Weight Issue-155Gal??????

[Ady1397]

I live in an apartment building that was built in the 50's. It has concrete floors but im not sure how much weight they can support :? .

I want to get a 155 Gal Bow front but im scared it will end up in my neighbors living room.

That tank has to weigh over 1,500 pounds.. Any suggestions or ideas?

 

[Ady1397]

Should I be even worring about this sort of thing on a concrete floor

 

[astroguy]

if it's concrete, it is supposed to easily resist to 1,500 pounds! I live in NY too, in a 1929 building, but ok, I have only a 10 gallons! How the heck did you find place for a 155 gal tank!?! I cannot find a place in those tiny apartments they gave me!

 

[Ady1397]

my apartmant is about 750 sq feet. im in Sty Town between 14th and 20th on the east side..

Ill make it fit!!!!!!!!i tellya!!!!

 

[astroguy]

beat ya! 450 sq feet in Upper West Side... Lucky you.

 

[Ady1397]

Im goint to petland in half an hour and comming back with a delivery recipt for a 155 gal bowfront!!!!!!wish me luck...

 

[Ady1397]

i also bought the biggest Eheim filter thay make....the 2260...its rated at 400 gal..
i think thats enough filtration.....

 

[William]

Its not, you want atleast a 6x turnover in water every hour, a 155gal won't even get turned over 3 times.



and if I were you, I wouldn't have bought it. If there is question about the floor, and risk of damage to people below I would have just gone smaller.


Thats just me.

 

[Ady1397]

pessimist

Eheim is the best!!!

 

[Ady1397]

6X turnover seems a little much

 

[Allivymar]

You want 6-10 times the tank amount moving thru the filter per hour IMHO. Thats what most of us run around here, and it seems to provide the right amount of filtration without overdoing it. With filtering, the more the better as long as the fish aren't being slammed into the tank walls *grin* Seriously tho, unless you have fish which need incredibly calm waters, 6-10x is a good amount. I run a Emperor400 on my 55g and my angels (which prefer calmer waters) have absolutely no problem with it.

 

[William]

More is better, however 5 to 6 times turnover is the reccomended minimum.

So you want atleast 950 GPH of flow.

as Alli says, more is better... but there is a bare minimum thats needed.


and its better to be a pesimist, then to loose a 1000 dollars in fish and tank, and my apartment by having a tank fall through the floor and crush the poor 2 year old in the apartment below.

 

[Ady1397]

 

[Sati]

Dang, that's crazy. I wouldn't dream of getting such a large tank in an apartment...

Well OK, I'd dream, but I would do it.

Uh, well... I might buy it but not fill it...

ANYHOW, lol... The paranoia would get to me. Without the tank collapsing the floor you still have to worry about what would happen if the tank leaked. Me, I make it a rule to live in bottom floor apartments because I keep fish.

 

[QTOFFER]

Ady1397, congrats on your new tank - it's only three times the size of mine.

When I was shopping for my 58 gal, I was concerned about the weight since I live on the second floor. After alot of research, I concluded that anything 90 gal or smaller would be OK so long as it was positioned as close to a weight-bearing wall as possible. I have my 58 gal in my livingroom with a 10 gal Q-tank beneath it. I am considering getting a 75 gal for the bedroom.

A catastrophic structural collapse is incredibly unlikely - especially in a building as old as yours with concrete floors. My building, in Queens, NY was built in the 20's and tit was built to last. Two inch dimensional lumber was not commonplace back then - they used timbers - big hunks of wood 4 - 6 inches thick and 8 inches wide!

A 155 gal is a HUMONGOUS tank, tho, and I would be more concerned about the repercussions should the tank itself suffer a catastrophic failure (a much more likely scenario than your floor collapsing).
I urge you to carefully check your lease and make sure there is no clause prohibiting aquaria.
Then, purchase a renter's insurance policy to protect yourself from damages should the tank ever leak or fail. $30,000 of coverage costs only $120 a year and it also covers you against theft and fire. Just make sure that the policy covers water damage (most do).

 

[Ady1397]

hey thanx for the info.....

I did check with the managment and the weight is a problem this thing would weigh at least 2400 pounds with all the water stand tank rocks and equipment
spread over a footprint of about 10 sq feet my face went white after they told me that they might do a suprise inspection in case i bought this thing..
Scumbags.

after much contemplation and regret im changing to a 72 Bow.. ...this way i can sleep at night

i also wont have to spend another 500 dollars on filtration....

I tend to jump in to things without thinking them through...

 

[Sati]

You made the right decision, Ady

 

[QTOFFER]

I'm glad you had the good sense to check with your building's management before buying this thing. Your building management is probably more concerned with the 155 gallons of water than the weight, IMO. Water damage could leave them open for mold-related lawsuits. As far as surprise inspections, I think they may be blowing smoke at you. Unless you live in a dormitory or your lease specifically stipulates it, no one can legally enter your apartment without your consent.

Still, you will sleep better at night because you followed your gut and opted for the 72 gal. And this size still leaves open lots & lots of possibilities.

I would still suggest looking into the renter's insurance - it's a good thing to have in NYC.

 

[Thaiboxer]

I run a 125 gallon with an Emperor 400 and a Magnum 350, and I wonder some times if that's enough!

I have dirty fish, but I like to run 7-10x per hour turnover.

 

[fishfreek]

6X turnover seems a little much

My tanks have upward to 15X turnover. Corse they are SW not FW.

Placing the tank along an outside wall is best. This will asure that most of the weight goes to the load bearing walls. Verify the tank is level before you start filling it and then check for level while your filling it.