# Tank on kitchen counter?



## bwestgsx06 (Sep 21, 2011)

I'm in a rental and want to know if I can put a tank on a bar counter on my third floor - I don't have a structural background to know how much something can hold but I'm hoping for a 30 gallon


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## cantrell00 (Oct 30, 2010)

What size tank?


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## JimA (Nov 7, 2009)

Or better yet how big is the counter?


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## bwestgsx06 (Sep 21, 2011)

It's approx 30 gallon - 36x12x17 I think and the counter is like 72x24 but id only use half of it


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## JimA (Nov 7, 2009)

You could probably do it, just look underneath the counter and see where the vertical supports are in junction to where the tank will be.. Granite top?


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## smitty814 (Sep 27, 2012)

Why don't you ask the landlord?


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## bwestgsx06 (Sep 21, 2011)

Yes it's a granite top and I could ask the landlord but its thru a third party and they're a pain to get a hold of what would I even ask them anyways?


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## cantrell00 (Oct 30, 2010)

If it is granite top, you could set just about anything on it.

Cabinet should fastened to the wall, providing tremendous support that won't allow the cabinet to torque/twist.

Downward compression strength of ply is much greater than the weight of just about any aquarium that would fit on the countertop.


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## bwestgsx06 (Sep 21, 2011)

Cantrell do you mean plywood? I don't have an engineering or structures background (although I will be going to school for it soon) and am interested in all the intricacies of building aquariums, stands, sumps, etc


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## smitty814 (Sep 27, 2012)

bwestgsx06 said:


> Yes it's a granite top and I could ask the landlord but its thru a third party and they're a pain to get a hold of what would I even ask them anyways?


I don't know...maybe ask the landlord if you can have a tank on kitchen counter. :thumb:


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## b3w4r3 (Dec 14, 2012)

bwestgsx06 said:


> Cantrell do you mean plywood? I don't have an engineering or structures background (although I will be going to school for it soon) and am interested in all the intricacies of building aquariums, stands, sumps, etc


I'm guessing he is assuming that the cabinet itself has plywood sides. Most likely it is particle board though. The weight of the tank can be around 300lbs or more depending on what you use for decor. If the bar top can support the weight of two grown men you should be ok.


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## Demigod (Mar 22, 2013)

Landlords + Aquariums + Permission = Trouble. A lot of rentals don't even allow them. Just sayin. Sometimes forgiveness is easier than permission.


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## chiroken (Sep 25, 2007)

you should be fine for a 30 over granite. Like was said, if a couple of adults can sit side by side you're looking at the same weight, or more.


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## fmueller (Jan 11, 2004)

> Why don't you ask the landlord?


_He who asks a lot of questions will get a lot of stupid answers_ (old German saying).

Besides, why is a landlord supposed to be better qualified to answer that question than you? Presumably you are at least vaguely familiar with tank weights, while a landlord might not even be into fish. If I was a landlord and being asked that question, I would see it as an attempt to put the whole responsibility on me in case something went wrong. My knee jerk reaction would be saying: "no". However, if a tenant did their homework and put a tank of the kitchen counter that would be well supported, why should I object? Of course on the off chance that something should go wrong, I'd expect the tenant to accept full responsibility.

Be that as it may, I agree with all those who said that any half-way decent kitchen counter should easily support a 30G tank.


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## smitty814 (Sep 27, 2012)

The landlord is better qualified because he owns the property. If I were a forum member being asked that question, I would see it as as attempt to put the whole responsibility on the forum. Tenants suck.
You must have asked a lot of questions mueller. Too bad you got stupid answers.


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## fmueller (Jan 11, 2004)

*smitty814* - evidently something in my post put you on the defensive, and I apologize for whatever that might have been. That said, I am afraid I don't quite understand your reasoning. Maybe you don't mean the landlord but the manufacturer of the kitchen cabinets. Or maybe you assume that bwestgsx06's landlord built the kitchen counter from scratch. At any rate, I don't see how owning property is supposed to teach anybody about the sturdiness of furniture and/or the weight of fish tanks. Sorry for being so obtuse.



smitty814 said:


> You must have asked a lot of questions mueller. Too bad you got stupid answers.


I have indeed. Thankfully one can learn from the wise-man and the fool. The latter is why they still allow me to hang around here :lol:


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## Tejay (Jan 22, 2013)

Out of interest, most tank stands are just made from chip board are they not?
My 55 gallon tank certainly is and the 125 gallon tank I am soon to upgrade to does as well.

I would have thought if a chip board cabinet could support those weights a bench top should easily provided there was enough support under the counter to stop the bench from bending.

But hey, I was inspecting a new place today and looking at a thick concrete floor (3rd level) and been paranoid over whether that would take the weight of my 125 gallon as well!


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## smitty814 (Sep 27, 2012)

fmueller said:


> *smitty814* - evidently something in my post put you on the defensive, and I apologize for whatever that might have been. That said, I am afraid I don't quite understand your reasoning.
> 
> Not just your post. All though I'm sure you don't know everything.
> It's the owner of the property that should make the decision of wether or not to put a fish tank on HIS kitchen counters. That is all the expertise that is needed. I'm sure the countertop can take the weight of a 30 gal. But It's not up to third parties to okay it. :thumb:


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## SavemeDempsey (Apr 30, 2013)

smitty814 said:


> It's the owner of the property that should make the decision of wether or not to put a fish tank on HIS kitchen counters. That is all the expertise that is needed.


bwestgsx06 said that he is leasing from a 3rd party and not the owner of the property, the owner possibly lives in Japan with 30 other houses in the US and doesn't even speak english, hence the 3rd party leasing the property. Maybe you should phone the 3rd party and ask them to have an engineer come and see if this kitchen bench will take the weight of your tank.


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## fmueller (Jan 11, 2004)

fmueller said:


> It's the owner of the property that should make the decision of wether or not to put a fish tank on HIS kitchen counters.


OK, I understand your point now, but I don't quite agree. If you rent anything but a fully furnished apartment with the provision of not moving any furniture, you as a tenant decide where the furniture goes. Unless fish tanks are not allowed in the apartment, that would seem to include aquariums. But since this is more of a legal issue than a fish keeping related one, maybe it is best to delve no further into this issue here on CF. It seems that both the pros and cons of consulting the landlord have been illuminated, and any reader of this threat can decide for themselves how to proceed.


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## dledinger (Mar 20, 2013)

I had several 20s on countertops...both breakfast bars and cabinet tops...and both particle board and granite. Didn't even hesitate with any of them.


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

Thing you also have to remember will be the weight displacement with the counter top. Being its bigger than most tank stands the weight will be distruibuted more over a larger area. I'd do it. If i had the counter space and the room to do it i would even put a 55g on one depending on how it was attached to the wall. Not if the insides are that thin board less than 1/4" im not sure if i would do a 55g but a 3g shouldn't be a problem either way.


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

Can't believe nobody has mentioned it yet. I wouldn't put a fish tank anywhere remotely close to where my food is prepared.


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## fmueller (Jan 11, 2004)

You don't like fresh sushi? :lol:


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## INEZ (May 9, 2013)

Have fun replacing cabinets and flooring if God forbid that tank springs a leak while at work one day.

I'm sure the landlord will work out a payment plan. Heh...


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## bwestgsx06 (Sep 21, 2011)

wow this thread quickly spun out of control.

It seems quite a bit of differing opinions on it here.

Anyways, I don't know if I will do it or not. It's on the third floor and we just had homeowners association inspections and the dude said there was water damage there when the units were first built (only a few years old!) and that they would contact the Home owner or the property manager. Ill post a pic of the bar in question for ****s and gigs and more input.


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## NJmomie (Jan 17, 2013)

How about getting an acrylic tank? It's much lighter and if you can get one that is one piece (no edges), you don't really have to worry about a leak. Just a thought.


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## fmueller (Jan 11, 2004)

bwestgsx06 said:


> Anyways, I don't know if I will do it or not.


As I said before, I am quite certain that any half-way decent kitchen counter should easily support a 30G tank. If that was an apartment I was renting, and I wanted a tank there, I put it in place and never give it a second thought. At the same time, it seems pretty obvious that if anything unforeseen goes wrong, you will have to cough up the cash to have the mess fixed. That holds true for any aquarium you put in any apartment, rented or owned. If I was as worried about putting it on the kitchen counter as you are, the whole issue wouldn't seem worth loosing sleep over. I'd either put the tank somewhere else, or consider keeping geckos - they don't weigh much :thumb:

Now, looking at your photo, are you quite certain there is enough space for a 3' tank between the sink and the side of the counter? That looks like a pretty tight squeeze. In addition, there seems to be a hanging cabinet above that space. I wonder if you won't hit that cabinet with the tank height plus lights. I doubt there would be space for a canopy, which either has to open towards the top, or be high enough to grant access from the front. Anyhow, I would want to do some serious measuring before buying a tank for that space!


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## gazlinvon (May 22, 2013)

Yes, You can keep 30 gallon tank easily on your counter top it won't create any problem but before that make sure walls beneath counter top are strong and wide enough to hold the weight.


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## Dexter. (Oct 23, 2012)

I think there's a couple different things being asked here in reality. _Can_ he put a tank on the kitchen counter, sure why not. Is he _allowed_ to put a tank on the kitchen counter, well we don't know unless he asked. Is the counter capable of actually _holding_ a tank, we're not sure of that either.

My brother had a fish tank at school, where it was listed that no fish tanks were allowed...without renters insurance. I believe it is very cheap, I can't recall him paying much. The landlord DID know about it. Otherwise, upon the random times he would show up for things he could have been kicked out. I don't think he was asking whether or not the landlord would have the knowledge in structural design to tell him if the counter would hold a tank, I think he meant to ask him if he was allowed to even have it. If he is in fact allowed to have the tank, THEN I would suggest finding someone or posting pictures of the structure under the counter where it would be placed for better responses in whether or not the weight would be okay.


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

They make Bookshelf tanks man that are like 30g i think. Seen them at the pet company place.....So if a book shelf can hold a fish tank. A counter diffinitaly should be able to.


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