Fish tank size unstable for living room???

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defimps

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 21, 2013
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Hey guys. I think these weights are correct for weight per gallon... 2040lb(240gallon)[8x2x2], 3060lb(360gallon)[8x2x3], 4590lb(540gallon)[8x3x3]. I want to put one of these tanks in my living room. The bigger the better...BUT I'm afraid my living room floor won't hold. Anyone know of the weight distribution that it will have size wise on my floor?

What I'm trying to say it that it won't have all that weight in one spot, since it is 8 feet long by 2 or 3 feet wide... Correct? Or am I just mumbling lol i want to build a plywood tank but just afraid my floor wont hold. If anyone has any insight on this please let me know. Thanks.


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I was reading that homes are built to have a safety rating of 750lbs per floor joist. That should mean that including furnishings, you, your tank audience, the floor, etc would all have to be less than 3000lbs in a 5 foot span. Also depends on your joists, as most homes used to be built with 2x10 and they haven't been for a long time. I forget where, but I read a very informative article by a structural engineer about diagrams as I rent a newer home.

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defimps said:
Hardwood flooring, it's a brink home. Floors don't move or nothing when I walk. Seems sturdy enough. Just 2-4k lbs is a lot.
Click to expand...

Things to know/consider:

- It's best to place an aquarium (especially a large one) perpendicular to the floor joists.
- It's best to place an aquarium near a wall that has a weight bearing wall underneath it (including a foundation wall).
- If you have access to the floor joists in the floor below (the basement)...you can use "lally columns" to support the extra weight above.

HTH :)
 
The thing to consider more than just the weight is the weight vs. footprint. An 96x36x18" (LxWxH) will be a lot safer on a wooden floor than an 96x18x36" as the weight will be spread over a larger area. I would have no hesitation setting up the low and wide tank on a second story floor so long as it were positioned next to a load bearing wall and running across the joists, but I would be reluctant to put the tall narrow tank in the same spot without some reinforcing.
 
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