Another, "Will my floor hold this tank question?"

[Kobeclone]

Hey,

I'm 16 and want to buy a 200 gallon tank. I have the money resources, but my mother is anxious because she does not believe that our floor can hold the weight. I believe it easily can.

Here is the situation: I want a 7X2X2 200 gallon tank. It will be going against a load bearing wall. The tank will sit perpendicular to the floor joists which are spaced 12 inches apart. So, the tank will sit on 6 to 7 floor joists. I will sister the joists with 2x4's and tie all the joists together using 2x4's.

The joists are also not your average 2x4 joists. We live in an older house and the joists are 2X8 inches! Because the joists are 2X8inches, I do not believe that I will even have to sister them, but I think it will make my mom feel better that there is some reinforcement there.

All things considered, Will my floor be able to support this tank? I will show this thread to my mother after 3-4 days as I hope to be picking the tank up on Saturday.

Thanks for your imput.

 

[stingray94]

Well look at it this way, your tank holds <15 gallons per square ft. 1 gallon weighs about 8.36 pounds, round that up to 9 pounds for rocks etc. So your tank holds about 135 pounds of water per square foot. Now we have to figure out how much the tank itself weights. Is the tank glass or acrylic?

 

[Dan F]

My 300 gallon sits on a similarly constructed floor and I've had no problems. If you want to be extra safe and you have easy access to the underside of the floor, you could sister the two end joists with a couple pieces of 2x8. Honestly, I wouldn't - 12" centers is very close and it would be hard to get in between to properly attach the sister joist.

 

[Frank Shortt]

It will hold your tankwith no problems.
I just seem a 230 gal tank in a old 1970 type house trailer and they never had a problem with it.

 

[Kobeclone]

Well look at it this way, your tank holds <15 gallons per square ft. 1 gallon weighs about 8.36 pounds, round that up to 9 pounds for rocks etc. So your tank holds about 135 pounds of water per square foot. Now we have to figure out how much the tank itself weights. Is the tank glass or acrylic?

The tank is glass. The guy I want to buy it from says it weights around 300 lbs give or take.

 

[Kobeclone]

My 300 gallon sits on a similarly constructed floor and I've had no problems. If you want to be extra safe and you have easy access to the underside of the floor, you could sister the two end joists with a couple pieces of 2x8. Honestly, I wouldn't - 12" centers is very close and it would be hard to get in between to properly attach the sister joist.

Sounds good.

 

[Trippingpara]

With 2x8s 12" on center, you should have no problem. Your floor will flex a little (that is normal), but with it being on a load bearing wall, you will have no problem.

I have to give you props there kobeclone. It sounds like you have a pretty good head on your shoulders for being 16. When I was that age, I wouldn't have had a clue what sister joints were or even what 12" on center meant let alone do the research to make your mother feel at ease with what you want to do. Good luck with the tank!

 

[Kobeclone]

With 2x8s 12" on center, you should have no problem. Your floor will flex a little (that is normal), but with it being on a load bearing wall, you will have no problem.

I have to give you props there kobeclone. It sounds like you have a pretty good head on your shoulders for being 16. When I was that age, I wouldn't have had a clue what sister joints were or even what 12" on center meant let alone do the research to make your mother feel at ease with what you want to do. Good luck with the tank!

Thank you.

 

[LemonHead]

So Kobeclone, whats goin in it? lol

 

[Kobeclone]

So Kobeclone, whats goin in it? lol

lol

Hopefully a silver aro, 5 senegal bichirs, and 3 black ghost knives. That list is pretty tenative though...