Which tank would you do?

[stdreb27]

Well after my tank decided she didn't want to hold water anymore, I'm trying to decide what to do. But I'm torn. The reality is I live on a the third floor so any tank I get I have to hike up 3 flights of stairs. And although I won't tell my land lord the floor seems to start bowing under the weight of my old tank. The thing is I'm pretty attached to my fish, I have an awesome puffer a beautiful wrasse, a sailfin and a flame and coral beauty that actually get along. The problem is finding a 200 gallon acrylic tank. Or I saw this tank the other day called the neo-nano made by deep sea. It is flash so I couldn't steal the picture. But it is rimless and just dang cool. It would make a cool little reef tank. (it is pricy though) I figure I could sell all my stuff and have enough money to set up the tank quite nicely. What would you do?

 

[rotarygeek]

i would get a smaller tank if it bends your floor.

 

[robn70]

I'd go with a much smaller tank, epsecially since you live on the 3rd floor. Just think about the legal issues if the tank breaks or the floor gives leaving the tank in your downstairs neighbors unit. I have a 90 gal that i was going to put on the main floor but decide it was better in the basement on the concrete floor. Less damage if it leaks.

 

[scopus tang]

+1 to the previous posts! I knew someone who blew out their floor in their house and smashed a 120gal cause they didn't think weight was really that big of an issue. A 200 gallon tank filled with water will easily weigh close to 2000lbs. Add cover, lights, sump, sand, and rock on top of that and you are pretty easily looking at at least 2500lbs. If your preexisting tank was already bowing the floor, I certainly wouldn't go bigger. Another consideration however is the actual footprint of the tank. A square tank will distribute the weight over more supports, thus reducing the load weight on any weight bearing structure. I would still be very cautious with this however. As stated too much weight makes not only a big water mess, but an even bigger legal mess!

 

[stdreb27]

Originally Posted by Scopus Tang
http:///forum/post/2548375
+1 to the previous posts! I knew someone who blew out their floor in their house and smashed a 120gal cause they didn't think weight was really that big of an issue. A 200 gallon tank filled with water will easily weigh close to 2000lbs. Add cover, lights, sump, sand, and rock on top of that and you are pretty easily looking at at least 2500lbs. If your preexisting tank was already bowing the floor, I certainly wouldn't go bigger. Another consideration however is the actual footprint of the tank. A square tank will distribute the weight over more supports, thus reducing the load weight on any weight bearing structure. I would still be very cautious with this however. As stated too much weight makes not only a big water mess, but an even bigger legal mess!
It is a poured concrete floor so it isn't going anywear.
But would you go with a huge fowlr tank with some nice fish, or go with a cool reef tank that no body has?

 

[spanko]

"The reality is I live on a the third floor so any tank I get I have to hike up 3 flights of stairs. And although I won't tell my land lord the floor seems to start bowing under the weight of my old tank."
"It is a poured concrete floor so it isn't going anywear."
HUH??

 

[scopus tang]

Originally Posted by spanko
http:///forum/post/2548397
"The reality is I live on a the third floor so any tank I get I have to hike up 3 flights of stairs. And although I won't tell my land lord the floor seems to start bowing under the weight of my old tank."
"It is a poured concrete floor so it isn't going anywear."
HUH??
Yeah, what he said!

Huh?

 

[kjr_trig]

Stdreb, what size is your stand which I assume you are still going to use? Are you 6x2?
Oh, and what a silly question...Of course you should do FOWLR again

 

[devil dog]

NO... Go Reef

 

[stdreb27]

Originally Posted by Scopus Tang
http:///forum/post/2548430
Yeah, what he said!

Huh?

The floor is poured concrete so unless the slab goes (which 3000 pounds won't make it do) this is according to the builder. When I say lean it was maybe 1/4 of an inch. But is still enough for me to have nightmares about.

 

[stdreb27]

Originally Posted by kjr_trig
http:///forum/post/2548479
Stdreb, what size is your stand which I assume you are still going to use? Are you 6x2?
Oh, and what a silly question...Of course you should do FOWLR again
The problem is I could probably sell all my stuff for the price of that reef setup. VS Having to buy a whole new tank. I can't find a nice acrylic tank for less than 2 grand. The old tank was 5ft by 26.5 inches. So it would have to be custom. (Besides I hated the stand you can't put anything underneath.) I have 6 feet of space. What sucks is I found a 300 gallon acrylic tank with stand and canopy for a grand. But they said I could only have up to 200 gallons. It is 8 feet and awesome.