Is my plan for repairing a bowing stand appropriate?

[InfinityARch]

I'm hoping some people around here with experience in stand carpentry can give me some advice on whether I've covered all my bases here.

So I have a stand with a top that's bowing slightly near the back due to lack of support, leading to a significant gap between the tank's rim and the stand proper.

It's a 4 ft tank, 120 gallons, and I drained the tank after noticing this. I'm hoping to repair this without too much cost, and my idea is to use a wall spreading jack to push the bowed segment back into shape, after which I'll install some extra support to hopefully prevent the problem from reoccurring.

To compensate for remaining tank/stand irregularities, I'm going to apply a layer of wood filler to to the plywood and sand it flat, which I'll follow up with a layer of bedding compound to ensure firm mating between the rim and the stand.

 

[tlindsey]

I'm hoping some people around here with experience in stand carpentry can give me some advice on whether I've covered all my bases here.

So I have a stand with a top that's bowing slightly near the back due to lack of support, leading to a significant gap between the tank's rim and the stand proper.

It's a 4 ft tank, 120 gallons, and I drained the tank after noticing this. I'm hoping to repair this without too much cost, and my idea is to use a wall spreading jack to push the bowed segment back into shape, after which I'll install some extra support to hopefully prevent the problem from reoccurring.

To compensate for remaining tank/stand irregularities, I'm going to apply a layer of wood filler to to the plywood and sand it flat, which I'll follow up with a layer of bedding compound to ensure firm mating between the rim and the stand.

Personally would build stand out of 2x4's. Wouldn't trust that stand. If you don't want to build one suggest buying a new one.

 

[krichardson]

Agreed,build a new one.I'm no carpenter by a long shot but was able build a two tier stand for my fifty five gallon tanks cheaply and easily.

 

[InfinityARch]

Well cost in the reason. I don’t have appropriate equipment for any sort of complicated woodworking in my apartment, and just buying a new stand is going to be $500+ dollars.

The stand is solid at the corners, the main problem is that the tank rim doesn’t have full contact with the stand’s top.

 

[Oughtsix]

It sounds like your stand is a store bought pos stand. My experience has been when these stands start developing issues trying to fix the stand is usually a loosing battle. The problem usually is not with the stand collasping but with it failing to support the tank appropriately, letting the tank get tweaked leading to slow leaks.

I have seen many solid stands built with cinderblocks and 2x4's that don't require any carpentry skills.

 

[InfinityARch]

It sounds like your stand is a store bought pos stand. My experience has been when these stands start developing issues trying to fix the stand is usually a loosing battle. The problem usually is not with the stand collasping but with it failing to support the tank appropriately, letting the tank get tweaked leading to slow leaks.

I have seen many solid stands built with cinderblocks and 2x4's that don't require any carpentry skills.

I'm concerned about getting the stand to be presentable; I imagine I could make a frame out of 2x4s, but I don't think it would be very pretty.

 

[krichardson]

I'm concerned about getting the stand to be presentable; I imagine I could make a frame out of 2x4s, but I don't think it would be very pretty.

Sure it could,attach panels to it.The decorative possibilities are almost limitless.

 

[Oughtsix]

I'm concerned about getting the stand to be presentable; I imagine I could make a frame out of 2x4s, but I don't think it would be very pretty.

A piece of fabric stapled around the rim of a cinder block stand will go a long ways to making it look neater by hiding the stand and everything in the stand.

I have a 110g tall aquarium sitting in the junk pile since it started leaking. It was on a Petsmart stand that started deteriorating. I patched the stand while I was building a new stand and it seemed to be solid with several additional supports but the 110g tank started leaking slowly. I keep telling myself that I need to scrape off all the silicone and reseal the tank one of these days then finish the half finished stand to put it on. Some day....

 

[InfinityARch]

A piece of fabric stapled around the rim of a cinder block stand will go a long ways to making it look neater by hiding the stand and everything in the stand.

I have a 110g tall aquarium sitting in the junk pile since it started leaking. It was on a Petsmart stand that started deteriorating. I patched the stand while I was building a new stand and it seemed to be solid with several additional supports but the 110g tank started leaking slowly. I keep telling myself that I need to scrape off all the silicone and reseal the tank one of these days then finish the half finished stand to put it on. Some day....

Yeah, on second consideration you're probably right. A bunch of 2x4s and 3/4" plywood, even nice exterior grade plywood isn't THAT expensive.