Will It Hold?

[Joemuz]

This may sound like a realy daft question but im getting a new tank in a few months and i was wondering weather it is safe to keep 100L+
tanks up stairs without the floor going through? Realy worried please help

 

[Miss Wiggle]

This may sound like a realy daft question but im getting a new tank in a few months and i was wondering weather it is safe to keep 100L+
tanks up stairs without the floor going through? Realy worried please help

we get looooads of questions like this and there's no easy answer.

it depends completely on your house and where you place it. the build quality and age will determine how much weight it can hold, and where you place it will depend what part of the house is holding the weight.

however 100l isn't massive and i think it'd be fine upstairs in most houses.

if your really worried you should contact a structural engineer

 

[Joemuz]

Errrrrr, theres one slight problem there. Im only 14 and my mum & dad said that they dont know?
"It should but i dont know for certain" my mum said so i thoughi should get some advice first. I live in a house built in 1877
There is a chimney breast in the middle of one wall so the tank will be going in an alcove to the left of the chimney breast where my 54L is now.
I need to replace the tank as my Plec is gonna out grow it soon.

 

[Themuleous]

I once kept a 100lt tank on the second floor of a house. Given that the house is still standing after 140 years I'd be inclined to think it'd be OK. What is the wall like that has the alcove in it? If its a support wall then probably ok. You could try getting some bags of sand or something and seeing if it'll hold those first? 100lt is only around 15stone or a standard size rugby player

Sam

 

[TerraDreamer]

A tank that size will weigh 230-260 pounds. It's really not all that much weight, even for a house built in 1877. Could a 250 lb. man stand where you want to place it? Once you start talking 350+ pounds in a house that old, then yes, IMHO a structural engineer should be consulted.

EDIT: Spelling

 

[Joemuz]

Yes the floor wil hold that muc then but i thought it would be much heavier than that. It holds my dad (lol)
he's about 13 stone.

 

[tlagden]

Yes the floor wil hold that muc then but i thought it would be much heavier than that. It holds my dad (lol)
he's about 13 stone.

It will be completely fine!

The surface area of the tank will disperse it's weight across a section of the floor - as long as you get a proper stand.

Physically it would only go through the floor if the weight (of an approximate 100L tank) was focussed on an area of about a square foot or slightly more.

 

[Joemuz]

phew. Well that one less thing to worry about. Thanks a lot everyone! ( my luck, it will probably go through and smash to pieces) TOUCH WOOD!

 

[doresy]

I have a 155lt plus cabinet upstairs in a timber frame house.....no problem

 

[Joemuz]

I have a 155lt plus cabinet upstairs in a timber frame house.....no problem

feel better now cheers everyone!

 

[samyboy]

id be inclined to say a house built in 1877 will be here in 100 years time where as a house built in 1977 probably wont be, as long as the floor boards arent rotten the oak beams will be as strong as any steel girders

 

[vic]

100L is 26.4 USG which at 8#'s per gallon is 211 pounds. Add the tank and stand and other equipment and about half the substrate weight and you will be quite close to the set up weight. I can't imagine that this constitutes an overload but to be on the safe side make sure the tank is adjacent to a bearing wall and that the length of the tank is at a right angle to the floor joists.
Vic

 

[Joemuz]

100L is 26.4 USG which at 8#'s per gallon is 211 pounds. Add the tank and stand and other equipment and about half the substrate weight and you will be quite close to the set up weight. I can't imagine that this constitutes an overload but to be on the safe side make sure the tank is adjacent to a bearing wall and that the length of the tank is at a right angle to the floor joists.
Vic

It will have a wall to the left, right and behind the tank so this will probably help. And i also wondered weather everyone else that has helped included all the gravel and things to there oppinions? (DAFT QUESTION)

 

[gsta13]

should be fine mate, i have a 240 ltr up stairs and it is fine plus like said, the cabinet will help dspuurse the weight.
Greg