Opinions On Large Tank Placement Please

[jdepasqu2]

I'm putting a 150g top tank and a 100g bottom tank on a metal stand in an old single wide trailer. Front of the tanks will be about 2 inches from the supporting I beam and the back will have some kind of extra support between the bottom of the trailer and the cemant pad. I am also be making a subframe for the stand out of 2"by3"-3/16" wall square tubing , the purpose will be to spread the weight out over several joist plus if the trailer moves(frost heave or settling) the tank will never have any twisting force applied to it.

Seems like you got it covered......

 

[jdepasqu2]

After a short discussion with my Fiance, we've decided we're going to re-do the game room, and turn it into a tank/TV room. It's on the first floor, with a concrete floor. We'll have our 300gal, a 75gal Piranha tank, a 40 gal community tank, a 30gal Discus tank and a 15gal feeder tank. We'll just have to find room for the 55" tv, as well as my toys lol. Better safe than sorry, since I can't get under to the joists to support the big tank in my living room!

Well thats makes alot more sense..... Good Luck....

 

[jdepasqu2]

Hacksaw and a drill and you can make tham any length you need.

So I assume that these stands/supports dont come in smaller lengths??? Does anyone know???

 

[sswampratt]

They come in different lenghts

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...003+501231+90401&catalogId=10053&dim_search=1

 

[Bderick67]

In this thread you can see what I did for my 180gallon 3000lbs set up. http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=68277

I have a wood subfloor in my basement and will be placing a 360g 6' x 4' x 2' on it. Extra support will be added to this much in the same way a Bud8fan's. In a couple years I will be building a tank with the dimensions similar to yours. The placement of this tank will actually be centered over a foundation wall and be half in my house and half in my garage.

 

[edtriou]

I guess the only thing that I need is some help with figuring out a way to create the base for the additional support beams that I plan on installing. The problem is that there is only dirt below my finshed floor.

Anyone else with some ideas or projects like this that they conquered.??

You have a large footprint (8'x4') of tank, ie: nicely distributed over a large surface area.
In fact you have less weight/foot than I do with my 210.

For mine I did exactly what you described; sistering, bolting, plus added beam.
Here's my build thread if your interested:
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=98489

As for the supports in dirt, I used 4' x 12" tubes of concrete:

Ed

 

[jdepasqu2]

You have a large footprint (8'x4') of tank, ie: nicely distributed over a large surface area.
In fact you have less weight/foot than I do with my 210.

For mine I did exactly what you described; sistering, bolting, plus added beam.
Here's my build thread if your interested:
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=98489

As for the supports in dirt, I used 4' x 12" tubes of concrete:

Ed

I am trying to figure out if i need to go as far as digging and poring new footings like what was done in the pic above or can i do this as posted by dodgefreak8 in his tread where he just placed concrete blocks as his base. He is situated in colorado where they probably have more freeze thaw than I do here in Southeast PA. I think that if frost did want to push up on the floor joists that it wouldnt have much luck because of the tons of weight pushing the opposite way..... This the only thing that i am really worried about..
What does everybody think??? I think that the fact that i already have a CMU wall with a footing under my tank that i will not need to worry as much as this is what is going to be the primary support for the floor/tank... Everything else is just to help reinforce the existing joists as the they leave the CMU wall perpendicularly.

 

[duke33]

In most cases it's "better safe than sorry". You said you work constuction, Go with what ya know.

 

[edtriou]

I think that if frost did want to push up on the floor joists that it wouldnt have much luck because of the tons of weight pushing the opposite way..... This the only thing that i am really worried about..

Not sure I would trust the weight vs. frost reasoning. I thought one of the primary reasons builders poured footers greater than 4' depth, was to get below the frost line, even though the entire weight of the house is distributed on the footers.

In all honestly I did mine 4' more to get into some harder dirt, so my beam posts wouldn't just compress the soil under the weight of the tank. Although now I don't have to worry about frost as well. Either way I sleep well at night, grin.

Ed

 

[jdepasqu2]

I will be figuring out everything this weekend....., as long as the weather cooperates. I wonder if I just really beef up the existing joists if that would be enough? The only reason this may be possible is because i already have a good existing support (in a footing) centered below the tank. I'm just worried that the tank may want to lean to either side of this main beam/support and collapse the floor on one side......