edress714 June 13, 2016 Share June 13, 2016 Hello WAMAS So I am in the mix of going from a 75g to a 90g. I have a few questions. would the stand hold the extra weight of the 90g tank? I live in an end unit townhouse built 2014. the tank is in the corner above the garage against the end unit wall. the tanks never been level (water level is higher on the left side of the tank) tank is running for 2 years. now with the extra weight in the tank and also extra weight with the 40g breeder sump I'm going to set up plus 5 more gallons from the ato water. is this safe? the tank is on the middle floor. getting a little worried now lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami June 13, 2016 Share June 13, 2016 Most commercial stands used for a 75 were built to accommodate a 90 (with the same footprint). Most likely, you'll be just fine. In the future, shim your tank so it's level. A tank that's not level has uneven stresses that can ultimately make it more likely that a seam will fail. Level it when it's empty and recheck when water is added. If you're on a bare floor, then the two cases should be the same. Not that you should ever put a tank stand on a carpeted floor but, if you do, expect the carpet to get deep crush imprints that'll never come out. So, effectively, the carpet is ruined. The bigger risk that you need to consider is the floor strength and ability to handle the load of a heavy tank. Ideally, the tank is sitting perpendicular to the floor joists and near a load-bearing wall. This distributes the weight and minimizes deflection of the floor. If the tank is sitting in the middle of a single joist spanning a long distance, you can expect a much bigger deflection - possibly disastrous. So, the first thing that I'd advise is that you take a good look at how that middle floor is built and try to determine the direction and spacing of the floor joists, where your load bearing walls are, and how the tank is stationed relative to these. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edress714 June 14, 2016 Author Share June 14, 2016 thanks. so I looked at the ceiling in the garage and it does look like the joists are perpendicular. and it makes sense. I have a huge kitchen island and that's sitting the same as the tank and stand. the 40g sump won't fit in my stand so have to go with a 30g sump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami June 14, 2016 Share June 14, 2016 That's good that the joists are running perpendicular. It'll spread the load over more of them. Now, look to see if you have nearby support from a load-bearing wall (either a wall on the exterior of the house or, typical in this area, an I-beam supporting the end of the joists). What you're looking for is nearby support going all the way down to the foundation or to jackstands or something carrying the load straight to the ground. If you're too far out from a load-bearing wall, the joists will be subject to more deflection than if you were next to one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edress714 June 14, 2016 Author Share June 14, 2016 Well the garage, which is underneath, has concrete walls around. So the tank is up against the wall upstairs, and underneath that same wall is the concrete that is to the ground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami June 14, 2016 Share June 14, 2016 Well the garage, which is underneath, has concrete walls around. So the tank is up against the wall upstairs, and underneath that same wall is the concrete that is to the ground. Sounds good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madweazl June 14, 2016 Share June 14, 2016 The difference in weight shouldnt be much; 15 gallons of water max (which will be the heaviest item) plus the increase in weight of the tank. I would think the absolute max increase would be 150lbs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami June 14, 2016 Share June 14, 2016 The difference in weight shouldnt be much; 15 gallons of water max (which will be the heaviest item) plus the increase in weight of the tank. I would think the absolute max increase would be 150lbs. Sounds like he's adding a sump and ATO reservoir, too. That's what I was thinking from the description. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edress714 June 14, 2016 Author Share June 14, 2016 Ok so the tank itself weighs 20 more pounds, 15 more gallons of water times 8.36lbs/gallon, I have a 30g sump I am going to use so we'll say that will hold 25g of water = 354lbs of extra weight I already have the ATO now with 5g bucket so that's already there. should be a problem, I think lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami June 14, 2016 Share June 14, 2016 Bottom line: I think that we believe that you'll be fine. Just try to get the new tank level since you'll have that chance again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madweazl June 14, 2016 Share June 14, 2016 Sounds like he's adding a sump and ATO reservoir, too. That's what I was thinking from the description. Good catch, I didnt read the sump portion correctly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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