Structural Integrity of Floor

[glovanator]

Hi All,

I've just bought a bungalow and I'm thinking about installing a 400 Gallon aquarium in it. But I have no idea how the house was built (the foundation) and I'm not sure whether or not I need to provide additional support or not so the tank doesn't fall through the floor.

Do you have any advice on how I should move forwards?

Thanks

 

[TwoHedWlf]

Hi All,

I've just bought a bungalow and I'm thinking about installing a 400 Gallon aquarium in it. But I have no idea how the house was built (the foundation) and I'm not sure whether or not I need to provide additional support or not so the tank doesn't fall through the floor.

Do you have any advice on how I should move forwards?

Thanks

Well, sounds like you need to find out how the house was built. Time to go for a crawl under the floor and see how it's built, where the piles, beams, etc are.

Unless it's a concrete floor, then you're good to go.

 

[phreeflow]

Hire an engineer...fastest, safest way to go unless its concrete like TwoHedWlf mentioned

 

[Fat Homer]

As P phreeflow mentioned, the only safe way is to get a proffesional in to check it out before placing the tank...

Nothing quite like 400G of water on the floor or even worse 400G tank through the floor as you said...

 

[glovanator]

I didn't want to jump to an engineer immediately, though if it's not a concrete floor, I understand I will need to get one anyway.

But I'd be surprised if everyone on this forum got an engineer for their big tanks.

 

[skjl47]

safe way is to get a proffesional in to check it out before placing the tank...

Hello; It could be an experienced contractor if you know one you trust.

didn't want to jump to an engineer immediately, though if it's not a concrete floor, I understand I will need to get one anyway.

hello; Even a concrete floor can be too thin or some other ways not up to the task. I had a link about this and wil look for it

But I'd be surprised if everyone on this forum got an engineer for their big tanks.

hello; Yes there have been posts from forum members who have used engineers .

Hello; At 400 gallons the tank with all equipment might weigh 4800 pounds or more.


Here is the web address of an article that talks about the issue.


http://badmanstropicalfish.com/articles/article28.html




http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?548712-Any-strcutral-engineers-home-builders-out-there-Question-about-reinforcing-a-floor

 

[duanes]

My previous house was built in 1870, had 2" X 12" beams, and I had about 2000 gallons of tanks spread out, between 3 rooms, on the first floor.
Under each of the heaviest tanks, I put a floor jack directly below in the basement just to be safe.

 

[slipshodman]

I even got a builder out for my 6x2x2 (small in comparison to a 400 gal) to be comfortable and had to add an extra beam in the floor
I explained what i was doing when I called him and he called in and gave advice for nothing even though he knew i was going to do it myself

Better safe than sorry in my opinion

 

[Drstrangelove]

I didn't want to jump to an engineer immediately, though if it's not a concrete floor, I understand I will need to get one anyway.

But I'd be surprised if everyone on this forum got an engineer for their big tanks.

You're absolutely right. A lot of people probably don't do that, and it turns out just fine. For most of them. Of course, every now and then, someone does it and ends up with a fat bill to cover the repair of a warped or damaged floor.

You'll have to decide without any real evidence what the cost of a repair might be and what is the chance of it being needed. And whether that is more than the cost of an expert. And you may have to do that without knowing if insurance will cover any of it and whether or not the tank will literally wreck (not warp the floor.)