Tank Weight Questions?

[sjolliff]

At some point im wanting a bigger tank around 350L including stand and everything it will wiegh abit
Will i nedd to support the joists,flooring etc?

 

[chr15_8]

depends on a few things.

size of tank

im assuming its a wooden floor.
if so the condition of the floorboards/joists
amount and spacing of the joist
Size of joists
span the joist span.

 

[rabbut]

How the joists are mounted to the wall will make a big difference also.

Your average floor can take 250KG per square meter. Your tank will weigh about 500KG all in. So as long as you are spread over 2 square meters of base, or more, you should be OK in most instances. However, most 350l tanks will leave you very close to this cut-off point, so I'd advise you to speak to a Structural Engineer to be sure that your floor can take the weight.

All the best
Rabbut

 

[timbruun]

it'll actually weigh more than 500 kg. 1 UK gallon of water is 10 pounds. 350l is 77 uk gallon. so 770kg just the water. if it's full mind you. plus you have to add weight of tank, substrate, equipment and stand.

 

[nickelplates]

it'll actually weigh more than 500 kg. 1 UK gallon of water is 10 pounds. 350l is 77 uk gallon. so 770kg just the water. if it's full mind you. plus you have to add weight of tank, substrate, equipment and stand.

Er the water in a 350l (freshwater) tank weighs 350kg, its a fairly simple calculation which you may have managed to overcomplicate

 

[Truck]

it'll actually weigh more than 500 kg. 1 UK gallon of water is 10 pounds. 350l is 77 uk gallon. so 770kg just the water. if it's full mind you. plus you have to add weight of tank, substrate, equipment and stand.

your calcs are out 1 litre = just under a kilo, so the water cant weigh 770 kg

the tank will way about 60kg stand about 35kg substrate 50kg water 350 kg

 

[timbruun]

oops, sorry. forgot to switch back to kgs from pounds.

 

[sjolliff]

Thanks people

As a joiner iv done floor strengthing before in many different forms,

I was just looking for a quick answer, so i dint have to dig to deep into it,
it will be a while anyway, plus hopefully moving house next year,
Cheers

 

[yabadaba]

Hmmm, I've been thinking about strengthening my floor too, even though it is probably already okay. What's buggin' me is that where I want my tank the joists will be running parallel with it and that means it will only be sitting on two and we are talking about 700kg in weight for my 490 litre tank, plus gravel, plus stand. Fortunately, a sleeper wall happens to run under where the tank is going and another about 4ft further along, so although there will only be two joists directly supporting the weight, they will be well supported themselves and their effective length will not be more than 4ft.

However, I'm still probably going to take up some floorboards and create a frame under and the joists to provide more support. I'm just hoping I can get a good footing on the ground - may have to position the uprights on concrete slabs. My mates say it's overkill, but I just want peace of mind!

 

[sjolliff]

I'm just hoping I can get a good footing on the ground - may have to position the uprights on concrete slabs. My mates say it's overkill, but I just want peace of mind!

Thats how we do it, we cut 1ft X 1ft flags about 50mm in thickness then use 6 X 2 screwed to the joists up right down to the flags then put cement around it,
if you can screw some 6 X 2 to the floor then as above but screw it to the 6 X 2 on the floor.

fitting more noggins between the joist will strengthen it more too

 

[chr15_8]

when setting up my marine tank i added another joist in. the dwarf walls are 5ft apart so i just slide in a lump of 4x2 so it rest on bothdwarf walls.

only reason i done this is i have a sump under my main tank making it around 40 uk gallons (salt water) over an area of around 30 inch x 15 inch.

 

[sjolliff]

Good point, just to even the weight out more aswell

 

[yabadaba]

I'm just hoping I can get a good footing on the ground - may have to position the uprights on concrete slabs. My mates say it's overkill, but I just want peace of mind!

Thats how we do it, we cut 1ft X 1ft flags about 50mm in thickness then use 6 X 2 screwed to the joists up right down to the flags then put cement around it,
if you can screw some 6 X 2 to the floor then as above but screw it to the 6 X 2 on the floor.

fitting more noggins between the joist will strengthen it more too

Thanks for that info, much appreciated. I thought I was along the right lines, but now I know exactly what to buy next week.

 

[sjolliff]

No worries