Would you put this tank upstairs?

[Pvtgloss]

What do you guys think of the marine x90.3 upstairs? My room is on the main floor but there's a finished basement underneath. The wall I need is not a perimeter wall. Right now I have a red sea max e170 there but my seam has a water pocket so I'm pretty eager to replace it. TIA

 

[Drewe]

No way to give a good answer without more details on the structure. Filled it probably weighs 850lbs. If you can take a look at the joists, make sure you place it perpendicular to them. If you can get to the joists, maybe add some extra support.

 

[harrylarry]

60gallons? Ya.

 

[Pvtgloss]

60gallons? Ya.

85gal total.

 

[zoomonster]

I had heavier 90g in my old house up north with a basement beneath, but it was a perimeter wall over an unfinished basement with plenty of supported joists sitting on cinder block foundation wall. If you think you will have problems, there's always floor jacks from HD or Lowes to add support. I used some when I was tiling part of the house to get the floor level. For that matter I had a king-sized waterbed on the 2nd floor w/o issue.

 

[Pvtgloss]

No way to give a good answer without more details on the structure. Filled it probably weighs 850lbs. If you can take a look at the joists, make sure you place it perpendicular to them. If you can get to the joists, maybe add some extra support.

I can't add no extra supports because there's a closet in the bathroom downstairs. But good idea on checking the joist. I'm not home right now but when I do I will pop up some ceiling tiles.

 

[workhz]

Can you see in the basement where the supports are? Doesn’t have to be a permit we wall as lots of basements have wall and poles everywhere.

Anyway, good luck.

 

[harrylarry]

I I’ve had as large as 180g on a second floor and a 60 cube with 20 sump on a third floor. It’ll be fine unless your house is olddddd

 

[Velcro]

I I’ve had as large as 180g on a second floor and a 60 cube with 20 sump on a third floor. It’ll be fine unless your house is olddddd

My 1930s house was framed wayyyyy more stout than my 2003 house

 

[Drewe]

I I’ve had as large as 180g on a second floor and a 60 cube with 20 sump on a third floor. It’ll be fine unless your house is olddddd

Honestly a house built in 1905 is going to have WAY stronger floors than one built in 2005. Joist spacing, joist size and wood type used back then are going to absolutely be sturdier. Unless the house was built by your uncle Bob, then who knows

 

[Bruttall]

I I’ve had as large as 180g on a second floor and a 60 cube with 20 sump on a third floor. It’ll be fine unless your house is olddddd

Actually in the USA the older houses (50+ years or older) are made with much better timber usually. Real 2x4 saw-milled lumber as opposed to the 1 7/8 by 3 3/4 pine boards they use now so it really helps to know the structure your living in.

I have kept 125g and 150g 6 foot tanks and a 120g 4foot tank on 2nd floors with no problems, the 125g and 120g at the same time for about 3 years.

 

[Drewe]

My 1930s house was framed wayyyyy more stout than my 2003 house

No kidding. I bought a 1908 Edwardian row house in an historic district and the framing on this thing is outrageous compared to everything else I've ever lived in. I'd put a 120 center span parallel to the joists without thinking much of it in this thing. I mean, I didn't, but if I had to I probably would

 

[Drewe]

I can't add no extra supports because there's a closet in the bathroom downstairs. But good idea on checking the joist. I'm not home right now but when I do I will pop up some ceiling tiles.

If you can get up to the joists you can sister them together if you want to feel extra safe - doesn't have to be a floor jack or anything though that would work too. All this only applies if it's done before you've got water in the tank.

 

[threebuoys]

Unless you have something unusual going on with the framing of your house, you should be fineI have a 125 gal plus 25 gallon sump on my third floor . I also have a 90 gallon with 25 gallon sump standing 8 feet in front of the 125.

 

[twentyleagues]

Unless there is preexisting support damage you should be fine. I've kept 120g standard 125g standard and a180g standard with a 85g next to it all above a basement. Most had joists running perpendicular to tank orientation except the 120 had the joist directly below running parallel. That may not have been the smartest move on my part but 6years it sat there no issues.

 

[ErikVR]

It took me a while to understand the question... But then remembered that we're not used timber framed houses over here. Everything is brick and concrete.

 

[twentyleagues]

It took me a while to understand the question... But then remembered that we're not used timber framed houses over here. Everything is brick and concrete.

What supports the floors between levels?

 

[Drewe]

It took me a while to understand the question... But then remembered that we're not used timber framed houses over here. Everything is brick and concrete.

No wooden joists under the floors? Most houses in the US are brick and concrete foundations but the flooring is wooden joists - usually 8x10s spaced around 16" apart.

 

[ErikVR]

What supports the floors between levels?

Reinforced concrete slabs and the exterior and interior walls in regular homes. And a combination of steel beams and concrete in larger homes. You can still find wooden joists in some pre-ww2 homes but that's very rare.

 

[Velcro]

To add to my personal experience, my 80 gallon (maybe 100 total volume) is in the middle of my main floor and parallel to the floor joists. This house is newer and uses the i-joists. When my kids bounce up and down in this room I can see the floating canopy (brackets are attached to back of the stand) bounce as well. It’s probably fine but I personally would not go bigger than this in this spot. I’m sure it would be much better on a perimeter wall perpendicular to joists.