Biggest tank on a 2nd floor apartment?

[EMV7904]

What's the biggest you'd feel comfortable putting on a second floor apartment floor?

I have a 180/sump/fuge...the calculator tells me I have 202 gallons of total capacity. It's on my apartment floor now with no issues...am I pushing it on a 2nd floor?

Where could I place it to help out? Outside wall or running across the beams of the house? Although I'm not sure how a 2nd story is put on...how is the weight supported? lol

I don't want to cave the floor in obviously. Does anyone think I'm heading for trouble? Does anyone have a 180 on a 2nd floor? It's a well built house (early to mid 1900's - not one of these flimsy jobs done nowadays).

Thanks!

[TWallace]

I don't think anyone can accurately answer that without seeing how the beams are laid out under the tank. I've read that having the tank along a loud bearing wall is much better, though.

Personally I have a 120 in a 2nd floor apartment along a load bearing wall. 120 may actually be worse than a 180 because the weight is centered in a smaller spot (it's a 4 foot tank, whereas I think a 180 is 6 foot).

[JAHGYDI]

72 BOW FRONT 20 GAL SUMP 10 ATO AND ALOT OF ROCK ON A LOAD BEARING WALL

[EMV7904]

This may sound silly...but is there any way to tell which wall is load bearing? Would that be an OUTSIDE wall? Because it's a 2nd floor, there's no way to see the beams. It's not like a 1st floor where you can go in the basement and see everything...

[Ron Popeil]

in my second floor apartment i had a 100 gallon tank with 100 lbs of sand and well over 150 lbs of large rocks.

i also had a 55 gallon. and a 29 gallon. all filled with water.

the apartment survived!

[Kenmx10]

If the floor joist are made of wood , Your pushing it. They will show signs of deflection over time. Keep an eye on it to see if the tank starts to lean one way or the other. You could also check using a level. Not a good idea. Good luck.

[saltyboy84]

if your tank is going on the second floor you will want to find a spot on the second floor that has a wall under it that would be a load baring wall.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
o o o o o o
o o o o o o
o o o o o o make sure your tank goes
o o o o o o left to right, so picture
o o o o o o the full line of O on top is
the outside wall then put
tank agianst the wall
making sure the beams
run down the tank not
across, lol

and if you have a wall on the second floor that looks like this

o
o
o
o
o
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
o
o
o
o
o
o
then put the tank over the wall that is on the second floor, i hope this makes sense we dont wont your tank to fall threw so i drew up so pics with O's hahahahahah

[Gravesj1s]

If you want to be sure you have to know joist size and span.Any way you can find this out?
-Graves

[saltyboy84]

well heres a better way of showing it.

[saltyboy84]

wow its small haha sry but you can see how it goes, your tank is in blue, the top pic shows what way your tank should go, and the second pic shows how your tank should go over a wall if on the second floor

[havingfunin08]

your pushing it!

[Veni vidi vici]

Originally posted by EMV7904
This may sound silly...but is there any way to tell which wall is load bearing? Would that be an OUTSIDE wall? Because it's a 2nd floor, there's no way to see the beams. It's not like a 1st floor where you can go in the basement and see everything...

Any exterior wall or unit partition wall will be a load bearing wall assuming this is a apartment building not a house with a apartment in it.If its an apartment building and the apartment below you is identical,then any wall in your apartment can be considered load bearing because the walls stack one on top of another. If its a large building then there is a chance you may have a light weight concrete floor or flexi -core.Either one of these will allow you to safely have a 180g tank,Unless its on a wood floor and your stand has legs.
"Important side note" you want to run your tank perpendicular to the floor joist in your apartment so most likely it will be any bearing wall running parallel with you front wall or hallway wall.

[buerk212]

I would look for a wall on the first floor that you could put the tank on top of. That way you have something solid to the ground holding the tank instead of it being suspended. Also like what was mentioned before make sure your tank is perpendicular to the floor Joyces that way you don't have 1 or 2 boards supporting all the weight..

[reeflover812]

i have a 100 gallon on the 5th floor filled with water

[sundancer]

I have a 360 on the second floor. It's an 8 foot tank sitting across 7 2x10 joists on an outside load bearing wall. In the same room is my dining room table and sometimes a bunch of people. No issues. Yet.