Aquarium weight considerations for an condo/apartment

[danielb]

Hi folks,

I'm currently considering setting up a new planted Discus tank after moving to Vancouver from Scotland, I'm currently thinking of getting a four foot tank (either 12" or 18" deep and 22-24" high). However I'm slightly concerned by the weight of a typical fifty five or seventy five gallon for foot tank. The building my rented condo is in is less than five years old, so I guess it should be strong enough...

If anyone has any experience with this size of tank (or larger) in an apartment I'd love to hear from you, rather than learn the hard (and expensive) way if the size of tank I'm considering is too big! I'd be situating the tank beside a wall, not in the middle of a room, although I'm not sure if its a weight bearing wall (if there is such a thing in a modern concrete & steel tower).

[scott bowler]

daniel if its not a timber floor you should be right ,its only timber that will bow under the weight of a tank , i dont know how they build condos over there but here in Austraila they are stronge i had a 6x2x2 tank in a flat and had no probs , that was on the 5 floor it was a bugger to get up there and down when i left . but no worrys .

[the german]

even with timber floors you will have no probs you only have to
watch that you place the tank on the right way on the beams.
i lived back in germany in a 200 years old farmhouse and had
2 375l tanks in the 2nd floor was no problem at all.

[Fishontherun]

I kept a 4x2x2 on a 3rd floor appartment recently built and there was no problem. Apart from bringing the tanks up 3 flies of stairs .. yeah .. the block has no lift as it is only 3 level high. :o)

[Proteus]

Vancouver BC building codes are very similar to what we have here, if the building has concrete floors, you should be fine with basically any sized tank that will fit through the door.

Previously in a 2nd floor apartment I had a 6x2x2, 5x2x2, 4x2x2, 4x18'x18', full cabinets to all tanks, 3 x 100+L sumps, plus a 75L nano all at the one time, plus the usual furniture etc etc...

If you are placing the tank against a wall, there is a good chance the same wall exists in the apartment below you which would help structuraly.