Hey all, first (massive) post!
I've been keeping a few Cichlids for about 6 months, and they have already outgrown their 55 gallon corner tank - I was hoping to get away with this tank for longer, so I could move, and then setup a bigger aquarium, but I didn't luck out.
Anyways here's where I'm at.... This topic has been covered a million times, but it's always very indecisive, a lot of different opinions, and a lot of the same questions asked... So I'll try to make this different. I live in a renovated apartment above a business - who owns my apartment and the two other units on my floor. The building is very old, but very sturdy. Built somewhere between 1905 and 1907 per what my research found. The seconds story might have been an add-on at some point, but I'm not sure.
My floor is scratch proof "wood" flooring (not really sure what it is, but it's scratch proof), and I have no idea what's under it. I tried the stomp test, listening for a boom, or a dull thud - trying to find out if it's concrete or all wood construction. Long story short, I can't tell. It seems like it's concrete because it's a dull thud, and very little "shake" happens, but at the same time, there's a little shake inside my apartment. That could just be because whatever is between the possible concrete, and flooring, could be a wood sheet, maybe for insulation or whatever, and it has a tiny bit of play in it - transfers some of the shock to the walls, ect.. whatever.
Firstly, I'm insured, by choice. My renters insurance has personal liability of $300,000 that will cover damage to the building caused by my aquarium (water, hole in floor, ect). Currently, the building is only estimated value at $303,000 by just about every realtor site I've seen online, so I might accidentally buy this place. Second, the tank is in the corner, both walls are load bearing - I'm 100% sure (but 0% sure about which way the joists (unless concrete) run. Thirdly, if the tank/water goes down, it's into a foyer of the business - like an area between the outside door, and the inside door into the store. So it's unlikely that anybody would be injured, or anything really crazy happening.
Now, I'd like to hear from people that have setup 125 gallon tanks in apartments/upstairs, figuring minimum 1500 pounds fully loaded, on a 6' flat bottom stand, and have had significant floor problems with no extra bracing. Please no "maybe's." There's plenty of that archived online. Yet nothing regarding a 125 gallon tank going through a floor, like anywhere online. I've heard of tanks being setup, and not being leveled, and ultimately having seals/glass fail, resulting is 1/2 ton of water on the floor. I'll be moving in 14-15 months - into a place with a basement.
Today, I'll be leveling the stand, filling the tank, re-checking the level while full, and then draining the tank. I'm a bit paranoid, and I really don't want to be "that guy." I'm also trying to get an engineer over to take a look, just in case. But in the meantime please comment away!
I've been keeping a few Cichlids for about 6 months, and they have already outgrown their 55 gallon corner tank - I was hoping to get away with this tank for longer, so I could move, and then setup a bigger aquarium, but I didn't luck out.
Anyways here's where I'm at.... This topic has been covered a million times, but it's always very indecisive, a lot of different opinions, and a lot of the same questions asked... So I'll try to make this different. I live in a renovated apartment above a business - who owns my apartment and the two other units on my floor. The building is very old, but very sturdy. Built somewhere between 1905 and 1907 per what my research found. The seconds story might have been an add-on at some point, but I'm not sure.
My floor is scratch proof "wood" flooring (not really sure what it is, but it's scratch proof), and I have no idea what's under it. I tried the stomp test, listening for a boom, or a dull thud - trying to find out if it's concrete or all wood construction. Long story short, I can't tell. It seems like it's concrete because it's a dull thud, and very little "shake" happens, but at the same time, there's a little shake inside my apartment. That could just be because whatever is between the possible concrete, and flooring, could be a wood sheet, maybe for insulation or whatever, and it has a tiny bit of play in it - transfers some of the shock to the walls, ect.. whatever.
Firstly, I'm insured, by choice. My renters insurance has personal liability of $300,000 that will cover damage to the building caused by my aquarium (water, hole in floor, ect). Currently, the building is only estimated value at $303,000 by just about every realtor site I've seen online, so I might accidentally buy this place. Second, the tank is in the corner, both walls are load bearing - I'm 100% sure (but 0% sure about which way the joists (unless concrete) run. Thirdly, if the tank/water goes down, it's into a foyer of the business - like an area between the outside door, and the inside door into the store. So it's unlikely that anybody would be injured, or anything really crazy happening.
Now, I'd like to hear from people that have setup 125 gallon tanks in apartments/upstairs, figuring minimum 1500 pounds fully loaded, on a 6' flat bottom stand, and have had significant floor problems with no extra bracing. Please no "maybe's." There's plenty of that archived online. Yet nothing regarding a 125 gallon tank going through a floor, like anywhere online. I've heard of tanks being setup, and not being leveled, and ultimately having seals/glass fail, resulting is 1/2 ton of water on the floor. I'll be moving in 14-15 months - into a place with a basement.
Today, I'll be leveling the stand, filling the tank, re-checking the level while full, and then draining the tank. I'm a bit paranoid, and I really don't want to be "that guy." I'm also trying to get an engineer over to take a look, just in case. But in the meantime please comment away!