75 gallon in apartment

[cannedham]

Hey Everyone,

Brand new to the forum, and beginning to get back into the hobby after nearly 18 years.

I'm currently in an apartment, and was wondering if any of you all would have worries about a 75 gallon tank on a 3rd floor? The tank would go on a load bearing wall (perimeter wall), but I have no way of knowing which way the joists run. My guess is they would run them perpendicular to the load bearing wall, but I've also heard that is not always the case.
I had a 75 gallon tank on a second floor in my house growing up, and never worried about it.

Appreciate the insight Everyone! Thanks!

 

[AR1]

Hey Everyone,

Brand new to the forum, and beginning to get back into the hobby after nearly 18 years.

I'm currently in an apartment, and was wondering if any of you all would have worries about a 75 gallon tank on a 3rd floor? The tank would go on a load bearing wall (perimeter wall), but I have no way of knowing which way the joists run. My guess is they would run them perpendicular to the load bearing wall, but I've also heard that is not always the case.
I had a 75 gallon tank on a second floor in my house growing up, and never worried about it.

Appreciate the insight Everyone! Thanks!

First of all, welcome to MFK!
I currently have a 500-gallon pond and a 45-gallon tank in my second-floor apartment, so I don’t see why a 75-gallon tank couldn’t be kept on a third floor.

 

[troublesum]

I live in NYC and i have a 125 gallon on a 2nd floor of a 100 year old building

 

[Jexnell]

Start tapping the floor with a hammer. It will sound hollow in the open spaces. Solid where a stud is. Then you can figure the direction they are going. You want to place the tank across as many as you can to spread the weight. Studs are normally 18in on center, so you can get 3 of them. Hang the tank 6in over on the first. You get 3 studs and have another 6in hangover on the third.

 

[cannedham]

Wow! A month of anxious planning vanished once I read these. Thanks Guys!
Jexnell - Thanks for the tip to find out which way the joists are running!

 

[tlindsey]

have a 500-gallon pond and a 45-gallon tank in my second-floor apartment,

You probably have concrete under your floors. Every apartment building can be constructed with different materials for floors and walls.

 

[DawnMichele]

Welcome to MFK.

 

[tlindsey]

I would ask the building manager do they have the building plans.

 

[tlindsey]

Hey Everyone,

Brand new to the forum, and beginning to get back into the hobby after nearly 18 years.

I'm currently in an apartment, and was wondering if any of you all would have worries about a 75 gallon tank on a 3rd floor? The tank would go on a load bearing wall (perimeter wall), but I have no way of knowing which way the joists run. My guess is they would run them perpendicular to the load bearing wall, but I've also heard that is not always the case.
I had a 75 gallon tank on a second floor in my house growing up, and never worried about it.

Appreciate the insight Everyone! Thanks!

Welcome aboard.

 

[cannedham]

Hey All,
Now that I know where the tank can go, does anyone have some preferences on what manufacturer to go with from my LFS (Marineland, Aqueon, Top Fin, etc.)?
I don't want to succumb to the fear mongering of leaking from glass tanks, but being in an apartment... I don't want to give the folks below me an unwanted shower while I'm working or sleeping.

Just curious if anyone has had some decent success with a particular brand, or are these cheaper tanks a true hit or miss when it comes to integrity?