Just wondering if its safe to put an acrylic tank on iron stand. I read in a book the other day that with acrylic you need to have every part of the tanks bottom sitting on something or the bottom might brake. Is this true? I have an 80 gallon set up on an iron stand and the iron stand holds the out line of the tank and there is two parts of the stand that holds the tank on the bottom middle. Would I need to drain it and get like plywood to put underneath it?
Acrylic Tank Setup Help
- Thread starter Smok3o3
- Start date
i have my 20 gallon acrylic tank for my axolotl on a metal stand with center rings every inch or so all the way to the center. its a 1 to 20 gallon stand from walmart. i was wondering the same thing. i know the iron stands are a little different tho because not as much center support. bump for advice but i would say paint a nice piece of plywood black to match the stand.
Yes, plywood. I have never tried without it. Now, my tanks are welded stainless steel with stainless steel bolted plexi, so it is not an issue. Always be safe. Better than sorry.
Smok3o3;4433529; said:
I have heard stories of it. One of the worlds top manufacturers of acrylic tanks (Tenecor) offers a lifetime warranty, and will void the warranty if the tank is not on a solid flat platform. The bottom needs to be completely supported all the way across. Its not that the tank will fail at the bottom, its that the tank will flex or bow, and will eventually start to leak at the seams or worst case scenario fail completely. It can sit on an iron stand, but there needs to be solid wood between the iron and the tank to insure that every inch of the bottom is supported.
is this true even for my 20 gallon? there is center support but not every square inch. the rings are all the way from the center to the outside. id say there is four of them. if not five.
Ya, you need a solid flat surface on your stand (I used plywood, use at least 1/2 inch).
Acrylic is a polymer, and not a crystal like glass. Acrylic gives and takes (which allows it to be "stronger" than glass), but excessive bowing can lead to breakage. (Think about Kevlar vests, they're bullet proof but you can easily bend it).
Good luck and post pics of the finished product.
Acrylic is a polymer, and not a crystal like glass. Acrylic gives and takes (which allows it to be "stronger" than glass), but excessive bowing can lead to breakage. (Think about Kevlar vests, they're bullet proof but you can easily bend it).
Good luck and post pics of the finished product.