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I am currently running a 55 gal acrylic tank on a 2nd floor apt. building. it's been up for two years with no problems.

Now i plan on upgrading to a 125 gal(6ftx20"x18" acrylic setup. i believe the whole thing with a sturdy oak stand will weigh about 1200-1400 lbs.

my apt building is about 30years old. i am wondering if the beams in the floor can support this additional weight.

thanks for looking.

Especially with apartments I'd suggest checking with your landlord on the rules. If there is any damage from the tank...well... They may allow it so long as you have added insurance.

If possible I'd look into getting a larger stand than the tank is as a properly built stand will help distribute the weight of the tank across more of the floor. It'll need to be on a load bearing wall (outside walls) and across the joists, again you'll likely need to check with the landlord for info on that.

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Do Train,

Your weight estimate is pretty good. Tank plus stand is about 200 pounds plus 1,040 pounds for the water plus 200 pounds for substrate plus the weight of light fixtures and other equipment unless you suspend them from the ceiling. Let's say 1,500 pounds.

If you use the conventional (manufacturer) stand it will have a slightly larger footprint than the tank . The tank footprint will be 9 square feet so the weight per square foot will be about 166 pounds. A 30 year old building should have no problems supporting the weight.

However, if you have a concern, place the aquarium on an outside wall if possible. Since this is an apartment building, be sure that you are permitted to have an aquarium in your lease. Lastly, because this is the 2nd floor, be sure that you have renter's insurance that covers you when you overflow your aquarium during a water change!


Last edited by Bob Wesolowski at 08-Feb-2005 13:13

__________
"To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research."
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Thanks for the recommendations guys. The manager gave me the ok, but i just wanted to get some second opinions. I have 3 large red devils and feel that they deserve some more room to swim around.

I had another question about my new tank. If i add the appropriate chemical remover and biospira and make sure the temp is right, can i add the fish after a few hours? Thanks for helping me out

I would wait to make sure the tank is cycled before I put them in. Or you can just run the filter from your 55 for a few weeks.

It's already cycled and is ready for their bioload. If you have to part with the 55 and filter, just keep the filter media in your new filter setup..