I highly do not recommend those titan eze double stands, I had one for a 55 and when the bottom tank was empty I could have pulled the stand over with one hand. Definitely unsafe, I’d only use them for terrariums.
Thanks for the feedback. I'm confused by how you're surprised you could pull over a tank on a iron stand, that fits flush to the weight on top, with no weight on the bottom.... I have a wall on the other side of my fishroom with 2 55s and a 30 that are all prefab iron stands that fit the tank dimensions flush. They aren't as sturdy as something custom built, but they get the job done. I could easily grab the back and yank them down though. I mean the weights at the top, and it's not really any wider than the dimensions of the weight on top so ya, that wouldn't be hard too do. Fortunately for us, we don't typically grab the backs of our aquariums from the top and try to jerk them around. So they're perfectly fine. Frankly, with these ones having equal weight on the bottom like 6" from the ground I see these one's being more sturdy than my other wall so I'm not worried about it at all but thanks for the feedback.
Yeah, when I hear the words "metal stand"...the picture that forms in my mind is that of a professionally-welded, perfectly square/plumb/level construct of powder-coated steel. I didn't realize they came broken down in a small box and just slip-jointed together. Not confidence-inspiring.
As long as I am being negative...the whole "self-levelling-by-sinking-into-the-floor" thing is a bit creepy too.
Between water and the tanks/stands themselves, we're looking at around 2 tons of weight. Spread out over 12 contact points of maybe 1 square inch each, that's a bit over 300 pounds per square inch. So I think that floor will indeed suffer some deformation, but I don't see how that will level anything.
I think it might be wise to create some sort of platform for the entire mess to stand upon, which would spread the weight over a much larger area and eliminate floor damage. Then take pains to make sure the platform itself is perfectly level before putting on the stands and tanks. I think that ideally you should fasten all three stands together into a single unit, easily done by attaching them to a plywood back panel or a couple of long boards or planks attached to the back. This would need to be done with the stands held perfectly square and plumb, not just screwing the wood onto the back of the tanks as they are lined up side by side on an imperfect floor. Look at the uneven gaps that are glaringly evident in your pic of the stands set in place. No bueno.
At risk of sounding paranoid...I would also fasten the whole kit and caboodle to the wall behind it at several spots. I see a child gate in one of your pics? This thing tipping over would be deadly...and it's fairly shallow front-to-back, so not all that stable and with a high center of gravity. A few long screws through the backing board and into a couple of wall studs would be a comfort.
So it is powder coated wrought iron, and as I mentioned previously it is square/level, it's when it's sitting on a spot on the floor that is not perfectly level (these floating laminate floors are notorious for not being perfectly level and flat IME, I mean they float and the planks do shift and flex/bow from temp and other things). The legs all lock into the horizontal pieces, and the weight rest on a leg sitting vertically like you would build with wood, so honestly I'm more confident in these than I would be with the shelfing that was shared here where the horizontal piece the tank weight is sitting on is simply being held onto the vertical with a metal bolt that locks and not resting vertically on the actual leg support. So you're looking at this as one giant setup, counting 12 pts, etc. They are three separate setups, so 2 75s on 4 pts each, yes. These stands are rated for 75/90/110 tanks and designed for 2. So honestly I'm not worried about it. As I previously stated I'm using multiple other wrought iron stands with no problems at all. I'm not sure why them sinking into a floating laminate floor is that surprising though? I mean, a heavy piece of furniture will slightly sink into this style floor and level out from the concrete foundation underneath. I've used these floors, and tanks, so that I do know from experience. As far as the glaringly evident uneven gaps between the stands, they're just set back there in place for now... Nothing is permanently in place, or accurately measured yet...
The idea of bolting a stand to a stud does sound very simple and like a good idea if you wanted that extra piece of mind. IMO though these will be more sturdy than the 55s I currently am running and have had no issues with with the wrought iron stands, because these will have that extra weight on the bottom that will provide more stability. So I'm not going to be building a huge wooden platform to spread 3 tank stands across and bolt to my wall, but I appreciate the input.
I didn’t catch that the first time, thanks for pointing it out.
If you do indeed have a child then I even more strongly recommend you do not use them. Return them if you can or eat the cost if you have to, spending the extra money on strong, sturdy, and safe stands is worth it when you take into account the life of your child.
Your assumption is incorrect. We do not have any children at our home so you can rest easy and not worry about the life of my assumed child....
Bit silly.... These stands are designed to hold 2 75s 90s or 110s. I'm using an aquarium stand for its most minimal weight, intended purpose....
I use these. Sturdy as..... have withstood earthquakes and a 4 yr old climbing up the side to get a net. Easy as chips to adjust shelf heights. Cannot recommend them more for fish keepers
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Not sure why someone would have 4 year olds climbing on the sides of aquariums, but we don't have any such activity happening in our household... Honestly, I like these shelfs. I use them for my shed. I don't think I would for an aquarium. The platforms all your weight is going on is being supported by 2 small metal bolts in each corner, as oppose to a vertical support the weight is resting on. But as we can see from your youtube videos it holds the weight perfectly fine and works for you. Very nice looking setup dude.
I appreciate the feedback everyone, but honestly I don't appreciate all the negative (IMO) a bit far fetched concern. I'm real excited for this new project and it kind of sucks hopping on here and just reading a bunch of negative input solely based on people's opinion on a particular brand/style of stand. I'm using a stand for its intended purpose it was designed for. I'll take the steps required to make sure the tanks rest level since I'm not dealing with a perfectly flat level ground in some spots.
I'll continue to update this thread as we continue our build and look forward to discussing. Thanks fellas.
