210 Reef in a condo

[thebrinc]

Hi Guys.

I've spent the last 9 months constructing my dream 210g reef tank with 55g sump, custom stand and hood, auto topup RO unit as well as drainage plumbed into the house's system etc. A couple of weeks ago I'm just about done with the build and filling her up with RO for the first time! My excitement abated slightly when circumstances in my life changed and I now have to sell my house, and buy a condo closer to town in the coming months.

This being said, is there any way I could keep a system this size going in a 700sqft apartment? I'll go for a place on the ground floor for weight concerns but I'm just worried about humidity levels, noise and life in general.

Any input will be most welcome!

[TheMikey]

I can't comment on noise, but a 210g tank and 55g sump with live rock, equipment, etc. is probably going to tip scales at about 3000 lbs and I'm not sure - without sufficient bracing - if it can be done.

I was going to make a mother-in-law joke here, but given the circumstances humour should probably wait.

[thebrinc]

Originally Posted by TheMikey

I can't comment on noise, but a 210g tank and 55g sump with live rock, equipment, etc. is probably going to tip scales at about 3000 lbs and I'm not sure - without sufficient bracing - if it can be done.

I was going to make a mother-in-law joke here, but given the circumstances humour should probably wait.

On the contrary, humour is all I have left! haha. I hear you on the weight concerns however, it has me slightly concerned too. I've been doing some research, and as long as you place the tank next to a load bearing wall and have a concrete floor it should work, in theory...

[sphelps]

Noise can be easily eliminated with the right equipment so as long as you don't mind spending a little you'll be perfectly fine on that end. A condo building that is concrete structure and not just wood framing (anything above 3 stories must be concrete) will probably be OK if you can position it on or against a load bearing structure. You'll have a difficult time however getting actual permission form a condo board so best keep it on the down low. Humidity will require some work, you can go with lids with low heat lighting which will fix that or a dehumidifier which are noisy and not ideal but work.

[hillegom]

Two of the people I know that live in condos, have a humidity sensor in the living room that will turn a fan on when the humidity raises above the setting you have adjusted it to.

[lorenz0]

what are the dimensions of the tank?

and yes I agree with sphelps about keeping the tank off the radar of the condo board. Most condos will allow a tank up to 75gal and make sure you get insurance, otherwise any damage to the building will hurt your pocket

[Myka]

*edit* Oops this is an old thread...oh well, info is still good.

Most condos are concrete structure, and 210 gallons shouldn't be an issue, especially if you place it near the load bearing structures of the building. Personally, I would probably down-size simply because of aesthetics as a 210-gallon tank is going to be aesthetically awkward in a 700 sq ft condo assuming the kitchen/dining/living areas where the tank would probably be located are probably quite small. You might find that something like a 90-gallon or 75-gallon tank would just look better.

You will need permission from the condo association for ANY pets. That includes fish, reptiles, cats, dogs, horses (haha), etc. The condo association may not allow you to have an aquarium of ANY size. If they do give you permission they will probably specify a maximum size and may require you to get liability insurance.

Regardless of what the condo association says, I would suggest you get liability insurance anyway, even if your tank is small. Even a 5-gallon tank that breaks and has water sitting on the floor for a few hours can cause quite a lot of damage by trickling down to lower levels through ducting and around plumbing, etc. Insurance isn't too pricey, the lowest you can usually get is $1 million, and the lowest an insurance company will write up a contract is usually about $400-450 a year. For that price, you're often better off getting $2 million for just a few bucks a month more. Check it out.

[Aquattro]

K, everyone, this thread is 4 years old. Pretty sure the condo question got resolved. Marcus OD'ed on crack and went post crazy with his spam