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At what size (gallons) should I think about reinforcing the flooring?

Klatzy

Klatzy

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At what size of a tank would you all recommend thinking about reinforcing flooring? At the moment, I have a 24 gallon (probably up to 28ish with the HOB skimmer, ATO bottle, and dosing tank) gallon tank on the 2nd floor of the house. The house itself sits on a concrete slab.

I'm pondering a larger tank, in the 40-50 gallon range at some point in the future (not any time soon) and wondering if the current location is appropriate.

The 24 gallon tank is next to a load-bearing wall but...it's also on the 2nd floor and next to the kids' school/gaming desk. I'm a little worried that during an earthquake it's not a safe place to be with all that glass+water nearby.

I'm pretty sure it could be moved to the first floor with no need to think about reinforcing. But if I were to get a bigger tank, at what size would you recommend consulting a contractor/engineer?
 
I think it's about pounds per square foot and where in the room the tank is vs load bearing structures. In my experience my 44G against a load bearing wall but not on a joist is ok. My 75G against an exterior wall is currently sketchy and I'm shopping for reinforcement contractors. So based on n=2 I'd say the number is between 40 and 70 gallons.
 
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I wouldn’t worry about a 50 gallon tank assuming your house is relatively modern. A gallon is about 8 lbs, plus equipment. Rock adds minimal weight since it displaces water. Not more than a couple people standing/jumping there.
 
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