How large of a tank can i get upstairs

[mdb_talon]

Maybe it is just where I have lived, but I have never seen a rental agreement that did not prohibit large tanks (in some cases any tank at all). If you do break a rental agreement and your tank leaks (for any reason) you are open to a lot of liability from the apartmant owner as well as all the tenents under you. Insurance can help if you, but ensure they will still cover you even if you are breaking a rental agreement.

Anyway I obviously have not seen your lease, but that is one thing I would check and personally I would follow it.

 

[Natural_Born_Killer]

Get a professional opinion. Any structural engineer will be able to tell you whether or not your floor can handle the weight. But you will need to provide the specs of your floors.

I currently have a 270G with a 35G sump on wood floor joists. My floors are made out of 2x10s, so they're pretty beefy. I had a structural engineer run the numbers and they said I was fine...I could put over 3,000lbs without any problems. The tank has been set up for almost two years now without any problems.

Your floors may be totally different than mine, so don't think that just because I'm ok, you'll be fine too. My brother's apartment floors are so weak that he probably couldn't even set up a 55 gallon. But I think a lot of people on here underestimate the strength of wood. Just because it's wood, doesn't mean it won't be able to support the weight. Again, get a professional opinion even if you have to pay someone to run the numbers. If your floors fail, it could end up costing a lot more than paying for a professional opinion.

better be safe than sorry! And get the insurance!

 

[shelbyzman]

You may be able to get away with a larger tank, but I wouldn't go any bigger than a 55 just to be safe. It would be different if it was in your home, not an apartment.

 

[malawi mayhem]

STOP - Call a structural engineer!

Here is a story entitled...

"No Good Deed Goes Unpunished!"

I set up a 110G AG for my 73 year old mom in 2007. She liked my 125G and she said "one day I should set one up....!"

Being a life insurance agent... I said some day was yesterday...!

After losing the fierce battle for a larger tank she beat me down to a 110G... I had everything ordered within a week...!

Then one day I was over there getting ready for the arrival of the tank and I said....

OH F%$K....!!!!

The tank is going to be in the den and directly over the garage... specifically... over the windsheild of her lexus in the garage...!!!! The tank would be running paralle to the joists... I freaked...!!! There really wasn't going to be anything "Load bearing" underneath it....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

110G High AG 18" x 48" tank 250+ lbs, about 900lbs of water, about 400+ lbs of TX holey rock, ($900.00), minimal gravel 10lbs, 4 fluval 405s (aprox 20lbs each when fully loaded) = 80lbs, AG modern stand, (no hood) all total it weighs more than 1500lbs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Luckily, I have a long time client Nic Cuoco, of Cuoco Structural Engineering and in 2007 he was a very very busy SE! I called Nic and he said for a house of that age... circa 1930s here in CT the "normal" working load for the floor would be 40lbs per sqft with an absolute max of 100lbs per sqft.

I was at...

8 sqft divided by 1500 lbs = 187.5 lbs per sqft!!!!!!! Minimum!!!!!!!

Note: The footprint of the the stand is actually less than 8 sqft*****

I asked what would happen if I did it the way it is....?

He said the floor would at somepoint, start to buckle, the joists would start to deflect, (twist) and that would just be the beginning... it would NOT get better or level out at some point. In fact, he said worst case... it "could" at some point, depending on the stand, cause the stand to fail because it would be on a "potentially" shifting sagging surface which it was definetly not designed for. Which could lead to point oading the tank and cause t to blowout somewhere.....



Then he said the unthinkable...!!!




Nic- John, why don't you just go with a tank half the size that you want...?

John- Nic... I ALREADY AM GOING WITH THE SMALLER TANK...!!!! I WANTED TO PUT IN A 180G!!!!!!!!!

Nic- Oh...

So Nic designed a simple engineered beam support system on special hangers connected to the crte block with Hilti bolts epoxied into the block.... Plus it was made so I can add the 180G in the future!!!

End result....

Structural design work = $500.00

Additional cost (including labor) of support = $2,500.00

Peace of mind knowing that the Lexus and African Cichlids will never ever meet...

Priceless!!!!!!!

Lastly, I was in Nic's office the other day and saw an old rusted stand for a 55G that one of his guys is bringing from his house to set up. I reminded him that he was in an older commercial building and that he could put in a much larger tank with no worries.....

He said this one is free... and I said and your fish will be too...!

Can you say Malawi...?

John

 

[stingraybob]

What if i only fill the tank up half way?

your tank is 150 gallons...im guessin that weighs in th neighborhood of 350-400 pounds, just a guesstimate, water weighs 8-8.5 pounds per gallon(depending on who you ask), times that by 75 gallons(half way), thats another 630-637.5 pounds of water, so your already up to about 1000 pounds, now add in substrate, stand, filter(s), and you walking around it....I would think that would be a recipe for disaster, IMO

 

[12 Volt Man]

you are better off getting a 75 rather than filling up a 150 gallon half way. it will look dumb filled half way (unless you do a pladarium type setup with plants above).

no point in investing the extra cost of a 150 (which costs about 3x the price of a 75 gallon new) if you are only putting in half the volume anyway.

 

[aldiaz33]

OP stated that he was looking into upgrading to a 210, not a 150.

Running some numbers through the boonedocks calculator the total weight of a glass 210G is over 2,200lbs. Keep in mind, I don't think that includes the weight of a stand. Check it out at http://boonedocks.net/fishtank/ftweb.php

As others have said, before you do anything you should read your lease and find out if you are even allowed to have an aquarium...especially one that size. If you've signed a contract/lease that states that you are not allowed to set one up, then you are taking on a HUGE amount of liability. You could get evicted, or potentially even worse, if something bad does happen you could be liable for the damage.

If you are allowed under the terms of the leave to set up a tank that size, then you should contact a structural engineering firm. There's a science to this...don't take some randrom internet blogger's opinion, because if something goes wrong, it's your butt, not his/hers. Oh yeah, and also don't ask the opinion of the person selling you the tank. Their opinion tends to be pretty biased/uninformed.

 

[greenearthlawns]

I live in a manufactured home and I have 12 tanks in one room for a total of 700 gal. I bought floor jacks and landscape timbers and completely supported the floor underneath. cost about 500$ and my husband did the work. definately worth it for the peace of mind. Also, this post reminds me to also get insurance asap.

 

[malawi mayhem]

aldiaz33 is so right on the mark when he said...

"Oh yeah, and also don't ask the opinion of the person selling you the tank. Their opinion tends to be pretty biased/uninformed."

My local guy, who has been in the business for 25+ years honestly thought that the 110G would be fine... He was very surprized by the real scoop on the working load of most residential floors. Also, I ran into an architect that I know last night and was talking to him about it... he said the working load would 45 lbs per sqft. and he painted the same picture as my engineer... he put it this way.

"From the moment the tank was filled with water, the tank stand would be on a surface that is in a progressive state of downward movement..."

This is a really important thread.... I am going to direct Nic my engineer and soon to be African Cichlids keeper to it and see if he would make a general professional comment.

John

 

[12 Volt Man]

this is a good read on the subject:

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/aquarium_weight.php

see what the engineer says about this article. it was written by an engineer.