Fish Tanks, Weight And Floors

[Ryandsimmons]

I am trying to find out information about how large a fishtank I can have in my apartment. (New building, 2 years old, concrete, 11th floor) but am getting nowhere.

I know this is a question that is asked regularly but does anyone have any links to any information I could use?

I am pretty sure that I would be okay with a 350 litre tank (around 500kg spread over 6m2) but would like to make sure. Only info I can find with googling is stuff like "ensure you up line up with joists" and such which is of no relevance.

 

[Verminator89]

Have you contacted the council about the flats you live in and/or the contractors who built them, possibly attained by contacting the council. They will know the ins and outs of what you want to do.

Also taking into concideration the common everyday bathtub which when used for a bath is full of water plus a human (maybe 2) depending what your into

Other than that i can't help. Your conventional highrise flats will be sturdier than your average house due to the obvious height of a multi story flat.

 

[onebto]

Your correct a subject that comes up quite often and so it should as its vital to get correct first time as if it goes wrong it must cause a night mare with terrible damage and expense.

Be honest following these threads myself I have found the wisest advice is to seek the advice of a professional it really is worth getting someone in to give you advice.

Its a new build it would be worth going to the company you brought or rent the apartment off they should be able to give you load bearing advice on your floors.

You said concrete? Do you mean you have concrete floors? if you do then you maybe in luck but I would rely on a professional and some feedback of off the building owners/builders.

As you are probably aware 350 litres is just over a third of a tonne in weight that does not include approx 20kg of substrate the weight of the tank and the stand.

I have a 450 litre tank on the second floor of a Victorian built building with wood joists but I made sure the tank is up against the wall and the wall directly below a load bearing wall, plus bless them the Victorians new how to build things the joists and floor boards have some real strength in them fortunately I also have a friend who is a building surveyor and came round and had a good look done some maths and gave me a thumbs up

I wish I could help you more but its such a serious subject were experts are so important and I am not one good luck.

Regards onebto.

 

[Ryandsimmons]

Have you contacted the council about the flats you live in and/or the contractors who built them, possibly attained by contacting the council. They will know the ins and outs of what you want to do.

Also taking into concideration the common everyday bathtub which when used for a bath is full of water plus a human (maybe 2) depending what your into

Other than that i can't help. Your conventional highrise flats will be sturdier than your average house due to the obvious height of a multi story flat.

I'm currently in major disputes with the builders over some electrical issues. I'd rather not be approaching them with more questions at the moment.

I am trying to avoid having to pay for a surveyor, hence I am trying to find the maximum "guarenteed" weight. I am pretty certain that a 300litre would be okay, but would drop to 240l if I could be assured that any flat would take it.

 

[xxBarneyxx]

As above really. It is very, very hard for someone on here to say it will or will not be fine (and I would definitely not like to say it is ok and then you come back in to weeks to say your tank has fallen through the floor ).

Regarding the bathtub argument. Its true that a bathtub will weigh more than the average tank but its also normally in a room that is purposely built for it and placed in an area which can take the weight. Also it is not a constant pressure 24/7.

Given you have concrete floors you would probably be ok for a good amount of weight. However the money you pay out to get a surveyor to come take a look will cost a lot less then if the tank goes through the floor.

I had 3 tanks in an upstairs bedroom once (60l, 160l and a 50l) all along one wall on wooden floors. Never went through the ceiling but after a couple of years it did bow the hell out of the floorboards.

 

[BigIan]

even just saying that you have concrete floors there could be a wide variance in the load bearing quality's of the floor depending on the construction materials used.

The only definite way to know your tank wont damage your floor is to get an engineer to assess the floor.

 

[stephen.h89]

i live in a 2nd floor flat with concrete floors and i have my 400lr against a stud wall and the wall its above from downstairs is a stud wall also, i have no problems but i did ask the council what my max weight limit was and they said 3tonnes should be fine, i wouldnt wanna take it to the max so from what they told me if u have concrete floors u should be ok for a lot of weight, i wouldn go above 1.5 tonne tho