Anybody else on the 2nd Floor?

[scenicad]

We've planned our system, found an awesome deal on a 72 gal bowfront tank w/stand & hood and I have one last reservation about starting. We live on the 2nd Floor of an apartment building. It's a pre-war building in NYC, with old school construction- plaster walls, hardwood floors, brick exterior, and connected to almost identical buildings all the way down the entire block. It's a solid building, that's for sure -no plywood here!
My boyfriend's father is a general contractor (not in NYC) and he says floors should be able to handle a load of 500 lbs. per sq ft. So we'll be well under that -our tank has a footprint of about 6 sq ft. Also, the wall we're putting it up against separates our apartment from the hallway so if there are any interior load bearing walls, this would be it.

But, of course I'm still nervous because of all the warnings they give you in literature about starting SW Aquariums.

So, does anyone here live or have a tank on the second floor? Or has anyone heard any horror stories?

 

[Corty]

I have lived on the fourth, eighteenth, and second floors with my trusty 55 gallon aquarium (and the new ones). I do not personally go above 55, but I move a bit, and while this place may be sturdy, the next may not.

If you have hardwood floors, aligning the tank to go parallel with the pieces is always a good idea.

I have heard very few horror stories, and I think that a 72 just might be O.K. Have you spoken with the apartment complex owner?

If you do want to hear a horror story, my friend is setting up a 100+ gallon in his second story apartment. I'll tell it to you when it happens.

 

[FawnN]

You definitely need to check with your apartment management and get their approval incase something happens.

 

[Edmonton Eskimo]

I am in construction myself and I don't think a 72gal would hurt any apartment floor. Think of a bathtub and how many gallons it holds. Especially if you put it against a load bearing wall. One thing you can do is find out which way the floor joists run. If you can put it across a couple joists you'll never have a problem. Think of it this way- a 1000lb tank is only equal to 5 full grown men right?

 

[PiscesLou]

I also live on the 2nd floor apartment. Im thinkin of setting up a 150 gal acrylic FO tank with maybe 100 to 200 lbs of LS . does anyone know how much total weight that would be with the tank full and could it be too much weight?

 

[joekoug]

I'm on the 7th floor, and I have a 55, nano cube, 3 10's, and a 29 all in my living room, no problems yet...

Joe

 

[Edmonton Eskimo]

Hey pisceslou I would ask someone qualified about your situation. For your tank you are looking at right around 1800-2000lbs. That is a lot of weight. I think if you could have it against a load bearing wall it should be o.k but definitely ask someone qualified(construction engineer would be best). As for joe yours works o.k because you probably have them in different locations and not all in one spot. The floor weight works on pounds per square foot. I think it is about 250 lbs/sqft.
The more surface area on your stand the better. If your tank is 2000 pounds and your stand surface area is 6sqft then you have 333 pounds/sqft which would be too much so you would want to make it 8sqft(which is only 4'x2') in order to make this work though you have to have a completey flat surface against the floor. HTH