Aquarium weight load on floor.

I recently purchased a 90 gallon aquarium and want to use it as a
partial room divider between my living and dining areas. My question
is, do I need to give any consideration to load weight on my floor
joists. My tank is only 18 inches wide and the proposed location of the
tank runs parallel with the joists so it is possible it could be above
only one joist when it is set up.

wrote in message
oups.com...
I recently purchased a 90 gallon aquarium and want to use it as a
partial room divider between my living and dining areas. My question
is, do I need to give any consideration to load weight on my floor
joists. My tank is only 18 inches wide and the proposed location of the
tank runs parallel with the joists so it is possible it could be above
only one joist when it is set up.


Generally the more knowledgeable a poster is about structural
engineering, the less likely they are to offer any specific advice on
this type of question. There is a lesson in that for the rest of us ;~).
These problems are quite situation dependent, requiring joist span,
spacing etc etc ad nauseum to reach recommendations.

I can tell you a few things with some certainty. A 90g (or 167 lbs/sq ft
over 6 sq.ft) is not likely to fall through your floor. How much
deflection is caused varies according to your setup (proximity to
structural beams or walls). However - falling through the floor and
floor deflection is not going to be your biggest problem. Placing any
tank parallel to joists makes it prone to significant wobble (front to
back as you walk by it). Having it used as a room divider makes this
worse (farther from structural stabilizing wall and having traffic on
either side). You have some concerns with the static load which won't be
adequately answered here, but your show-stopper will be the live load
(imo).

I would look at the floor under the tank to see if a stabilizing post
could be added to a wooden H frame crossing the two joists underneath.
This stabilizes the live load (tank wobble during foot traffic), and
would remove any nagging concerns regarding the static load. If a post
is not possible, a custom stand which distributes the weight across 3
joists and lowers the tank's centre or gravity closer to the floor would
be a good approach to follow, along with some expert consultation.

Generally I use 55-60g as the dividing line between having concern about
the floors, but I personally wouldn't place a tall 55g in the location
you're describing. hth
--
www.NetMax.tk

In article .com,
wrote:
I recently purchased a 90 gallon aquarium and want to use it as a
partial room divider between my living and dining areas. My question
is, do I need to give any consideration to load weight on my floor
joists. My tank is only 18 inches wide and the proposed location of the
tank runs parallel with the joists so it is possible it could be above
only one joist when it is set up.

Maybe. Here's how you tell.

Get a cheap laser. They're $5 in novelty stores. Affix it
securely to the wall and aim the beam to the absolute top of
the tank. Half the beam should be on the tank and half should
skim over it.

Now start filling the tank. If it moves more than 1/8" when full
you need additional supports.

You probably will, frankly, it doesn't sound like you're near a bearing
wall.


--
Need Mercedes parts ? - http://parts.mbz.org
Richard Sexton | Mercedes stuff: http://mbz.org
1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Home page: http://rs79.vrx.net
633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | http://aquaria.net http://killi.net

Hey I was going to ask something like that, so if no one minds I am going to
post it on this message
If I take my 55gl down and put a 120 gl in its place, should it be ok, is
there anything I should look for? I had no problem with the 55 gl it was
there for three years, but my husbands friend moved to a smaller apartment
and he has a 120 gl and no room, we have the room so we are giving him the
55 and he is giving us the 120, not a bad deal....
I just have not figured out what I am going to put in something that big, I
read a lot of the posts to see what other people have, I was going to put my
guppies in my 55, but now we are setting up the 120 it seems to big, so I
want to get a lot of different fish.
thanks nikki






"Richard Sexton" wrote in message
...
In article .com,
wrote:
I recently purchased a 90 gallon aquarium and want to use it as a
partial room divider between my living and dining areas. My question
is, do I need to give any consideration to load weight on my floor
joists. My tank is only 18 inches wide and the proposed location of the
tank runs parallel with the joists so it is possible it could be above
only one joist when it is set up.

Maybe. Here's how you tell.

Get a cheap laser. They're $5 in novelty stores. Affix it
securely to the wall and aim the beam to the absolute top of
the tank. Half the beam should be on the tank and half should
skim over it.

Now start filling the tank. If it moves more than 1/8" when full
you need additional supports.

You probably will, frankly, it doesn't sound like you're near a bearing
wall.


--
Need Mercedes parts ? - http://parts.mbz.org
Richard Sexton | Mercedes stuff: http://mbz.org
1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Home page: http://rs79.vrx.net
633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | http://aquaria.net http://killi.net

Nikki - wrote,
If I take my 55gl down and put a 120 gl in its place, should it be ok, is
there anything I should look for?

Look to see which way the floor joist are running where you plan to put
the tank. It's always better to put a large tank against an outside or
center wall where there is eather a foundation or beam supporting the
ends of the floor joist the tank will be sitting across.
.............Frank

Nikki wrote:
Hey I was going to ask something like that, so if no one minds I am going to
post it on this message
If I take my 55gl down and put a 120 gl in its place, should it be ok, is
there anything I should look for? I had no problem with the 55 gl it was
there for three years, but my husbands friend moved to a smaller apartment
and he has a 120 gl and no room, we have the room so we are giving him the
55 and he is giving us the 120, not a bad deal....

In a newer house, placed across the joists next to a load-bearing wall
it's probably ok. Also a concrete slab floor on the ground - like a
basement floor - is probably ok.

"Nikki" wrote in message
. ..
Hey I was going to ask something like that, so if no one minds I am
going to post it on this message
If I take my 55gl down and put a 120 gl in its place, should it be ok,
is there anything I should look for? I had no problem with the 55 gl it
was there for three years, but my husbands friend moved to a smaller
apartment and he has a 120 gl and no room, we have the room so we are
giving him the 55 and he is giving us the 120, not a bad deal....
I just have not figured out what I am going to put in something that
big, I read a lot of the posts to see what other people have, I was
going to put my guppies in my 55, but now we are setting up the 120 it
seems to big, so I want to get a lot of different fish.
thanks nikki


Congrats on the 120g! Woo hoo, that's a nice size ).

I've dragged a 120g around with me for about 25 years (a lot of different
houses). Also a 55g (66g actually, but close enough). At 55g, it's not
really very critical. You can get really unlucky, but a 55g is quite
safe in most places. Not so with a 120g imo. At this size, you really
need to be paying more attention to your load distribution (stand
design), proximity to structural wall & orientation to joists (and
possibly reinforcement). Whereas the 55g has few 'bad' locations, the
120g has relatively few 'good' locations where it can go without some
modifications or concessions to the ideal location. Once it is in place
though, that 5 foot wall of water is quite the canvas to color & fill
;~).
--
www.NetMax.tk

Hi..

Generally the more knowledgeable a poster is about
structural engineering, the less likely they are to offer
any specific advice on this type of question.

;-)
--
cu
Marco