Tank weight?

[HUNTER01975]

Sorry another noob question.

So I have a split level house and setting up a 70 gallon tall tank with a 20 gallon sump. I was thinking about putting up stairs but am worried about the weight of all the equipment and water and rocks. There is no walls under it. It is just a large open room. Should I be worried? I was thinking maybe I should move it over to a out side wall but was hoping to avoid doing that cause that only wall that would work gets afternoon sun when it is sunny in Wa. Was hoping to not have to buy a chiller. Money is running out very fast. I do have led lights and my house has central air so would it be better to move the tank to the outer wall? Or am i just being worried for nothing about the weight? I could see getting close to that thousand pound mark with everything all set up and running.

 

[tike]

Water weighs 8.5 pounds per gallon. Take into account the rock for it displaces water. On a round figure just go 90(70+20) times 8.55= 769 pounds. Do you think the floor would be able to handle that weight?

 

[user 26995]

Your placing it in the middle of the room? so all the weight would be in the middle of the joist? And will it be sitting parallel to the joists or perpendicular to them? Either way, if the tank is in them middle of the room, with no load bearing wall below it, I would add some kind of support.

 

[HUNTER01975]

Yes there is a small wall between the kitchen and the living room where I was going to put the tank. it would so beautiful right there. But ya there is no wall under it.. I am pretty sure the tank would be going with the joist which would add a lot of load on only like two boards. I have been doing some reading about how some folks beef up the flooring and then I got to thinking that my placement might not be real good.
I finally got the wife excited about the hobby so I don't really want to have a issue that makes her not like the hobby. and ruining part of our house just kind of sounds like a bad plan.
I post a few pics of the tank in the garage on another post. so now that my little brain is thinking could i run my cpr 90 over flow and my return pipe on one end of the tank, and have it where both sides and one end of the tank can be seen? cause then I could put it next to my stairs where there is extra walls down stairs.

 

[user 26995]

You could do that. Turn it into a peninsula type tank. That would be great. You will have to hang your lights.

 

[java]

here is a very good article on tank weights and floor construction. Residential Wood Framed Floors

 

[HUNTER01975]

hey thats what ceilings are for to hang things from right???? lol

sO YOU DONT SEE ANY ISSUE WITH PUTTING THE OVERFLOW AND THE RETURN ON ONE END???.. sorry about caps...

there was lots of info in that link.. not sure I understood it all other than don't risk it...

 

[java]

hey thats what ceilings are for to hang things from right???? lol

sO YOU DONT SEE ANY ISSUE WITH PUTTING THE OVERFLOW AND THE RETURN ON ONE END???.. sorry about caps...

there was lots of info in that link.. not sure I understood it all other than don't risk it...

Yeah a lot of good info. I work construction and so i understand what hes talking about. I found it helpful when planning mine and saved the link.

At the end of the article it sums it up pretty well, under 55 gals anywhere is fine, over 125 be careful.

 

[user 26995]

No, I dont at least.

Where you are thinking about setting the tank now, will the tank be perpendicular to the joists?

what is the footprint of the stand?

 

[HUNTER01975]

yes but i fall into the gray area of 90 gallon tanks and sump.. think i will just put it in different spot.

So I have to sell the wife on this plan but i think it would look nice to the right of the stairs as you come up from the entry Remember the house is a split level. So it would kind of be a short wall for the edge of the stairs(how cool would it be to walk up the stairs and have a tank next to your head). There is large walk in closet under that comes out from the from of the house so it would have 2 walls under it holding it rather then the one outer wall to help lessen the shire factor, cause it would be closer to the front wall as well..I think the top of the stand is 42 inches. May have to get a different stand tho. the wife may not like that idea very much.. maybe can get a buddy to make one that looks good for cheap some how??? oh ya and it would be going over the joist to also spread the load.

 

[trido]

I've had my old 70 in many old houses and more apartments without any issues regarding where I put it. Pretty much the same with a 90G I had too.

90 x 7.8 lbs a gallon = 702 pounds or roughly a half ton on the floor when its all complete.

 

[dnjan]

Just out of curiosity, if you are putting an aquarium in the middle of a room, how are you going to get power to it?

I would go with the peninsula option, with one end close to a wall (for both support and easy access to electrical power)

 

[HUNTER01975]

Just out of curiosity, if you are putting an aquarium in the middle of a room, how are you going to get power to it?

I would go with the peninsula option, with one end close to a wall (for both support and easy access to electrical power)

it was not going to be free floating in the middle of the room..lol all tho that would be awesome.. there is a wall between the kitchen and living room..

the wife said she did not want it next to the stairs cause it would be behind her on the couch and she wants to be able to see it when sitting on the couch. so we are going to put it on the outside wall and i guess this summer if we need a chiller we will buy one.. but i am hoping with the house having a/c and me liking the house at about 67 degrees it will be able to keep it cool enough...