any contractors on here? or anyone with advice

[beaconstreet95]

i'm new here.. so hello! and i just got a 120g tank and set it up.. I live in a house with peer and beam foundation. I got under my house and put cinderblocks and hydrolic jacks under the support beams that cross the tank. I think I need some more support. Any other suggestions besides adding more jacks? I am going to call a contractor tomorrow but just thought I would ask on here as well.

[caferacermike]

I live in a 90+year old pier and beam that is 4' off the ground. My "piers" are 3" round cedar trunks that were cleared from the lot. My spans are almost 20' across unsupported in between. I have about a 2x6 beam every 24". I placed a 125g tank across my beams against a wall. This wall is in the middle of the house, not an outside wall which would be even stronger yet. I supported underneath using "screw jacks" or as us Yankees call them, "basement jacks". I screwed 4x4's across the beams where the tank would sit and then placed 4 screw jacks on patio blocks near the corners of the tank. I raised them up to connect to the 4x4's. I actually place them 1' in so that they are only 4' apart with 1' of tank over hang on each end. I've not had any shift at all. I would suggest you replace the hydraulic jacks with screw jacks as the hydraulic oil can seep by, causing a failure.

I also have a 75g tank with about an additional 25g of water in the sump along another wall. No bracing, no problems.

For screw jacks you could pick up some old scaffold jacks and some 1 1/2" pipe to make up the difference.

[erikharrison]

price wise they should be cheaper than hydraulic as well. really easy to install.

[BIGBIRD123]

You can also go to a trailer house mover or supply and get the jacks used for trailers. They may be the cheapest.

Steve

[beaconstreet95]

thanks for all the tips.. i have a guy coming to check it out and if he is too expensive i will hunt down the screw or trailer jacks and get some 4x4s.

[erikharrison]

you should be able to DIY. As long as you have a good saw, you'll be fine!

[beaconstreet95]

can you believe I called all the mobile home suppliers and dealers in this area and noone had the jacks.. And I cannot even get screw jacks at lowes or home depot. I have one more store option but I didn't think it would be this hard to find those things.

[brewercm]

Not sure where you are located but there's a trailer/RV supply place on Austin Hwy in San Antonio (Texas RV Supply) that may carry them and if not can order them. Their phone number is (210) 655-1761, you can give them a try.

[beaconstreet95]

thanks for the number.. I ended up getting ahold of a house leveler who is going to come tomorrow and put cement supports under the beams for $120. That is cheaper than if I would have bought all the stuff myself. I am lucky I found him before I went and spent a bunch of money.

[caferacermike]

You may have gotten the screw jacks from a scaffold rental place for about $10 each. That's what I did. I asked them for some old abused ones.

[erikharrison]

awesome deal!