Calculating aquarium weight?

[GIS Guy]

I am interested to learn if there are any rules of thumb for calculating the weight of an aquarium (specifically glass). I know that 1 gallon of water weighs 8.34 pounds, which would make 55g weigh approximately 460 pounds and 75g weigh approximately 626 pounds.

I have been comparing a 55g glass to a 90g glass both are 48" wide. (I am sure I have enough space to fit either). Undoubtedly the glass thickness on the 90g is much more than the 55g, not to mention the dimisions of the tanks are much different. This leads me to the question of how heavy is the glass that is used for aquariums?

Then I would have to add in the weight of a solid wood stand, substrate, lighting, etc.

My concern is that the floor may not be capable of supporting a 90g setup weighing somewhere around 1500 pounds, but could support a 55g at approximately 1/2 to 2/3.

Assistance please.

 

[Pure]

A good figure is to say 10 pounds per gallon for the complete tank. The stand isn't a part of that figure.

 

[SeaMonkeyMiner]

Is the tank on the second story?
Is it on the ground floor?
Is your house a raised foundation with floor joists, or slab on grade?

I work at an Engineering Company and have we put the large jacozzi tubs on the second floor and those filled with water are probably about the same weight as your tank.

If your house has a slab on grade type foundation then it should be fine. I have a 135 gallon tank on a stand and its fine.

One concern is your stand. Is it designed for tanks? Does it only have four legs or does the stand wrap around the whole tank(is it the basic prebuilt tank stand)?

 

[GIS Guy]

Is the tank on the second story?
Is it on the ground floor?
Is your house a raised foundation with floor joists, or slab on grade?

I haven't purchased the tank as of yet. The room is over a basement with cross braced joists. The home is 80+ years old.

One concern is your stand. Is it designed for tanks? Does it only have four legs or does the stand wrap around the whole tank(is it the basic prebuilt tank stand)?

The stand is prefab, cabinet style. The position of the tank would be spread across several joists (48" wide) and the stand would therefore distribute the weight across 4 joists at 12 inches on center.

 

[SeaMonkeyMiner]

Umm yea the 80 year old part is the main thing that kind of scares me. You could always try and find out.(J/k) then you would have a hole to the basement
Im guessing they are not using TJI's for your joist being that old.
Are they like 2X10's @ 12" O.C.?

I am going out of town today and will be back at work on tuesday. I will try and see if one of the Engineers there could help do some calcs and figure out if they can support it.

I would need the size, length and spacing of the joists. and where the tank is going to be located(ie how far from the wall under the joists is the tank going to sit?) deffinately wouldnt want it in the center of the joist. more towards a bearing wall.

Worse comes to worse If you are set on having it in that room you would have to replace the 4 or 5 joists that are supporting the tank.

I am guessing that It "could" be alright but I am not making any guarantees

 

[JWright]

I just multiply by 10. Nothing has crashed through a floor yet...

 

[SeaMonkeyMiner]

JWright could be right your could always put it in place and slowly add water and see if it holds. I dont recommend this but JWright will come to your house and clean up the mess.J/K

EDIT: I just thought of this you could have 2-10 people (depending on how American they are) stand in the spot where you want the tank and it should hold. 12" o.c. is pretty good most houses these days are designed with 16" o.c. true the joist are different and older but should still do the job.

 

[NoDeltaH2O]

we fret too much about tanks. They are really not that much heavier than normal live loads we experience all the time. I have NEVER EVER heard a story of a tank crashing through a floor. You just don't have tanks high enough to crash through a floor. Generally, any tank less than 6 feet tall weighs the same or maybe only slightly more than a human being, as we are 97% water. Would any of us hesitate to cram our house full of people for a party? Would people build houses that can't hold a room full of people. Oh the law suits that would initiate.

And on a side note, old houses are generally over-engineered more than new houses are.

Again I say to all of you, place you 240 gallon tanks in the middle of the floor and enjoy it. I will, real soon.