Cali Kid Corals

Floor weight challenges and new tank

Gomer

Gomer

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So, I'm getting close to getting the "upgrade" tank and then decided to see what it would take to brace up the floor a bit. I checked out the crawl space, and I THINK I can find a way over to the fish tank room. ...since I didn't want to crawl under the house today, I shot some pictures from a vent on the side of the house and stiched the panoramic together. A bit of a surprise.

I THOUGHT I was perpendicular to some wood floor joists (I peeked through a tiny hole before and saw the wood that you see in the upper left), but it turns out that when I reached down under the house and blindly shot some photos, was just a piece of wood used to support the AC/Heating ducts.

It turns out that I'm in a shitty situation as far as floor joists. I've never seen supporting like this before.
Now, It seems my tank isn't in a good spot (is there even one?) and there may not be an easy way of going forward on a bigger tank.

Any thoughts?

Panoramic stitching (I think the metal pipe is the electricity conduit for the wall since I have an outlet about there and the kitchen range on the opposite side of the wall)
joists.jpg


Layout (grey room is about 10x10. I'd guess that the green beams are ~4-5' spaced and look to be some sort of metal...house was built in the late 60's)
Screenshot2009-09-20at124154PM.png
 
It is pretty far between. I'm not good at guessing, but it is easily 3ft. Probably 4 I can try and get a tape measure on another section of the house. . I'm not sure what the subfloor is. It might be 2x 3/4" ply. For size reference, check out the 2x4 strapped to the right green beam


Phong, don't have a new tank. This was revealed in the planning stages (to see what I can get away with.
 
If it's like my floor, it's ~4'. The subfloor piece is 4'x8'. The ends of the subfloor have to sit on the beam (so they can be nailed down).

My subfloor is about 1.25" thick.
 
Many homes were made with 1 1/4 inch plywood spanning 4 feet.
You could beef it up under your tank by adding another support, although access looks kinda tight. How much crawl space is there?
 
Not sure how much weight the floor good support, but as long you keep it against the wall the would be the strongest point of your floor. Unless you put it in the middle of the room over the other beam.
 
There isn't much space, but it can be crawled under. THere was cable guy who managed to go over that way (not sure how given what I saw from the crawl hatch).

if 4ft span, and if the metal pipe is the conduit going directly up into the wall outlet, then this is much more accurate of the current situation
Screenshot2009-09-20at70014PM.png

Maybe this is why I feel a bit of bounce in the area



I guess I should have had the tank along the window side for structural reasons.
An oceanic 58 RR or illuminati would fit there and probably be more structurally sound including the additional weight and sump than the current setup.
Screenshot2009-09-20at70359PM.png
 
The conduit looks more like a gas line, careful there.
I think you may attach some 2x6 and if the metal is an I beam might make it easy to support them, otherwise some concrete piers.
 
Not gas. There is nothing Gas in the kitchen. The onlything Gas in the house is the heater and water heater which are no where near this spot.

I'm thinking cement paver--> floor jack-->2x6-->subfloor under the tank. Just need to crawl in there!
 
Gomer said:
Not gas. There is nothing Gas in the kitchen. The onlything Gas in the house is the heater and water heater which are no where near this spot.

I'm thinking cement paver--> floor jack-->2x6-->subfloor under the tank. Just need to crawl in there!
Click to expand...
I agree It looks like a gas pipe. It also could be water.
An 8' or 10' 4X4 parallel to the other beams right in the middle of them.
You could support it with a few bricks and some shims in 3 places divided equally.
If it ever gets real wet under there the bricks could sink in the then mud though.
You really don't need a jack. Just use shims or wood shingles ant tap them to keep the floor from sagging. You don't want a bulge in your floor.
 
Could be gas (capped incase the homeowner wanted a gas range?)

For support, wouldn't it be better to have one along the front edge of the proposed tank location (lavender rectangle)? I can't easily add a new long joist parallel the greens from end to end. BUt I can probably crawl in a
 
sfsuphysics said:
I say you cut a hole in the floor and sink your stand :D
Click to expand...

That's a good idea, a seven foot tall stand, four down three up and geothermal cooling for those summer days, just dig and dump the sump
 
I have never seen four foot spans between joists in a floor. They are 12" to 24" back East. Wild.

Tony if you placed a brace at the bottom of the stand similar to the bracing at the top, the stand would span the two green beams you are dealing with. Is the floor active now? The floor in the room with the my tank bounces with anyone walking into the room. If your floor is bouncing then you will want a brace to the ground on the edge of the tank in the room.
 
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