It is important to know how much your fish tank will weigh for a number of reasons. Here are some important questions you should know.
Will your floor support it?
Are you putting the fish tank in a room upstairs?
How much weight can my floor hold?
To get these answers you may need to do some research but in this article, I will save you some time and effort by giving you the weight of various fish tanks by water volume. I don’t want your floor to cave causing you to lose valuable fish lives as well as damage to your home.
Fish tanks do weigh quite a lot but if handled properly your floor and fish tank will sit safely for you to enjoy for years to come.
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How Much Does A Fish Tank Weigh
A fish tank’s weight is based on the empty tank weight plus the water volume. Your fish tank manufacturer should have the weight of the actual fish tank, but water weighs 8.3 pounds so if you multiply that by the volume of your tank and add the tank weight you will have the answer.
Below is a table showing water volume and weight to help you better understand how much your fish tank weighs.
| Water Volume | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1 Gallon Water Volume | 8.3 Pounds Plus Empty Tank Weight |
| 5 Gallon Water Volume | 41.5 Pounds Plus Empty Tank Weight |
| 10 Gallon Water Volume | 83 Pounds Plus Empty Tank Weight |
| 15 Gallon Water Volume | 124.5 Pounds Plus Empty Tank Weight |
| 20 Gallon Water Volume | 166 Pounds Plus Empty Tank Weight |
| 25 Gallon Water Volume | 207.5 Pounds Plus Empty Tank Weight |
Other Weight Factors To Consider
Your aquascape will add to the overall weight of your fish tank. If you are using reef rock such as Marcos Rock it is typically purchased by the pound. Add this purchase weight to your total weight calculation to know how much your fish tank weighs.
If you do not use all of the Marcos Rock then it is best to have a scale to weigh how much used in your aquascape before you add it to the fish tank. To rule of thumb is 1 pound per gallon of water so it may be best to add your total water volume to the weight of the water and your empty tank to come up with the weight of your fish tank.
Will Your Floors Support The Weight
I advise you to consult with a local contractor but the national code states that floors can support a minimum of 30 to 40 pounds per square foot.
The only way to increase that load is by beefing up your floor underneath which may not be possible for everyone. If you have an exposed floor below where your fish tank will be then you can hire someone to add more supports below.
Some people opt to have a metal jack right under the fish tank to ensure that the load can be handled by the floor. As a general rule, it is best to be proactive with this as you don’t want to regret it later. Always consult with a licensed contractor before assuming your floor can handle the weight. Consultations with a contractor are typically free so be sure to call around and find someone to best advise you.
How To Calculate Water Volume Of My Fish Tank
To figure out how many gallons of water are in your fish tank you will measure the length width and height of your fish tank. If your tank is 36 inches in length, 24 inches in depth (front to back), and 20 inches tall you will multiply the length of 36 inches by the width of 24 inches and then take that number and multiply it by the height of 20 inches to get the cubic inches.
36 x 24 = 864
864 x 20 = 17,280
The total cubic inches is 17,280
Now you will divide 17280 by 231 and your total water volume is 74.8 which is 75 gallons rounded up.
Now that you have the water volume you can calculate the weight of this volume.
How To Calculate Water Weight Of A Fish Tank
First, figure out how much your tank volume is in gallons and then multiply that by 8.3 which is the weight of water per gallon.
If you have a 75 gallon water volume you can multiply that by 8.3 which is 622.5 pounds of water in your fish tank.
75 x 8.3 = 622.5
Most Common Fish Tanks And Weight
There are a lot of fish tank manufacturers and I have taken some of the most common fish tank sizes from these manufacturers and listed them below for your convenience.
Before you add water to your fish tank set your empty tank on a scale to get the weight of it to be added to the water weight.
How Much Does A 10 Gallon Fish Tank Weigh
A 10 gallon fish tank with water will be slightly over 83 pounds depending on the aquascape and fish tank empty weight.
How Much Does A 20 Gallon Fish Tank Weigh
A 20 gallon fish tank with water will be slightly over 166 pounds depending on the aquascape and fish tank empty weight.
How Much Does A 29 Gallon Fish Tank Weigh
A 29 gallon fish tank with water will be slightly over 240.7 pounds depending on the aquascape and fish tank empty weight.
How Much Does A 36 Gallon Fish Tank Weigh
A 36 gallon fish tank with water will be slightly over 298.8 pounds depending on the aquascape and fish tank empty weight.
How Much Does A 40 Gallon Fish Tank Weigh
A 40 gallon fish tank with water will be slightly over 332 pounds depending on the aquascape and fish tank empty weight.
How Much Does A 55 Gallon Fish Tank Weigh
A 55 gallon fish tank with water will be slightly over 456.5 pounds depending on the aquascape and fish tank empty weight.
How Much Does A 60 Gallon Fish Tank Weigh
A 60 gallon fish tank with water will be slightly over 498 pounds depending on the aquascape and fish tank empty weight.
How Much Does A 200 Gallon Fish Tank Weigh
A 200 gallon fish tank with water will be slightly over 1660 pounds depending on the aquascape and fish tank empty weight.
