Weight Limit

Does anybody how much weight the bottom of a 120 gallon tank can hold? I finished adding the new decorations for my 120 (all natural) and it seems alot of weight. No bends in the glass yet tho. But the bottom of the tank is at least 3 inch rocks and a 3 medium rock cave and a 4 foot "log" with 2 large rock holding it down. The aquarium is All-Glass too...

 

How is it supported? Like just at the ends and there is not support in the senture of the glass?

 

There is a black strip going across the middle front to back not side to side and it is on a flat surface strong homemade stand.

 

With just 3 inches of rock you should be OK. The most important thing is to keep the weight distributed evenly over the bottom of the tank. If you pile up rocks on one end and there is nothing on the other end you will get a pressure crack from the uneven weight distribution.

 

Lets see what you people think...
I have heard that for any rock that you put in, an equal amount of water is displaced from the aquarium. So even my tank with big volcanic rock should weigh about the same because a lot less water can fit in the aquarium.
Feel free to disagree, it's just a theory!
Let me know.

 

ok, then would this be even.....i have 2 peices of coral the same weight in the middle but a bit apart and one big one in the middle, then i have 2 pots and one smll cave. im guessin not cause of the cave, though i really dont know, then also i might move it downstairs with the hurricane coming and all and should i take out all the coral first?

 

Yes,
anytime you are going to move a tank you should take out the water, gravel and heavy rocks inside. The tank could crack very easily with that much weight inside.

 

Sorry Hooben I have to disagree. You can have a piece of holy rock the same size as a piece of lava rock but the holy rock will weigh more but only displace the same amount (weight) of water. By the same theory you could replace the rock with driftwood the same size, which some can be extremely light, and decrease the weight by volume in the tank.

 

:? wow, this gets confusing. lol. Ok, well sat or sun i have to move my 29 gal and other small ones downstairs, how could i move it without cracking it??

 

Yea,
Like I said KC5gvn, I had only heard about this theory. You have shed the light with the wholy rock thing...thanks.
Hooben

 

Hi Hooben, I've heard that theory before, it just keeps popping up. I'm thinking about setting something up with a 10 gallon just for the novelty of it. There used to be a place called Hawaii Kai in this area. At the entrance they had a large pond with floating rocks in it. The rocks were real, they just had such a high concentration of salt in the water that it made the rocks float. I may try that with a 10 gallon.

 

You could always cheat and use pumice and freshwater. :wink:

I bought 3 large peices of pumice to carve caves into and put in my african tank. 2 sank pretty easily because they where at the top of the pile and got rained on a lot at the landscaping place, but the 3rd was in the middle of the pile so I'm still haven't gotten it to sink yet and it's too big for me to boil. :x

-Chelle