Another would it be too much weight

Reefing102

Metal Halides Til The End
View Badges
Joined
Apr 25, 2021
Messages
3,632
Reaction score
4,814
Location
Central Ohio
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hey all,


I’m getting ready to buy a new/used set up. It will be a 65 gallon reef ready (36x18x24) with a 20 gallon sump and 10 gallon ATO.
The only spot I have for it is on an outer wall where the joists would run parallel to the wall and tank. I’ve searched through threads and many say hire a structural engineer but I don’t have that kind of money.
The house was built in 1935, no known or visible termite damage (it’s been inspected). It will be about 5 feet from the main structural support beam running the entire length of the house. I currently have a 40 gallon (no sump) in this spot and don’t have any issues (other than leveling).

thoughts? Would your best guesstimate say it’s good or should I try to find a spot running perpendicular to the joists?
 

JumboShrimp

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 12, 2018
Messages
5,806
Reaction score
8,224
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I’m sure there will be no shortage of personal opinions on this one. For me... 95 gallons total in a house built in 1935... I’d want to have it sitting perpendicular to the joists. Let us see how you go, in the end. :)
 

sean151

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 3, 2012
Messages
72
Reaction score
36
Location
MV, WA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Just pay the money for a professional engineer to do the calculations. They will whip up a document stating what's best for your scenario. No one can say for certain your scenario without knowing things that can only be known once measured (joist size, length, distance between joists, flooring type). Trust the science not the anecdotes.
 

Jekyl

GSP is the devil and clowns are bad pets
View Badges
Joined
Jan 15, 2019
Messages
11,260
Reaction score
15,479
Location
Michigan
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hey all,


I’m getting ready to buy a new/used set up. It will be a 65 gallon reef ready (36x18x24) with a 20 gallon sump and 10 gallon ATO.
The only spot I have for it is on an outer wall where the joists would run parallel to the wall and tank. I’ve searched through threads and many say hire a structural engineer but I don’t have that kind of money.
The house was built in 1935, no known or visible termite damage (it’s been inspected). It will be about 5 feet from the main structural support beam running the entire length of the house. I currently have a 40 gallon (no sump) in this spot and don’t have any issues (other than leveling).

thoughts? Would your best guesstimate say it’s good or should I try to find a spot running perpendicular to the joists?
You could always just add a support to that joist also. They aren't expensive. Available at most hardware stores.
 

Jekyl

GSP is the devil and clowns are bad pets
View Badges
Joined
Jan 15, 2019
Messages
11,260
Reaction score
15,479
Location
Michigan
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Thoughts?

If you have concern of two 300lbs men sitting in chairs elbiw2elbow in your house and falling thru your floor.... its time to move


.
Water alone will be about 700lbs
 

brmreefer

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 26, 2020
Messages
660
Reaction score
974
Location
Milton, FL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Personally, I would hire a professional to have it assessed. I don't know what kind of money would be needed if something catastrophic occurred due to some unknown variable or miscalculation.

Best of luck, hope it works out, and be safe.
 

Jedi1199

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 16, 2021
Messages
4,597
Reaction score
10,229
Location
Mecred, CA.
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Tank footprint is about 650 sq inches. or, 4.5 sq ft. If the entire tank, water, rocks, sand ect weighs in at say 1000 lb. the total weight will be about 1.538 lb/sq inch.

I personally wouldn't worry about it.
 

sean151

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 3, 2012
Messages
72
Reaction score
36
Location
MV, WA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Thoughts?

If you have concern of two 300lbs men sitting in chairs elbow2elbow in your house and falling thru your floor.... its time to move


.
This is a major over simplification of the physics. A static load persisting is different than a transient load that may last even a few months. Joists and floor generally do not fail catastrophically, what they do is gradually pull down by bending or worse twisting the joists over the course of many months/years. Requiring extensive work to repair to full strength.
 

Jedi1199

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 16, 2021
Messages
4,597
Reaction score
10,229
Location
Mecred, CA.
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
This is a major over simplification of the physics. A static load persisting is different than a transient load that may last even a few months. Joists and floor generally do not fail catastrophically, what they do is gradually pull down by bending or worse twisting the joists over the course of many months/years. Requiring extensive work to repair to full strength.

This is true, but the kind of failure you are talking about is generally caused by deterioration of the framing members due to a combination of age, moisture and sub-standard building practices. These issues also will happen with or without an aquarium placed on the floor. The weight of the house itself will cause that.
 

Gtinnel

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 20, 2020
Messages
21,074
Reaction score
29,648
Location
Charleston, WV
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
If it has a crawl space or basement under the floor then it's incredibly easy to support the joists like previously mentioned. If it is on a second floor with living space under it then that's not much of an option.

Either way I would be willing to do it and wouldn't worry about it at all. I've had a similar sized system on floors of an old apartment I used to live in that the whole floor would shake significantly when I walked. It was never an issue, and that was with another tank on the opposite wall of the same room. In my very non professional opinion floors can hold a lot more weight than we think, assuming they're not damaged.
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 73 37.6%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 66 34.0%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 25 12.9%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 28 14.4%
  • Other.

    Votes: 2 1.0%
Back
Top