I wouldn't do it personally. Your floor joists are usually farther apart than those on the first floor. So weight is one issue. The other issue is the amount of water. If there is an accident the you have 150 gallons spilling through your entire house, not just your first floor and basement.
To put the weight into perspective just add a zero to your tank volume and you get a high end estimate of the weight. So you're looking at 1500 lbs - that's about the weight of 8 full grown men standing in one spot. Probably wont make the floor collapse but it just makes me nervous, plus seals do go bad.
When you are considering tank placement try to find out which way the floor joist run and place your tank perpendicular to them and up against a wall. That will displace the weight and reduce the bouncing effect when people walk by.
150 gallons is a huge freshwater tank. You'll definitely want to go with an FX5 or equivalent Eheim model. Don't waste your time with HOBs on that volume. Some other things to consider when buying a used tank of that size is the condition of the glass. 150 can look awesome until you fill it with water and notice a huge scratch in the middle that constantly grows green algae. Scratches just stand out more in larger tanks so make sure you take a little led flashlight with you and scan the front with it. The scratches will reflect. Make sure it is FULL of water when you see it, don't buy it unless you see it hold water. Check the seems for flaking, bubbling or algae growth inside the silicone. If algae can get in there then so can water. If you know it leaks on the seems you could get a better deal, the silicone is easy to fix.
This was actually being thought of before I posted this thread, but I didn't want to be bothersome and ask things about two different tanks in one thread, so went with the more likely tank size which is the 75g. I also was 99% sure my dad was going to be like NO. And now he sounds quite alright with it. The reason I am wanting this over the 75g is, as you know, bigger is always better. I can bump the numbers up and get a wider variety of fish. One fish I could have that I can't in the 75g, is a fire eel.
Weight is definitely an issue, I agree. This is what me and my father were talking about and he seems to think it'll be okay. I was guesstimating 2000 lbs, to add for substrate and the weight of the tank and stand itself, along with the water. The tank will definitely be against a wall, whichever size it is.
I most definitely would be going with canister filters for this size tank, could I do those and HOBs, if I wanted? That is a wonderful tip about the flashlight, thank you. No worries on making sure if they hold water, have scratches, etc. My dad will not accept anything that isn't in great condition. Very very picky. This is good though when it comes to our tanks.
I am not trying to say you're wrong, as it is an opinion after all, I just wanted to tell you why I'd prefer the bigger size. You're definitely right on all points!
Agreed.
150's can come in some (in my opinion) odd sizes as well. Someone in my town is trying to sell a really nice looking 150g setup. The tank is 48" x 24" x 30". That's a LOT of weight on a 4' x 2' footprint. >>
150 gallon fish tank, like new
That is something I hadn't thought about, was the weight distribution depending on the dimensions of the tank. All the 150gs I see on craigslist are 6 feet. I want a 5x2x2.
Thank you both, your thoughts are very much appreciated. Any idea around how much it would cost an engineer to help us figure out what our floor can safely handle? Do they do that for fish tanks? D:
Oh noes! The Cascade 1500 was like.. 96.91 I think a few hours ago, now it's gone up! I need to get my dad on that ASAP haha. Free shipping too I think!
