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[ella777]

Does anyone else have 200l+ tanks upstairs? I'm obviously not going to move it for quite some time (10+ years), will this be a problem?
My house was built in the 1930s if this matters.
I have a 200l tank in my room, quite worried it will either go through the ceiling or fall towards.
I just heard something near it make a creaking sound, I think it was the floor...

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Oh, that isn't a good feeling! A 200l tank is probably going to weigh in at around 500 pounds/250 kg. If your floor can support three average sized adults standing very close together, it should support your fish tank.

On the other hand, having an aquarium unexpectedly and violently appear in your downstairs room would be most unpleasant. If you have any doubts, I recommend calling a carpenter or builder and getting their opinion. Chances are you know someone who would advise you for free.

I don't know how building codes work in the UK, but in the USA floor joists legally have to be able to withstand a certain amount of weight. A builder should be able to let you know what the laws are in your area. Personally, unless the house is quite old and suffering from rot, insect damage, or the like, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

 

[Essjay]

It also depends on the direction of the floor joists. If the tank is at right angles to the joists, that is the tanks is supported by several joists, it is less likely to end up downstairs than if it is running the same way as the joists and possibly sitting on floorboards between the joists with no joist supporting it. If the house was built in the 1930's it should have floorboards made of strips of wood rather than than the large pieces of boarding used in later years. Can you see the floor or is it covered? Or the floor in any part of upstairs?

 

[ella777]

I have no idea how to explain it but this is what the floor looks like in another room upstairs.
The tank is sitting the opposite way to the floorboards.

 

[10 Tanks]

Hello ella. As long as you have the tank next to an outer upstairs wall, your tank should be fine. Houses built back in the day are likely sturdier anyway.

10 Tanks (Now 11)

 

[Uberhoust]

If your tank runs across the boards there is a high chance that your tank is lined up with only one or two joists underneath the boards. I have a 277 litre and 144 litre setup side by side in my upstairs room. Before I set them up I reviewed the static and dynamic load values for the upper floor and insured that the joists are perpendicular to the orientation of the tanks (long axis is perpendicular to the joists). Also they tanks are within 24" of an interior supporting wall, without this wall I would not have placed them upstairs. Even though my floors are rated beyond the weight of the tanks, and they are oriented with the joists there is noticeably more bounce in the floor. Without details on the joist size, orientation, and span as well as the distance from a supporting wall all anyone can give is an opinion.

Made a correction.

 

[ella777]

Thank you so much everyone - it's a semi-detached house, the tank is on the wall which is connected to the other house.
I feel a lot more content now, thank you again!

 

[Essjay]

These are very crude drawings I know

The black lines are the floorboards.
The red lines are the joists.
The blue rectangle is the tank.

The risk is that the tank is between the red lines rather than on top of them. Ideally the tank should be across the joists as shown by the yellow rectangle here

 

[ella777]

These are very crude drawings I know

The black lines are the floorboards.
The red lines are the joists.
The blue rectangle is the tank.
View attachment 314081

The risk is that the tank is between the red lines rather than on top of them. Ideally the tank should be across the joists as shown by the yellow rectangle here
View attachment 314082

The joists are a little closer together, I think its sitting on two.
My mums boyfriend said it would be fine as one joist should be able to hold at least 200kg