180 Gallon Weight Supports

Trigger Tough · 12/04/2018, 03:08 PM

I’m looking to put a 180 gallon fish tank on the first floor of a home. The home is 10 years old and the tank would run perpendicular to the supports of the home, approximately 10 inches from a load bearing wall

I hired a structural engineer to look at the basement to see if I needed some sort of load bearing structure to support the weight of the tank. He stated I would, and I would have to break the concrete slab in 2 places to cement 2 metal columns 3 feet into the ground. This is the first time I’m hearing something like this, and I think it sounds like overkill. The structure alone will cost about as much as the actual tank and stand

For those of you that have tanks weighing in the 2000 pound range on the first floor of your home what did you do to support the tank in the basement?

neilp2006 · 12/04/2018, 03:40 PM

I have a 180 on my ground floor, but it’s over an unfinished full sized basement so technically first floor if you count staircases.

I had someone come double check, but I didn’t do anything.

One long edge of the tank sits on the main lvl beam supporting the house, and it runs perpendicular to 4 floor joists spaced 22”. The room it’s in is a 15 foot span, but the joists are ‘I’ beams and the hangers each have like 10-12 nails in them

Green box is tank footprint.

Personally, I think it’s overkill, but I don’t want you to sue me if it fails, and I studied microbiology at college, not structural engineering like the dude who suggested the columns...

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Trigger Tough · 12/04/2018, 04:00 PM

How did you upload that photo? I can send you a shot of what the unfinished basement ceiling looks like

neilp2006 · 12/04/2018, 04:02 PM

when you hit reply, you should see this icon. Push it and it’ll take you to your photo album. Select pic, hit done.

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Trigger Tough · 12/04/2018, 04:46 PM

Now I just have to figure out how to open this on Reddit. lol

neilp2006 · 12/04/2018, 04:47 PM

Sorry, it’s Tapatalk. Reddit was on a different tab. I have to multitask my browsing when I get a chance, lol.

It should be the same process if you do it from a browser

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fftfk · 12/04/2018, 05:20 PM

I am building my house around a 300 gallon on the first floor over a first finished basement. The tank sits under a steel ibeam with 8 lpl engineered wood support beams.

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Trigger Tough · 12/04/2018, 06:01 PM

Has anyone used those jacks with a beam to support the weight of their tank?

Yaryman · 12/06/2018, 11:34 AM

I had this tank on a first floor just as you described across beams.
Note: The had a hood made of same wood as stand when in location like yours, so it was heavier than one in video with PVC holding lights.
The location in the video is first floor on cement slab.
The tank was in the location across the beams for several years.
I just made a point of not jumping up and down around the tank. ( why would you? )

The tank in video is 6' x 20" wide x 22" tall.

12/04/2018, 03:08 PM	#1
Trigger Tough Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 85	180 Gallon Weight Supports I’m looking to put a 180 gallon fish tank on the first floor of a home. The home is 10 years old and the tank would run perpendicular to the supports of the home, approximately 10 inches from a load bearing wall I hired a structural engineer to look at the basement to see if I needed some sort of load bearing structure to support the weight of the tank. He stated I would, and I would have to break the concrete slab in 2 places to cement 2 metal columns 3 feet into the ground. This is the first time I’m hearing something like this, and I think it sounds like overkill. The structure alone will cost about as much as the actual tank and stand For those of you that have tanks weighing in the 2000 pound range on the first floor of your home what did you do to support the tank in the basement?

12/04/2018, 03:40 PM	#2
neilp2006 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2015 Posts: 312	I have a 180 on my ground floor, but it’s over an unfinished full sized basement so technically first floor if you count staircases. I had someone come double check, but I didn’t do anything. One long edge of the tank sits on the main lvl beam supporting the house, and it runs perpendicular to 4 floor joists spaced 22”. The room it’s in is a 15 foot span, but the joists are ‘I’ beams and the hangers each have like 10-12 nails in them Green box is tank footprint. Personally, I think it’s overkill, but I don’t want you to sue me if it fails, and I studied microbiology at college, not structural engineering like the dude who suggested the columns... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

12/04/2018, 04:00 PM	#3
Trigger Tough Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 85	How did you upload that photo? I can send you a shot of what the unfinished basement ceiling looks like

12/04/2018, 04:02 PM	#4
neilp2006 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2015 Posts: 312	when you hit reply, you should see this icon. Push it and it’ll take you to your photo album. Select pic, hit done. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

12/04/2018, 04:46 PM	#5
Trigger Tough Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 85	Now I just have to figure out how to open this on Reddit. lol

12/04/2018, 04:47 PM	#6
neilp2006 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2015 Posts: 312	Sorry, it’s Tapatalk. Reddit was on a different tab. I have to multitask my browsing when I get a chance, lol. It should be the same process if you do it from a browser Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

12/04/2018, 05:20 PM	#7
fftfk Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 240	I am building my house around a 300 gallon on the first floor over a first finished basement. The tank sits under a steel ibeam with 8 lpl engineered wood support beams. Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

12/04/2018, 06:01 PM	#8
Trigger Tough Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 85	Has anyone used those jacks with a beam to support the weight of their tank?

12/06/2018, 11:34 AM	#9
Yaryman Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Northern California Posts: 140	I had this tank on a first floor just as you described across beams. Note: The had a hood made of same wood as stand when in location like yours, so it was heavier than one in video with PVC holding lights. The location in the video is first floor on cement slab. The tank was in the location across the beams for several years. I just made a point of not jumping up and down around the tank. ( why would you? ) The tank in video is 6' x 20" wide x 22" tall.