Is this stand setup safe?

[DaveB]

I just picked up a 125g. Great price and brand new, so I abandoned the search for a taller one. They're the same swimming space (72x18) so I'll just settle for this for now and get a 210 or larger next year.

Anyway, I was limited to this size because it goes in the bedroom and sits atop the dresser, which has a flat surface area of exactly 72x18, minus the bit of rounding in the front corners. I didn't really cover all my bases when buying the dresser, though (I did buy it with this in mind) because I forgot to factor in the trim width.

My plan is/was to just get a sheet of plywood, at least 1/2" thick, and just lay that across the top. That'd let me tack in some 1x4 or molding to use as my own trim to match the eventual DIY canopy and cover the plywood. But now I'm wondering if that's even necessary.

It turns out that this tank is 72.5" x 18.5", not 73x19 as I feared. So there is 1/4 inch overhang past the flat parts. Photos below illustrate this, although it's a bit far forward right now so there's more overhanging the front than the back.

The dresser is solid - it will easily support the total weight of the tank plus 125g plus rocks - that's not my concern. But with all the weight of a glass tank being in the corners, will having that 1/4 of trim (which is not below any actual glass) overlap cause a problem? Like would the trim break, or the glass be overstressed, or anything like that?

For the first time in my life I'm wishing I hadn't opted out of taking physics. I know nothing of how the force is distributed, so I'm a total idiot in this area. It seems like it'd be fine to me, but I don't know. I've got no problem doing the plywood thing, other than that I'd love to avoid the pain in the ass that is trying to get it home in a car if I don't need to do it.

Thanks for all your expertise.

 

[Hawkfish3.0]

The plywood really wouldn't help you at all. The real concern for me is the ability of the dresser to bear the weight of the tank, but if you're confident in it's ability to withstand the weight of the tank, then there is nothing to be concerned about. The weight will be distributed across the surface of the top of the dresser. The corners get the weight on a standard tank stand with the open middle. A dresser will distribute the weight evenly across the top. Does the dresser have feet? This will be your main weight bearing point between the tank and the floor.

 

[DaveB]

The dresser is flush with the floor and I'm 100% confident in its ability to take the weight. It's solid oak. It's ten times sturdier than any of my other three tank stands (the worst of which holds the 90 this one replaces). It has held a 55 for a while and a 75 for a short time and was fine.

Not sure how it'll be distributed across the entire surface though, as a glass tank has the gap caused by the trim. The weight is always supported around the edges on glass tanks.

The question in my mind is whether the force in the edges goes straight down, in which case it's all directly above the dresser, or if it goes out (almost diagonally) along the trim, in which case the trim will be stressed since some of it overhangs. My understanding is that this would stress the silicone bonds if this is the case.

Then again, if it's pressing straight down on the 3/4" of trim that is underneath, that 1/4" isn't going to matter at all.

 

[Hawkfish3.0]

You said it best. The 1/4" of trim that's hanging over isn't going to matter.

 

[DaveB]

My engineer friend thinks I'll be OK too. I dumped in the gravel I removed from the 90 last week and got a perfect 1" cover, and now I'm siphoning from tank to tank for a test fill. We'll see how it goes. This is taking forever.

 

[DaveB]

It's full and so far, so good. Keeping an eye on everything very closely... will be spending the rest of the evening in the bedroom working from the couch. The room is on a very slight slope, which sucks, but otherwise things seem OK, it is full and withstood some shaking and pushing too. Only mishap was that a pictus catfish got his fin caught in the net and I had to cut him out of the net. Right now some is still stuck on him till I can do some more focused surgery. Odd, usually those fish are at risk of their whiskers getting caught, not their fins.

 

[cichlid2006]

if your worried at all then take any little feet off the dresser, so the wood sits flast on the floor, and you could also add some 2x4 braces to the inside at the corners and the middle if you want absolute piece if mind.