floor hold my new tank?

[justarn]

hey all, newbie here first post

hey, need some advise please, i have bought a 180gal tank and am a little worried about my floor strenght!

The tank is 6ft x 2ft x2ft and i have done some reseach and thinks thats about 1000kg up and running right! i plan on putting it agianst a load bearing wall across 6 joists. the joists are at 14 inch centres and are a strange size at 3 inch by 3 inch across a 9ft span

also the house is late 1800's so old, im in the uk.

i reackon a normal say 2 inch by 6 inch joist would be fine, its the 3 x3 thats made me wonder...

only checked today as a precausion!!!

cheers in advance.

 

[brich999]

I think you should be okay. I wouldn't go much bigger, but you can always ask someone who is in construction to take a look at it. Welcome to mfk

 

[justarn]

thanks brich

*precaution lol

well i hope so, think i'll fill her up nice and slow! i had a 5ft by 1.5 by 2ft before, i had that in three different houses and in two it used to bouce slightly! i was always worried when coming home for the first week haha

prob the same for all big tanks and joisted floor owners!

i'll post some pics when its up and running, gonna prob be a let down but ive always had oscars so my albino 7 inch oscar spiro is getting upgraded! he'll be one of the few who gets a proper home!

god bless all the baby oscars destined for filthy tiny tanks and short unhappy lifes!!!

also my male convict, tropheus duboisii, edonis plec, sailfin plec, bumble bee cat, paratilapia polleni, an commen plec will be taking up permanent residence!

 

[justarn]

let down cause most people groan when they hear oscar....
best fish ever... my mum had one when i was very young which i bonded with, real fish with character!

 

[Carefree_Dude]

The only way to be sure is a structural engineer. Nobody here can give you an exact answer without seeing your house

Posted on mobile.monsterfishkeepers.com

 

[Joe M]

The only way to be sure is a structural engineer. Nobody here can give you an exact answer without seeing your house

Posted on mobile.monsterfishkeepers.com

Captain Obvious! He asked for advice, not a solid yes or no answer from an engineer.

But I wouldn't do that if my joists were 3x3, that sounds like some pretty weak construction. The joists in my house are 2x10, and I'm am even wary about how much weight I put on them. It could work fine, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.

Any way you can reinforce the floor from below?

 

[skjl47]

Hello; Do you own the place? If not you will likely be responsible for any damages if the floor does give way.

Can you get at the floor supports? If so poke them with an awl or sharp screwdriver. If they feel soft, then they are soft and not as strong as when new a long time ago. If you do not want to poke them , try rapping on them with a hammer. This can tell you a bit about how solid they are.

You are going to have over 2,000 pounds of weight. I kilogram = 2.2 pounds. That is a small car. I just finished sistering in 12 foot 2x6 boards onto some of my floor joists. A previous owner had damaged the floor joists. This was a precaution in a room where no excessive weight will be added.

A stout board on top of a few 4x4 posts under the area will brace the floor. You can also put a sheet of plywood down on the floor and sit the tank on that to spread the load over all the joists.

 

[justarn]

mmm?? its very tight underneath, about 8 inches to the earth! also my lounge floor is oak floorbourds!
i was thinking of it as 160kg per joist, dont sound so bad... like two average men on each one tight to a wall?
may have to bite the bullet and wreck then repair some!
i'll keep you all updated! thanks ppl.

 

[skjl47]

Hello; If you do try to squeeze into an 8 inch crawl space, be sure to take a cell phone with you or let someone know where you are going.

eight inches!!!!!. That is tight. I will not feel to bad next time I am under my floor, I have around 20 inches.