Floor support??

[Aquattro]

Has anyone ever needed to add support in their floor for a large tank? I'm setting up a 155 and I'm wondering if I need to address this. I figure with a flat bottom on the stand, it will be about 200 lbs/ft^2. The wall it will be against has an outside wall below it. Comments?

[Troy F]

I don't see it being a problem Brad. It definately won't go through the floor but you may get it leaning forward slightly; you could always shim slightly in advance. What is underneath the tank? Would installing bracing support be inconvenient?

[Aquattro]

Troy, the carport is underneath the tank. I would have to tear off stucco and drywall to add bracing. I'd use a support post but the tenant's entrance way is right there.

[Troy F]

Are the joists hung or sitting on the top plate?

Here is a suggestion; set up the tank in the place you want it and check the level with it empty. Then fill it with water and let it sit for a while and check again. You can then estimate what you'll have to shim. {If you come back and the tank has been replaced by a hole in the floor I would advise choosing another spot :D .}

[Aquattro]

Troy, the joists are resting on the top plate as far as I can tell. The part about there being a hole where the tank used to be is the scarey part. I'll investigate further and see if I can get inside the floor.

[Troy F]

Brad, there's no way that is going through the floor unless you have some dry rot or carpenter ants. Another question; how long a span do the joists cover?

Check it out the best you can but seriously with the weight spread out over ten square feet I can't see a problem.

Disclaimer: I may or may not have a clue what I'm talking about. Use above advice at your discretion.

[Aquattro]

Troy, not sure that's a legal disclaimer...you may still be responsible!!! hehe..

The span is about 12ft (garage width). I think it should be fine personally. But if not, I'll have my lawyer contact you :D

[SurfsUp]

hi
couldnt help but over hear your convesation :D

my biggest concern is how far apart,and size of timber used
in the construction of a home there are a few choices a builder has with the timber any where from 2x6 to 2x12, the spacing can go from 12,16,18 to 24,depending on what an engineer felt the maximum load bearing on the floor would be,im guessing he/she didnt count on someone putting a large tank on it .
being in the construction trade if you could fill me in on somemore details i could get a pretty good answer for you,
when i was setting up my 125 in my apartment,(9th floor),the floor was constucted out of what is known as CORE SLAB ,concrete slabs with holes,and steel cable going down the lenght of them.i didnt feel there would problem until i got talking to an engineer who designs and builds them.he told me for that kind of weight a corner with two load walls are ideal,the further i move away from the wall or to the center of the wall the more likely the wall well want to push out,or the slab may fracture ,he also told me to evenly place the stand across two slabs to increase the weight displacement to asure this was done he recommended using two pieces of 3/4 inch ply wood under the stand to help the displacement.
the reason for all that concern was simple, the 9th floor was the top and he was more than sure that the top slabs had a different rating than the bottom one.
but if your in a bit of a push to get going i would suggest that you get the tank in a corner with two walls under it
but like i said i could find ot more if i knew what was in the floor

hope this helps some

[Aquattro]

hmm...I could pour a concrete slab with post tension cabling, but my wife might balk!! The tank will be at a 45 angle from the wall with 2 load bearing walls beneath (corner of the garage. With the age of the house, I would guess the joists are true 2X8s (maybe 10) on 16" centers.I don't know what the floor is (plywood, slats, etc). The floor is finished in hardwood. The ceiling below is drywall covered with stucco. That's about all I can say without removing material.

[FishGeek]

I think I'll be fine! I have a 135gal tank with 200gal total water volume! My tank is supported by two walls! The tank has been set up for a bit over a year and no problems what so ever! The tank does tilt forward ever so slightly though! You have to understand that all stress calculations for buildings are done with saftey factors included into the design! Think of pianos. They weigh quite a bit but they are only supported by 4 small caster wheels and they don't go through the floor boards! Or think of water beds! Most hold in excess of 200gal of water plus the weight of the frame. But nobody seems to worry about the weight when they put it in the middle of their room on the second floor! I think it should be fine!

Simon