55 to a 75 weight... old crappy house.

[Owen386]

Hey fellow reefers,
Just wondering if someone with a little more experience can chime in and set my mind at ease.
I currently have a 55 gallon with 20 sump needless to say I hate the narrowness and would like to upgrade to a 75. Currently the 55 is in the only place it can go in the house. It sits on a rot iron stand witch I have skinned with wood. I have checked to floor joints and they run parrallale with the pength of the tank Wich is bad I know but as I said only place I can put the tank. I am on the first floor with basement underneath the wall the tank is on is an inside wall with a staircase on other side leading to an upstairs appartment. The tank had been sitting in its spot running for the past 6 months with no problem. The stand it sits on only has four contact spots to the floor. The 75 stand would contact floor the enntire length and width of stand. So safe move switching out to a slightly bigger tank. Thinking there will be an extra 300 lbs.? Thanks

-Owen

 

[twiddledog]

easiest way is to multiply the gallons by the weight of a gallon of water which is about 8.5 pounds per gallon. Add the tank and sump volume. Although sand and rock may be different..this will give you an approximate weight.
If it is close to a load bearing wall I would not worry..but that is just me. You could brace the floor underneath using a 2x6 and some lalley columns from HD for about $30 each.

 

[The Ng Thing]

What are the dimensions of the 75g tank?

 

[Johorocks]

With the new stand making contact with the floor more, your weight will be more evenly distributed. Also the stand is wider giving you more beams for support.with that said it is probably safer than your 55

 

[MisFit]

With the new stand making contact with the floor more, your weight will be more evenly distributed. Also the stand is wider giving you more beams for support.with that said it is probably safer than your 55

Not with the joists running parallel its not. If the joists were perpendicular then yes it would be more evenly distributed across more joists, as it its now, the 75 is just more weight on 2 joists.

 

[Turbosnail]

If you have access to the basement I would just support the floor with some columns or 4x4 posts. I have my 6' 125 on the joists parallel and I put 2 pieces of 4x4 across the joists and forced 2 4x4 posts in under them and my daughter jumps around near the tank and it never moves.

 

[Johorocks]

Not with the joists running parallel its not. If the joists were perpendicular then yes it would be more evenly distributed across more joists, as it its now, the 75 is just more weight on 2 joists.

That's true, however, with the joist running parallel u would still gain support. 1 because instead of having the four legs of his iron stand contacting the floor, he'll have the entire base( fine example of this displacement, snow shoes.)drug 2. His new base is also wider, the way he described it, the beams run parallel to the length of the tank. A base for a 75quiet( gal is wider therefore spanning another joist.

 

[delta]

not knowing the type of framing and spacing on the framing and flooring system it is hard to give advice

And yes instead of having four load points with a metal stand, the weigh is distributed across the floor system more evenly with a regular stand. However most stands have load point. So it is not as even as one might think and the weight is not distribute 100% across the stand base

Depending on where the tank is sitting in regards to the floor joists, the floor joist may act as a fulcrum. Making the tank rock back and forth when you walk across the room. Floor system are design as a whole and placing a tank on an outside/bearing wall does not increase what the floor can hold.

This tank is under 90g so it is not a huge issue. Given the load will most like fall on one or two joist I would run supports perpendicular to the floor joists spanning the joists from the back of the tank to the front of the tank. If the joists do not land on the front or or back run the support to the next joist. 4x4 post work to support the beams but the adjustable ones are easy to install and adjust if ever the need arises.