Jay's 150

[jay1335]

So I just put down a deposit on a 150 last night and I wont be picking it up for a couple of weeks but I wanted to get this started to document everything. This will be going into my new home and im still not even sure where im going to put it yet or if im going to use the stand and hood it comes with or go for a built in setup. I'll most likely use the stand at first and then move into a built in. Once I get the tank ill post up some pics and everything it came with. Until then I need to find out a coupe of things......

Does anyone know a structural engineer? I need to see if my floor will hold all that weight. I'm 80% sure it will but id rather be safe and have a pro check it out. If I need to brace up the floor it wont be too hard.

Then for those of you that have done a built in setup what was your experience like...was it worth all of it? Did you lose viewing angles? What were your biggest obstacles?

Thanks for any help offered in this thread!! And I cant wait to get this big bad boy going!!! I have no patience

 

[Mamaroneck]

good luck Jay !

Over feeding, electricity out, storms...well it is a ride but well worth while, and clearly 150g is easier...

Just make sure to spend time on your "design" and look at plenty of tank pictures to see which one appeals to you...

I have overlooked that part...I am glad with my result but they were other choices...Most of us are so happy to put the rocks in the tank that we dont pay enough attention, once well establish it is close to impossible to change !

Again good luck:approve:

 

[Tim]

Is it a new build home? If it is I would plan it out now and if you are even thinking about putting it in the wall do it now during the building stage. Set it up once and be done with it. You don`t want to set it up and break it down. It`s a pain trust me.....

 

[jay1335]

Thanks for the good luck wishes!! And no this isn't a new home. Im doing some light remodeling right now, all new windows and doors, gut on the kitchen and bath, wood floors getting refinished, all new paint, did I say light? Im figuring its gonna be about 3-6 months before I'm officially into the house. I think ive got the wall/spot where the tank is going to go, but things could change once im in there and setup. If there is one thing I have learned in life....nothing ever goes to plan!! I will be researching and planning way before this tank even touches the van for pickup. Ive rushed a few tanks because I have no patience whatsoever but ive learned now to calm myself and this tank is going to be done the right way from the start.

 

[Pinkheine]

Good luck with the renovations and the new tank. Looking forward to seeing progress **kicking myself daily** for going with a 120g, we downsized from a 170, should have went up.. not down.

I personally am a fan of the in-wall set up if you can swing it. We have had both now, and I can say that it is much easier in wall as far as doing things and keeping equiptment etc. IMO>
In our other tank we had the plumbing go into a closet, the tank was on the opposite wall. That allowed us a bit more room than just in the stand as well.

As for 'will it hold the weight' I'd say there are no guarantees unless you are on a slab... but a good idea to have it looked at if you don't know for sure. We had a 170g in our apartment years ago, didn't know which way the beams went nothing, we put it in the outside corner of the room, so two of the walls were exterior walls. We marked the stand on the wall, and I periodically would check to see if it moved, it never moved.

Good luck with everything

 

[jay1335]

Thanks for the info Pink!! I am still very undecided about the in wall thing. My impatience is saying use the stand but there are def some advantages to doing it in wall...ive got time to make that choice.

So I'm trying to come up with a guestimated weight here and I need to figure out how much sand will be in the tank. I wanna go with a 3-5 inch bed of sand. Is there any kind of a calculator to figure out the quantity of sand I'll need to do that?

 

[figgy]

Hear is a link for some more info on your question regarding whether or not your floor can hold the wieght of your aquarium. Good Read


http://badmanstropicalfish.com/articles/article28.html

 

[jay1335]

Wow thanks figgy that was def a great read!! I think im def going to add to the bracing in the house no matter where I put the tank.

 

[figgy]

Your very welcome. I too had the same question when I installed my 150(with Stand)in a room on the first floor of my house. I did not have to add any bracing because of how the floor joist was located on top of the steel I-beam that is connected to the foundation. The tank is located right underneath it.

 

[jay1335]

Thats lucky for you but I have a feeling I will have to add some bracing where I want to put my tank. Im going over to the house today ill take a look and report back with some pics as a reference.

 

[jay1335]

After looking in the crawl space today I think im ok. There is a main beam supported by cement pillars that runs right under where I wanna put the tank. I'm going to take some more exact measurements just to be completely sure. Sorry for no pics but it was late and tough to take pics under the house. Ill try for tomorrow.

 

[masterswimmer]

So I'm trying to come up with a guestimated weight here and I need to figure out how much sand will be in the tank. I wanna go with a 3-5 inch bed of sand. Is there any kind of a calculator to figure out the quantity of sand I'll need to do that?

Saltwater weighs approx. 8 lbs./gallon (varies depending upon the SG (Specific Gravity) of the water).

Sandbed calculator

swimmer

 

[jay1335]

So here are my figures on the weight of this tank......
Water I figured the tank is a 150 plus the sump which I dont know so i went for 200gal to be on the higher side. So water alone weighs about 1600lbs. Sand, for a 5 inch bed will be about 280lbs (thanks russ for the calc). Rock at 2lbs per gal will be about 300lbs. Add it all up and it comes to 2180lbs. Now I didnt include the weight of the tank stand or equipment as I dont have any of that in my posesition yet. I figure the extra water I figured will cover most of that weight. So this is a pretty large number and I think im still gonna brace the floor up even though Im right on a main support beam. Better safe than sorry.

 

[masterswimmer]

Don't forget, with 200# of LR and a 5" sandbed, you'll be displacing a lot of water too. So your 150g tank will hold less than 150g of water.

I don't do the lifting, so my guesstimate of the tank weight is probably in the neighborhood of 200 lbs.

Between your LR and sandbed, I wouldn't be surprised if it displaced 25% of the tank volume.

swimmer

 

[jay1335]

Ok so if i figure this right take 25% of the water away which is 50gal that drops my water weight to 1200lbs and then add the 200lb tank giving me a new guestimate of 1980lbs a little bit better.

 

[masterswimmer]

Sounds more realistic.

Will the orientation of the tank be sitting parallel to the floor joists or perpendicular?

Will you be situating the tank on an outside wall or an inside bearing wall?

swimmer

 

[jay1335]

I have to look at things closer but the way I was thinking it is parallel to the floor joists with a main support running perpendicular under it. Its close to an outer wall but not on it and im not sure how to tell if the inner wall is load bearing or not.....

 

[jay1335]

Ok update time......

Picked up the tank today!! Thanks again Mitch!! I also want to say thank you to Rick and especially Robert and Earlie!! You guys rock!! Thanks for helping me move everything and it was great to meet you guys and bs for awhile. Now that the tank is closer to its final location I can start to inventory everything and taking measurements. I'm going to be starting this tomorrow and ill put up the list of what ive got. Thanks again to the moving crew!!!

 

[robert0419]

Hey jay your Welcome if you should ever need any help hey you have my #
I will be there good luck Oh and don't Tell Rick i fall on my ass loll

-Robert

 

[NYreefNoob]

Np And Best Of Luck With The Tank, You Got A Advantage Starting Of With All Top Equiptment As Well. Going To Be A Really Nice Set-up