Can I put a 75 gallon tank on hardwood floors?

[SugaBit]

Hi everyone! Sorry if this is long... I currently have a 10 year old 46 gallon bow front (marineland) aquarium at my parents house (they have a wood frame house with hard wood floors, no subfloor) that I need to do something with...either keep it & move it to my new house (in another town) or buy a new tank. The 46 gallon concern I have is it's age & if it's leaking or not. Is it worth all the work & stress to move it & set it up in the new house? Or should I buy a new one & get rid of the old one? I dont know if it's actually leaking or not...for about a year or maybe longer, it has streaks of calcium/dried up water lines going down the side of the left, front, corner of the tank but I don't feel any actual water along the seams...I just see it & this sticky crusty calcium stuff which is also on my glass canopy top & all over my filter. At first I thought maybe it's just spitting water from the filter/leaking out the canopy or maybe a fish was splashing...I don't know. I'm scared to move it, set it up, and have it leak & have to drain it all over again...if it is even leaking that is.

I'd much rather buy a new aquarium, but my next concern is....I want & dream of a 75 gallon tank, BUT I live in a old wood frame house with hard wood floors. It's my boyfriends house so I'm not 100% sure where the joists are located, he would have to check for me. He doesn't have a subfloor, just the hardwood floor, like my parents. Would it be possible for me to have a 75 gallon tank? Or would it be too heavy for my type of house? At first I wanted a 55 gallon, but I don't like how narrow it is (12").

Next concern....I like the Marineland 75 gallon Ensemble from Petsmart & it is on sale....but the recent reviews I read are worrying me, some are saying their tanks are leaking. That sounds so scary to me, I don't want to get a big tank like this & have to return it because I live an hour or more from the nearest Petsmart & it would take both my dad & boyfriend to help pick it up & unload it.

Why do I have to want such a big tank Ughh, I can't help it, I just love fish & I've been having aquariums since I was 18. Sorry this is so long, I'm just not sure what to do?

 

[SugaBit]

Marineland® High Definition LED Ensemble 75 Gallon Farmhouse Aquarium | Marineland®

MARINELAND HIGH DEFINITION LED ENSEMBLE 75 GALLON FARMHOUSE AQUARIUM AND STAND, FOR SALTWATER AND FRESHWATER ENVIRONMENTS

www.marineland.com

 

[Andy Sager]

Hi everyone! Sorry if this is long... I currently have a 10 year old 46 gallon bow front (marineland) aquarium at my parents house (they have a wood frame house with hard wood floors, no subfloor) that I need to do something with...either keep it & move it to my new house (in another town) or buy a new tank. The 46 gallon concern I have is it's age & if it's leaking or not. Is it worth all the work & stress to move it & set it up in the new house? Or should I buy a new one & get rid of the old one? I dont know if it's actually leaking or not...for about a year or maybe longer, it has streaks of calcium/dried up water lines going down the side of the left, front, corner of the tank but I don't feel any actual water along the seams...I just see it & this sticky crusty calcium stuff which is also on my glass canopy top & all over my filter. At first I thought maybe it's just spitting water from the filter/leaking out the canopy or maybe a fish was splashing...I don't know. I'm scared to move it, set it up, and have it leak & have to drain it all over again...if it is even leaking that is.

Taking the 46 or getting a new tank is really a personal choice. You do need to make some considerations when you move older tanks and reset them up. ( I have a 40 long that is over 30 years old, moved three times and still holds water. ) As for getting a new or larger tank, you could always place supports under the joists or floor directly to the ground to help add extra strength to the floor. It's difficult to say that 100% it's okay because it will all depend on the age of the floor, condition of joists, etc. If you are really concerned, get an inspector to come and check it out.
As for having a large tank leaking, your best bet would be to get an acrylic tank vs a glass tank because A) acrylic tanks are a single piece tank ( even if the tank is made from multiple pieces of acrylic, the glue melts them into a single piece) and B) there is never a guarantee that a glass tank won't ever break or leak. All the company will do is compensate you for the tank if it happens while under a warranty. While that's all well and good, it doesn't bring back any dead fish that may occur from a tank leaking all the water out. Somethings to consider.

 

[dcutl002]

@SugaBit , That stand looks pretty flush on the bottom, so it should be ok. As an added precaution, I would place the tank in a spot where it sits ACROSS the floor JOISTS and not running with the joists. The joists should be 16 inches apart, so you can achieve the most support that way.

I bought a 75 gallon tank from Petco on sale and it leaked at the very top. I drained the water down a couple of inches and placed some aquarium sealer in the top left corner. After the sealant cured, I filled the tank up...no leakage.

As for wanting a big tank: I feel that bigger tanks are easier to keep because the water parameters do not go haywire in a flash.

Good Luck!