max size aquarium in a condo?

[bleevin]

I live in a 10 yr old condo unit. It's a wood frame with cement floors? Does anyone have a clue as to the max size aquarium I can have without problems?

[Aquattro]

Near an outside wall, you can probably install a 180g anyway. Some condos will have a max size in the strata rules. Always make sure your insurance covers water damage, just in case.

[sphelps]

Probably should check with the condo board first, they might be the biggest restriction and even may have the answer you're looking for. With the addition of cement floors I would feel safe with up to 200 gallons of total water provided it was against a load bearing wall and perpendicular to floor joists. But I'm not a structural engineer just mechanical so defiantly no expert.

If you have a party don't let everyone crowd around the tank at once :lol:

[untamed]

I checked my strata rules regarding pets/aquariums....

I am allowed to only keep a "reasonable number of fish". Open to some interpretation, wouldn't you say?

[tlo]

Well, I think a 200 gallon is quite resonable.....;)

[Aquattro]

I checked my strata rules regarding pets/aquariums....

I am allowed to only keep a "reasonable number of fish". Open to some interpretation, wouldn't you say?

Ya, when I owned a condo, the rules were something like a "tank not too large" . That's a stupid thing to say to me :)

[atcguy]

well I say 7-8 tangs is reasonable.. should be at least 200 gallons to make them happy... then you need some coral and liverock to make them happy..

[mark]

I checked my strata rules regarding pets/aquariums....

I am allowed to only keep a "reasonable number of fish". Open to some interpretation, wouldn't you say?

You got a 400g. You're in a condo?

[fkshiu]

You got a 400g. You're in a condo?

Dude's got a basement. It's not a highrise - although pulling a 400g off on the 35th floor of one would be kinda cool.

[Keri]

Yeah.... I'd be careful on that one.
When I had my condo my strata rules said something along the lines of a "reasonably sized" aquarium but that if ANY damages were incurred because of the tank (water or electrical) I was personally responsible and it was not covered by insurance. (For my own unit and any other affected units)

Sorry I can't help you on size.

[jasond]

I keep a 60g in my condo, and I am on the second floor. I think the rules vary depending on your building/condo board, but this was the biggest I felt comfortable with. When I decide to go bigger it will be in a house with a basement with nowhere to leak but a drain in the floor (just in case) :biggrin:

[steve fedyk]

I had a 120g in my condo. I was on the second floor but was still on a concert floor, and no one below me. When I checked with strata they wanted to know were I wanted to place the tank. The tank foot print could not be more then 200 psi. So I made my stand 7' long to house all my equipment with a plywood bottom and lined the inside will a liner.

[reptile guy]

Should be able to put a good 300 gallons without issue. The thing that always baffles me is why would the tank crumble a floor made out of 2x10's standing on end (each 2x10 is capable of supporting a very large amount of weight) when it's not crumbling the store bought stand made out of cheap practically unreinforced plywood? If an allglass stand can support a 210 gallon (I'm sure we've all seen all glass stands lol) then why wouldn't your floor be able too. Most buildings are over engineered and should be able to easily support the weight of a car and or having 20 people standing together for a photo. If your stand isn't crumbling then neither should your floor so go big! lol

[Drock169]

my strata says a reasonable number of fish or other small aquatic animals, so I chose a few large fish in a 125.

[Telford]

I have a 80g cylinder right in the middle of the floor. My building is all concrete however. Just make sure that you are covered by insurance.

[Leah]

Go for it, who would ever know....Drip, Drip, Drip, opps: huge flood. My vote would be for
denial. Must have come from the floor above. Oh ya, better get a big rotti on the way back from LFS, (replacment of tank. lol) Tee Hee!
Leah
________
VAPORIZER (http://vaporizer.org/)

[bleevin]

Alright... thanks for the replies... I'll try for a 75g or 90g then.

[sphelps]

Alright... thanks for the replies... I'll try for a 75g or 90g then.

Probably for the best. For people not in the hobby an aquarium 50 gallons + is considered large.

[dkcrx]

I lived at cascade green in Abbotsford, had a 250G, a 125, a 90 a 45 and 2 30gal. all on the ground floor above the underground parking.

[dabandit]

Should be able to put a good 300 gallons without issue. The thing that always baffles me is why would the tank crumble a floor made out of 2x10's standing on end (each 2x10 is capable of supporting a very large amount of weight) when it's not crumbling the store bought stand made out of cheap practically unreinforced plywood? If an allglass stand can support a 210 gallon (I'm sure we've all seen all glass stands lol) then why wouldn't your floor be able too. Most buildings are over engineered and should be able to easily support the weight of a car and or having 20 people standing together for a photo. If your stand isn't crumbling then neither should your floor so go big! lol

Simple a 2x10 is 10'' on end a stand is about 36'' on end lol also a stand spans far less distance than a floor joist....get it?

[Ryan7]

Would like to hear on this subject from someone who has the education on the matter.

I would like to know how much weight can a wood frame 2nd storey floor hold? Lets say based on a 6x2ft footprint whether it is against a wall or not.

[Cameron]

Near an outside wall, you can probably install a 180g anyway. Some condos will have a max size in the strata rules. Always make sure your insurance covers water damage, just in case.

I checked my strata rules regarding pets/aquariums....

I am allowed to only keep a "reasonable number of fish". Open to some interpretation, wouldn't you say?


My strata has approved a 135gal, make sure your insurance covers all water damage. As my insurance company wanted to know the approx amount of evaporation, wattage of the lights and total water volume.

Insurance is a good thing. For $250/yr well worth it.

[Floop70]

...For people not in the hobby an aquarium 50 gallons + is considered large.
Isn't that the truth! I had a 55g freshwater tank a few years ago and I though it was pretty big. I've picked up a 90 to setup in the spring and I already think it may not be big enough. :D

[Johnny Reefer]

Near an outside wall, you can probably install a 180g anyway. Some condos will have a max size in the strata rules. Always make sure your insurance covers water damage, just in case.
In the apartment I used to rent I had a 180g, 2 x 135g, a 90g, and a 45g top off for the 180. The building was 38 years old when I moved out, so I would say a 180g, at the least, would be fine. Oh ya, I was on the 4th floor. And agreed on the insurance point.

I checked my strata rules regarding pets/aquariums....

I am allowed to only keep a "reasonable number of fish". Open to some interpretation, wouldn't you say?
When I bought my condo, there was nothing in the bylaws regarding fish. I had to make sure a bylaw was made so I could make the deal and also continue the hobby. (Part of the reason for the move was upgrading my saltwater tanks. Needed a more solid base). Anyway, this is the bylaw (reasonable number of fish) they came up with. Definitely open to interpretation. Is 100 feeder goldfish in a 30g a reasonable number of fish? Is 15-20 saltwater fish in a 180g a reasonable number of fish?

[sphelps]

In the apartment I used to rent I had a 180g, 2 x 135g, a 90g, and a 45g top off for the 180. The building was 38 years old when I moved out, so I would say a 180g, at the least, would be fine. Oh ya, I was on the 4th floor. And agreed on the insurance point.

Sounds like a cramped and humid apartment. Did the landlord ever see it?

[chevyjaxon]

1 gallon of water weighs aproximately 10 pounds 200 gallons is 2000 pounds be sure you know the direction of the floor joists and position your tank so you have as many as possible underneath it heres a thought that should be comforting people put pianos in their houses and they weigh quite a bit so i wouldnt worry too much about a fish tank in my old town house which was built in the 1940s i put a 90 gallon tank on the main floor and had no problems

[Johnny Reefer]

Sounds like a cramped and humid apartment. Did the landlord ever see it?
Yes they did. They came in once a year for their annual inspection. I remember one year the guy said "I hope you have insurance". I had a couple of minor spills, but never a flood. Actually, the most water damage sustained was from a big jug (8 litres?) of water I had stowed as part of an earthquake kit. There was a pinhole in it and it drained out. I didn't discover it until months later. One time the manager came up asking about water leaking down into the next unit below, but it was leaking down into the bathroom below and she was concerned about the plumbing in my bathroom. Nothing was out of the ordinary. All I could do was shrug my shoulders and she was gone. Long story short, I never suffered any retribution and I got my full damage deposit back. I was in there for 8 years, so they redid the carpet after I was out. I would have liked to have seen underneath as the ripped the old stuff up.

Cheers,

[kapow!]

I was thinking of buying a 30-50 gallon tank and my building manager told me flat out “no aquarium”. I own my unit and I’m on the ground floor in Burnaby, the building is 39 years old.

[oyf709]

I was thinking of buying a 30-50 gallon tank and my building manager told me flat out “no aquarium”. I own my unit and I’m on the ground floor in Burnaby, the building is 39 years old.

That sound like the exact situation I was before I move.

I own my unit in Burnaby mountain area and it was a 39 - 40 year old condo. However, I am in the Ground floor and my tank was 120G. I had it for roughly 2 years before I shut it all down due to my own personal health concern and the extreme humidity the tank gets me at all time. (over 65% any given time)

[ReefMadness]

I keep a 120 standard in my wood construction 2nd floor condo. I'm on the board and invited my building manager to check it out and he was more enamoured with the fish and coral than any building issues.
I also made sure to buy extra insurance to cover me and my neighbours in the event of a catastrophic fail.

[Helium]

If you are in a condo the strata might already have a limit

Also general insurance only covers 30 Gal so I strongly recommend getting more like the comment above said, without it it could cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars in the case of a tank failure, I have seen this happen more than once.


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