NEReef

I would personally say no bigger than a 75 gallon to be on the safe side, and thats assuming you are doing a sump with lots of live rock. I have a single level with a crawlspace and a 75 gallon was actually a little on the big side for that floor and I eventually moved it to a different room with a much stronger floor but you can tell where the 75 gallon sat as the floor bowed in that spot causing you to see a noticeable gap between the floor and the trim on the wall.

Google dead load, live load, span tables. http://www.wclib.org/pdfs/SimpSpanTbls.pdf That should get you started. You will want to run the numbers if you're planning on getting a large tank - almost everyone's situation is unique and there's no good rule of thumb. However, I would say that they routinely put bathtubs on second floors - usually against the outside wall, so don't get too scared.

First, do you know whether those are 2x10 or 2x8 for the floor joists? Being that the tank will be perpendicular to the joists and near the outside load bearing area, 210 should not be a problem with 2x8, if they are 2x10 I would not sweat a thing. The key is that the tank is near the load bearing wall as opposed to a floating partition wall.

remember though Blenny, anywhere they put a bathtub they add additional support to it so where the tub is placed will hold more weight than the rest of the floor.

I guess we should ask how big you are wanting to go and depending on that size it is never a bad idea to add floor support to reach your dreams, but it is a bad idea to add too big of a tank where it can not be supported.

I work in construction in Charlotte north Carolina and I have never seen extra support be provided for a second story tub.

I don't know whether they are 2x10s or 2x8s i would assume 2x10s at least since they are spanning 12ft from the wall to the center beam. It seems like it should be able to hold the one thing I was curious about and I should probably look into is does the height of the load bearing wall under the tank matter? The garage underneath is tall i would say at least 12 ft I wonder how that impacts load transfer if at all??

Soooooo........would a 300g be out of the question??? I was out looking for a new 125 since that's what my current stand is for and I came across a 300g that needs to be resealed for really cheap money........

300 gallons is a very different animal than 200. I would not recommend a 300 gallon on a second floor unless it was built to hold it specifically.

I also came across this guy at the fish store while looking at tanks.....



Ya i have no confidence in a 300 on the second floor but it would be awesome!!!!

I am not in construction but I used to be a plumber and I have seen lots of second story tub support. But then again I am sure the generation gap is going to be apparent as in the places I worked were older not new homes.

I would have to agree with midnight on a 300 being a different beast then a 125. I do know a guy who has a 350 on his second floor but he has so much support on it that it could probably withstand a earthnado (earthquake during a tornado)

What about putting a 300g tank in the basement on a carpeted floor over Dricore subfloor?? The dricore website says

The DRIcore Subfloor panels can support over 4,000 lbs. per square foot, as tested by an independent lab, so heavy furniture and equipment like pool tables, weight sets and pianos are no problem.

My only concern would be settling/un leveling of the tank. Any thoughts on wood vs steel for a tank this size? Anyone done a reseal on a tank this big before? I am wondering if i am getting myself in too deep on this one and i should just stick with a 125. lol

I am wondering if i am getting myself in too deep on this one and i should just stick with a 125. lol

How deep are your pockets? You can do anything with enough time and money.

well i just sold my 125 and stand, 8' long 75 gallon 8 section divided breeding/quarantine acrylic tank, 40L, 40T, 2x29G, 3x20G, and an old iwaki 100rlt. So i guess its big tank or bust..... kinda sad to see it all go, but man does my garage look empty! The Wifey will be really happy.....hopefully happy enough to ok the purchase of a big tank lol.