# Too Much Weight????



## african_cichlid_lover (Aug 26, 2007)

I am setting up a Fish Room In a mobile home and wondering if its too much weight.. Its on block foundation. I have gorilla rack that holds 1000 Lbs per shelf( 2 shelf's)is big enough to hold 4 55 gal tanks. I have 10 55gal tanks 4 30gal tanks and 10 10gal tanks Wondering if anyone has come across this problem and if it is a problem than how to fix it. again thanks for any feed back. Just in case you need to know the room size it 16'x 10'


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## gordomenz (Jul 3, 2007)

throw a sheet of 3/4" plywood under the racks to help disperse the weight of the shelves....... I don't think you should be worried about the foundation so much as the construction of the mobile home itself.......


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## trigger (Sep 6, 2002)

I also think your worries should be the mobile home itself. The sheet to disperse the weight is a good idea. Make it as big as ppssible. I am not sure about what ind of mobile home you're talking about, but the ones I know have a metal chassis that is held in place with a kind of jacks... If you have a similar construction, you could think about doubling the amount of jacks and placing the new ones between the old ones to help distribue weight more.


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## MaryPa (Aug 19, 2004)

Try bracing the floor with 2x4`s on cynder blocks from under the house. Place the 2x4`s on jacks,raise them to the floor and place the cynder bloks under it. Works great !!!! I have a 125 gal in my dining room 3x29 and 3x55`s thru out the house. :wink: All supported by 2x4`s and blocks.


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## african_cichlid_lover (Aug 26, 2007)

I Bought 3/4 in to put under the shelfs, Each shelf is 2' by 4' I think I am going to put two 55 gal tanks on top and just one on bottom. Thanks Also the frame is Two steel beems that run the whole lenght.


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## Natalie (Jun 11, 2007)

I know this is an old thread, but any update on how your tanks are holding up? I'm putting a 90-100g tank in my mobile home soon and I think I'll have to reinforce with jacks but hopefully this will be good enough.


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## CDMOK (Mar 28, 2008)

Ha! This is a big issue, yeah.

I am adding three pillars and some sister joists to my garage floor for my 125 gallon. You can never be too safe :thumb:


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## D-007 (Jan 3, 2008)

*Natalie* as someone who used to live in a mobile home myself; it was a singlewide, I would do the safe thing and use the 2x4 and cinder block method. It would not take long to do and will give you more peace of mind.

Regards,
D


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## Natalie (Jun 11, 2007)

D-007 said:


> *Natalie* as someone who used to live in a mobile home myself; it was a singlewide, I would do the safe thing and use the 2x4 and cinder block method. It would not take long to do and will give you more peace of mind.
> 
> Regards,
> D


Okay thanks for the advice-- did you stack cinder blocks with a 2x4 on top, or did you do a cinder block on bottom, then a basement jack, then a 2x4? I haven't been able to find basement jacks locally but will just stack cinder blocks if that works as well.


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## D-007 (Jan 3, 2008)

Apologies for the delayed reply .... stack cinder blocks and then finish off with 2x4 on top.


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## Cichlid fan in SJ (Nov 4, 2007)

My mobile home has supported a 55G tank in the living room since 1991, and a queen sized waterbed in the bedroom since 1995. I never installed any special bracing or anything. Never had a problem with it at all. Some of my neighbors have tanks in the 150G range in their mobile homes also with no problems.

Good luck


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## Natalie (Jun 11, 2007)

Thanks for the tips. I ended up using basements jacks and a 4x4 to support my 90g and it's working great.


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## AU Chief (Jun 20, 2007)

Natalie I'm moving into a Trailer (right now actually, I'll be in there completely next month) and I was wondering where you found your jacks and if I could take a look at how you did it, or you could at least explain it in a detailed manner. I'm using a dual 75 gallon stand to hold a 75 gallon and a 55 gallon. I didn't really think about the weight until recently and as I haven't set the tanks up yet I thought I'd go ahead and check to see if anyone else lived in a Mobile home, and I came across this thread. Anyhow, any help from anyone is appreciated. I see that *Cichlid fan in SJ* has never had a problem, and since I'm not setting anything huge up I should be fine right?


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## John_Auberry (Dec 14, 2006)




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## John_Auberry (Dec 14, 2006)




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## John_Auberry (Dec 14, 2006)

265g with a 200g sump


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## AU Chief (Jun 20, 2007)

Nice tank. I just came across a 180 last night within my price range, and so I'm thinking I'm definitely going to have to do this! Thanks for the pics.


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## Natalie (Jun 11, 2007)

AU Chief said:


> Natalie I'm moving into a Trailer (right now actually, I'll be in there completely next month) and I was wondering where you found your jacks and if I could take a look at how you did it, or you could at least explain it in a detailed manner. I'm using a dual 75 gallon stand to hold a 75 gallon and a 55 gallon. I didn't really think about the weight until recently and as I haven't set the tanks up yet I thought I'd go ahead and check to see if anyone else lived in a Mobile home, and I came across this thread. Anyhow, any help from anyone is appreciated. I see that *Cichlid fan in SJ* has never had a problem, and since I'm not setting anything huge up I should be fine right?


My dad actually found the basement jacks at Lowe's in KY and brought them down. They might carry them down here, I'm not sure. You can find them online as well. The jacks were put directly beneath the metal beams that run across the short length of a trailer (my trailer has beams 2-feet apart). We placed a pressurized wood pad on the dirt ground to support each jack, then drilled the jack base to the block. The jack was then raised to correct height and a 6-foot long 4x4 was placed between the metal beams of the floor and the tops of the jacks. I also placed a plywood sheet under the tank itself on the carpet to distribute the weight from just the edges to the entire area. You're welcome to take a look at it if you want. I don't have any pictures of it.


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