Opinion: Second Floor - 120 Gallon

[johnbr]

Hi Guys,

So the title can auto explain what I'm trying to achieve here. I live in a town home that was built on 2015. Is that ok if I put my tank on the second floor? I have another living room upstairs and there's nothing there. Not a single furniture. Do you guys think it will hold? Stand, Rocks, Sump?

The tank is made of acrylic and the size is 48x24x24.

Thanks

 

[Mark Bianco]

In most cases a reef tank weighs less then a refrigerator per square foot. However with that said the only safe and best way to know for sure would be to hire an engineer to evaluate your area where you want to put this. Better to pay an expert then to have a catastrophe costing thousands to repair...

 

[johnbr]

In most cases a reef tank weighs less then a refrigerator per square foot. However with that said the only safe and best way to know for sure would be to hire an engineer to evaluate your area where you want to put this. Better to pay an expert then to have a catastrophe costing thousands to repair...

Have no clue where can I hire someone =(. I thought since this is "new"house built in 2015 could be a modern structure and hold it.

 

[coral-boss]

i would have to suggest be on a load bearing wall and go across multiple floor joists. but I am no engineer.

 

[ThunderGoose]

I positioned my 120 across several floor joists next to a beam. All good for the past 6 years or so.

 

[Kzguns]

Using 10 lbs a gallon so water rock sand. That’s probably high but using that if my math is right you are at 150 lbs a square foot. If it was my house I would not have much concern. Get 8 if you friends to stand in that area lol

 

[Kzguns]

Also if you contact an architect in your area they can help you find an engineer if they don’t already have one on staff

 

[johnbr]

Using 10 lbs a gallon so water rock sand. That’s probably high but using that if my math is right you are at 150 lbs a square foot. If it was my house I would not have much concern. Get 8 if you friends to stand in that area lol

Also if you contact an architect in your area they can help you find an engineer if they don’t already have one on staff

Well one think that I forgot to mention is that the house has two living rooms. The only thing that I have upstairs is the tank nothing else. Also I was able to figure out that the tank is perpendicular against the joints.

The living room is 324 Sq. Ft. If by the industry standards we take 324 x 40 lbs (Usually that's how much weight per sq. ft.) I would have 13.000 lbs, JUST for the second living room.

On total I have 80 lbs of rock

Sump dimensions:

30"x14"x16" 12"x13.5" 6"x7" 10"x8"

According to a website where I calculated the total water volume my system will have 137 gallon including the sump.

I would be shocked if a brand new house 2015 couldn't handle 1.200 lbs on a corner wall on the second floor.

 

[Kzguns]

Ya I wouldn’t be concerned if it was my house even if it was 30 years old!