Tropical Fish Forums

[saluki07]

OK here's an important question... How much weight can a studded wood floor hold? I have a 110 gallon tank which I want to turn into a FOWLR tank, but I don't know if a wood floor could hold the weight of a stand, sump, aquarium and live rock. anyone have any advice?

[sirreal63]

Depends on what the floor is constructed of. I would need a lot more info. to answer that question. What are the joists made of and what size are they and how far apart are they spaced? What country are you in?

In determining whether my floor would hold the 125 I consulted our engineers at work, it turns out the 6' tank puts less of a load on my floor than the 4' 75 gallon did. Your 110 is most likely a 4' tank, if not please correct me. My floor joists are 2x10's spaced 16" apart and the tank runs perpendicular to the joists to distribute the load evenly over several joists. You will need to know how your tank will be situated on the joists before you put water in it.
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Out on the road today...I saw a DeadHead sticker on a Cadillac...
Jack
110 Gallon DSA Pentagon

[saluki07]

Tank is 5' long 2 feet high and 1'6'' deep. Joists are 2x8 and spaced 14 inches apart. Not sure what kind of wood they are made of, and the tank would be running perpendicular with the joists

[saluki07]

Tank is 5' long 2 feet high and 1'6'' deep. Joists are 2x8 and spaced 14 inches apart. Not sure what kind of wood they are made of, and the tank would be running perpendicular with the joists

[sirreal63]

In my opinion it would be risky long term. 2x8's are very small and that tank would load them pretty hard. If you do it, make sure the tank is against an exterior wall. I would suggest consulting an engineer to ensure the floor will hold long term. You also have to consider the weight of the other items in the room when figuring the loading of the floor. Figure roughly 12 to 15 lbs per gallon of water, that includes rock, sand, water and equipment.
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Out on the road today...I saw a DeadHead sticker on a Cadillac...
Jack
110 Gallon DSA Pentagon

[saluki07]

So there basically isn't any chance that the tank could be on an aquarium stand and with the sump underneath?

[sirreal63]

There is a chance but I would consult a local engineer or someone who understands how things are built in your area. Are you in the U.S.?

Can you brace the 2x8's from underneath? 5' length and 14" on center may be OK depending on how the floor is constructed.
_________________
Out on the road today...I saw a DeadHead sticker on a Cadillac...
Jack
110 Gallon DSA Pentagon

[saluki07]

There are a lot of X-braces in between the joists. (I forgot the name of the braces) but I could do that. The joists are connected to the floor so that the floor is running at an angle across the joists. So the floorboards make a v shape if you understand at all what I'm talking about

[sirreal63]

Propping up the joists from underneath will work but I still suggest consulting someone who knows about the construction techniques used to make sure that it will support the weight.
_________________
Out on the road today...I saw a DeadHead sticker on a Cadillac...
Jack
110 Gallon DSA Pentagon

[saluki07]

alright well thanks for the advice