Worried: big tank above garage..need ideas

[BC564]

Does the post below this room have a weight marking on it......it should be on there.

[BC564]

ok...retract my comment...I was going somewhere else with this on a residential note.

[Dale]

I have a 140 G. on the second floor positioned over the cantilever outset for a china cabinet in the dining room. It hasn't shifted in the three years or so that it's been there. Placing the tank against the wall with the joists running perpendicular to it like this:

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is the strongest position it can be in and I have seen many large tanks on second floors that way without additional support.

Toxic, your 40lb/15lb per sq ft idea just clouds the issue. It doesn't relate to placing a load in one area of the room. What it relates to is the total weight the room (floor) can bear.
For ex. A 10' x 10' room can hold 15lb's/sq. ft. DW min. 10x10x15=1500. The room can hold 1500lb's DW.
The formula can't be used to work out how much a specific part of the room can hold.

[Jay180reef]

I've got a 180 gal 72x24x24 above my garage as well, I put a telepost under the joist under my tank. It was around $70 at HD. I put it in right before adding water to my tank. No problems at all, great for peace of mind.

[mark]

Since you're worried, get that engineering report, (might PM GreenSpottedPuffer if he'll give you an idea of cost, since he had it done) and figure how to stay big or you'll be kicking yourself later that you didn't.

Can you double up the first joist, expensive but install a steel beam?

[Sam1969]

Not sure how much room you have in your garage, but if it were me I would build a supporting wall in your garage directly below your tank. Make it floor to floor 12 inch centers with construction grade 2 x 6 and tie it in to the existing joist. If your anything like me you can always use more shelving in your garage ....

[kaboom]

Not sure what teleposts are. Adding more 2x6 studs to the that exterior wall shouldn't be a problem. Do you think strengthening that wall alone will increase the overall load capacity, or would I have to upgrade surrounding walls as well. The opposing wall is 24 ft away, don't think it would help much? Thoughts?