How do I know if my floor can hold a 90gal tank?

You know for sure that it's too heavy when your hood provides a nice night light for the apartment below you :hihi: . Other then that, IMO, and this it ONLY my opinion, it doesn't seem like your tank would be much heavier in lbs/sq ft then a fully loaded chest freezer.
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Roll blunts

Try to put it next to a loadbearing wall, accross several joists and you should be fine. I had a 110 show with sump and a ton of equipment in my old townhome and I did get a little bounce in the tank, but it was fine.

What is your floor made of???

If it is concrete I would say go for it.

If it is wood I would ask how old the construction is?

When you add up the tank, filter, hood, lights and all of the misc. equipment you are looking at around 900 lbs.

Thats around 150 lbs. per square foot which should be OK if you don't have any termite damage etc.

If you really want to be safe try to find out which way the trusses run and position the tank accordingly.

This is the best article I've ever found on the subject:

Residential Wood Framed Floors and Aquarium Weights

Of course if it's concrete I doubt this applies.

I have a 125 , three 75s , three 30 gallon cubes in my upstairs fishroom . Nothing has bowed or crackled as of yet . Three years.

roberto.

Great link Rose. :thumbsup:

If the floor near the wall cannot hold a 90 gallon tank, you better evacuate the building. It wouldn't be safe to live in it.

The easiest and safest would be to contact an architect.

Riche_guy said:

If the floor near the wall cannot hold a 90 gallon tank, you better evacuate the building. It wouldn't be safe to live in it.

Click to expand...

I completely agree

You have a tub or water bed (doubt you have a water bed) but what I'm saying is your probably fine, double checking is the way to go though. 90g of water on the floor bellow... yeah not a good thought.

I have my 55g in my room on the second floor. Our house was built around 2001-2002 though.

-Andrew

The weight shouldn't be a problem. The real problem is accidental water spillage. Water can get into the floor boards and drip through the ceiling to the room below. It can get inside ceiling light fixtures and cause electrical problems. It can discolor and stain paint and stucko, and over time weaken and rot wood in the floor and ceiling. I lived in a townhouse and my living room ceiling had a bow to it.

Well, the only responsible way is to get yourself a whole lotta bricks and water jugs. Start piling them up where you want to put the tank, and when they crash through the floor, weigh them and you'll know the floor couldn't quite hold that much.

Nice idea eds! That's one way to be SURE.

I am going to edit this post, and refer you back to the article Rose posted. Very good reading for anyone considering a tank over 55 gallons.


Robert is right. I think your main problem will be spills causing damage to the ceiling below you. I have a tenant in my basement, and little leaks and equipment malfunctions here and there have caused more than one leak in his house (many more). The only reason I get away with it is because I am the landlord, and I fix them right away.

eds, that reminds me of the calvin and hobbes cartoon where calvin asks his dad about bridges

Calvin: How do they know the load limit on bridges, Dad?
Dad: They drive bigger and bigger trucks over the bridge until it breaks. Then they weigh the last truck and rebuild the bridge.
Calvin: Oh, I should've guessed.
Mom: Dear, if you don't know the answer, just tell him!