Overkill?

[CamoFan]

I’m building a custom base for the Red Sea 300 G2+ to better distribute weight in my apartment.

Is it overkill that the stand is 5’x3’ with four 3’ runners spaced 12” apart. I’m estimating that once the tank is fully loaded (sand, rocks, water, tank and stand), it will be around 1100lbs in a second floor apartment.

This would be placed along a load bearing wall so if my math is correct, I’m looking around 73PSF over 15sqft.

In this picture, it’s just the base, I’ll need another sheet of 3/4” thick 2x4 plywood since I just picked up 2… actually, I’ll need another 2 since I’d put plywood on the bottom too. Or should I just leave it as the 2x4s?

 

[Fish Fan]

I'm unfamiliar with the RedSea 300, so I don't know for sure, but I would bet you don't need the plywood on the bottom, unless you want to place a sump there. Plywood on the top is necessary if this is a rimless tank, but not needed if this tank has a bottom rim that can just be sported by 2x4's

@RocketEngineer is very good with this kind of question, maybe he has a few minutes to stop by and offer some suggestions.

Best of luck here!

 

[fish_collector]

2nd floor apartment? Renter's insurance with water damage coverage wouldn't be a bad idea.

 

[CamoFan]

2nd floor apartment? Renter's insurance with water damage coverage wouldn't be a bad idea.

Already have a $300,000 renters insurance policy. Apartment requires $100,000.

 

[Fish Fan]

Already have a $300,000 renters insurance policy. Apartment requires $100,000.

That's smart even if you're not trying to keep a large glass box of water in your living space

 

[Fish Fan]

2nd floor apartment? Renter's insurance with water damage coverage wouldn't be a bad idea.

Good to bump into you tonight Your reply was absolutely great advice!

 

[fish_collector]

I set up a 240 in my first apartment, ground floor with concrete slab, the apartment superintendent flipped out.

 

[fish_collector]

Good to bump into you tonight Your reply was absolutely great advice!

Every now and then I have a good idea

 

[Fish Fan]

Every now and then I have a good idea

I had a good idea once back around 1989..... I think I'm due

 

[Fish Styx]

2nd floor apartment? Renter's insurance with water damage coverage wouldn't be a bad idea.

Especially with a red sea tank. Please check their done print regarding stands. Given all of their tank failures, I wouldn't give them any reason to weasel out of honoring a warranty.

 

[goosemans]

you sure you want to set up a Red Sea?

 

[Fish Fan]

Especially with a red sea tank. Please check their done print regarding stands. Given all of their tank failures, I wouldn't give them any reason to weasel out of honoring a warranty.

you sure you want to set up a Red Sea?

Friends, I think it's well known that they solved all their issues with the G2 tanks

@CamoFan please do a search for "RedSea tank failure" and decide for yourself. Many here at R2R do not trust these tanks

 

[Troylee]

Friends, I think it's well known that they solved all their issues with the G2 tanks

@CamoFan please do a search for "RedSea tank failure" and decide for yourself. Many here at R2R do not trust these tanks

Ive seen a couple g2 the last couple days on here coming apart so time will tell!

 

[CamoFan]

Friends, I think it's well known that they solved all their issues with the G2 tanks

@CamoFan please do a search for "RedSea tank failure" and decide for yourself. Many here at R2R do not trust these tanks

I’ve seen the failures. I did my research for 3 months and I did want a WB Marine X 90. However, they were out of stock and backordered for at least 2 months.

My local reef club has some members that have these tanks setup and they were nice enough to have me come over and look at them. I also found some fish stores that had them setup as display tanks and they were good as well. All of the tanks were within 3-5 years old.

 

[VintageReefer]

My local reef club has some members that have these tanks setup and they were nice enough to have me come over and look at them. I also found some fish stores that had them setup as display tanks and they were good as well. All of the tanks were within 3-5 years old.

I hope you don’t think this means anything.

Just because you viewed 1 or 3 or 10 that are working properly, this has no influence on another tank. Also, those you viewed are working fine “now” and for anyone with a g1 or g2 failure, it was working fine also for a period of time.

The issue is the silicone sealant and all the tanks use the same silicone.

RedSea also is not providing the stand reinforcements on your model tank
The “floating tank” feature is now reinforced with front aluminum supports on all REEFER 625 G2+ models and larger.

 

[KStatefan]

It will not spread the load out equally across the full footprint the math is more complicated than that since it is not rigid.

 

[fish_collector]

I used to think that the newer RS tanks with armored seams were good to go, but apparently I was wrong about that as they fail too. I would NEVER, EVER buy a RS tank and put it in my home. No offence to the OP, but I just don't understand the logic when people are aware of the failures and yet still buy one. There are so many better options, Glass Cages, Waterbox, Planet, IM, Tenecor, Aqueon, Rubbermaid tub, a rubber pond liner and some bricks, but NEVER a Red Sea.

 

[fish_collector]

I’ve seen the failures. I did my research for 3 months and I did want a WB Marine X 90. However, they were out of stock and backordered for at least 2 months.

My local reef club has some members that have these tanks setup and they were nice enough to have me come over and look at them. I also found some fish stores that had them setup as display tanks and they were good as well. All of the tanks were within 3-5 years old.

So 60 days is too long to wait to avoid having to tear up your carpet and flooring and replace drywall, and move out during renovation, not to mention all of your tank's inhabitant that will die?

Spill a glass of water on the floor, ok no big deal throw a towel on it and wipe it up. Tip over a 5g bucket in your living room and you'd be hard pressed to clean it up without a lot of damage to things. Spill 100 gallons of salt water (thats 20 of those 5 gallon buckets) and you've got a legitimate emergency on your hands, on the second floor no less. Think about that for a while and you'll see why everyone says no RS. Don't think that a few of your friends that have them makes it ok. It happens everyday somewhere.

 

[fish_collector]

Here's the first one of the day, today July 13, 2025. We don't make this stuff up.

EMERGENCY - URGENT Tank Advice Needed - LEAKING!

Well this was a post I was hoping I wouldn't have to ever make but here we are! I was just about to do a WC and I noticed water on the floor. I thought I'd spilled something but no it was a leak. I traced it back to the seam on the side panel that connects to the back wall of my Red Sea Reefer...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

My local reef club has some members that have these tanks setup and they were nice enough to have me come over and look at them.

Are you sure they're not just wanting more people to own RS so that they feel more comfortable with their decision?

If I owned a RS, maybe I'd get others to own them too. I'd like to think I'd be the better man and tell them to run away from these tanks.

But who are we kidding? If I owned a RS after all the data that's out there, I deserve whatever comes next.

What might be a good idea, along with building your displacement pad, is to build a waterproof berm that can collect the sum of the contents around that tank.