weight question

[dreams]

my home was built in 1920....do i need to be worried about the the weight of 125g tank?....it will be on an outside wall

[Ninong]

You probably won't have a problem but here are the points to consider:

The tank should be positioned so that it sits across the floor joists and not parallel to them.

A standard 125-gal glass tank has a footprint of 9 sq ft (1296 sq in).

Saltwater weighs close to 8.5 lbs/gal. The tank itself probably weighs in excess of 200 lbs. The live rock will probably weight approximately 150 lbs. The sand might weigh 150 lbs. The stand's weight, the weight of the equipment, the weight of the sump and the water in the sump, etc., will bring your total weight somewhere around 1,800 lbs.

1,800/9 = 200 lbs/sq ft (1.4 lbs/sq in). That should not be a problem for most homes. Consult with a structural engineer if you have questions or simply ask any building contractor friend. (Maybe someone in the construction trades will post here?)

Points to remember: Try to spread the load evenly by having a "base" under the stand if the stand itself doesn't evenly spread the load. Make sure the tank sits perpendicular to the floor joists and not parallel.

[dreams]

Thanks, i didn't think it would be an issue, but thought i had better check.....never know what "you" might over-look.....anyways, yea, it is going across the joists

i will have ask my contractor guy, just for safe measure....i am having him run electric for it

thanks again

[firefox]

Dont like to be picky but in the USA you have those itsy bitsy little gallons here in the UK we have real man size galons . Gallon weighs 10Lb plus the salt so a 125 Gal tank is 1250Lb of water plus every thing else less the water your rock desplaces but as the rock sinks it must be heaver:eek3:
firefox

[dreams]

Lol...:-)

[BubbaWPB]

Dont like to be picky but in the USA you have those itsy bitsy little gallons here in the UK we have real man size galons . Gallon weighs 10Lb plus the salt so a 125 Gal tank is 1250Lb of water plus every thing else less the water your rock desplaces but as the rock sinks it must be heaver:eek3:
firefox

Geez... and they told us in school that we use the English system of measurement.... so if the gallons are bigger, a 125 gallon tank in the US wouldn't be 125 gallon tank in the UK, would it? And the water/salt in the same tank would weight the same, right?

[Ninong]

firefox,

First off,



Since he lives in the U.S., it is safe to assume that when he says his tank is 125 gallons, he's talking about little bitsy U.S. gallons and not gigantic Imperial gallons.

If we ever get around to adopting the metric system over here instead of the quaint archaic English system we are still stuck with, we won't have to worry about the difference between U.S. gallons and Imperial gallons.

By the way, isn't it about time you guys dropped the pound and accepted the euro?



P.S. -- 125 U.S. gallons = 104.085 gigantic Imperial gallons. The weight of the water in each tank would be the same. Besides, I thought you guys used the metric system to describe your tanks?

[firefox]

Hi Guys
dont mention the euro
nope we measure our tanks in feet and inches and the volume in liters i kid you not though the stickers are begining to be in metric. However big tanks are always 5 ft 6 ft will not say another word on weights of tanks
Firefox

[Ninong]

All your good stuff comes from Germany, that's why it's advertised in metric.

[Poseidon]

I used to have a customer by thousands of dollars worth of RC Car parts from me, he was from Coalville I think, it was WAY cheaper for him because of that POUND! I wouldn't want the Euro either, it is weaker then the Pound right?

As for the metric system, I say BRING IT! My Grandpa was on the US Metric board under Jimmy Carter, that didn't go to well!

[tray262]

Ok, I'm the nerd here, So maybe I"ll chime in on the strucural part, Today houses are designed for 50PSF Live load, and 10 PSF Dead load, I agree with what was said above, if you are running per. to joist and it is on an outside wall, I say you nothing to worry about. Most of the load is being directly transfered to the foundation. If you are running par. to joist How far toward the center of the joist span are you ?

[dreams]

thanks tray!...i am going across the joists.....so, looks like i am safe:-)

[tray262]

God I we go to metic, I quit. I do Architecture and I don't wanna have to convert all my drawings. lol. I'd be pee'ed.

[BubbaWPB]

You must be a youngun, Tray. Back in the 70's there was a plan for the US to go metric by 1980... I spent my high school years doing conversions, wishing we would just go metric and get it over with! The conversions are the worst.

I wouldn't worry too much about it anyway... talk to people in Canada and the UK... they still use miles and pounds and stuff... they only insist on using that confusing Celsius temperature scale. They think that 30 degrees outside is hot!

[tray262]

I can't find the edit button. I really meant "God if we ever go to metic, I quit. I do Architecture and I don't wanna have to convert all my drawings. lol. I'd be pee'ed." I'm a youngen kinda 26. But I was aware from the switch that was to be. Also we actually did some drawings for Iraq. Some Kurid housing. Which all had to be metic. It's weird after doing ft and inches for ever. I remember sitting here, trying to figure out stud spacing. 16" o/c equal to lol. It was a mess anyways that what I meant.

[BubbaWPB]

It is a lot easier to divide numbers in half in metric... I mean, it takes some calculating to get half of 3 feet 3 3/8 inches....

[tray262]

Very true. But I like my feet and inches. lol.