Full Teardown on 150G - What would you do?

Robg719 · Dec 21, 2018

Posting this mostly to make sure I am not crazy or over reacting as a I am planning to completely take down my 150G tank. (SCA 150 w/ 78G sump)

Had it running a little over a year and a half & its doing great... fish are healthy... growing SPS and other corals beautifully.... BUT>>>> came to the obvious realization that its too heavy to be on my second floor.

By my calculations ~[400lb tank, 300lb stand, 100lb sump, 230G water (tank+ sump) = 2,000lbs, 150+ lbs of rock, 100+lbs of sand + other misc equipt) = way over 3,000lbs!! And that is the weight of a car!

I haven't had any concerns until recently when I noticed the front is now ~3/4" lower than the back. It obviously wasnt like that 2 years ago and checked with a level and its way off. While on one hand its been up and running with water since July 2017 and probably gradually sunk a little by little, I cant take the chances of the floor giving in...

So here is what i am thinking...
First thing this morning go to petco and get small temporary tank to hold the corals and small fish I want to keep. Take my Tangs and other larger fish to LFS (they will sell and give me 50% of whatever they sell for in a store credit so its not total loss). Do full takedown of rest and have a moving company put in my garage until i can sell it - - - then when I have the time start a new build with a smaller tank, probably a 40-50G cube (the bright side)

What would you do??

Retro Reefer · Dec 21, 2018

Sounds like a solid plan.. it’s a shame to have to break down your 150 but a catastrophic failure with a tank that size would be a disaster.

Robg719 · Dec 21, 2018

Retro Reefer said:
Sounds like a solid plan.. it’s a shame to have to break down your 150 but a catastrophic failure with a tank that size would be a disaster.

Yes. It would. Both on my house and my marriage

Pntbll687 · Dec 21, 2018

Robg719 said:
Yes. It would. Both on my house and my marriage

You sir have this right!

What you wrote down is pretty much exactly how you do it.

If it's short term until you get a cube, say a month or less, I would forgo the tank and just get a large Rubbermaid type tote from Walmart or home Depot. I used the hdx brand from home Depot with no problems, and I think the 55 gallon was under $20.

I'd go with a 60g cube! Pre drilled ones are reasonable in price, and offer decent space for fish.

miPapareef · Dec 21, 2018

Lots of people on here can and did give great advice about how to do it and an opinion on should you. But I would not use the forum to determine if you should or how urgent it is.

I would get a professional structural engineer in your area to assess. The normal home inspector is not the right person but if you call one they will tell you who they call when they are concerned about the structure of a home. It will cost you some money but you’ll know for sure if you should and they’ll give you options.

There can be a lot of reasons (carpet tack strip for one) that can cause a tank to settle off level. This does not mean that your structural concerns are unfounded. Get professional help, or just take it down if your concern outweighs your enjoyment.

RJ Murphy · Dec 21, 2018

Your plan sounds good. I'm thinking like @Pntbll687 for my transfer from a 90 to the 150 SCA, I got on Black Friday.
Is it possible to add bracing to the floor joists or is your first floor finished? I know a lot of the houses in Hilton Head are on stilts. My parents live down there and that is how their's is.