So i realize people always ask how big of an aquarium they can put on the second floor but i was wondering how big of a tank you guys would go if say there were support beams (hold up to 10,000 lbs each) under every joist the tank was on ?
Large fish tanks on floor above basement
- Thread starter SandNukka15
- Start date
Properly supported a floor will hold even the biggest of tanks. My father builds homes for a living and I once had a 150g in the "attic" thanks to his installation of additional joists and supports! If you know what you're doing go for it! But do not DIY yourself into an insurance claim that probably won't go the way you hope.
Reinforcing your floor is feasible as long as your basement ceilings aren't crazy tall and it is unfinished. 300 gallons wouldn't be a problem as long as you properly support the floor. You have to figure that water will weigh over a ton alone, if you add a glass tank and a sump you could add another thousand pounds pretty easily. Even 3.5k won't be a big problem for the bigger jacks @ 8 feet.
I was considering this option, but I have 10 foot ceilings in my basement and the ability to finish the basement something I value. With this in mind I'd wait for someone more informed to chime in, since I elected not to go down this road. More information would be helpful, like ceiling height and proximity to load bearing walls.
I was considering this option, but I have 10 foot ceilings in my basement and the ability to finish the basement something I value. With this in mind I'd wait for someone more informed to chime in, since I elected not to go down this road. More information would be helpful, like ceiling height and proximity to load bearing walls.
Im def goimg with floor jacks ..... its a 300 gallon stock tank and the ceiling is about 8 feet
My basement isnt finished and the location of the stock tank will be at the corner of 2 load baring walls
I figured with the stock tank the weight should be distributed more and it being in the corner of 2 load barring walls below it is a plus.... thought about using 3 floor jacks that support 10,000 lbs each under a 7x10 piece of lumber that will span across all the joists the tank will be sitting on
My basement isnt finished and the location of the stock tank will be at the corner of 2 load baring walls
I figured with the stock tank the weight should be distributed more and it being in the corner of 2 load barring walls below it is a plus.... thought about using 3 floor jacks that support 10,000 lbs each under a 7x10 piece of lumber that will span across all the joists the tank will be sitting on
Most likely wouldn't need floor jacks if that were the case, although it certainly wouldn't hurt. I would wait to hear from others lol.
I did this same thing for my 8 foot 220 gallon in my living room and its doing well just wanted to see what others thoughts were before adding another tank with an extra 80 gallons
The weight would likely be within a few hundred pounds of eachother if it's a glass setup with stand and sump or canisters. You gain 650 pounds or so in water but I think the stock tanks are relatively light compared to glass. The only bad thing is that it will likely be more weight on less joists, if the stock tank is considerably shorter than an 8' tank.
It's about 6 feet long and I believe it can span on 4 joists
I had also put plywood under the 220 and extended it to 11 feet instead of 8 to help distribute a little more weight
I had also put plywood under the 220 and extended it to 11 feet instead of 8 to help distribute a little more weight