# Confirming Load/Safety for 125 gallon tank



## gherlevi (Dec 16, 2004)

Here's a post for the "structural engineers."

I plan on setting up a 125 gallon tank on the first floor, against a load-bearing wall. The photos show each end of the studs (right?), which are I think 8 in. thick and span a distance of about 12 feet. On one end is a load-bearing wall. On the other end is a beam above the stairway down into the basement.

Should I add a column for support? Or, is this plenty of support? The tank will sit lengthwise and parallel above two of those studs.

Here's the left side:
http://s284.photobucket.com/albums/ll28/gherlevi/?action=view&current=floor1.jpg

and here's the right side:
http://s284.photobucket.com/albums/ll28/gherlevi/?action=view&current=floor2.jpg


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## noj33 (May 14, 2008)

I'm not an engineer, not by any means, but am i correct when i say the tank will run in the same direction as the floor joice (the 'studs')??? If you plan on putting the tank on only two joice i would say you definitely need some support, in my opinion. You'd probably be ok if you set the tank up across the joice, as opposed to in the same direction as them.


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## gherlevi (Dec 16, 2004)

Just to clarify, the tank will run parallel to the studs below, with basically two of those studs underneath the tank. Both studs are spanning a distance approx. 12 feet, with load-bearing surfaces on either end. The pics show each end.


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## DemasoniLover (May 13, 2008)

I agree with noj33... better safe than sorry! I'm sure those two boards weren't designed to hold 1000lbs by themselves!


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## mithesaint (Oct 31, 2006)

I've got a heavily rocked 90 gallon in the exact same orientation that you're planning. Depending on what you put in the tank....you might be ok  Seriously, I would probably add some reinforcement. Depending on if you're putting a bunch of rock in there or not, my 90 gallon has to be close in weight to your 125. Better safe than sorry. If you were going perpendicular to the joists, I'd feel better, but I imagine your house is like mine where it's physically impossible to put an aquarium parallel to the joist. Good luck.


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## mithesaint (Oct 31, 2006)

I've got a heavily rocked 90 gallon in the exact same orientation that you're planning. Depending on what you put in the tank....you might be ok  Seriously, I would probably add some reinforcement. Depending on if you're putting a bunch of rock in there or not, my 90 gallon has to be close in weight to your 125. Better safe than sorry. If you were going perpendicular to the joists, I'd feel better, but I imagine your house is like mine where it's physically impossible to put an aquarium perpendicular to the joists. Good luck.


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## gherlevi (Dec 16, 2004)

Thanks for all the responses.

You bet on the rocks, it's an mbuna tank, so I've got plenty of rockwork to add.

For $25, I guess there's no harm in adding a column. It seems a little weird having a column almost against a basement wall, but that's the safe bet.


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## remarkosmoc (Oct 19, 2005)

I think you are fine with no reinforcement at all. Your tank will be sitting on top of two of the 2x10s if I read correctly which can more than hold it. Take a look at the engineered stands that you buy from petsmart for a 125. Its made from 1x4's typically and it isn't anchored to anything else for support. Your joists are 2x10s it appears which can easily hold that weight. If two 2 x10s couldn't hold the 1k lbs static weight from an aquarium that would mean that if you have a 200 lb guy in your house you would have to ask him to step softly and not jump for fear of falling through the floor


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## mithesaint (Oct 31, 2006)

tannable75 said:


> If two 2 x10s couldn't hold the 1k lbs static weight from an aquarium that would mean that if you have a 200 lb guy in your house you would have to ask him to step softly and not jump for fear of falling through the floor


Not quite the same thing. Don't believe me? Go grab a 10 lb weight or a gallon of milk or something of similar weight. You can pick it up easily, right? Now hold it for the next 3 hours. Tell me if it gets heavy. Hold it for the next 2 years and get back to me.

In all reality, the 125 will probably be fine. I'd hate to be wrong though. The consequences can be ugly and expensive........ :roll: A little support in the basement goes a long way.


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## IrkedCitizen (Apr 26, 2007)

I had a 7'x2'x2' 210 gallon tank sitting parallel to the floor joists and on top of two of them. I didn't know that when I first set it up as the basement has a finished drop ceiling. It was setup for about 5 months and the floor started to sag. I went down into the basement and broke out some of the drop tiles to investigate. The tank wasn't in a corner but sitting in the middle of a wall and the two 2x10's were coming away from the wall on one end.

Needless to say I didn't want to mess with adding supports from below so I moved the tank. It now sits on a concrete slab on a lower level instead of in the main room that enters into my house. Of course a 7'x2'x2' 210g tank also weighs over 2000lbs when full which is a lot more than a 125g but still. It will eventually sag without added support from underneath.


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## gherlevi (Dec 16, 2004)

Thanks for all the feedback. Much appreciated!

So, just to confirm -- the simple solution is to simply buy one of those steel adjustable columns and locate it between one of those joints and the basement floor. Correct?

That should help provide the necessary support I hope. And, make sure the column is in position before the tank is setup and filled... let me know if I'm missing something!

Thanks...


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## Israel2004 (May 1, 2008)

Yes. That's the simple solution to your problem.

It's also I problem I'm going to have in my house with the 150 gallon I'm getting. There's no place to put a 6 foot long tank that's not parallel to the floor joist. So columns in the basement for me too.


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