Tank Weight

[chr15_8]

im thinknig of getting a new 5ft x 2ft x 2ft tank early next year and am planing of the position.

it will be on the ground floor (i live in a bungalow so its only i floor anyway).

the wate rin the tanks water will weigh about 490 kg/1080.27 lbs so after the tank and cabinet it will probably weigh about 650 kg.

the floor/room it will be going on/in looks like this

the joist run form left to right with centers at 16 inches.
i will be lifting a board in the cupboard tommorow to see what size the joist are. the ones in the loft a 4x2 so im thinking the ground floor will be 6x2. as you can see form the pic there is a wall (5 inch thick)

as the joist is going left to right i would have thought there would be a dwarf wall underneath the wall to surport it.

if the above is correct (dwarf wall/supporing wall underneath the wall and the joist are at least 6x2) do you think there could be a problem? the cabinets base will be solid peice of wood all the way under (no feet) to help distribuit the weight

thanks in advance.
chris

also does anybody know how heavy a glass tank is with no water and using 12mm glass would be roughly?

 

[xxBarneyxx]

With water you are looking at about 3/4 of a ton.

 

[andywg]

Doesn't look too much of a problem, especially if you don't have anything else too lumpy or heavy on the same joists. After all, I use 4x2 to hold up my tanks that are similar in size and even larger, so why should the floor board need to be so much different.

 

[chr15_8]

thanks for the replays

i pulled up abit of the floor (in a cupboard next to the room) and ive draw a diagram of what im almost certain it will be like underneath in the room (the warf wall is 100% correct in the diagram its just the joist that might be out a little etc)

as you should be able to see the joist's are supported by 2 dwarf walls in the room where the tank will go (one in the middle and one almost under the wall/just inside the room containing the tank

the only problem is the joists are 4x2 but they are only 5ft long/supported every 5ft.

so does anyone think this amount of weight of the floor wiull be a problem?
the tank will sit over 4 joists with a flat bottam on the cabinet to help distribuit the weight.


thanks again
chris

 

[andywg]

I personally would go for it without hesitation, but it is ultimately up to you.

Things that would sway it for me would be the 4 4x2 joists (consider what your stand will be made from) and that you are sitting the tank over a supporting wall for the floor.

 

[chr15_8]

I personally would go for it without hesitation, but it is ultimately up to you.

Things that would sway it for me would be the 4 4x2 joists (consider what your stand will be made from) and that you are sitting the tank over a supporting wall for the floor.

thanks

i cant see a problem to be honest either but wanted another few thoughts on it.

i know its nothing to go by but i have a 40 gallon there at the moment. if i jump there is no movement in the floor which tells me its pretty solid also the cabinet of the 40g sits on 4 2inch legs


chris

 

[chr15_8]

does anybody else think it will/wont be ok?

 

[chrisdoesntmiss]

If you have a concrete floor underneath the joists just brick it up, ensure thats level and mortar it in. That way you are bedding down onto something that will most definately hold the weight. That way you can bring the bricks up to floor level and be sure it will never move, also if the floor is slightly out of level you can adjust the height of bricks to suit.

This however is not the job for anyone faint of heart.

Chris

 

[chr15_8]

If you have a concrete floor underneath the joists just brick it up, ensure thats level and mortar it in. That way you are bedding down onto something that will most definately hold the weight. That way you can bring the bricks up to floor level and be sure it will never move, also if the floor is slightly out of level you can adjust the height of bricks to suit.

This however is not the job for anyone faint of heart.

Chris

yep the floor underneath is concrete.

the joists are supported every 5ft. the joists are only about 7 inch of the concrete floor. however i dont think my mum and dad would be to happy with me ripping the floor up laying a few bricks under (Just had the carpet done about a year 1/2 ago)

alos the current tank is exactly where the new tank will sit.

thanks
chris

the floor is to my surprise is as spot on level.

If you have a concrete floor underneath the joists just brick it up, ensure thats level and mortar it in. That way you are bedding down onto something that will most definately hold the weight. That way you can bring the bricks up to floor level and be sure it will never move, also if the floor is slightly out of level you can adjust the height of bricks to suit.

This however is not the job for anyone faint of heart.

Chris

yep the floor underneath is concrete.

the joists are supported every 5ft. the joists are only about 7 inch of the concrete floor. however i dont think my mum and dad would be to happy with me ripping the floor up laying a few bricks under (Just had the carpet done about a year 1/2 ago)

alos the current tank is exactly where the new tank will sit.

thanks
chris

the floor is to my surprise is as spot on level.

 

[chrisdoesntmiss]

Nah, parents are funny like that, lol.

Ok well i am sure you wont have nay worries, its amazing how strong wooden joists are.

If it is going to move you will notice as its filling rather than all of a sudden in the middle of the night.

Chris