Aquarium Weight Issue

happyreef

happyreef

Member
In having an aquarium on a third floor in an apartment complex that was recently built (less than 2 years old) and is on an outer load-bearing wall, is there any weight issues for a tank the size of 29 gallons ever?
I figure the weight spread over 30 inches L is very manageable, if thinking logically, myself standing in a very small area is over 250 pounds right there, and several adults stand within a few feet of one another at parties and that is always ok?
Are there any issues to consider with this, or am I free to rock and roll and have my 29 reef started? Thank you for any comments, insights, or opinions you can offer, it is very helpful for someone unsure of this issues.
 
A

andretti

Guest
No not at all. Aquariums disperse their weight evenly throughout the floor. My house has a basement so the floor is elevated some 13 feet and I have a 125 :happyfish and a 55 :happyfish and am in the middle of setting up a 300 gallon. :cheer: Even if your tank was on the 113th floor, it wouldn't matter. Think if how heavy a fully loaded bathtub is, a fridge, your kitchen cabnets, etc. You need not worry at all, especially since your building is so new.
 
shoimen

shoimen

Member
No, I would say you need not worry unless you get up in the 75+ gallon range.
I have been doing a lot of research, because I am setting up a 75 with a 2o to 30 gallon sump/fuge. In total, with stand, etc this setup will weigh well over 1300 lbs. Thats when you need to start worrying.
 
thegrog

thegrog

Active Member
With your 29 gallon, there are people around (no pun intended :rolleyes: ) that weigh more than it will and they only are supported by their two feet (or their butt on the couch).
Keeping it close to a wall helps as your floor will move slightly with a lot of weight on it. Think of your floor like a very large trampoline (not as bouncy). Put a lot of weight in the center, it will bow a little and be more apt to "bounce" around with movement in the room. Near the edges, not so much "bounce". This is a concern with tanks asa they are filled with water, which will slosh slightly. This stresses the glass and, sometimes, causes it to crack or give out entirely. Hey, my physics & fluid dynamics classes actually paid off!
To sum up, no worries with your tank. Going more than 75 gallons, start to think.
As for the bathtub thing, houses, apartments and buildings are designed with those in mind. Extra supports, beams closer together, load bearing side walls, etc. Those things are not around in your living room!!!
 
annanymous

annanymous

Member
i have a 90 gal ready to be filled up w/ water. im more worried about the floor holding up then i have ever been worried about most of the things in my life. im on the 3 floor of a 1942 apartment building
 
daytonaree

daytonaree

Member
Originally Posted by annanymous
i have a 90 gal ready to be filled up w/ water. im more worried about the floor holding up then i have ever been worried about most of the things in my life. im on the 3 floor of a 1942 apartment building


more than likely thats real oak and can hold 4 tanks that size. just like cars they were made better back then. just not as level in most cases. Good luck
 
annanymous

annanymous

Member
is there a specific formula i can use or maybe a place where i can go and look up the blueprints on my bilding. im sure there's gotta be info on how much weigh this floor is designed to hold.
i mean there are some ppl [no offense to anyone] who weigh close to 400-500 and they stay in their beds all day long and the floor doesnt give way under them. ofcourse i know they make up only about 1/2 the weight my tank will, but ...
im so scared that it will crack under my tank that i keep postponing adding water to the tank.
 
thegrog

thegrog

Active Member
Total weight is not as much of an issue as weight per area (psi). Yea a 500 pound person lays in bed with no problem, but the bed weight is spread out over a large area. If you take the same weight and place it in a 3 square inch area, it will go through.
For tanks, you want to think about the "footprint" of the tank. In other words, the area that makes contact with the floor. The larger the footprint, the more spread out the weight is. That is why for a lot of stands for larger tanks, if you look the base of the stand is often larger than the base of the tank. This is to spread out the load and stabalize the tank. Poor stands or insufficient stands have small footprints. This not only puts more stress on the floor but makes it more unstable (lots of weight on top, easier to tip or slosh around)
For all rentals I would advise getting the landlord approval for any tank greater than 30 gallons....just to be on the safe side. That way, if something catastrophic does happen, you can say in court that you had the "ok" from him.
 
newbiereef

newbiereef

Member
i am on third story as well and have a 120 wheing almost 1400lbs and have never had a problem, just something to htink about
 
annanymous

annanymous

Member
when i get homeowners insurance do i have to make sure i tell them i have a tank or just get insured for flooding neigbors?
 
farmboy

farmboy

Active Member
Originally Posted by Brycewood
Wouldn't the average bed have a smaller footprint because it rests on just the legs?

Yes, but divide by the number of legs.
 
shoimen

shoimen

Member
I asked my landlord at my new apartment about fish tanks and renters insurance, etc.
She said the apartment company does not have any specifics regarding fish tanks. They do for water beds and such... prolly not a very common issue.
She said not to worry about it as long as I have renters insurance. As far as insurance, I do not believe there are any specifics for fish tanks either.
 
thegrog

thegrog

Active Member
Originally Posted by Brycewood
Wouldn't the average bed have a smaller footprint because it rests on just the legs?
Yea but each leg is 6-8' appart from the others.
 
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