# 75 gallon in a manufactured home



## Calmia22 (Aug 20, 2011)

Hey everyone

My husband and I are moving into my parents house. They just died, and we get to deal with their estate. I have a 75 gallon tank and I am worried the floor wont support it.

My brother is currently living in the house and has a 75 plus 3 10's and a 25 set up all in the same room and they seem fine, but he could care less about structural integrity. The last manufactured home he lived in ended up having large cracks going up the walls near his tanks, but he also had 150 gallons in one spot. 

The home is a 1991 Fleetwood double wide, and I would be putting my tank next to the center wall in the living room, which is also right in the middle of the house. Now I don't really know much about manufactured homes and what is okay in them, but my husband and I might try to buy my parents house, so I don't want to screw anything up.

My husband is also very bugged about going into the crawl space under the house, so putting any kind of support underneath the house is out. 

Does anyone else have a 75 gallon or bigger tank in a manufactured home and has had it there for a few years with an issue? I am super paranoid about things, and I want to be comfortable.

The tank will also only be in the house for up to a year. If we do buy the house, then I will be making a fish room in the very large shop my dad had built, and it will be moved out there.


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## chale (Dec 21, 2012)

I never had a tank in one when I owned mine (it was a 94 clayton), but I did have a queen sized waterbed and never had issues. Truthfully, that house is more solid today than most stick built houses built recently. I wouldn't worry if you have it on a wood stand where the weight is spread more evenly instead of a metal stand where weight is on 4 legs.


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## Calmia22 (Aug 20, 2011)

chale said:


> I never had a tank in one when I owned mine (it was a 94 clayton), but I did have a queen sized waterbed and never had issues. Truthfully, that house is more solid today than most stick built houses built recently. I wouldn't worry if you have it on a wood stand where the weight is spread more evenly instead of a metal stand where weight is on 4 legs.


The stand is wood. Here is a picture of the stand, and although you can't see the bottom all that well it's the same as the top. Aka no legs.


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## Zorfox (Jun 24, 2012)

It should be fine as long as you can position the tank horizontally on at least two floor joists (not bracing used to prevent twisting). Someone will need to check the location of the joists. Many manufactured homes have poor flooring designs. Some only utilize the steel framing and install braces for nailers. Others, undersized framing...the list goes on. Check where and what type of supports you have otherwise a catastrophe is possible.


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

Placing it in the middle... I would want to know what is under there, probably add a few piers and beams to beef up the support. 
If you or your husband cannot go under there, then hire someone who will.


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## Aqguy (Oct 30, 2013)

Your home most likely has particle board flooring ,I would recommend removing the carpet under the tank and place a piece of stranded plywood 5/8 or 3/4" under the tank to help distribute the weight ,also as stated if you look under the house and try to make sure you are sitting over at least 2 jacks ,there also very inexpensive to install or purchase .
The weight of your tank will be at least 900 pounds.


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## PlantedRich (Jul 21, 2010)

Since you have the type stand that spreads the weight rather than legs, it is better. The question now is where it is located above the supports. There are good places, some in between and bad places in trailers or houses. This drawing may help but it may also take some peeking under the trailer to know for sure where the supports lie. 










The best are places where the tank is directly over a strong support beam. less if it is outside the largest beams which support the whole house. Worst location is along an outside wall but this can be changed depending on how the house is supported. If the outside is placed on a foundation of maybe concrete, that location if fine. I did not draw them but the worst locations would be where the tank is not over any strong support like between the beams. This would leave all the weight just on the subflooring and prone to sagging. Basic idea is that the farther away from a strong support, the less stable. The red can be made green if it is on solid support.


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## gSTiTcH (Feb 21, 2013)

Hrm. I wouldn't trust it without a thorough evaluation. That's a lot of weight.

Also... Holy Discipline, that paddle!


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## xmas_one (Feb 5, 2010)

Manufactured home floor joists almost always run perpendicular to the length of the trailer. As long as you place the tank parallel to the length of the trailer you should be good. A quick peek with a flash light through any of the crawlspace vents should provide confirmation.


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## nofearengineer (Mar 20, 2013)

gSTiTcH said:


> Also... Holy Discipline, that paddle!


HAHA....that's a fish fileting board.


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## MarkM (Sep 16, 2012)

I guess I was to conservative and maybe that is because I'm an Engineer. I poured four concrete footings and placed two 4" steel I beams under my floor before installing my 120 near where I had an existing 50. My original floor is 2x12 stringers, 1/2" sub-floor, 1/2" ply, and 1/2" oak flooring.


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## Zorfox (Jun 24, 2012)

nofearengineer said:


> HAHA....that's a fish fileting board.


Yes it is. I thought it rather ironic to have a filet board above a fish tank lol




MarkM said:


> My original floor is 2x12 stringers, 1/2" sub-floor, 1/2" ply, and 1/2" oak flooring.


Holy cow! The original 2 x 12 alone would have carried the weight. Even a low grade 2x12x10 will safely support 2,000 lbs. I would say you're safe!


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## Aqguy (Oct 30, 2013)

xmas_one said:


> Manufactured home floor joists almost always run perpendicular to the length of the trailer. As long as you place the tank parallel to the length of the trailer you should be good. A quick peek with a flash light through any of the crawlspace vents should provide confirmation.


Excellent advice, also a outside wall in that age home will transfer heat & cold a lot more.


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## sadchevy (Jun 15, 2013)

You will be fine with your stand just about anywhere in your home. A 75g tank weighs approx. 850 lbs which equals out to about 1 lb per square inch given the footprint of the tank. As long as the home is supported properly there should be no problems. I have a 125g,75g,55g,29g,and 2 10g in my home with no issues but I've got a full poured concrete basement with I beam supports.


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## gSTiTcH (Feb 21, 2013)

nofearengineer said:


> HAHA....that's a fish fileting board.


Oh... Well... *cough*

I think I preferred the paddle to a filet board OVER THE FISH TANK!


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## Calmia22 (Aug 20, 2011)

My brother went under the house yesterday to have a look around. We decided on a spot in the house where it would work, and he is also willing to put extra support under there for it. Yay! I can keep my tank! Lol


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## Calmia22 (Aug 20, 2011)

gSTiTcH said:


> Oh... Well... *cough*
> 
> I think I preferred the paddle to a filet board OVER THE FISH TANK!


The board was my grandpas, and he was a very avid fisherman. My dad gave that to me a few years ago, and what better place for it then over the fish tank! It's a warning to my fish: Be good, or you end up on the board. Lol


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