1397138
4 feet high 2 feet wide.

That was kinda my plan but it would only really have 1 corner away from the wall, so you are saying to have the beam say 26 inches from the basement wall (saying to inches because of the trim molding.

Oh i see. Thats a really cool tank.

It really depends on your floor structure imo. Can you take a picture of the underside of the floor and wall where youre planning to place the tank? While its true that since your tank is taller it will be more p/sq ft, it does not necessarily mean you will need more support. A load closer to the wall, distributed evenly on beams perpendicularly, is not as dangerous as the same load say out in the middle of the room somewhere (farther from vertical supports) or as risky as long side parallel with the beams.

Will the long dimension of your tank be running perpendicular or parallel to the beams in your floor? If they are indeed perpendicular and you have 2x10 beams every 16" resting against a load bearing wall, i would just do like youre suggesting with the 4x4 and jack posts 24-26" off the wall. And thats just to play it safe.

 

[Infernapes]

Oh i see. Thats a really cool tank.

It really depends on your floor structure imo. Can you take a picture of the underside of the floor and wall where youre planning to place the tank? While its true that since your tank is taller it will be more p/sq ft, it does not necessarily mean you will need more support. A load closer to the wall, distributed evenly on beams perpendicularly, is not as dangerous as the same load say out in the middle of the room somewhere (farther from vertical supports) or as risky as long side parallel with the beams.

Will the long dimension of your tank be running perpendicular or parallel to the beams in your floor? If they are indeed perpendicular and you have 2x10 beams every 16" resting against a load bearing wall, i would just do like youre suggesting with the 4x4 and jack posts 24-26" off the wall. And thats just to play it safe.

That's what I said when I found it, I've never seen a tank with that shape, I just wish I could put the tank right on the floor without the stand so it would be easier to take care of.

I definitely want to have the tank perpendicular to the beams. As of right now I can't get pictures of the floor (can't move in for a few weeks) but I believe they are the same as my current place where I have a 125 parallel to the beams, against an outside wall also have a 4x4 beam + jack post under it spanning 3 joists (wife insisted).

It would probably be better to get the beam and Jack posts in place before getting the tank in place right?

 

[Backfromthedead]

That's what I said when I found it, I've never seen a tank with that shape, I just wish I could put the tank right on the floor without the stand so it would be easier to take care of.

I definitely want to have the tank perpendicular to the beams. As of right now I can't get pictures of the floor (can't move in for a few weeks) but I believe they are the same as my current place where I have a 125 parallel to the beams, against an outside wall also have a 4x4 beam + jack post under it spanning 3 joists (wife insisted).

It would probably be better to get the beam and Jack posts in place before getting the tank in place right?

It would be pretty easy and cheap to construct a stand to do like youre saying. Just make a box frame out of 2x4,6,8 or however high you want it and stain it whatever. I did something similar for my 3x2x3 tank just last week.

So if im hearing you correctly, the joists are parallel with the tank, so you've probably got one 2x10 under the tank, and its probably out in the middle span of it. Not ideal really. I would probably do one of two things:

-frame in the area under the tank with 2x10s running from joist to joist every 24", then use the jack posts the way you first described.

-simpler and easier, use 12'+ sections of 2x10 to "sandwich" the joist directly under the tank, then use the jack posts in the manner you first described.

Both of these methods will serve to stiffen up the floor underneath your tank, while the jack posts will provide support.

 

[Infernapes]

It would be pretty easy and cheap to construct a stand to do like youre saying. Just make a box frame out of 2x4,6,8 or however high you want it and stain it whatever. I did something similar for my 3x2x3 tank just last week.

So if im hearing you correctly, the joists are parallel with the tank, so you've probably got one 2x10 under the tank, and its probably out in the middle span of it. Not ideal really. I would probably do one of two things:

-frame in the area under the tank with 2x10s running from joist to joist every 24", then use the jack posts the way you first described.

-simpler and easier, use 12'+ sections of 2x10 to "sandwich" the joist directly under the tank, then use the jack posts in the manner you first described.

Both of these methods will serve to stiffen up the floor underneath your tank, while the jack posts will provide support.

Yeah I could do that but the sump for that tank is 18 inches tall so I'll just have to deal with the top of the tank being 6 feet (if I could drill the floor and have the sump in the basement I would)

My 125g tank is parallel to the joists. I'm going to have all my tanks perpendicular to the floor joists when I move, knowing they are stronger that way.