Whats the weight limit on a 55gal?

[timkersh]

I have a 55gal glass tank. It has about 100 lbs of limestone, 50 lbs of gravel and of course water. The tank is on a sturdy iron rame and I'm not worried about that as much as the bottom of the tank. I have a UGF so the weight is distributed fairly well. But I'm still a bit curious to how much of a load a glass tank can handle. Any words of wisdom MKF'ers?

Tim

 

[CHOMPERS]

It can handle more than you can pack into it. You have nothing to worry about.

 

[Cookie*]

I'm not sure what the breaking point is, but I think what you have in there is ok. My only concern would be if it were on a metal stand, then I would want to put a piece of plywood between the tank and the stand (just for extra strength underneath where it's normally hollow). But I do think you're ok at 150 or so pounds spread out over the tank.

 

[aclockworkorange]

I wouldn't worry about it. Saltwater reef tanks put in TONS of live sand, rock, corals, etc. Water weighs 8 pounds a gallon (i think?). They are built to handle it.

Curious: Don't things weigh less in water? Because of density?

 

[pjsmetana]

I wouldn't worry about it. Saltwater reef tanks put in TONS of live sand, rock, corals, etc. Water weighs 8 pounds a gallon (i think?). They are built to handle it.

Curious: Don't things weigh less in water? Because of density?

+1, 8lbs/gal, and yes.

You can set an anvil in your tank.

 

[Clay]

8.345lbs/gal, but who's counting?

Anyway, you'll be fine. The easiest estimation number is 10lbs/gal (including tank, water, etc), so you can safely estimate the tank weight around 550lbs. It's probably a little more, but for ease of numbers, it works.

 

[PostalPenguin]

Any object, denser than water, you put in the tank will weigh "less" but the total weight of the tank will increase. So if you put in 250lbs of rock/sand into your 55g tank and it displaces 10 gallons of water, your tank will go from weighing 440lbs(just water) full to 610lbs full. (440 + 250 - (10x8)).

 

[Zander_The_RBP]

Any object, denser than water, you put in the tank will weigh "less" but the total weight of the tank will increase. So if you put in 250lbs of rock/sand into your 55g tank and it displaces 10 gallons of water, your tank will go from weighing 440lbs(just water) full to 610lbs full. (440 + 250 - (10x8)).

yes but generaly the wight of the rocks is roughly equal to the weight of the water they displace so theres no net change in weight.


really depends on the type of rock though.

 

[purplesmurf123]

I wouldn't worry about it. Saltwater reef tanks put in TONS of live sand, rock, corals, etc. Water weighs 8 pounds a gallon (i think?). They are built to handle it.

Curious: Don't things weigh less in water? Because of density?

No things do not weigh less in water because gravity is still pulling down at 9.81 m/s on it even though you can lift things under water and they "feel" lighter they actually aren't because when you have something in water you have water under it causing it to fall slower but the mass doesn't change at all

 

[Miguel4u2]

"When you immerse an object in water, water pushes it upwards. This is called Archimede's principal. It states, the maginitude of the upward force an object immersed in a fluid experiences equals to the weight of the fluid displaced due to that object.

Keep in mind, when you immerse an object in water, it displaces water according to its shape. So, more water it displaces the more upward force it experiences.

Weight is actually the downward force applied on an object due to gravity. When you immerse an object in water, the downward force is compromised by the upward force the water applies on the object. That is why objects weigh less in water. And remember, water may not totally out-weigh the object's weight. It might, sometimes, be possible, but it is not a rule."

Get the facts man