300L fishtank too heavy on second floor ?

[Dubbo]

Hey guys I will be moving to a new house soon which is on the second floor, but I wasn't sure if my 300L fishtank will be fine on it, the floor iw made of wood with carpet and I can clearly feel it's hollow underneath when I walk on it. (It's a garage undernearth the flooring) How would I know if I need to get a builder to reinforce the floor ? and has anyone had experiences on the cost etc ?

Thanks.

[alanmin4304]

The design floor load of a dwelling is 2 Kpa which is equivalent to a column

of water 400mm high. Anything over that (like everybodies fish tank) exceeds the design floor load. The load is determined by the height of the tank not the number of litres. Each floor will have the same design floor load.

[whetu]

The design floor load of a dwelling is 2 Kpa which is equivalent to a column

of water 400mm high. Anything over that (like everybodies fish tank) exceeds the design floor load. The load is determined by the height of the tank not the number of litres. Each floor will have the same design floor load.

And it also depends on how the load is distributed over the floor area. If your tank stand has four legs and all the weight is on those legs, then there will be a massive weight on the spot of floor right under each leg. If your stand has a good structure of horizontal and vertical bracing, ending with a large base area, there will be less strain on the floor.

It sounds like your underfloor is nice and accessible. Go down there and check that everything is structurally sound - no rot or insect damage. Then take a photo of the area under where you plan to put the tank, and post it on here along with measurements between each of the floor joists. Also take a photo of the base of your tank stand. We will soon tell you what action you will need to take to make everything safe.

[Dracoz]

I am on the same boat, thinking of having a 6 footer in the dinning area and just a bit concern with the wooden floor. Any help/advise or ideas with this matter is much appreciated. Many many thanks

[ryanjury]

Here is a very good article dispelling a heap of myths..

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/a ... weight.php

[David R]

The design floor load of a dwelling is 2 Kpa which is equivalent to a column

Thats nearly irrelevant for aquariums though, as that would be the minimum rating for the floor in the most central point away from joists etc, IE 2Kpa on the point of a fat womans high heal.

You need to look at where the joists and beams run and position your tank in a way that the load is spread out over them. Unless it is a tall thin tank I wouldn't worry too much, the whole thing will only weigh around 400kg, which is about as much as two chubby people on a water bed [eew!].

[alanmin4304]

I was pointing out that the practice is not the same as the theory. The same as the article quoted: Myth *15 In NZ joists are not normally 2x10 they are 2x4. But that all comes down to how far they span. Spread the load as much as you can. I have a stand with 2 tanks on it that are 1200 x 450 x 400 high on a timber floor built in 1945 and all seems well. The load is distributed over the whole footprint and is as close as possible to the joists.

[whetu]

...Spread the load as much as you can. I have a stand with 2 tanks on it that are 1200 x 450 x 400 high on a timber floor built in 1945 and all seems well. The load is distributed over the whole footprint and is as close as possible to the joists.

Alan has identified the two key points:

- Spread the load

- Stick close to the joists

Putting the tank close to a load-bearing wall is a good way to ensure the tank is close to a part of the floor that can withstand the load.

The wooden floorboards are nailed down onto the joists, so by looking at the nail pattern in your floor you will be able to map the pattern of joists.

[alanmin4304]

The floor should be bearers spanning the garage roof and joists running over and across them with the flooring on top of the joists. As stated, the position of the joists can be determined by the nail pattern on the flooring. Idealy the tank should be at right angles to the rows of nails and therefore across the joists and also as close to a load bearing wall (an outside wall or one which is a wall for the garage).