Alright. Finally an update on this. I'm ordering my AGA 125 with dual megaflows on friday. In the meantime, Ive been working on improving some things I already had. The stand depressed me. It had a suspended bottom that was like 1/32 of an inch thick. It was badly water damaged, and sagging. My Fx5 was wobbly, and I didn't trust it.
So I grabbed a crowbar and went to work. My Home Depot had a sale on 3/4 inch ABS plywood, good stuff, for like 22 bucks. I picked that up, and a few 2x8s, and a few 1x3s. I used the 2x8 to make the stand higher. I didn't like it low, and plumbing space was limited. So I made a 73x19 box out of 2x8s, and attached it to my existing stand with 10in sections of 1x3s. They don't hold any weight, just keep everything together. Then I put the bottom on. Its now under the frame itself and slightly bigger, so there's no risk of sagging, no support issues, and more even weight distribution on the floor. After I painted the new wood and old so they matched, I stained and sealed the plywood with a black stain. After this, I used some white caulk to seal the corners, and painted it black. So in an emergency, all water should stay in the stand.
Now the stand is complete. It stands exactly 3 feet tall now, and has a nice looking black finish to match the tanks trim. Oh and I added 3 additional support legs, and every piece of wood is now screwed together with decking screws, not just glue and staples. So now I can actually sleep at night without worrying about the thing tipping over on my head at night.
And everything fits perfectly.
Note- Some paint looks bad, its the camera flash though. Looks flawless in person.
Note for flamers-
I KNOW that a 55, and a 125 are too small for my fish, but not yet. I have a 300 too, so don't worry you little hearts out. The fish are perfect.
1st pic- unfinished plywood under stand
2nd pic- view of supports
3rd pic- finished exterior
4th pic- 3rd leg in back. As you can see, the stock one on the left may need replacing. It has an inconveniently placed knot, and the leg is flexing a bit there.
5th pic- New front leg attached to old one. One on each side of middle door.
6th pic- View of stained bottom, and one of the supports.
7th pic- bottom corner, showing old stand, new wood, and plywood.
8th pic- New screws everywhere
9th pic- W/D in stand
10th pic- Finished stand, in my room with my 55 temporarily on top of it. Cant wait for my 125!
