what is the biggest tank i can do upstairs?

[mbunafishkeeper]

hi, i was thinking about a 5x2x2 up stairs. our floor consists of 6x2 wooden joyces every 18" spanning 13ft across. i currently have a 4x2x2 up stairs which is right up against a wall.

what is the biggest tank you think i could do up there?

what is the biggest tank you have upstairs in your house?

thanks

Howard

 

[DanProwse]

i've seen up to 8x2x2s upstairs with no extra floor reinforcing with no problems, any bigger would probable require floor bracing

 

[mbunafishkeeper]

ok thanks, do you know the what the floor was made of because they may have had a different amount of beams or somthing like that.

can anyone work out what would be a maximum for me?

 

[AndrewMack]

Most construction companies will do free estimates. As a fail safe you could have them come up, if you can find a honest company,they will tell you the amount of weight they recommend you put there. If nothing, they will give you a price to reinforce the floors

 

[kusojijii]

I always wondered this too. Besides the glass (which is HEAVY) a tank can't weigh that much more than a waterbed can it?

 

[mbunafishkeeper]

I always wondered this too. Besides the glass (which is HEAVY) a tank can't weigh that much more than a waterbed can it?

true!

 

[DanProwse]

i believe water beds are somewhere around 200gallons, so a 5x2x2 150 shouldnt be a problem

 

[mbunafishkeeper]

my dad sais you have your floors reinforced for waterbeds..?

 

[PoopSmart]

my dad sais you have your floors reinforced for waterbeds..?

No you don't.

My g/f's mom has one now and they live in a house thats over a hundred years old. Seriously the basement walls look like cobblestone, it will be fine.

You don't reinforce the floor if you have a waterbed unless you are living in a house made out of straw.

 

[Dan F]

I have an 8x2x2.5 300 gallon in the upstairs of a 65 year old building. The main thing is to have the tank sit perpendicular to the joists. Also, being closer to the ends of the joists (rather than mid-span) will reduce the chances of a sagging floor.