How much weight can a floor take...

[Marcella]

Hi guys,
My husband actually asked me to post this question. Basically we would like to hear from people who have a tank 180g plus. My husband asked an engineer buddy of his about how much weight our floor can take once the tank is up and ready. Apparently we are talking something like 2,000lb. Well according to this gentleman that is way too much weight for a residential floor to hold up. So he told my husband that we would have to reinforce the floor. How many people keep their large aquariums in the basements and how many on a main floor? Any problems with weight? Just curious before I start tearing down my ceilings and reinforcing with steel. My God do I want this acquarium bad or what??????? Thanks

[ajx22]

Marcella,

My 220Gal is on the main floor - but it spans across numerous floor joists - and the base of it rests on a weight-bearing wall too.

In the basement, under the tank - I have still taken an 8' 4x4, and placed it across the joists, about 6ft out from the weight-bearing wall, and then added a few cinder blocks stacked up to the 4x4 for support. I actually used a section of 4x4 and a trolly jack to hoist the floor up about an inch, and then wedge in the 4x4 under the cinder-block supports.

I have had parties in my house, with 15+ people dancing on the floor next to the tank - with no problems.

I did however, put the tank in this location for reasons concerning the floor bracing.

Again...feel free to drop in and have a look for yourself!

Cheers,

[Kenzy]

Although my tank is just shy of 180g it's on the main floor. I reinforced the flooring from below and turned the extra bracing into a storage shelving unit. Even though mines in a corner that is plenty strong I felt it would be better safe than sorry.

[Daniel Schubert]

I agree. If you can place the tank across as many floor joists as possible, and near a bearing wall, then you should be okay. But adding a couple of support beams would be a good idea. The wieght of a 180 would actually be more if you consider:
1/2" glass tank - 295 lbs
3/4" glass - 450 lbs
Furniture grade stand/cap aprrox. 250 lbs
Live Rocks 150-200 lbs
Sand 100lbs +
Saltwater approx. 1500 lbs + sump + sump water. In total you are at looking well over 2000 lbs

[Marcella]

Thanks guys. Now I have to tell my husband he was right AGAIN!!!!!! LOL

[Dman]

I've done the same as everyone else, I braced the floor from below.
Originally I had my 200 tall placed across 4 floor joists, but when my daughter would run in front of it to answer the phone (teenagers) I would watch the tank visibly sway, that was enough for me.
Dman
:spin:

[neemo]

Actually it also depends on the construction of your stand.
Does your stand have a bottom board spanning the length of the tank? Or does your stand rest on legs (4-6 for large aquaria)?

If you have a bottom board , it will distribute the weight evenly across its surface, but if your stand has legs, the pressure of all the weight will actually be siitting on thos legs. Think about this: if your stand has 4 four by four legs the weight is resting on an area about 4"X4" x 4 legs thats about 64" squared.

With all that weight on a small area, you would be safe doubling up the joists on which the legs will sit and as aj22 mentioned, support these joists with either a wood pillar (2x4 or 2x6 x4 together, or with one of those iron support beams you often see in basements. That way you'll be able to sleep at night.

[Michael_Lambert]

It will have a 1 inch most likly Oak bottom!

[neemo]

if the tank stand will be sitting on a bottom board, its a little better weight distribution.
What I would still do (IMHO) ,if the joists are saymore than 8' from supports, would be to nail a double 2x6 perpendicular across the joists on which the tank will rest and support it by a couple of posts at the ends, actually even one in the middle would suffice.