All DIY stand builders please read

[Tyler2012]

Here is a tank I got for free today, It sat on one of those "overbuilt" home made stands. It was 2x6 and 4x4 and it worked great until the back glass seperated and 220 gallons hit the floor.

You fellas keep building them out of pine lumber and I'll be ready to collect the pieces when they bust open. This is the second tank this month I've seen break on a home made stand but to each his own.View attachment 840821

If it was the glass that broke first then I think you'd have bigger problems than a wet stand.


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[doomiedee]

Here is a tank I got for free today, It sat on one of those "overbuilt" home made stands. It was 2x6 and 4x4 and it worked great until the back glass seperated and 220 gallons hit the floor.

You fellas keep building them out of pine lumber and I'll be ready to collect the pieces when they bust open. This is the second tank this month I've seen break on a home made stand but to each his own.View attachment 840821

Obviously if the glass separated you bigger problem is split water. IMO pine wood is very strong I use 4x1s to hold my front closed at night witch were outside in the elements still holds strong. Doesn't even bow.
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[MTBjake]

Joe, I think what you're seeing is inadequate carpentry skills mixed with bad housekeeping. A badly built stand with water allowed to pool on it spells disaster. But if a stand is built correctly in the first place and sealed correctly there is nothing to worry about. Just my 2 cents.


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[808_fairladyz]

I see some responses or concerns about stands failing from prolonged exposure to water causing wood to rot and fail, but I'm confused. Why would anyone continue to use a system that's leaking enough water to rot wood? A properly built stand that has been leveled out during setup shouldn't cause that aquarium to fail unless the craftsmanship is questionable or tank was not leveled properly. It's just my opinion. The original post was discrediting the use of 2x4 as a insufficient product to use compared to a stand made of just plywood.

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[joe jaskot]

Ever see a house built with just plywood? Case closed. Dimensional lumber is much stronger than plywood.

 

[Z Trip]

Maybe I would try this if I have a dowling thing like you have for the dowels. I dont see why I would not work. Oh yeah, Iv'e been using 2x4 for ever with no issue.

 

[Pharaoh]

Have you researched what caused the seam to separate before making these assumptions? Did you take pics of the "rotten" stands made of plywood?

Here's a few questions for thought;

How old was the tank?
Has this tank ever been moved?
Was is home made or manufactured?
If manufactured, by whom?
Was the tank built properly?
Was the stand built properly?
Was the stand properly leveled prior to the failure?
Was there potential twisting forces on the tank caused by an out of level condition?
Was the particluar type of wood the failure point or was it bad design?
Have there ever been tanks with plywood stands that have failed in the same manner?

There are a lot of questions to be answered about these failures before issuing opinions construed as fact. I'm all for good and proper discussion, but we will need some facts. I can't say that I have ever seen a tank failure that can be directly contributed to the type of wood used to build the stand.

 

[joefish72b]

Have you researched what caused the seam to separate before making these assumptions? Did you take pics of the "rotten" stands made of plywood?

Here's a few questions for thought;

How old was the tank?
Has this tank ever been moved?
Was is home made or manufactured?
If manufactured, by whom?
Was the tank built properly?
Was the stand built properly?
Was the stand properly leveled prior to the failure?
Was there potential twisting forces on the tank caused by an out of level condition?
Was the particluar type of wood the failure point or was it bad design?
Have there ever been tanks with plywood stands that have failed in the same manner?

There are a lot of questions to be answered about these failures before issuing opinions construed as fact. I'm all for good and proper discussion, but we will need some facts. I can't say that I have ever seen a tank failure that can be directly contributed to the type of wood used to build the stand.

On this tank I don't know the age but I know it was made in New York and was sitting in Florida so obviously it was moved at least once. The wood on the stand was not rotten and since the tank failed, everything was wet. I didn't see any dark areas that might show a leak before failure. The tank was very well made and they had installed a sheet of foam under it for leveling (something else I don't agree with). The stand was (6) 4x4 legs and 2x6 upper supports. I wouldn't say the stand was "well built" because I didn't see any diagonal pieces to keep the stand from racking. The skin was thin1/8 plywood and that doesn't do anything for structural stability. Also from what I saw it was all screws and nothing glued.

The other tank from a couple weeks ago the front glass exploded. I didn't get to see the aftermath but I did know the tank. Same thing, for structure, lumber construction and built like a tank. (8) 4x4 legs, 2x6 supports doubled up and notched into the top of the 4x4's. Same plywood skin. Person was at home and saw the tank break.

I assume both failed due to the tank being flexed but there is obviously no way to know for sure at this point.

I'm not saying anyone here doesn't know what they are doing. I'm saying I believe my method is well proven and probably superior in stability. Each method has it's flaws, as mentioned plywood can delaminate but only after continued exposure. Lumber can easily warp and is more unstable when exposed to humidity and temperature changes. I stand by my method and most of the mass produced stuff these days use a lesser grade of plywood and that is for tanks up to 300 gallons.

I have a 125, 150, 220, and 280 all in my house and all on plywood stands. Ive made quite a few stands and canopies at this point and they are all as good as the day I built them. I just did a stand for a 55 gallon to go in a hospital and we load tested it at 1000 lbs with no issues. I would normally never do this but I didn't want to hear the stand failed for any reason. I figured a fully loaded 55 weighs in a a maximum 600 lbs, so 1000 pounds should be more than enough strength.

 

[joefish72b]

Ever see a house built with just plywood? Case closed. Dimensional lumber is much stronger than plywood.

You my friend have no idea what you are talking about.

This comes from the U.S. Dept of Agriculture back in the Fifties
http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fpltn/fpltn-131-1952.pdf

 

[tomomothy]

If I read that article correctly length wise dimensional wood is notably stronger, but crosswise plywood is way stronger. If youre using dimensional wood lengthwise to support a tank wouldnt it stand to reason it could hold more weight? Plywood sounds like a good candidate for stability though. Sounds like both ways can work, or doing both may be good too. As far as weather resistance goes, any wood that isnt weather resistant would need to be treated in case of water exposure anyhow, right? They do make decks and patio covers out of beams so there must be some merit to it.

Btw I love that the technical note's official term for wood other than ply wood is "ordinary wood".