i have a 150 that has been sitting in the backyard and not being used and i would really like to get it set up. unfortunately the only place i have to put it is upstairs. i have a spot next to a load bearing exterior wall that would have the tank perpendicular to the joists. the joists are set 16 inches apart and i will be putting the tank on a 7ft X 3ft piece of plywood so i should be able to get the tank on 5 joists. for a stand i plan on using 6 legs made up of 3 cinderblocks stacked with 4 2x4 running lengthwise on the tank on top of the legs. the six legs will rest on a 7x3 piece of plywood to distribute the weight more evenly. so do you guys think this will work or will the tank cause damage to the floor? also the wet weight of a 150 is 1800 pounds plus 100 pounds of sand and say another 200 for the weight of the stand and other decorations in the tank and it should weigh around 2100 pounds.
can a 150 gallon tank go upstairs
- Thread starter memfish
- Start date
If you're worried about the weight on the floor then skip the cinder blocks. Not only will they make the stand heavier than timber or steel, but unles you build a rigid base for it to sit on it won't distribute the weight onto the beams (no the ply won't really help, unless it is ridiculously thick). If you build a timber stand you can make it with a flat base that will transfer the weight onto the beams. Check out uaru_joey's plans for a DIY timber stand.
I've had a 150 on second floor for years mine was fine , plywood on base two foot longer than tank to span as many joists as possible , if you wanted extra support screw hangers to the wall behind the stand and attach to stand to take some of the weight off the floor , worked a treat for me the floor was fine afterwards as long as everything is square and level it should be fine depending on your joists and house of course 
Be sure to put on a load bearing wall where the floor joists run from the back of the tank to the front not side to side. IMO 150 gallons on a second floor is pushing the load limits of standard construction. If your worried about the weight, try getting 8 pretty big guys together (200+ lbs) and have them all stand in that area and bounce a bit. If the floor wobbles or creaks, I wouldn't chance it. 150 gallons is a lot of water to clean up and falling from that high will do some serious damage.
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People don't give houses enough credit....do you guys remember waterbeds? How about bathtubs full of water? As long as the tank is level you're fine...there's plenty of people on here with bigger tanks in more precarious places in their house who have had zero problems...I haven't seen the "my tank went through the floor" thread yet and don't anticipate it happening...good luck with the 150 buddy
thanks for the encouragment but there are a few differences with your examples. waterbeds cover a much larger area and spread the weight better, and bathtubs almost always have extra support underneath. luckily the tank will not be there for over a year so i think it should be good. hopefully the worst that happens is i see a slight deflection in the floor and have to drain the tank.
Not to mention that bath tubs don't hold anywhere near 150g of water (at least the onces I've seen) and aren't full for months/years at a time.
Yes I understand that....my dad was a structural engineer he would say the same thing...give your house some credit...this guy will be fine in this situation
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