Rio 240..... Ques: upgrad filtration, Pufferfish, Location

paul_southend2k · Post by **paul_southend2k** » 22 Nov 2005, 19:48

I am going to get a Juwel Rio 240 http://www.juwel-aquarium.de/en/rio.htm holds 240Ltrs.... size: 121 x 55 x 41 cm ..... in the new year and want to put in upstairs in my bedroom against a supporting wall across the floor beams... can anyone advise if this tank would be too heavy or if it will be fine for a 1st floor of a house?

Caol_ila · Post by **Caol_ila** » 22 Nov 2005, 20:28

Hi!

This depends on how the house is built and what the max load per qm is.
Considering that you put 40 kilos sand+10-20 kilo deco + 200 litres water the thing+cupboard weighs probalby 350 kilos on half a square meter...standard for german houses is 240 kg/mÂ² i think

paul_southend2k · Post by **paul_southend2k** » 22 Nov 2005, 22:42

Im in a Victorian Built house, below the wall which the tank will be against is an Iron Girder... where we had an extension put on the back of the house... surely this should support the tank??

Any other views

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 23 Nov 2005, 11:36

I would think that it's OK. If you avoid putting LOADS of big rocks in the tank, that would help keeping the weight down somewhat.

Victorian house = floor-boards. I have had my RIO 400 on the downstairs floor-boards. Didn't move in the 9 months it stood there, not even a fraction of an inch.

The German building standard may well say 240 kg/m2, but I think it will also be able to support 240 kg/m2 for the entire room-size, in the middle of the floor, etc. What I'm saying is that that's the average overall load, not the points maximum.

For an experiment, draw (using masking tape or some such) the outline of the tank/base of cabinet on the floor, and stand three average size adults (11st+/80+ kg each) on the area. See if the floor budges noticably. As it's next to an iron girder, I would think that's fine.

If you're really desperate (and don't mind lifting the carpet), you could always lay another layer of flooring, such as putting a 3/4" plywood sheet over the entire area of the flooor on top of the floorboards. [Or 3/4" ply for an extended area around the tank and 3/4" chip-board for the remaining area]. The plywood will help distribute the load over a larger area.

Naturally, I can't say FOR SURE, I'm just giving MY opinion. It's your house, your responsibility...

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Mats

Caol_ila · Post by **Caol_ila** » 23 Nov 2005, 13:08

Hi!

Mine was also meant as just something to think about..not a no.
A friend bought a 150x50x50 tank on ebay and afterwards asked his mother if it was ok...she asked the houseowner and he forbid putting such a thing in the room for static concerns. If he had put it up nonetheless they couldve been kicked from the place. Not sure about our laws here but Im sure if something had happened to the floor pavement(right word?) the insurance wouldnt have payed for the damage.

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 23 Nov 2005, 13:20

Caol_ila,

Yes, I agree, if you're in rented accomodations or even in a leasehold, you need to get the permission of the wner/leaseholder, or risk having to pay for any damage.

I think Paul owns his own house [a lot of people do in England, as it's more cost effective than renting someone elses house - this is culturally/economically different in different countries]. An indication is also given in the fact that you don't generally build extensions onto someone elses house.

Talking to a structural engineer about the case would also work [of course along with getting permission from the owner/leaseholder, but it would substantiate your case if you have a structural engineer say that it's fine].

And I think the word you're looking for is foundation - the concrete base that the house is built upon. Of course, foundation is only on the bottom floor. Upper floors would not have a foundation, most often just rafters or something equivalent.

Another word on the terminology of houses in England - Victorian house is one built when Queen Victoria was the queen in England, and that means somewhere late 1800's to early 1900's.

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Mats

bunjiweb · Post by **bunjiweb** » 23 Nov 2005, 19:07

Should be absolutely fine in anything but the most flimsy american wood built houses.

If your tank is on a base with a flat bottom then you can spread the weight of the tank out very evenly, thus taking the weight off individual points (i.e. where the stand legs would be).

Just remember, most of us have baths in our house, usually they can hold around 300L. You fill it up, let it out, fill it up let it out and so on. This creates ALOT more strain on your floor because it keeps bending backwards and forth. As long as the tank is against a STRUCTURAL wal it will be fine, (i.e. not against a chipboard partitioning wall).

Ben

paul_southend2k · Post by **paul_southend2k** » 24 Nov 2005, 23:24

Thankyou all to your responses, i actually live at home with my parents in a large house, they had the extension put on!! When i move into my own home i plan on a fish room! lol (that will have to be on a lower level!! lol...

Thankyou for your different views, i like the comment about the bath!!!

Roll on the new year and the four foot tank, ill post some photos once i have done it...

Just a general question, im thinking of upgrading the filter to an Ehiem eternal prob the 2026 as it turns 650 ltrs an hour and i have quite a few fish! thats about 2.5 times an hour turn around, do u think this is sufficent, im keeping a tropical community set up...

Also i have a 60cm tank... which will be spare... what Puffer fish would anyone recomand for this size tank (dont really want to increase the size at a later date! Lol)

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 25 Nov 2005, 11:42

If you buy a RIO240, I would use the filter that is included, and once you have it up and running (cycled), you may add another filter. There's several advantages with having more than one filter - and the only drawback is that you need a few more plug-sockets and you have a couple more bits of hoses/pipes going into the tank...

The advantages include that you get to clean one filter whilst the other one is working away. It also gives you more options when it comes to water-flow and it's directions.

The built in Juwel filters aren't bad, and as far as I know, you don't get the tank for less money if you ask the shop for not having the filter - so if you've got it, why not use it?

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Mats