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View Full Version : People with in wall tanks please give me tips


jason604
12-25-2014, 06:46 AM
I'm going to build a in wall tank very soon so I just have some questions I need to ask. So I decided to convert a closet in the middle of my house to be the area where my tank will be in and the small office room behind it will be my fish room where I will tear down the wall and keep all my equipment, sump and a sink in. I already bought a 110g 5 feet tank that's 1/2 inch and is roughly 400lbs or so. With total water,sump,rocks,equipment and such I'm estimating that my total weight in the area will be abouts 1300-1500lbs give or take. My house is 3 stories so under the planned area is the living room to my basement so I am not able to brace the basements ceiling with 2x4s so will this weight be too much?
For The wall that will be tear down between the office and the closet, I'm planning to cut atleast 3 studs across which should give me 64" room to maintenance my tank. To brace those studs I'm planning to use two 2x10s side by side and drill it to the the upper remaining studs and cut two 2x4 and brace those 2x10s vertically. Or should I just cut 2 studs which gives me 32" and hopefully I won't need to brace?

whatcaneyedo
12-26-2014, 12:11 AM
If its a non load bearing wall just frame it as you would frame a closet doorway. I don't have the most current edition of the building code and I am not a structural engineer so thats all the advice I can give. But here is how I framed my room, its for a 5'x3' tank but my current one is only 4'x2' so I added some extra framing to close in the rough opening.

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh109/whatcaneyedo/Image3_zpsacaaf6df.jpg

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh109/whatcaneyedo/Image4_zps1aff6340.jpg