aquarium weight

[dielectric]

is an 125 gallon (6') or a 150 tall (4') too much weight for the 2nd floor of my house? it could be placed along a load baring wall, perpendicular to the floor joists, near a corner. but the room is above the garage. The house is less than a year old. The washer/dryer, furnace & water heater are also on the 2nd floor right down the hall. the next room over is also a full bathroom. so im guessing its pretty well supported. but is that too much weight?

 

[Fishyfanatic]

I perosnally wouldn't do the 150T unless you had additional support under the tank. We have one and they are HEAVY. IMO the 125 would be your best bet. If you really want the 150, get additional support.

 

[theotheragentm]

Water is 8.34 lb/gallon. In a 55-gallon you're probably looking at 70 lbs of decoration and substrate. So for a 125 gallon, you're probably looking at double that for decorations and substrate. Would you have 10 guys stand in the spot where the aquarium is going to sit? If so, you're probably okay.

 

[QTOFFER]

I would get a professional opinion for any tank over 90 gal unless it was sitting on concrete. Look in the yellow pages for a structural engineer - the price will be negligible compared to the cost of the tank and the potential cost of damage down the road

It's not catastrophic structural collapse that you should be concerned about: it's deflection or slight bending of the floor joists under the tank. Over time, a big tank sitting on an improperly supported floor would experience uneven stress on the glass and silicone seams - possibly leading to leaks or complete failure.

Because the garage is under the tank, it might be easier for the engineer to assess the situation and add extra support if needed.

 

[tropicfishman]

oh eyah, if you do it, I would defintly do the supports in the garage idea