Shoring up floor information? 300g aquarium.

[UncleSalty]

Hello! I currently live in an apartment on a slab floor and have a 125g. We just got approved for a home, and both the wife and I said we'd like to get something bigger instead of having to take this down, and immediately set it back up for the fish! Anyone who's had to move a tank in a day knows it sucks!

Anyway, I found a great deal on a 300g aquarium. I'm ready to pull the trigger, but I am sure I would have to look at having the floor reinforced. I don't know anything about what goes into this, and I am hoping someone who's been through this can describe what/how to do this?

 

[iplumbsome]

This could be as simple as a couple posts in the basement to having an engineer or a competent general contractor take a look for you. No one likes to spend money, but for piece of mind you might want to get a professional involved.

 

[Ocean Lotion]

Which floor are you putting it on? Th weight has to be transfered all the way to the basement slab so it depends on what is below where the tank will sit. Is it the middle of a nice family room? Or against a block wall in a laundry room? Answering that question gets you started on the thought process.

 

[JoshH]

For that size of tank I would say it would be worth the few hundred to bring in a structural engineer and tell you exactly what you need. I don't generally suggest going the expensive professional route but in this case you're talking around 3000+ pounds of weight your floor wasn't designed to handle.

 

[UncleSalty]

So help me out here, originally I wanted an 8' 220g. If I go that route, do most people still have to shore up their floors?!

 

[JoshH]

So help me out here, originally I wanted an 8' 220g. If I go that route, do most people still have to shore up their floors?!

Where were you planning on putting it? Along an outside wall with the joists perpendicular to the tank? Or in the middle of an interior wall with joists running parallel to the tank? Personally I would be shoring up either way...

 

[UncleSalty]

Where were you planning on putting it? Along an outside wall with the joists perpendicular to the tank? Or in the middle of an interior wall with joists running parallel to the tank? Personally I would be shoring up either way...

I don't even have a house yet! We're preapproved and searching! So we don't know where it'll be. We're going to month to month on our lease starting in April, so we figured we'll have a full month to move, and didn't want to have to deal with taking down a tank and moving/setting it up quickly! So we were wanting to buy one now, and store it until we close on a house!

 

[iplumbsome]

Hello! I currently live in an apartment on a slab floor and have a 125g. We just got approved for a home, and both the wife and I said we'd like to get something bigger instead of having to take this down, and immediately set it back up for the fish! Anyone who's had to move a tank in a day knows it sucks!

Anyway, I found a great deal on a 300g aquarium. I'm ready to pull the trigger, but I am sure I would have to look at having the floor reinforced. I don't know anything about what goes into this, and I am hoping someone who's been through this can describe what/how to do this?

I just noticed you are in CA. Do you even have a basement or are you concerned about your slab?

 

[UncleSalty]

I just noticed you are in CA. Do you even have a basement or are you concerned about your slab?

Sorry! We are no longer in CA! We live just outside Kansas City, MO now!

 

[Ocean Lotion]

You really need to decide where you would set it up and investigate what the structure is like under the tank. Joists running parallel or perpendicular to the tank. Up against the wall or not. If you can see the joists from under the next floor. If you were to snap some pics and stop at a real lumber yard with an engineer they may be able to tell you for a low cost. That would not be Home Depot.

 

[JoshH]

I don't even have a house yet! We're preapproved and searching! So we don't know where it'll be. We're going to month to month on our lease starting in April, so we figured we'll have a full month to move, and didn't want to have to deal with taking down a tank and moving/setting it up quickly! So we were wanting to buy one now, and store it until we close on a house!

Congrats on being preapproved! Always exciting! And yes honestly, if you're looking at anything 150 gal + and it's not on a basement or main floor slab you will more than likely be shoring up your floor to some degree depending on as mentioned above, where you are putting the tank and how the floor beneath it is structured.

 

[iplumbsome]

I don't even have a house yet! We're preapproved and searching! So we don't know where it'll be. We're going to month to month on our lease starting in April, so we figured we'll have a full month to move, and didn't want to have to deal with taking down a tank and moving/setting it up quickly! So we were wanting to buy one now, and store it until we close on a house!

Pull the trigger on the tank. There are so many variables especially when you don't even have a house yet. Everything is doable!

 

[Ryanneece]

When your talking weight 400lbs and more it's a must to support your floor

 

[Ryanneece]

That much weight can bow the floor over time and it takes any bounce out of the floor also

 

[Ryanneece]

Hello! I currently live in an apartment on a slab floor and have a 125g. We just got approved for a home, and both the wife and I said we'd like to get something bigger instead of having to take this down, and immediately set it back up for the fish! Anyone who's had to move a tank in a day knows it sucks!

Anyway, I found a great deal on a 300g aquarium. I'm ready to pull the trigger, but I am sure I would have to look at having the floor reinforced. I don't know anything about what goes into this, and I am hoping someone who's been through this can describe what/how to do this?

When your dealing with that much weight supporting the floor is must the weight will bow your floor and throw your tank out of level and supporting the floor will also take any bounce out of the floor if you have a accessable basement it's really as simple as a couple 4x4s

 

[don_chuwish]

Then when you do get a house picked:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/do-i-need-floor-supporting.148582/

 

[mjlash22]

I will share what I did and I also have some more info in my build thread. For my Reefer 525XL (149 total gallons including ATO reservoir, weighing in at over 2000lbs with all material and supplies) my tank was placed against a foundation wall on the first level. I do have a basement. Joists were running parralel with the tank, spread 16" apart. I purchased two floor jacks to start. Cut 2x4's 18" long and married two together to basically create a 4x4. Tank is approx 60" long so I spread the jacks out to where they were 40" apart and 10" from each side of the tank. Put the married 2x4's across two of the joists and the jack is in the middle of the two joists. Tightened the jacks just enough so that there was no wiggle in them but not too much as to where they applied enough pressure to raise up the floor upstairs. Tank has been up and filled for a little over a week now with 0 issues. I can bounce on the floor by the tank and hardly get any movement. Long story short, I would highly recommend doing something in regards to floor support.

I should also mention, this was what was recommended by a structural engineer. Originally I was going to just use a 2x6 and lay it flat on the stand across the joists. I was highly encouraged not to do this as the amount of pressure/weight being distributed from the joists to the floor through the wood could snap the 2x6 in half.

You could go as extreme as putting a stand under each joist, 4 total.

 

[Don Lidtke]

We bought a house with the basement unfinished so I made sure to have room for a 200 gallon tank and a fish room. I wanted it in the basement so support won’t be an issue. Also, spills won’t damage the concrete.

 

[JoshH]

Also, spills won’t damage the concrete

Salt water spills can and will damage concrete over time. Repeated exposure to salt water an subsequent drying can cause a build up of chlorides on the surface which will attack the Portland cement found in concrete.

 

[Don Lidtke]

Salt water spills can and will damage concrete over time. Repeated exposure to salt water an subsequent drying can cause a build up of chlorides on the surface which will attack the Portland cement found in concrete.

This is very true, my garage floor is proof, indeed. However, our basement floor has been sealed and has multiple layers of wax. Hopefully that should mitigate any of the spills.