Big reef on laminate?

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

We're replacing our flooring with laminate flooring (the water proof kind), and I'm getting ready to put in a 225g reef. I'm guessing it will be fine, but figured I would ask if there are any special considerations I should make? The laminate is sitting on the concrete slab.

 

[snorklr]

a floating laminate floor will expand and contract and according to the directions on the one i put in my tenants bathroom you shouldnt put any real heavy furniture on it as it wont allow it to move so it could potentially buckle or lift...so the vanity had to go in first and the floor be cut around it with a gap covered by quarter round molding...so i'd check with the manufacturer of the one you're using

 

[Projects with Sam]

I've seen really old glued laminate squash from point pressures but as long as you keep the weight distributed I dont think there should be any issue. awesome size for a reef!
Good point by @snorklr if floating floor check with manufacturer.

 

[moz71]

I put my 125 gal with 25 gallon sump on my laminate floor. I did just put a thin felt line down around perimeter just so no sharper edge digs in. After 3 plus years I have no issue to date. No buckling or anything. For what it’s worth

 

[mfinn]

You will be fine. I've had multiple tanks on different laminates, all were the floating floor types.
I put the original pergo floor ( 100% glue ) down in my kitchen about 25 years ago and moved the tank to put new stuff down. I was totally amazed that there was no leakage, even though after 25 years of spills ( a couple major ones), the underside of the pergo looked new.
I put the waterproof vinyl down 6 years ago and put the 240 back on it. No issues.

I did put cheap ( non vinyl ) stuff down in a back room with my 66 gallon tank on it. This was a mistake.
I've had to do inlay type patches in a couple spots.

 

[HBtank]

As someone mentioned the floating style does typically need to move some, and it can get wonky in areas if it can't (I saw ours lift some between heavy furniture). The trim hides the gaps around the walls that allows it to expand. Maybe the contractor can adjust for that if they know where the tank will be.

 

[DaneGer21]

No issues here. I have a 60x36x24 tank

 

[MW319]

I have my Waterbox 170 4.5 on a floating laminate flooring for 3.5 yrs and have had no issue.

 

[d2mini]

Hopefully by waterproof you mean glued together. I've used that in bathrooms with great success. And I've used high end non-glue that should have been at least water resistant that seemed to bubble at the drop of a hat. Or drop of water I guess.

But ya, other than water, no worries. It's not as big as yours but my 135 + sump was on the laminate with no problems. And I had some Flor carpet tiles around it to help with any drips and stuff while messing with the tank. When we moved, the floor still looked great.

 

[Gtinnel]

Hopefully by waterproof you mean glued together. I've used that in bathrooms with great success. And I've used high end non-glue that should have been at least water resistant that seemed to bubble at the drop of a hat. Or drop of water I guess.

But ya, other than water, no worries. It's not as big as yours but my 135 + sump was on the laminate with no problems. And I had some Flor carpet tiles around it to help with any drips and stuff while messing with the tank. When we moved, the floor still looked great.

Waterproof could also be the vinyl laminate planks. Which I don’t think its technically laminate but it often gets called that.

I installed the vinyl planks in the bottom half of my house and I will never install a different type of flooring.
Also my 125g and my 100g tanks are sitting on it without issue.

 

[d2mini]

Waterproof could also be the vinyl laminate planks. Which I don’t think its technically laminate but it often gets called that.

I installed the vinyl planks in the bottom half of my house and I will never install a different type of flooring.
Also my 125g and my 100g tanks are sitting on it without issue.

Yeah, LVP would be a different story.