tank and floor strength

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Sunpoe

Sunpoe

Candiru
MFK Member
Dec 7, 2005
943
8
48
46
Toronto, Ontario
How much weight or how big of a tank can you put on the upper level of a two story house? The house was made in the 1970's so it is realitively modern. This I know is a tough guestion to anwser but if someone could give me a ball park figure or point me in the right direction I would be most obliged.

Thanks for the help! :)
 
if u lay the tank perpindicular to the beams in the floor it would give u some extra support. i still wouldnt go w/ anything over 200gals.
 
without knowing what you have for floor joists I would say nothing over 125. even going perpendicular to the joists
 
It all comes down to the footprint of the tank or how much the weight is spread. On a second floor you can keep a stock 125 gallon with dimensions of 48x24x24 and the weight would be 156.25lbs per square foot or less than most adults standing on the floor (thats on a stand with a full flush bottom touching the floor instead of just 4 2x4 legs. a stand with just legs would exert 312.5 lbs per leg)
A larger tank would work provided the footprint spread out to allow for the increased weight of the tank without adding weight per square foot of flush stand. I had a 350 gallon tank on a raised floor. But, since the footprint is 8ftx4ft, the weight was only 109lbs per square foot. Or, less than my girlfriend standing in the room (don't tell her I said that.)
 
i agree a 120 would be max unless you can get to the floor bracing below and add extra supports and even then its risky....Just remember a 180 gallon tank full of water and gravel with stand weighs close to 2000 lbs.....
 
1 cubic foot = 7.480 519 481 gallon [US, liquid]
1 Gallons [US] = 8.3452641 Pounds
It's all in the "PSI" or pounds per square inch...do the math, then check with the blueprints of the house and see if it will easily support the tank you are wanting to place in that room...good luck! :thumbsup:
 
Why does life have to be so complicated :swear: :( Would it be fare to say anything under 100gal would be safe on the second floor without the worry of the floor collapsing :eek: Where would I go about finding the house blue prints? So long and wide with minimal hieght is the way to go? Why does water have to wieght so MUCH :(

Thanks for all the responses :)
 
Sigh.....just found this post. Now I'm unsure if I should even get a 100gal tank. I'm in a 2nd floor apt. Guess I will have to ask the owner 1st. I want at very least a 100gal! dang it.
 
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