scottscape Posted February 27, 2013 Report Share Posted February 27, 2013 Hi All, Hope someone can give me some advice. Seeing as I am going to sell the tank I brought and go fully custom I am looking at making the tank 1500 x 600 x 600 so I have some more width to play with. Unfortunately(or fortunately!) this brings my tank up to 600 litres, which if i calculate right will end up around a tonne of weight including sump and everything else in my living room. I live in a modern second story apartment and sadly I think this is simply way too heavy to be safe no matter where I put it. Do you agree? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bishop Posted February 27, 2013 Report Share Posted February 27, 2013 well the ratio for 1liter water cubed to kgs is almost exactly 1:1 so you are looking at 600kgs of water weight for a 600 liter tank. I can see that getting up to a tonne with sump plus glass weight ect. Yeah I would say that is way to heavy for a second story sorry. I would be angry to live under you and find out there was one tonne sitting above my head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hovmoller Posted February 27, 2013 Report Share Posted February 27, 2013 You say it's a modern apartment. If you have a concrete floor you are fine.. if it's a timber floor I wouldn't do it either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bishop Posted February 27, 2013 Report Share Posted February 27, 2013 Wonder if the council would help in some way. They may have information of the building or there maybe something in the building code. Just a thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottscape Posted February 27, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2013 You say it's a modern apartment. If you have a concrete floor you are fine.. if it's a timber floor I wouldn't do it either. Is there a particular way to find out if the floor is concrete? I'm dubious about even filling my 350 litre tank until I find out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted February 27, 2013 Report Share Posted February 27, 2013 The council should have a copy of the plan submitted for the building consent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottscape Posted February 27, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2013 Wonder if the council would help in some way. They may have information of the building or there maybe something in the building code. Just a thought. My property manager may know. Its tricky because to go off building standards is a bit of a risk when you are up around the higher tolerances which have been planned for with wooden structures. I know up against a load bearing wall the shear weight per joist is pretty safe within reason and I would say a rectangle tank no more then two foot high should be ok, but it really is all about how many joists I get across and how I spread the load. I would like to know exactly because if it was simply a case of building a cabinet for the sump to run along the wall beside the main tank that would be possible but 600kg + accessories still seems beyond what is sensible. I will find out if its concrete. If it is I will be very happy. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smidey Posted February 27, 2013 Report Share Posted February 27, 2013 stomp on the floor or lift the carpet, that will tell you what it is. An engineer will be able to tell you if it is suitable or not. timber floor joist sizes are calculated based on a kn rating of loading to NZS 3604 minimums, if your tank is less than it has been specified then it will be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted February 27, 2013 Report Share Posted February 27, 2013 It will depend if the building has been built to 3604 standards or to specific design---the building consent will tell you that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hovmoller Posted February 27, 2013 Report Share Posted February 27, 2013 stomp on the floor or lift the carpet, that will tell you what it is. An engineer will be able to tell you if it is suitable or not. timber floor joist sizes are calculated based on a kn rating of loading to NZS 3604 minimums, if your tank is less than it has been specified then it will be fine. If we assume a tank with a footprint of 1500x600 total weight is 1000kg. That equals 11.1 kpa (kn/m2) A residential floor designed to NZS3604 will usuall be designed to 2 or 3 kpa depending on what area it is... so NO.. it is not suitable Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smidey Posted February 27, 2013 Report Share Posted February 27, 2013 there are other considerations to take into account to like load bearing walls, point loads & loaded dimensions so it's not always as straight forward as that. Would you think twice about putting a water bed up there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bishop Posted February 27, 2013 Report Share Posted February 27, 2013 Do people still use waterbeds? :dunno: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smidey Posted February 27, 2013 Report Share Posted February 27, 2013 Do people still use waterbeds? :dunno: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted February 27, 2013 Report Share Posted February 27, 2013 3604 is live loads. The consent will tell you how it is designed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottscape Posted February 28, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 Thanks for all the input. I talked to the property manager and the whole apartment building is concrete block. He is an ex builder and reckoned I should go as big as the missus would allow haha. 1500 x 600 x 600 would be awesome, though my $800 initial budget is now more like 3k. Totally worth it though. I'm going to make the stand out of pallet racking seeing as point loading doesn't seem to be an issue with concrete block, though I will run a 2x4 along the floor under it to save the carpet. Talking with a couple of tank builders. Quotes vary pretty wildly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hovmoller Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 Well the floor won't be concrete block Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89crwreck Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?447815-Aquarium-2-70x1-60x0-70-%283000-liter-800-gallons%29 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smidey Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 if it's block the floor will likely be precast concrete or a traydek type system so all good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottscape Posted February 28, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 Well the floor won't be concrete block Correction - the term may be 'slab', though I'm not entirely concerned because it will be heavy as anything regardless and wont notice a tank. Out of interest I looked under the building and the base of the apartment below was lined with w shaped steel. I didn't find out how thick it is so perhaps it is there for holding cables, pipes or insulation purposes. The engineering side of things is well beyond me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smidey Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 that will be a traydek style system, they lay the tray down, put steel reinforcing and pour concrete over it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottscape Posted February 28, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 if it's block the floor will likely be precast concrete or a traydek type system so all good. I think you are on to it, looks like that kind of setup to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.