guitar_randy Posted March 27, 2010 Share Posted March 27, 2010 my wife bought a new 55 gallon fish aquarium and stand and is trying to decide where to set it up in the house.anyone else have one ?Does anything need to be done to make the floor more braced or is a 55 gallon tank not anything to worry about with the weight?Would I need to put a support post under it in the basement?I have a ranch house with normal flooring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackie Posted March 27, 2010 Share Posted March 27, 2010 You should be fine with a stand that distributes the weight evenly under the tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jantha Posted March 27, 2010 Share Posted March 27, 2010 Yea, you'll be fine. I've had a 55 gallon setup in several different places. Never caused any damage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrosurfer1959 Posted March 27, 2010 Share Posted March 27, 2010 55 gallon should be fine in most area's unless you had a large center span location even then just make sure your tanks sits perpendicular to the floor joist so your on more than one joist or you could get a hell of a squeak. A typical floor made with 2x10 joist 16" on center and a standard 16' span gives you about a 10# dead load or 40# live load and your spread out over six or eight square foot area with about 450 pounds of water plus the tank and stand if your stand distributes the weight evenly. Anytime you have a really heavy dense load your better placing it perpendicular to the floor beams and near a support or outside wall if possible but floors are pretty damn strong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookieman15061 Posted March 28, 2010 Share Posted March 28, 2010 55 gallon should be fine in most area's unless you had a large center span location even then just make sure your tanks sits perpendicular to the floor joist so your on more than one joist or you could get a hell of a squeak. A typical floor made with 2x10 joist 16" on center and a standard 16' span gives you about a 10# dead load or 40# live load and your spread out over six or eight square foot area with about 450 pounds of water plus the tank and stand if your stand distributes the weight evenly. Anytime you have a really heavy dense load your better placing it perpendicular to the floor beams and near a support or outside wall if possible but floors are pretty damn strong. Wow talk about expert advice. Bravo my guitar playing friend! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigh Posted March 28, 2010 Share Posted March 28, 2010 Never move it filled. My parents had a 20 gallon tank that painters moved & I remember the entire bottom cracked a few days later. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanvillRob Posted March 28, 2010 Share Posted March 28, 2010 55 Gallons of water only weighs 460 lbs. Add on the weight of the tank, (the pebbles etc inside displace the water, so don't count them)....about the same as my baby grand...which sits on 3 small casters!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitar_randy Posted March 28, 2010 Author Share Posted March 28, 2010 Never move it filled. My parents had a 20 gallon tank that painters moved & I remember the entire bottom cracked a few days later. Craig If you are capable of moving a 55 gallon tank of water filled i wouldn't mess with you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 The key is keeping the bottom of the tank dead nuts level corner to corner. If one corner is lower or higher than the rest, it's all over. Glass does not like to be twisted. The base has to be perfectly level and supported throughout it's entire length and the tank as well. Most 55 gal fish tanks are long and therefore have a wide base to spread the weight, usually across 2 or 3 floor joists. No reinforcement of standard flooring is needed. If, however the tank has a one foot square foot print and is 8 feet tall.. then.... we need to get an engineer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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