265kg On Floorboards And Joists

[twistedlink]

Basically with a 240L tank it makes 240kg, plus 20kg for rocks, cabinet etc etc.

I want to place my cabinet so the 4ft section runs along the joists (against the floorboards) and the depth part of the tank against the joists and along the floorboards (if that makes sense?)

The house is well built, floorboards dont creak, no ceiling bowing, and the joists appear very sturdy.

Would it be best to keep it downstairs as a just incase, or is it worth trying out?

I hope people get what i mean about the parts of the tank running along etc.

The cabinet has 4 line running against the joists (with the floorboards)

 

[sharpshark]

Well think of it in terms of something you can relate to,

Think how many people you would like standing in the room, say on average 70-80kg per person, so would you feel safe with 4 people (280-320kgs) standing in the spot where your tank is? I'm guessing you would, should be no problem.

Hope this helps

 

[Tolak]

http/badmanstropicalfish.com/articles/article28.html

 

[T1KARMANN]

Well think of it in terms of something you can relate to,

Think how many people you would like standing in the room, say on average 70-80kg per person, so would you feel safe with 4 people (280-320kgs) standing in the spot where your tank is? I'm guessing you would, should be no problem.

Hope this helps

i have a 350usgal/1200 liters on floor boards with no problems and the tank is above my bed

the 4 people thing makes me lol say you get another 4 people who want to stand and look at the tank

you say with rocks and stuff the more rocks you add the less water their will be

the tank will be fine

 

[twistedlink]

Thanks for the replies guys! It helped a lot

Im a builder too, not quite like the guy in that link, not engineer standard, but ive seen 20+ bags of 25kg bags of plaster in one area which weighs 400kg fine.

But thats in a new house

Mine is a shallet bungalow that had an upstaris installed later than when it was built in the 60's
As a result the joists were only designed to take the weight of the roof and basic flooring, i also have a partition wall very near where i need to put the fishtank for space reasons.

Also its not the intitial weight that worries me, i thought of the people in my room first too, but my sister pointed out quite correctly "you dont have 5 people standing in your room in the same space for 2-3+ years"

The damage im worried about is gradual wear damage, the bowing of the joists and visible in the ceiling below.

I'll probably keep it on the joists in the end anyway though.

Good point about the less water with more rocks thing lol

Oh also, the 16" spacing...ive only ever known joists to have 12" spacing, however theyre 2" thick, so measuring two joists end to end would be 16", but the actual gap/space is 12".

My tank is depth wise 16", and im glad the gaps 12" as it is gonna be supported by 2 joists, not the very thin edge of each

 

[T1KARMANN]

most likely you are going to have the tank next to a wall which will be fine if you had the tank in the middle of the room their maybe problems

 

[tigermoth2]

Is there a bath upstairs?
If so I'm sure it doesnt fall through the floor when its filled and I'm sure it would certainly be at least the weight of the aquarium which you're thinking of.
Does that help?
Bob

 

[Neo8223]

Its wooden floor boards. Historically miners have always used wooden beams over metal because they creak before they are about to give. If you hear a creaking noise and see the ceiling bowing, then add planks of wood in the floor below where the joists are and then un-fill the tank and settle for a tank downstairs. If its a loft conversion with the same origonal joists, then i would not chance it. They are majorly smaller than the ones in the first floor of a normal house.

With that said, last year we had a 40 tonne tree fall down on our house and it didnt go through the ceiling! so you never know. Being next to a wall will help so long as it isnt a stud wall.