Aquarium Weight…

[StPatrick89]

Looking to upgrade my aquarium size. Live in an apartment but heard doing a 180 maybe an issue. I currently have a 75, 40, and 20G all sitting on the same side of the room. Any suggestions?

 

[DrZoidburg]

8.66 lbs per gallon is seawater. +tanks +equipment. Bigger tanks weigh a lot more. If this were my house I would look into everything. Cause its an appt I would at least ask the landlord, or do it anyway and pay renters insurance. Maybe they would know if its a load bearing wall. Just a normal floor is supposed to be rated for 40 lbs per sq foot I think.

 

[Impala67]

What floor are you on? That’s a lot of weight 1 gallon of saltwater is ruffly 9 pounds plus rock plus stand plus equipment!!

 

[StPatrick89]

What floor are you on? That’s a lot of weight 1 gallon of saltwater is ruffly 9 pounds plus rock plus stand plus equipment!!

2nd floor, but it’s the floor you walk in on from outside.

 

[Impala67]

2nd floor, but it’s the floor you walk in on from outside.

Ya that’s way too risky I wouldn’t go any bigger than a 100 gallon because that’s a lot of weight plus apartment buildings aren’t the strongest structures!!

 

[Uncle99]

Looking to upgrade my aquarium size. Live in an apartment but heard doing a 180 maybe an issue. I currently have a 75, 40, and 20G all sitting on the same side of the room. Any suggestions?

I’m not sure weight is the issue, as you all ready have a lot of gallons, but potential of flood would be more concern to me.
Of course that possibility would be rare.

You may be financially responsible for leak damage if that would occur. You may be able to insure against this.

A 120 can make a very nice DT. If it was square, that spreads the weight more effectively.

My 180g is 468lbs, 100lbs rock, so 2,000lbs.
2x4 Bracing was required under the tank.

 

[DrZoidburg]

Your looking at about 40 more gallons, and a thicker glass with heavier tank. Imo at least ask them.

 

[StPatrick89]

I’m not sure weight is the issue, as you all ready have a lot of gallons, but potential of flood would be more concern to me.
Of course that possibility would be rare.

A 120 can make a very nice DT.

I’d just hate to pay for the 120g and then have to pay for a 180later. Thats going to suck lol

 

[Impala67]

That’s 1027 pounds of just water weight the average length of a 120 gallon tank is 48 inch and the width is about 24 inch well your basic floor holds up to 40 lbs per square foot and this tank will cover about 8 feet so so that means the floor can hold about 400 pounds and that is your answer on what size tanks you can have!!

 

[Uncle99]

I’d just hate to pay for the 120g and then have to pay for a 180later. Thats going to suck lol

I doubt the weight difference between the 120 and 180 would collapse the floor, depends on age and type of floor to be certain, but you already have 135g on the floor, so we are taking about an increase of 45g, not huge.

I took off the “feet” on my 180g stand and put the bottom of the stand directly to the floor which maximize the surface area to distribute weight.

 

[pochaxoo]

1000% get renters insurance for that....I may have had mine flood and lots of salt water ended up in the apartment below me on top of their entertainment unit. I also would say it really depends on what that apartment is made of? Is it concrete and steel? The apartment manager will look at you like you are crazy when you ask but I would definitely do that and some research on who built the apartment and ask the builder or lookup plans.

 

[StPatrick89]

I doubt the weight difference between the 120 and 180 would collapse the floor, depends on age and type of floor to be certain, but you already have 135g on the floor, so we are taking about an increase of 45g, not huge.

I took off the “feet” on my 180g stand and put the bottom of the stand directly to the floor which maximize the surface area to distribute weight.

So I’m going to build my stand as I did for the 75G. This building is only about a year and half in age. The building is literally still settling

 

[DrZoidburg]

That’s 1027 pounds of just water weight the average length of a 120 gallon tank is 48 inch and the width is about 24 inch well your basic floor holds up to 40 lbs per square foot and this tank will cover about 8 feet so so that means the floor can hold about 400 pounds and that is your answer on what size tanks you can have!!

You forgot to mention the 300 lb+/- tank weight + stand + rock.... Op would be over building code rating by what 125lbs/square foot for just floor weight with 120g. Only thing that could make it safely possible is maybe the construction material, or if its on a big beam imo. Granted these ratings are usually higher than 42lb?/square foot (in NYS). That could be pushing it though.

 

[StPatrick89]

1000% get renters insurance for that....I may have had mine flood and lots of salt water ended up in the apartment below me on top of their entertainment unit. I also would say it really depends on what that apartment is made of? Is it concrete and steel? The apartment manager will look at you like you are crazy when you ask but I would definitely do that and some research on who built the apartment and ask the builder or lookup plans.

These apartments have been up for about a year and a half and they’re building more units so I can ask one of the workers.

 

[muggle0981]

Recently upgraded to l80g,

my lfs was 100% all in and not worried about the tank weight, had to choose another business to do the job and they semi answered not concerned but didnt want to give a full answer as liability

i did have someone who come out with structural engineering knowledge and was confident based on the joists-tank placement that tank would be perfectly fine

actually felt 180g was going to be better as my 120g stand had 4 legs transferring all weight to those 4 points on the floor as new stand is flat, equally transferring weight and spanning more floor joists.

again-difficult question to answer especially when not a professional

 

[muggle0981]

And the tank is sitting like a foot off center steel beam that runs the house

 

[62518161]

Ask your landlord. I think everybody knows what they will say and so do you. That’s why you’re asking everybody else. Just keeping it real.

 

[Billdogg]

Many modern multilevel apartment buildings have concrete floors. If this is the case, I wouldn't worry about the weight at all.

jm.02

 

[Rmckoy]

Some apartments limit the size of aquariums up to a max volume .

renters insurance is a must with aquariums as water can get anywhere and be costly to repair .
i worry every night I fall asleep . My 230 gal could make a huge mess … luckily I’m on the bottom floor .

Water itself weighs average 10lbs/ gallon
Rocks weight matters but the more
Rocks displace the volume of water .
The glass tank itself and stand , equipment .

look into what the apartment is constructed