# 55g will it hold???



## BANANAHANDS (Mar 22, 2007)

I hope this is the right forum for this. I figured it would be since a lot of you out there build stands and have to deal with weight issues. 
I'm looking to upgrade from my 29g tank to a 55g asap as I was misled by my lfs and severely overstocked it. I was thinking about putting the tank on a ledge that is in the entry of my apartment. so I have a few questions.
1: how much does a 55g weigh fully setup?

2: Does anyone think it will hold the weight? I'm 6'2 roughly 250lbs and I stood on it. it didn't even budge.

3: would there be issues because its a high traffic area? where the tank is now they have no problem. I have to walk past it to and from the living room.

Thanks for any input. heres a few pictures of the ledge.


























The top seems to be one large piece of wood, or maybe particle board, its hard to tell. I think that since i can stand on it and all of my weight is concentrated on 2 contact points rather than spread over the whole ledge like a tank would be it should be fine... right? 
I really hope so, i measured it and a 55g would go perfectly there! there would be an extra inch on each side of the tank and about 2 inches at the end.


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## fishwolfe (Mar 27, 2005)

i did that with a 75g.the only thing is the high traffic area and moving large items like furniture through the door is kinda scary.you will be fine weight wise i would think.


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## fishwolfe (Mar 27, 2005)

after looking at the pics again,it looks like you have more room from the door then i did so i say go for it!


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## BANANAHANDS (Mar 22, 2007)

So yours held a 75g!!? wow! I wouldn't really be concerned except it just sounds so hollow. Of course what do I expect, theres no point to fill it in or anything, no need for insulation. I'm not concerned about moving furniture, i'm pretty much set in that department. haha. Thanks! :thumb: 
anyone else have any concerns?


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## DMWave45 (Jan 22, 2008)

I would be a little concerned about it hanging over the edge a little. I'm not sure if that will do long term tank damage or not. Also it seems as if something could happen with it being a high traffic area. I am not sure exactly what that ledge is made out of but I used to paint apartments and I sat on a ledge like that twice and it started to break. I'm not a big guy at all either. But then again you stood on it so it's probably stronger. It could probably work, I would just be cautious.


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## BANANAHANDS (Mar 22, 2007)

it won't be hanging over the edge at all. I measured it and there will be a couple extra inches all the way around. I don't know, maybe tomorrow, I'll sit up there for a couple hours and read just as a preliminary test.


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## Boomr99 (Dec 19, 2007)

A full 55 gallon tank will weigh about 600 lbs.
I also think that ledge will hold it just fine. As long as it sits completely on it, not overhanging anywhere.


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## sben763 (May 12, 2008)

If the wall is built to standard constuction it will hold alot more... are you on the bottom floor?
If so go for it if not and your building is no over 4 floors the you could be inbeteen 2 floor joist. If you are on a 2nd floor look at the roof and make sure that wall crosses the roof


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## BANANAHANDS (Mar 22, 2007)

I'm on the second floor of a 4 story building.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

I agree if built to proper standards it should be fine. You can always buy a studfinder cheap & see where the vertical studs are located in this wall. There should be at least one in each corner.


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## venustus19 (Aug 30, 2007)

i was gonna ask what floor you were on too.. and if you said the first floor, i'd say you would be fine too... but you are on the second floor, i might be a little concerned... if you can somehow find out/ or tell what is being used as your floor joists... i lived in an apartment for awhile so don't take this the wrong way, but even nice looking apartments can be built crapy... find out if you can what they used as floor joist first... maybe LVL(laminated veneer lumber), or what size 2x's they used, did they double any up, is there any I-beams anywhere, stuff like that... i would be leary about putting it there without doing some investigation...

although with my house i live at now, before i moved my 90 into the basement, i had it on a ledge like that on a 2nd floor, but under the ledge was a door, and a header, so i was fine... maybe see what the people below you have in terms of any walls, door openings, etc...

hope this helps...

good luck.


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## BANANAHANDS (Mar 22, 2007)

I really don't have anyone to ask about the construction. The management company purchased the complex after it was already complete. 
As far as the first floor, its just garages. There aren't any apartments underneath my place. But just to clarify, its not a large open garage underneath me, its a bank of single car garages with walls separating them. 
Would it help as someone suggested to use a stud finder and see how far apart the studs are?


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## venustus19 (Aug 30, 2007)

if a 55 gallon will sit up there, then you have about 48-50" of a half wall... you will/or i should say "should" have 3-4 studs in that half wall... i wouldn't be concerned about that little wall as i would be the floor and what it is constructed of... now, that you can't find out how it was built, which was what i was guessing, how are the garages built... you said seperate units, so are they 2x4's and drywall, or concrete... i would say you should be ok, but if you go ahead and do it, keep an eye out on your floor, where you half wall hits the floor, and watch out for cracking of your tiles, and seperations between your wall and floor... it won't happen over night or even in a week/month, unless it is really poor construction, but if at all you see some changes, i would tear down your tank and move it along a wall somewhere... any signs of destress on your floor, will result in 55 gallons of water everywhere eventually... how is that shelf, is it pretty level... make sure it is level both ways... if it needs to be shimed, i would buy a peice of plywood or OSB and cut it to the tank dims(outside to outside) not inside your trim... include your trim and sit your 55 on the plywood/OSB and shim that, not your tank... good luck and keep us posted.


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## fiupntballr (Jul 7, 2004)

I strongly recommend getting about 6 to 7 kids to stand on that ledge.

Have them jump up and down at the same time and see if it holds.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## Boomr99 (Dec 19, 2007)

I think alot of people are throwing some very unwarranted fears into your mind. That ledge will be fine. Any floor should be able to hold a 55 gallon easily., Especially one over a parking garage. 
You will have no problems.


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## sben763 (May 12, 2008)

I am a construction Manager for apartments this is all I do. first off as long as the floor joist run cross the wall no prolem. If they run with the wall and one is under it also no problem. If they run with the walls and there is no floor joist under even with Light create there can be a problem as they all use 3/4 OSBand por light crete over not a concreate pan. Most parking garages require steel beams if they are under a living structure depending on your local codes. With all that said. 1 Go outside look at the roof slope. Does the wall run with the roof or cross the slope. If it crosses the slope 100% you have floor joist uner the wall. As for Boomr99 the ledge is not in ? it whats under the ledge. Since you are on the second floor in our area on a 4 story the floor must be capable of 60 Lbs per Sq Ft. even between the joist and well into the 1000's per sq Ft for crossing the joist Good Luck and hope this helps


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## boostspike (Apr 3, 2007)

is that top board completly flat?? It looks like its bowed in the middle.. if possible pls measure it w/ a leveler. best of luck.


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## BANANAHANDS (Mar 22, 2007)

Ok well first off, let me say thank all of you for your insight and interest in my question. Its great that there is a forum like this that we can all use to help each other out with our expertise and experience. :thumb: 
It looks like we're not going to find out if it all works out. I hadn't purchased my larger tank (I'm upgrading from a 29g) and was planning on just buying a 55g from petsmart or wherever, buying all my filtration and then putting it up on the ledge. I figured this would be great since it would have looked great there and I wouldn't have to buy a stand. But I just got home with a 55g complete setup including the tank, nice stand and canopy, 2 filters, 3 submersible pumps, lighting, glass top to go under the canopy, and all kinds of other odds and ends (that quite frankly I don't really need) from craigslist for $180!!! I think it was an amazing deal. It even came with a good sized Pleco that I've yet to ID and a rather odd looking fish which I think is a Prehistoric Dragon Goby. That thing is UGLY!!! haha. Since I have the nice stand I don't think its worth testing out the integrity of the ledge I won't try it. But just for the curious out there, the wall/ledge goes across the roof so I think it would have been fine.
THANKS AGAIN!!!


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## sben763 (May 12, 2008)

Congrats on the new tank


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