A Larger Tank On Second Floor?

[brooksie]

I now have a 30 gallon tank in my bedroom on the second floor. I want to upgrade to a 45 gallon. I didn't know if it was safe or not. My house is about 12 yrs old. I wasn't sure how much weight 45 gallon was. Does anyone out there have a tank on their second floor? My builder has moved away so I cannot ask them. Any Ideas? Thanks

 

[toxik]

Make sure it's level, on a weight bearing wall(a wall that goes straight down from the top floor into the basement(or on a weight bearing beam)).
I've got a 36g next to a weight bearing wall and no problems...
you're tank and stand will probably weight around 500lbs when filled and setup up.

But it's a new house...I wouldn't worry too much. Now if it was 120 years old, I would say settle for something less than 10 gallons...lol.

 

[Behemoth]

i think it will be fine, my uncle has a 200 gallon tank on a second floor and it's fine.

 

[Captain Retardo]

You guys shouldn't think that way, here is a very imformative article:

http/badmanstropicalfish.com/articles/article28.html

Usually everything that is between 0-55 gallons is fine for any floor, and older houses are made out of harder wood too, but still, please read this article, you dont want to risk an aquarium flyingy through the roof!

 

[1800higgins]

I just bought a 55 gallon for my second floor apartment. The house is probably about 50+ years old. I was worried at first, but not anymore.

 

[brooksie]

I just bought a 55 gallon for my second floor apartment. The house is probably about 50+ years old. I was worried at first, but not anymore.

Thanks for all your replies!!!!!!!! I will probably get a 45

 

[Torrean]

WOW my eyes are sooooo dry from reading that link retardo. VERY VERY informative thanks for posting it.

 

[Captain Retardo]

lol, same thing happened to me! But i managed (somehow) to get through it all!

 

[qwikimpss]

That was an incredible link, thanks for that! Long read but a good one!

 

[Captain Retardo]

no problem, dont want any collapsed floors in anyones house!

Badmans Tropical Fish has a lot of good articles

 

[Nevergone815]

no problem, dont want any collapsed floors in anyones house!

Badmans Tropical Fish has a lot of good articles

he even has pretty good info on fih on that ite also. i jut used it for a reference for a roject on mudkippers i did for a nutrition course.

i didn't read that article YET. i looked and saw that it was long and i said... i have ot go to class in 20 min and i don't think i will finish reading and checking my posts i am active in in that time.

remember with weight, i beleive that it is for every gallon of water it weighs around 8 lbs. this doesn't say that (for example) a 20 gal tank (empty) will weigh as much as a 20 gal tank with substrate, decor and fish. sure less water may be being put into the filled tank, but that stuff WILL weigh more than the couple of gallons that it will replace.

like i said i havn't read that article on badmans, but that site is good, so i woulod trust whatever it says on there. follow carefully and make sure you check out blueprints (if necessary) to find strong points in your house.

 

[BigIan]

I have a 65 galon tank on the second floor of my house with no problems.

Its on a supporting wall running across 3 joists,

and the house is acctualy 123 years old

 

[LoachLover]

Depends on how well your house was constructed, my house in Georgia was cheaply built, but my house in oregon was built like a rock.

 

[andywg]

Depends on what it is made of, I will soon have over 280US gallons in my living room, and I'm on the second floor (there are two below me). However, since it is a council build it has steel reinforced concrete floors and as such can handle this weight without much trouble.

As for the upstairs? I wouldn't want too much over 150 gallons, just to be on the safe side.