newbie 2 diy stand build - 180 gallon - pics - will this be good?

[jbjack]

ok - just completed the skeleton for my stand - the tank is a 180 gallon (6'x2'x2') I did alot of research and decide to go with 2x4's the stand is 73.5" by 25" and 36" high. It has 6 legs in back, 4 in front and one in the middle of each end. The corner legs are doubled up, and so are the 2 in the middle of the front and back. Top braces are lined up with all the legs and are placed on wood as to not rely just on screws. in the end there will be doors and what not, but will have nothing to do with the weight bearing structure. any suggestions, or is this good?

 

[Maduro]

Very solid frame structure if all is level.

 

[Pharaoh]

Looks good to me.

 

[jbjack]

sweet thanks guys, and yes its level. so your all confident this will hold a 180 eh? should i cut some plywood and place it ontop of the braces that hold the tank, or is that useless and a wast of money? not that its that expensive.

 

[Maduro]

Some don't, I always do. It makes it easier when placing tank on stand because you have a surface to slide it on. Your design already has a few flat boards on top to achieve that objective so you don't need it. If you chose to gain the extra inch in height by putting a board there...don't use expensive wood as it's hidden anyway. Check out my builds below to see what I mean

 

[jbjack]

MADARO - very nice stands, i hope my fishished stand looks as good as yours. I noticed you used metal bracing, i didnt, do to my wood braces are placed on wood, is that ok? hope so. also what kid of wood did you use on the one you stained brown, turned out very grainy, I love that! also what kind of stain did you ise?

 

[Maduro]

Hi Jbjack,

I only used Metal bracing on my 150 gallon build. I would not use it again because it limits the surface area you have to nail the outside skin into. I found that using pocket screws (used on 144g) was far easier and cleaner to do. Your framing is perfect, don't second guess it.

The 150 was skinned with Maple. I couldn't find nice grained sheets at depot or lowes and ended up getting it at a true lumber yard...inspect your wood carefully to make sure you get the grain pattern your looking for.

I can't remember the exact color I used, but it was miniwax brand stain. Make sure to get some wood conditioner and follow the directions to get the effects your looking for. Most stores have wood samples with different stain treatments on them so you'll have an idea of the finished look. Be patient, sand between coatings, it's worth the extra effort. And seal it with 2 - 3 coats of poly.

Hope this helps.

MADURO - very nice stands, i hope my fishished stand looks as good as yours. I noticed you used metal bracing, i didnt, do to my wood braces are placed on wood, is that ok? hope so. also what kid of wood did you use on the one you stained brown, turned out very grainy, I love that! also what kind of stain did you ise?

 

[xpsniper]

Nice job, I'm looking at making something similar for my tank.

 

[Liquidplants]

Your stand is solid and will do great, But for a stronger stand using the same pieces of wood stand the 2x4's vertical. The wood is much stronger that way. Think of structural steel in a big building... I-Beams are always vertical. The web of the beam is much larger than the flanges.

 

[Brian_Indiana]

It looks good and sturdy. How tall is it? The height can make it difficult to service the tank. My 220 (72x24x30) is on a 27" stand and its a pain to work inside the tank.