how big a tank for the second floor?

[sparker]

So I have been planning to put a frag system on the second floor and was realizing that it might be too big. The plan is a 40b and a 20l with a 29 sump and a 10 gallon top off. There will probably be 30 lbs of rock and the tanks will only be 50-75% full. Think this set up would be too heavy? Or would it be ok if its set up on a load bearing wall? Just like to hear what you guys think. Thx

[smallreef]

I had a 150g with a 30g sump on a second floor for a little over 3 years...never had a problem...was up against a load bear wall....but still good...I think as long as its on 2 or more joists you are fine....

[londonloco]

I've had a 125g, two 75g and three 20g longs in the same room on the second floor, all freshwater, but that's still a lot of weight. I would think if your house was built w/in the last 40 years, you'll be fine.  

[LanksTank]

As a structural engineer, it worries me sometimes when I see posts like this.  Minus some of the assumptions like how big or far apart your joists are, the calculations are fairly easy to do to figure out if your tank will be ok.  I came across this article several months ago written by another engineer and it goes in detail about everything you'll ever need to know about sizing up your tank.  It gets a little wordy at times and there were two things that I would have improved upon, but overall it is a great article.

 

http://badmanstropicalfish.com/articles/article28.html

[gmerek2]

I've had a 125g, two 75g and three 20g longs in the same room on the second floor, all freshwater, but that's still a lot of weight. I would think if your house was built w/in the last 40 years, you'll be fine.

 

that's a lot of weight in one room! Glad to hear it though makes me feel better. My 125 is along a steel I beam load Bering wall and I still worry about it when I have people over. I'm moving the sump to basement which should help with my nerves. The 125 is a 6foot tank which gets it over more joists.

[Pants]

As a structural engineer, it worries me sometimes when I see posts like this.  Minus some of the assumptions like how big or far apart your joists are, the calculations are fairly easy to do to figure out if your tank will be ok.  I came across this article several months ago written by another engineer and it goes in detail about everything you'll ever need to know about sizing up your tank.  It gets a little wordy at times and there were two things that I would have improved upon, but overall it is a great article.

 

http://badmanstropicalfish.com/articles/article28.html

 

That is a great article and really the gives the best answer to this question.

 

I just wanted to add that we had some remodeling done so all our drywall was torn down. We discovered all our floor joists where I tank sat (the longest beams in the house) had been extensively cut through. Huge holes were cut to run all sorts of electrical and plumbing. It was enough to scare our contractor a bit and he refused to install the extra heating vents since he felt the joists had already been cut too much. The floor in that room shakes a lot when even a small guy like myself walks across the floor. My steps cause the water to slosh around in the tank.

 

So modern building is really no guarantee that your house is built well - in fact the homes from the 30s and older have always been over engineered so much that I'd trust an old home more than something made since the 80s.

[Hubbard42]

How old is the house? Look in the basement to where your steel beams are, they will most likely stack up to the second floor if you have a wall above it in the first floor. Try to keep the tank near them or towards the outside walls. Pm me if you have any questions or need any some calculations done.

[pizzaguy]

I gotta ask, I see these posts all the time. Has anyone ever seen a tank come crashing through to the first floor? Aside from a monster tank that doesn't belong on any wood floor for that matter. I just don't see a 200 gallon or less tank coming through a floor.

[gmerek2]

I don't think floor failure is the problem. I think it's more the long term affects like floor sag or cracking or shifting of joists or drywall.