What is the largest tank you've seen on a second floor?

[dyno]

I have a Red Sea Reefer 350 total 91 gallons (106 gallons with top off reservoir) that has the classic bad seam problem many have faced with Red Sea tanks and I have to move fast as it is about to break. This tank is on my second floor in my bedroom and is about 147lb/sqft weight.

Any experts I would appreciate it if you could chime in.

Can I get away with the Waterbox 150.4 at 166lb/sqft or the Water box 190.5 at 170lb/sqft on my second floor?

Newer Toll Brother home built in 2014.

Thank you!

 

[MnFish1]

I have a Red Sea Reefer 350 total 91 gallons (106 gallons with top off reservoir) that has the classic bad seam problem many have faced with Red Sea tanks and I have to move fast as it is about to break. This tank is on my second floor in my bedroom and is about 147lb/sqft weight.

Any experts I would appreciate it if you could chime in.

Can I get away with the Waterbox 150.4 at 166lb/sqft or the Water box 190.5 at 170lb/sqft on my second floor?

Newer Toll Brother home built in 2014.

Thank you!

This is not a question for here..... For example - I put a 90 gallon tank - on the second floor of my house in college. However - if your tank is about to 'break' - you should get brute trashcans, drain water into those, put corals and fish into those - with airstones, pumps, heaters, etc - and keep flow going - this is not expensive. It is far better to do it before the tank leaks than after. Curious - why do you think its going to about to break?

 

[dyno]

This is not a question for here..... For example - I put a 90 gallon tank - on the second floor of my house in college. However - if your tank is about to 'break' - you should get brute trashcans, drain water into those, put corals and fish into those - with airstones, pumps, heaters, etc - and keep flow going - this is not expensive. It is far better to do it before the tank leaks than after. Curious - why do you think its going to about to break?

Alright thanks, I think its a matter of time. I read many threads and watched you tube videos of tanks with the same issue of the front bottom seam starting to give away and some scenarios ended very badly. Hopefully luck is on my side.

 

[Cell]

This is not a question for here..... For example - I put a 90 gallon tank - on the second floor of my house in college. However - if your tank is about to 'break' - you should get brute trashcans, drain water into those, put corals and fish into those - with airstones, pumps, heaters, etc - and keep flow going - this is not expensive. It is far better to do it before the tank leaks than after. Curious - why do you think its going to about to break?

How is this not a question for here? Stop gatekeeping. There are countless posts inquiring about weight of tanks and suggestions for when extra support or bringing in an expert to evaluate is needed.

 

[MnFish1]

Alright thanks, I think its a matter of time. I read many threads and watched you tube videos of tanks with the same issue of the front bottom seam starting to give away and some scenarios ended very badly. Hopefully luck is on my side.

No - I'm sorry I was not clear - you should be in direct contact with RedSea as to what you should do. And DO NOT assume luck is on your side - if there is an issue - I would be proactive. EDIT - which means draining your tank. None of us can see what the issue is with your tank

 

[Lebowski_]

How is this not a question for here? Stop gatekeeping. There are countless posts inquiring about weight of tanks and suggestions for when extra support or bringing in an expert to evaluate is needed.

Mnfish likes to play moderator. I can only imagine how many times he's reported posts.

@dyno I see in your other thread the tank did indeed give out. How is the livestock doing?

 

[00W]

To answer the question if that's OK here I had a 100 gallon very well built with stsnd and sump on the second floor, more like attic in a house built in 1906.
You should be fine.

 

[dyno]

Mnfish likes to play moderator. I can only imagine how many times he's reported posts.

@dyno I see in your other thread the tank did indeed give out. How is the livestock doing?

Live stock is doing good. Preserved all the rock and bioblocks so no ammonia spike!

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

That is a trick question. I could probably put a 300 gallon tank up on my second floor today. Tomorrow it would likely be back down on the first floor though.

 

[YOYOYOReefer]

To the op I would ask your builder toll brothers probably has with and live load data. Or just shore up with double joists and poles under the tank area If you really want to be safe.

 

[reefer_87]

Building code needs 40 psf to be supported. However, it is the sub floor over which the weight is going to be distributed. So if you have standard subfloor, the weight is automatically distributed over 32 sqft and since a tank of 150 gallons is likely to be spread over two of them assuming they are perfectly balanced, you could be distributing them over 50-60 sq ft. So assuming 50 sqft just to be safe, you could have 2000 pounds held. 150*8=1200lbs + 300 lbs for the stand puts you at about 1500 lbs. Close in my rough calculations and could be wrong so you validate this but if you add floor joists for enhanced support, can give you peace of mind. I would go with 2x-3x just for safety purposes.

 

[dyno]

Building code needs 40 psf to be supported. However, it is the sub floor over which the weight is going to be distributed. So if you have standard subfloor, the weight is automatically distributed over 32 sqft and since a tank of 150 gallons is likely to be spread over two of them assuming they are perfectly balanced, you could be distributing them over 50-60 sq ft. So assuming 50 sqft just to be safe, you could have 2000 pounds held. 150*8=1200lbs + 300 lbs for the stand puts you at about 1500 lbs. Close in my rough calculations and could be wrong so you validate this but if you add floor joists for enhanced support, can give you peace of mind. I would go with 2x-3x just for safety purposes.

Thank you!

 

[SashimiTurtle]

I have a Red Sea Reefer 350 total 91 gallons (106 gallons with top off reservoir) that has the classic bad seam problem many have faced with Red Sea tanks and I have to move fast as it is about to break. This tank is on my second floor in my bedroom and is about 147lb/sqft weight.

Any experts I would appreciate it if you could chime in.

Can I get away with the Waterbox 150.4 at 166lb/sqft or the Water box 190.5 at 170lb/sqft on my second floor?

Newer Toll Brother home built in 2014.

Thank you!

This is not a question for here..... For example - I put a 90 gallon tank - on the second floor of my house in college. However - if your tank is about to 'break' - you should get brute trashcans, drain water into those, put corals and fish into those - with airstones, pumps, heaters, etc - and keep flow going - this is not expensive. It is far better to do it before the tank leaks than after. Curious - why do you think its going to about to break?

I believe this question can be asked here but the most correct answer would not come from here, but a structural engineer that can tell you the safe loading limits of your house IN PERSON.(I believe that is what @MnFish1 was trying to convey) Noone can reliably tell you if the floor can hold the weight without being there in person and having knowledge of load bearing structures.

If you don't currently have a problem and are just scared of the common Red Sea issue, then I would slow down, and order the tank you want after checking with an engineer.

If you actually have a seam splitting, then I would get a bunch of Brute cans and put your rock and livestock and essential life support(heater and a power head) in one of them ASAP. 90 gallons of salt water on the 2nd story of a house will do THOUSANDS of dollars of damage to flooring, drywall, electrical, ect...

Edit... Just saw where the tank split. Sorry about that.

 

[MnFish1]

I believe this question can be asked here but the most correct answer would not come from here, but a structural engineer that can tell you the safe loading limits of your house IN PERSON.(I believe that is what @MnFish1 was trying to convey) Noone can reliably tell you if the floor can hold the weight without being there in person and having knowledge of load bearing structures.

Correct.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

264,000 gallons is the largest I've seen on a higher floor. It didn't fare well.

Huge Berlin aquarium bursts, spilling 1,500 fish onto road

The aquarium was home to around 1,500 exotic fish and spilled 1 million liters of water and debris onto a major road.

www.cnbc.com

 

[GARRIGA]

Considering all the posts I've seen about Red Sea, better question would be if anyone would put another Red Sea on any floor

 

[GARRIGA]

Building code needs 40 psf to be supported. However, it is the sub floor over which the weight is going to be distributed. So if you have standard subfloor, the weight is automatically distributed over 32 sqft and since a tank of 150 gallons is likely to be spread over two of them assuming they are perfectly balanced, you could be distributing them over 50-60 sq ft. So assuming 50 sqft just to be safe, you could have 2000 pounds held. 150*8=1200lbs + 300 lbs for the stand puts you at about 1500 lbs. Close in my rough calculations and could be wrong so you validate this but if you add floor joists for enhanced support, can give you peace of mind. I would go with 2x-3x just for safety purposes.

That's really good info there. Contemplating the same on my end and house built in 2014 as well but builder sold to another and seems I'll be hiring an engineer just to be safe. Although most likely a shallow extended QT to grow things out therefore weight spread on the lighter side per square foot.

 

[MnFish1]

That's really good info there. Contemplating the same on my end and house built in 2014 as well but builder sold to another and seems I'll be hiring an engineer just to be safe. Although most likely a shallow extended QT to grow things out therefore weight spread on the lighter side per square foot.

There is also static load vs variable loads. I.e. if you had a party and had a large number of people but they are coming and going, the floor shouldn't break. When I bought my large tank - which is basically on the second floor - the LFS said had to make sure the joists had to be perpendicular, And if possible near a load-bearing wall.

 

[jda]

240 gallons with a sump is my limit if the floor joists are perpendicular and I can span a few of them up against a load bearing wall. I would likely put a 120 (or smaller) anywhere.

 

[jda]

Remember that IRC is minimums and for entire rooms. No floor is just 40 psf - if it was, you would fall through it if you put both of your feet together since no adult weighs 40 pounds and both of your feet together would likely fit in a square foot.

Leg of a couch with a few adults on it can be many hundreds of PSI as can a heel from a shoe, etc.

You can find 4 floor joists with a 4 foot tank (one on each end and two in the middle), but easily three... and the OSB subfloor is strong too if you are even a few inches from a floor joist.

Heck, some china cabinets up against a wall with the furniture, a bunch of plates and dishes, your gravy boats and platters from your Granny, silver from your Auntie, etc. can weigh well over 1500-2000 lbs all filled up... then you have people walking right in front of it. I have a 625 pound Viking range in the middle of my kitchen with 2" granite countertop island about 4x14 feet, the cabinetry, pots, pans, wind fridge full of wine, etc... this is in the middle of the room and has to weigh 3000 pounds, right?