Will my floor hold a 150 gallon tank?

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whodeymatt

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Common question I’m sure, but can a floor handle a 150 gallon tank? This tank is heavy with thick glass. Took 3 people to unload it…4 would have been great. It is sitting in my garage as I’m buying the accessories I need for it. I figure it will weigh 2000 pounds when it is all set up. My home is almost 40 years old and I think my floor joist beams are 2x8. Not sure if I should put any bracing up underneath it or not. If so, any recommendations? The tank is 6 feet long and it will be sitting on 3 or 4 floor joists underneath as my floor joists are vertical. Where I wanted the tank, the joists were going horizontal and figured that would not be good.. Thanks everyone!
 
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are you using a stand that has a full base resting on the floor , if so the tank should be placed evenly over as many beams as you can get it to sit on ,
I doubt a 150g tank weighs 2000lbs unless your counting the stand and considering it as full,
I keep a 90g in my home 60+ year old mountain cabin with no issues ,
I didn't need to but I did it anyway just to make my wife happy adding a reinforcement wall down stairs below the tank
My tank full counting tank stand sand and rock along with water is around 980lbs
so I'm guessing yours full the same way would be around 1450lbs
each beam in a average house is rated 8000lbs per square foot
actually a lot of the older homes exceed that rating yes that myth they built things better back in the day is true
 
Lol not a myth at all and its the size of the tree rings that make older houses stronger made with better wood (dont believe go find a really old 2x4 and compare with a new one from home depot)

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Old 2x4 are stronger, they are actually 2 inches by 4 inches. We have 3.5 inches by 1.5inches (roughly). Apparently it costs too much to make actual 2x4s.They old ones are bigger, thus support more weight.

Also, i would say that a 150, complete with sand, rocks, filters, and a stand is too heavy for a floor that isn't supported with concrete or extra beams.

A floor must be able to hold 40 pounds per square foot in order to be safe for a single family residence. However, it isn't quite set in stone. I can have a 75 gallon tank, which weighs around 750 pounds, on the 6 square feet of floor that it takes up, and it will be ok, even though its about 125 pounds per square foot instead of 40. However, I've every single square foot of my floor held 125 pounds, it would shear the supports and there would be a big mess. Also, if a tank is going near a wall, then it is safer than if it was going in the middle of the room. You want it perpendicular, NOT parallel, to the floor supports. This all applies to a floor that isn't supported directly by the foundation or extra supports, such as walls underneath or added 2x4s. A 150g is likely to weigh about 1600 pounds when complete, give or take. It isn't that much more per square foot that a 75, however i personally wouldn't recommend it.

Also, you have to factor in how far apart each beam underneath the tank is, how old they are, if there is any water damage, etc.

If you are putting this tank down where it can go perpendicular to at least 5-6 2x12 joists, and is against a wall, and the house isn't brand new or too old, then it might work. It also shouldn't be crossing the same supports as any other heavy structures, like furniture or a bed, because that puts a lot of strain on the 2x12.

Ive done a lot of research on this, and i can tell you that it would be much safer to put this on concrete...

Beams/supports/joists are all the same thing in this, sorry i didn't use one name consistently.







Sent from my bed, the only space available to me that isn't smothered in dirty laundry or aquariums.
 
Do you know how the floor is supported and where the floor joists are? In most houses built on a foundation: 2x10 or 2x12 are lag bolted to the concrete foundation or tied in using gaps or over hangs. In large spaces there are then crossbeams to create strength perpendicular to the foundation. A layer of plywood is then screwed into the joists adding the support of the nearby joists.

If you have a crawl or basement you can look up and see the floor layout and inspect any weaknesses.

As point of reference a 125lb woman walking in stiletto heels applies 500lbs/ sq inch. And your bathtub filled with water and you inside is 1200lb +or- 200lb but only applies 20lb per sq inch.




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You're going to be dealing with a large amount of constant weight. You'd be better off having a professional come out and inspect things rather than get the, probably unqualified, opinions of people on the internet who don't have all the information needed to give useful advice. I include myself in that category. All I can say for sure is that you want the tank positioned perpendicular to the floor joists so that the weight is distributed more evenly.


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You're going to be dealing with a large amount of constant weight. You'd be better off having a professional come out and inspect things rather than get the, probably unqualified, opinions of people on the internet who don't have all the information needed to give useful advice. I include myself in that category. All I can say for sure is that you want the tank positioned perpendicular to the floor joists so that the weight is distributed more evenly.


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Agree with this... Its better to have an expert than someone like me, and its better to be safe than sorry.


Sent from my bed, the only space available to me that isn't smothered in dirty laundry or aquariums.
 
Carpet or hardwood floors? Post a pic of the basement view of floor joists? Should be fine if all is built.to code and sound. Wouldn't hurt to build a 2x4 wall underneath the floor joists to carry the added load.

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Carpet or hardwood floors? Post a pic of the basement view of floor joists? Should be fine if all is built.to code and sound. Wouldn't hurt to build a 2x4 wall underneath the floor joists to carry the added load.

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+1

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