125 gal on the 2nd floor?

[c_bell]

I live on the 2nd floor of a 2 story apt. And I have an beautiful EMPTY 125 gal tank that I just bought and am dying to set up, but I dont know if the floor will hold it. The apt. manager said they do allow water beds on the 2nd floor if you have renters insurance, but a water bed sits on a more spread out area. I am looking at moving to a bottom floor, but they dont have any avilable right now. The 125 gal is set up where I had my 55 gal. set up I just wanted a bigger tank. So what do guys think.....think it will hold???
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[dmurphy]

what is the floor made of ? Mine is like this cement/granite layered stuff and it holds my 90 just fine. It is very strong. Also a good stand that distributes the weight well will always help immensely. Is this an apartment complex or a multi-family home ?

 

[c_bell]

Its an apartment complex and I know the floor is cement, because I pulled back a piece of the carpet but I dont know what else its made out of or really how thick it is. Like I said I had a 55 gal in the spot I want to put the 125. I also have a 46 gal bow with 55 lbs of LR in another room.

 

[david s]

if the floors are cement probubly also walls that are near the outside of the house are stronger if it is the middle of the house there is more stress but not standing in your apt and being able to look at 1st floor it is imposible to say just not enuff info

 

[c_bell]

Well I know that the first floor looks identical to my floor (i took a peek in my neighbors window). Where I want to put the tank is near an out side wall and against a wall that comes out perpendicular to the outside wall and divides the dining room and guest bedroom. I wish I had a floor plan its hard to discribe HTH

 

[reeftanknewbie]

I live on the second floor and talked to my maintance supervisior my floors are wood and I am going to span the floor joints. He told me in a 6' long by 3' deep area our floors are rated for 5000lbs. I would talk to maintance or the manager and up your renters insurance just to be sure. Also if he says it will hold make sure you have a witness or it in writting just to cya, i got mine in writting. good luck. p.s. mine will also up against a wall...

 

[fishfanny79]

I have had a 125 gallon setup on a second floor for over a year now. What you want to do, is just try to place it ACROSS your floor beams, not with them. This will just give it more support. I do not think you should have a weight problem with the tank. The way I figure it, the tank weighs about 1200 pounds at the most right? Maybe more...(8lbs a gallon, + tank, stand + contents of tank) So if it is 1200lbs, thats equivelant of 6 grown men. (if they all weighed 200lbs of course) If a floor can't hold 6 men in one room...I wouldn't suggest holding a Super Bowl party.

 

[jester]

Well, I live on the 3rd floor of an apt complex. And I have 160 (not full yet though.) This is what I did.
1) called my insurance company. I'm covered.
2) got a letter from the management company that owns the building.
3) built my stand to cover as much floor surface as possible.
(by this I mean I used 1/2 mdf as a base for my 4x4's which distrubte the weight evenly. check out my homepage in profile)
4) did some math. My surface are covered is 14sq feet(7'x2')
Took apx total weight (2300lbs) and divided it by 14.
I came up with 165 lbs per sq foot. I weight 200 lbs and cover less than 1/2 sq foot and I dont fall through the floor. This is not a real good way to gamble with the lives of the people below me, but logical non the less.
5) Placed it on a load bearing wall
6) had a buddy of mine give his .02, (he's a superintendant for a construction co) he gave ok
7) and lastly, going to pray when I fill it.

 

[chainsaw5vent]

fishfan is correct. place the tank across the beams so that several are supporting the load. also use the outside wall placement in order to create the strongest position for your tank.
the concrete that you see may be 1 of 2 items.. poured over plywood or over corrogated metal (lightweight construction). just be careful and as the others have said, get insured and clearance from the owner/management group.

 

[ryanbooton]

Man I've got a 125 gallon on the second story. Its a three unit apartment complex with one apartment on the second floor. The aquariums on the opposite side of a ******** stairwell wall. As far as the floor joists go, who knows! I would have to tear up the floor to find out. Also when i leveled it all four feet got 4"x2"by half-inch thick shims. The floor is a little shakey but im not that concerned. I check for levelness every so often. If that starts to go than the tanks gotta.