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90g TANK SHAKING/SWAYING

T

The Wrong Reefer

Ok, I'm asking for some advice before I come home to a disaster. The tank sits in an addition on my house, maybe 7 or 8 years old, there's a cross space underneath. This hobby is not kid friendly... I got a 90g reef in my den and as all of you with little boys know... they run, jump, wrestle and NEVER STOP. Every time they run by the tank or decide to jump, I see this 90 gallon sway back and forth a bit. I built the stand myself, its more solid than anything you'd find in a store. Honestly, you could drive a truck on it, so I know there's no chance of it coming down, thats not my worry. My main concern is it developing a stress fracture from the movement back and forth due to the movement in the floor. Movement isn't much, but with a glass box filled with 90g of water, rock, and sand, it makes me nervous. I've got the 6 year old trained not to run through the den, but as for the 2 year old... well... there's no hope. Any input on this is appreciated. Anything I can do to brace the floor studs? Should I be that worried??
 
joe b

joe b

Crawl space jacks are cheap... That much water moving around might make me nervous too. I have 2 small tanks in my bedroom and have the same problem with my 4 & 7 yr old... I can't look at the tanks without those guys following and doing flips:)
 
joeb558

joeb558

I had the same issue with my old 75 gallon. I put supports between the beams as well as vertical supports from joists to the floor of the crawlspace. Still had minimum shake when the kids were playing around but it was much more stable.
 
T

The Wrong Reefer

OK, thanks, as for the jacks, should I empty some of the water out to reduce the weight before I start jacking it up, or just make it snug where it is? Maybe a couple jacks supporting a 4x4 across the joists? I can do some carpentry, but when it comes to home construction I'm clueless. Thanks guys.
 
joeb558

joeb558

I wouldn't really jack it up. Just snug the jacks up with a little pressure. You really don't want to move the beams. The supports between the joists are also a good precaution.
 
NikkiT

NikkiT

Is the floor moving, or is the stand moving?
Is the stand level? Has the floor shifted over time?
Any time I see a stand moving, or a tank moving I get very worried.
 
T

The Wrong Reefer

its definitely the floor, tank stand sits about 4" off the wall. I expected a little movement, but seeing a 90g tank move even a little bit in person scares the heck outta me... especially with little ones running around. Tank and stand are still level.
 
kschweer

kschweer

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Just make sure that the concrete is fairly thick. Sometimes crawl spaces only have what is called a "rat slab" which is pretty thin.
 
Zippy69

Zippy69

joeb558 said:
+1 on the rat slab. I put a piece if 2x8 under the vertical supports.
Click to expand...

Also make sure you have an impervious barrier (plastic) seperating the 2x8 from the concrete. You do not want moisture to go from the concrete to the wood to cause rot.
 
Chrisgarrick

Chrisgarrick

I would make sure of the level of the floor and floor joists. You want to ensure that it's not out of level too much. I'd also check the condition of the joists and sub floor. Look for any rot. If the area is moving then try to find out why.
 
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