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Oh dear Johnny but i think u will be alright. I think if you were not going to be alright the floor would have gone by now.


http://www.greenspersonalprinting.com/

Well the time is getting nearer (only about another 6 weeks to go before I can set the new tanks up) now I have been thinking about which tanks to put which fish in? The first idea was to separate the two main big fish (the dollars and the parrots) and then divide all the other fish up in to each tank but now I am thinking maybe put the parrots and dollars in the same tank but just them with a bristlenose and 10 panda corys and that's it no more. Then put all the other fish in the other tank. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM Not to sure just yet what I shall do. I will think about it a bit longer. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I cant wait lol.

http://www.greenspersonalprinting.com/

Short answer NO lol

http://www.greenspersonalprinting.com/

Us fish obsessed will always find a way to get that perfect tank. It's amazing what we will go through to get the setup.

I'm in the daydreaming stages of a biult in tank upstairs to replace the half-wall next to the entryway (of, couse this will not be for a while since someone's lving there now ). But at least I got my drywall/contractor/jack-of-all-trades guy agreeing we can do it (and the best part is I can prob tie in the tank to the water lines and maybe an RO system!!!!)

And I'm still waiting like Cali on that big jackpot to build my own house made for tanks in every room. (and a huge koi pond in the entryway)

Will we ever stop???

Yes you are right heidi that is abonus i guess also another thing is if you get two fish that dont get on you can just pop one in the other tank. Well for stocking i have decided not to sell all my exsisting fish so they will be stocked with those. /:'

http://www.greenspersonalprinting.com/

Tessa that is going to look so nice it's ashame you can't get the 8ft, but hey this is the next best thing, right? how do you plan on stocking it? Oh and here is a plus to 2-4footers instead of one 8 ft...if something decides to leak, only 1 tank will drain not both

please, noone tell my landlady

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

Well friends I said I would let you know how we got on with this project of the 8 foot tank so here is the plan now. I cant have the 8 foot tank after all as it would not go through the house so I have managed to find someone who can build me two 4 foot cupboards that will push up to form an 8 foot cupboard and also build an 8 foot hood all from solid pine. I have also found two 4 foot tanks that have no trims so they can sit flush up against each other on the 8 foot stand placing the hood over the two tanks then a strip of pine will be placed at each corner of the tank and also down the middle where the two tanks join forming a kind of frame work look to the whole thing. The work on the floor is due to start in the beginning of July and I hope to have the tanks cupboard and hood delivered by the 8 th July and hoe to get the fish into there new homes the next day. I have attched a picture of a basic look of the two tanks. I will keep you up dated with the progress.

tessa38uk attached this image:


http://www.greenspersonalprinting.com/

Well friends it is looking as if I will not get that tank I e-mailed the company to see if I could have one put on hold until I could get my present set up sold and the floor re-enforced but I have not heard a word back So I guess they are not willing to keep one on hold for me at the price it was going for I even offered a deposit Well I don't know what to do now I so wanted the tank and was so excited I don't want to put my present set up for sale unless I am sure I can have the tank So it looks as though I wont be getting it after all I will keep you up dated

Last edited by tessa38uk at 12-May-2005 13:58

http://www.greenspersonalprinting.com/

Thank god mine's on a concrete floor - but the carpet takes a hammering - LOL

Reagrds

It will take some time sneeky pete as you know but i will keep you all updated and take pictures along the way for you all to see.

http://www.greenspersonalprinting.com/

YAY!! Glad to hear it Tessa.
I think it will be a lot of work, but well worth it in the long run.
Congrats on your new tank, and I look forward to pics once you have it set up!


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Well folks we have decided to go for it. It will be a few months preparation work. We will sell our exciting set up fish and rocks and wood and filter the lot (anyone interested let me know) We will then prepare the floor. We have decided to build brick walls at the points shown in the drawing. Once all that is done we will then purchase the tank. It will mean starting a fresh though that is the only problem (all that cycling again lol) but it will be very much worth it all in the end.

http://www.greenspersonalprinting.com/

Well this would be a big task to under take and I dearly would like to do it but I will have to think some more on it as it would mean I would have to sell my current set up fish and all and start a fresh with the new tank. So I have to think on that very seriously coz it could end up being very costly.

http://www.greenspersonalprinting.com/

Hi all i am looking to buy this tank at the moment but the weight is worring me as we have floorboards. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=20755&item=4378319169&rd=1 At the moment i have the Jewel Rio 400 litre which is fine. What do u all recon should i take the risk or stay as i am safe.

Last edited by tessa38uk at 08-May-2005 09:37

http://www.greenspersonalprinting.com/

I have a 75 gallon in my bedroom and i never thought about the weight issue and its on the second floor, hmm.

Tessa,
If you were to put more floor joists in the locations you suggest, yes that would work. Or like Cali said, you could use brick.
I would go for whichever of the two is cheaper for you.
If you go for wood floor joists, try to get the thickest wood you can afford - 4x8 or 4x10 would do it really well and you could use less of them, but 2x10's would work as well.

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Ah. So you can get under the floor space easily? Wish I could do so in my house ... I'd reinforce my floors so that they could take a locomotive!

One possible (but relatively costly) reinforcement policy would be to build square 'towers' of bricks cemented in place beneath the joists at the places indicated on your diagram, leaving a gap of approximately 6 inches between the brick 'towers' and the joists, into which treated blocks of wood could be inserted. This would provide some flexibility while maintaining excellent weight support. If the foundation layer beneath the floor is a solid concrete foundation, then you're home and dry. Cementing the brick 'towers' to that would provide ample support even if you chose to make that 8ft aquarium a full-blown live rock reef (remember seawater is heavier than fresh water, and the live rock content alone adds a LOT of weight to the aquarium - typical rock densities for the rocks used for live rock reefs are of the order of 5 to 7 times the density of water for the solid material, overall density reduced by the porosity).

The reason I suggested building square brick 'towers' cemented in place (think miniature chimneys) is twofold. One, the structural rigidity of these would be more than enough to cope with the task of supporting the weight. 12 of those under your floor joists would enable you to have your aquarium with ease. Two, by building the 'towers' in that fashion, you could not only place wood supports under the joists in the gaps, but the additional cross-sectional area of the 'towers' would enable you to place additional wood supports either side of the joists providing direct load-bearing support to the floorboards, which would enhance your load bearing capacity some more.

Another alternative would be to add extra supporting brick wall sections beneath the joists. More expensive, but with the advantage that you would be able to support a huge aquarium on your floor without any worries about the load bearing capacity. Placing subsections of additional wall 1 foot apart would make that floor practically capable of taking an armoured personnel carrier, never mind an aquarium Okay, something of an exaggeration, but you'd never worry about load bearing ever again ...




Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

2nd

tessa38uk attached this image:


http://www.greenspersonalprinting.com/

Ok I am putting two floor plans in they are not to scale but its a rough idea. The first picture shows how I have the tank at the moment. The red blocks show the joists. The blue blocks show the two brick walls that run under the joists. The green blocks show the way the floorboards run. So u can see where the tank is sat at the moment. Now I would like the 8 foot to go right across this wall I think it would look much better than the 5 foot. Now with the second picture I have added some brown squares. If I was to place wooden uprights at these points from ground to joists do u think that would be enough support.

tessa38uk attached this image:


http://www.greenspersonalprinting.com/

Well, If I know what I am talking about even slightly, I hope, I believe that a heavy object will disperse weight more evenly across a larger surface.
Therefore, the 8 foot tank would likely disperse the weight more evenly and lightly than 2 four foot tanks put side by side.
Again, do you rent or own?
If you own, I would suggest you get the hubby/dad/brother/uncle to crawl down there with some bricks, and stack em right under the weak points. Otherwise you should be alright.
The tank by my estimates would weight approximately 2000 pounds once full and with decor.
Another option to find out is: Get together enough people whos combined weight is close to that. Place a peice of plywood on the floor in the spot, and start piling people onto it. If the floor holds your safe! If the floor starts creaking and groaning, you are not safe.
I would think because it is only 3-4 feet above the ground, that you wont have much of a worry.
Another option would be, get a pair of 2X10's and screw them directly onto the floor joices underneath the floor. This would provide reinforcement sufficient for your tank, and be reasonably affordable, even IF your place is rented, and the landlord wouldnt even have to know about it....

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