Floor Renforcement?
- Thread starter SharkMan
- Start date
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Serpentman
Aquarium Advice Activist
Might be worth having someone inspect it. The floor is strongest in corners and against the wall. What is underneath it? If its unfinished, reinforcing should be relatively easy.
Figure the weight of the tank, 200-300# of sand (if used), 200-250# of LR and water @ ~8lbs/gal = pretty close to 2000#.
Figure the weight of the tank, 200-300# of sand (if used), 200-250# of LR and water @ ~8lbs/gal = pretty close to 2000#.
Tex
Aquarium Advice Freak
You'll have over 1400 pounds of water and depending on if it's glass or acryllic and all the equipment another several hundred pounds. Don't forget to factor in a fuge if you plan on one.
The flooring depends on many factors such as floor joist spacing, whether it's pier and beam or studwall construction. It also matters greatly where you plan on putting it, say the middle of a room versus near an outside wall where the joists are tied into the support footings. With something that big I'd want a minimum of 2 x 8" joists. Supporting it underneath shouldn't be to hard.
Down here most homes are built on concrete slabs so it's not an issue. HTH
The flooring depends on many factors such as floor joist spacing, whether it's pier and beam or studwall construction. It also matters greatly where you plan on putting it, say the middle of a room versus near an outside wall where the joists are tied into the support footings. With something that big I'd want a minimum of 2 x 8" joists. Supporting it underneath shouldn't be to hard.
Down here most homes are built on concrete slabs so it's not an issue. HTH
Tex
Aquarium Advice Freak
You'll probably be okay. It sure wouldn't hurt to brace it anyway. You could do it yourself, it'd cost $20 and it would be easy.
BTW, just curious what kind of flooring, wood, carpet, ceramic tile?
BTW, just curious what kind of flooring, wood, carpet, ceramic tile?
Brenden
Aquarium Advice Addict
I braced my floor in several places. 
Definitely would not hurt.
Definitely would not hurt.Most floors are designed to hold somewhere between 40 to 60 pounds per a square foot. What are the dimensions of the tank? How far do the joist span? What kind of wood are they?
Example:
If your tank is 6' X 2' X 2' then you could put a 700 pound load in the middle of the room and the floor should beable to support it. Would have to check a deflection criteria or Maximum allowable bending permitted.
The closer your tank (load) is to the wall the greater weight the floor can handle. At the quarter point it can probably handle 1400 pounds. Right near the wall you should be ok with your tank.
But i would run a header below your floor joist centered under the tank with two 4 X 4 post bearing on a concrete floor. You do not want your floor to deflect. This could cause cracks in your sheetrock.(What floor is the tank on?)
This is one way to do it. I can think of a few more if you want.
Example:
If your tank is 6' X 2' X 2' then you could put a 700 pound load in the middle of the room and the floor should beable to support it. Would have to check a deflection criteria or Maximum allowable bending permitted.
The closer your tank (load) is to the wall the greater weight the floor can handle. At the quarter point it can probably handle 1400 pounds. Right near the wall you should be ok with your tank.
But i would run a header below your floor joist centered under the tank with two 4 X 4 post bearing on a concrete floor. You do not want your floor to deflect. This could cause cracks in your sheetrock.(What floor is the tank on?)
This is one way to do it. I can think of a few more if you want.
Brenden
Aquarium Advice Addict
That really depends on the direction of the joist.
Brenden
Aquarium Advice Addict
I think you will fine without supports.
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