Thinking of a 180, but will my floor hold it?

Krazy · 12/20/2006, 08:06 PM

I have a 90 bowfront, but Im considering the 180 big time, I just want a big tank!

I live in a 1200square ft apartment, house was built in 1910, I got the tall celings etc...

I live on the 1st floor with a basement below me, would my floor hold this tank with no support underneath? or am I asking for trouble ????

nib420247 · 12/20/2006, 08:13 PM

i would say yes, my friend has a 180 in his trailer, piece of crap from the earlie 70's....looks like it was from an old low budget horror movie, then you go in and this 180 reef is just mesmorising, makes my 55 look like the outside of his trailer. could have got 4-5 of those trailers for the price of his tank. look in the basement under whare the tank is going to sit if it looks good you should be fine...but you might want the tank to go over as many beams as possable, as a posed to running paralel with a few

kfowler · 12/20/2006, 08:31 PM

Run the tank perpindicular to the beams and you'll be fine.

Alaska_Phil · 12/20/2006, 09:39 PM

I asked one of our structural engineers at work the same question about a 120 a while back. He did some quick calc's and said it would be fine since the weight was spread out pretty well. But I might see some deflection if I put it in the center of a room.

Since a 180 is the same pounds/ft2 you should be fine, but try to locate it over a structural wall, or main beam in the basement, and make sure the structure underneath isn't rotted. Older residential construction was generally a lot sturdier than modern anyway.

Phil

JokerGirl · 12/20/2006, 10:19 PM

My house was built in 1918, used to be a school. The entire basement is built out of concrete cinder blocks with HUGE wood beams supporting all the floors.

In one hallway alone I've got a 125 gallon, a 55gallon, and a 40 gallon, not to mention the 90gallon Salt in my bedroom. I'm sure you'll be fine, like everyone said just see if you can run them perpendicular to any cross beams underneath!

MimicTang · 12/20/2006, 11:01 PM

depends on how the house was built. My 1900s farmhouse I rent wouldnt due to well with it. if you bounce lightly and see the floor moving, thats a good sign to not do it.

RTKBA308 · 12/20/2006, 11:24 PM

Whats in the basement? Is it a finished basement? Are the cielings in the basement exposed to see what kind of floor joist their are, in order to support the tank?

The last house I had, the floor joists where 2x6's 24" apart. They had a lot of deflection. I'd walk past the television and it shake

. I had a crawl space below that, it was just too small to add joists, would have been more headaches then it was worth. That's why I decided against an aquarium at that time. Now I have concrete and steel beams, the skies the limit now

.

jamison74 · 12/21/2006, 12:44 AM

some people use basement jacks directly under their tanks, one on each end under the joists. 17.00 dollars at lowes.
http://www.vestilmfg.com/products/mh...ment_jacks.htm

12/20/2006, 08:06 PM	#1
Krazy Registered Member. Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Albany, NY Posts: 2,941	Thinking of a 180, but will my floor hold it? I have a 90 bowfront, but Im considering the 180 big time, I just want a big tank! I live in a 1200square ft apartment, house was built in 1910, I got the tall celings etc... I live on the 1st floor with a basement below me, would my floor hold this tank with no support underneath? or am I asking for trouble ????

12/20/2006, 08:31 PM	#3
kfowler Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,095	Run the tank perpindicular to the beams and you'll be fine. __________________ Kevin "You cannot achieve what you are not willing to pursue." Current Tank Info: 20g Mixed Reef

12/20/2006, 10:19 PM	#5
JokerGirl Whistler's Mother Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: That place Posts: 1,345	My house was built in 1918, used to be a school. The entire basement is built out of concrete cinder blocks with HUGE wood beams supporting all the floors. In one hallway alone I've got a 125 gallon, a 55gallon, and a 40 gallon, not to mention the 90gallon Salt in my bedroom. I'm sure you'll be fine, like everyone said just see if you can run them perpendicular to any cross beams underneath! __________________ 01000001 01101110 01111001 01101111 01101110 01100101 00111111 Current Tank Info: 120g Reef Tank, 60g Cube Mantis/Reef Tank, Want more info, ask me.

12/20/2006, 08:13 PM	#2
nib420247 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 32	i would say yes, my friend has a 180 in his trailer, piece of crap from the earlie 70's....looks like it was from an old low budget horror movie, then you go in and this 180 reef is just mesmorising, makes my 55 look like the outside of his trailer. could have got 4-5 of those trailers for the price of his tank. look in the basement under whare the tank is going to sit if it looks good you should be fine...but you might want the tank to go over as many beams as possable, as a posed to running paralel with a few

12/20/2006, 09:39 PM	#4
Alaska_Phil Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: North Pole Posts: 986	I asked one of our structural engineers at work the same question about a 120 a while back. He did some quick calc's and said it would be fine since the weight was spread out pretty well. But I might see some deflection if I put it in the center of a room. Since a 180 is the same pounds/ft2 you should be fine, but try to locate it over a structural wall, or main beam in the basement, and make sure the structure underneath isn't rotted. Older residential construction was generally a lot sturdier than modern anyway. Phil

12/20/2006, 11:01 PM	#6
MimicTang Moved On Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Hartford CT Posts: 1,517	depends on how the house was built. My 1900s farmhouse I rent wouldnt due to well with it. if you bounce lightly and see the floor moving, thats a good sign to not do it.

12/20/2006, 11:24 PM	#7
RTKBA308 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: NY Posts: 521	Whats in the basement? Is it a finished basement? Are the cielings in the basement exposed to see what kind of floor joist their are, in order to support the tank? The last house I had, the floor joists where 2x6's 24" apart. They had a lot of deflection. I'd walk past the television and it shake . I had a crawl space below that, it was just too small to add joists, would have been more headaches then it was worth. That's why I decided against an aquarium at that time. Now I have concrete and steel beams, the skies the limit now .

12/21/2006, 12:44 AM	#8
jamison74 Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: chester il. Posts: 230	some people use basement jacks directly under their tanks, one on each end under the joists. 17.00 dollars at lowes. http://www.vestilmfg.com/products/mh...ment_jacks.htm