# Can I put a 55 gallon tank in this spot in the house?



## Atom (Apr 21, 2010)

Is it safe to put a 45 or 55 gallon aquarium on the second floor by the banister area? I'm not sure how to describe his spot, but it overhangs the stairway. I plan to put it against the wall on the left where those plants are right now. Just worried a 500 pound tank may be too much for this spot. The house is about 20 years old. Thoughts?

Ignore the mess in the photo.









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## scott tang (Jan 29, 2012)

Can 5 people stand there? Bring a few friends over lol


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## April (Apr 21, 2010)

Bad idea.it should
Be against an outside wall and adjacent to floorboards. There's no beams under there unless the boards run right through past that wall if it stops and nailed in or a bracket to the right angle then I wouldn't 


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## eternity302 (Apr 22, 2010)

Lets say 5 people did stand on it. It doesn't mean it'll consistently support that weight for over time. The people there does NOT stay there for months on the same area. They are actual beings that move. That is not an accurate analogy for this.

The tank itself is approx 50lbs, the gravel/soil you will place in there will be another 50lbs, the water weight will be approx. 550 lbs, the stand, the equipment, etc, they all add up to play.

Like April said, there is not support. underneath.

The analogy of having 5 people stand there and jump will not work on a dead weight tank. Yes, it'll hold, but for how long is the question. If the floor beams does not cross with the support beams of the wall, then NO, i would not risk it.
Always best to consult an engineer in these scenarios.

Again like April said, the tank will support against the outside wall of the house, or the main support beams. Unless you have the knowledge of an engineer, don't risk it.

Just my 2 cents.


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## Atom (Apr 21, 2010)

Okay I had a feeling it was a bad idea. Glad I asked. Technically it will be against outside wall, but yes there isn't really support underneath. Guess I'll have to see about moving some other furniture around. 

What about a 30 gallon though?

Thanks everyone.


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## angeles (Sep 20, 2013)

I agree with the others, so since it's an external wall, it should be fine.
On the right where the handrail is, is there a wall underneath or banisters?
If there is a wall you'll have much more support.

That being said, the tank would be very close to the handrail, and if it were to tip over (very unlikely) that railing isn't stopping it.

How big is that window sill?
That could be an amazing place for a tank.


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## Atom (Apr 21, 2010)

angeles said:


> I agree with the others, so since it's an external wall, it should be fine.
> On the right where the handrail is, is there a wall underneath or banisters?
> If there is a wall you'll have much more support.
> 
> ...


There is a wall under the banister yes.

Unfortunately my family would not appreciate a tank blocking the window.

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## Rogo (Mar 1, 2015)

The walls on either side of the stairs are load-bearing. If the stringers are running left to right for the full-distance of the house you have more than enough support because the stringers will be fully-supported.

But, if the stringers run the opposite direction and the carpenter only added a couple of cross-beams to close off the floor, you may run the risk of exceeding the weight limit.

The distance between the two walls is approximately 40 inches, give or take a few (based on the number of spindles; code is 4" on centre)...I'm rambling... You can probably safely put a 20 gallon aquarium in that spot, but without knowing which way the floor beams run you could be tempting trouble if you place a larger, heavier aquarium.

(as a side note...I had a similar situation and ended up breaking out the bulkhead above the stairs to see how the floor was constructed...I don't recommend going to that extreme


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## Aquascene604 (Oct 21, 2013)

eternity302 said:


> Lets say 5 people did stand on it. It doesn't mean it'll consistently support that weight for over time. The people there does NOT stay there for months on the same area. They are actual beings that move. That is not an accurate analogy for this.
> 
> The tank itself is approx 50lbs, the gravel/soil you will place in there will be another 50lbs, the water weight will be approx. 550 lbs, the stand, the equipment, etc, they all add up to play.
> 
> ...


Clearly Scott.tang was joking no need to have attitude


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## eternity302 (Apr 22, 2010)

Aquascene604 said:


> Clearly Scott.tang was joking no need to have attitude


There is no attitude in that~
Maybe I should throw a happy face here and there for every sentence I write =)
Wootz~ Happy happy~ =) =) =)
Typing across the internet doesn't show emotions~
I do apologize if you got it the wrong way. That was not my intention at all~ my intention was to give my 2 cents so his floor doesn't collapse, as that's more important. =) happy faces =)


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## Daryl (Jun 1, 2010)

Basically it depends on what way the joists are running. If the wall on the left side of the picture is an outside wall, and if the floor joists are running perpendicular to that wall (parallel to the short bannister & the pony wall in the background), you should be more than okay to put a 55g tank there.

I'd cut open some drywall to be sure (typically replacing drywall in a ceiling is cheaper than replacing flooring, so if you're going to cut, cut up into drywall from below).


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