2nd Floor

What is everyone's opinion on aquarium size on the floor of an apartment?

 

That was supposed to say on the second floor of an apartment.

 

it's best if the tank is over 55g that it's placed perpendicular to the floor joists, on a level floor, & against a load bearing wall if possible. What size tank are you thinking?

The main issue with the weight of a larger tank is that it's 24/7 constantly putting pressure on the floor. The danger is that the floor may shift over a period of time and that will compromise the seams of the tank. It's def something I took into account when choosing my new tank for my 2nd floor apartment. I went with a 70g over a 150g just to be safe, it's just one of those things I'd rather not worry about. Doesn't mean it hasn't been done, but the true test is over years of having it, which you can never know initially.

 

I was looking at a 125 due to its length over a 120. When I brought it up to my LFS they seemed oblivious to even thinking of the weight and said I can't imagine it being an issue. Well I don't want to image it let alone live the issue.

 

ive read that anything under 180 gallons if placed on multiple floor joists and against a load bearing wall should be more than fine.

 

It also depends on how the building is built. I had a 75 in my old apartment but could have gone much bigger. I had it on a load baring wall and the floors were made of reinforced concrete.

 

I live in a newer apartment >7 years old I know it has floors reinforced with concrete but I don't think I have a load bearing wall to put it against unless i put it in front of a window.

 

Here's a good link from a structural engineer that really goes in-depth about it: how large an aquarium can my floor support

here's a good excerpt from the link above:

Aquariums up to 55 gallons can be placed almost anywhere without much worry at all. Many tanks larger than 55 gallons and no more than 125 gallons will be okay, if they are placed in a good structural location and your floor framing is free from significant defects. For example, a 125 gallon tank, on a wooden stand, placed perpendicular to the joists up against a bearing wall, will often be okay without any additional structural support. If your tank is over 125 gallons, then it is likely that you should consider adding supports under your wood framed floor. Please realize that these are generalities that may or may not apply to your particular situation.

If you do decide to increase the strength of your floor, just keep in mind that this is best done before the aquarium is placed on the floor and the floor has deflected under the load. For example: Let's say that you fill that 180 gallon tank with water and then later get concerned. So you go into the basement and nail another 2 x 10 right alongside the existing 2 x 10 joist. (see:http://www.hammerzone.com/archives/framecarp/supplement/floor/joist1/sister.htm ) Unfortunately this doesn't accomplish much since the load was already in the existing 2 x 10 and you haven't removed any stress out of the existing 2 x 10 by adding another joist. If you had added the new 2 x 10 first, and then put the aquarium on the floor, then the joists would have deflected together and shared more of the load. Same idea with a post. You should either add the post first (before you fill the aquarium with water) and shim it very tight to the underside of the joists, or you should jack upward so that the post carries more load. (see: http://www.hammerzone.com/archives/framecarp/supplement/floor/joist1/raising.htm )

And now for the most commonly perpetuated myth of all. Someone in the forum asks if they think it is possible to place a 120 gallon tank on the second floor of their apartment. The answers inevitably go something like this: "I see no reason you can't. I've had a 125 gallon aquarium in my bedroom for years."


Myth #17: "If my floor didn't collapse with a ??? gallon aquarium, then your floor should be okay too"

Since the person posting the question provides no information at all about the composition of the floor construction, the span of the floor framing or the relative position of the tank, there is just no way for anyone to provide a logical answer. Yet answers flow from people perfectly willing to compare apples to oranges to watermelons to come up with a recommendation. (And in this example the comparison is even a worse because the 125 gallon tank is 6 ft long and the 120 gallon tank is only 4 ft long.)

If you know why the answer given in myth #17 is so illogical, then you understand why I decided to sit down and write this all out. I wanted everyone to have a very basic understanding of the many factors that go into the evaluation of the structural capacity of a floor framing system. I wanted to give people some guidance on where to best position their tank and when it is best to seek some outside guidance. And most of all, I wanted people to stop believing in and perpetuating the myths that spread through the Internet like wildfire. Unfortunately, if you hear the same advise repeated over and over, you can start to believe that it is a commonly recognized fact. Hopefully, now we can get rid of the discussions about the; woman in high heels, the man in the bathtub, the people jumping off the sofa and the cure-all plywood under the tank.

 

Thanks for the info and link, inevitably I will most likely go smaller for piece of mind. Puts a damper on the fish selection I will have to chose from guess that is life for now though.

 

I would see if you could take a look at the joists in the basement of wherever you are. That will give you a good idea of how they run in the room you want your tank, hopefully.

Again, as he states in the article, noone truly will know the answer to some of the questions. You might be fine with a 125g for years, it's just a "use your own judgement with the info you have" kinda thing.