Recommend me a GOOD tank Stand

[Pyramid_Party]

Hi,

What could you tell me when it comes to selecting a good tank stand? What kinda wood is good, what other materials used for construction should I consider? Any good reliable brands you could recommend? I did a little reading around and found some stands that have something called Medium density fiber board (MDF), is this stuff good?

I also saw some stands that had legs on them, I dont like this idea cause it would seem that if one of the legs broke/cracked, the whole stand would be useless.


Im looking for a stand for a 55 gallon, and I'd like something that is $200 or under possibly. Its jsut I find it really important that the stand is well built. I wish I could make a stand and overdo it to hold a tank weight 2/3x the weight of the 55 gallon, but its not possible since I dont have the skills to build a nice stand. So I gotta buy one. Any help is appreciated. Thx

 

[chesterthehero]

homedepot will cut lumber (boards as well as plywood) for you.. they charge anywhere from $.25-$.50 a cut or something like that.. then all you need is a drill and some screws.. you can pick up a cheap corded black and decker for $20-$30 (a drill is something EVERYONE should own)... and a box of screws is like $8...

MDF is "acceptable" and very cheap.. its basicly sawdust and glue.. it works ok untill you get it wet.. then you are on borrowed time..
having someone else make the cuts for you takes out the "hard" part of building a stand..
building one yourself and purchasing a drill will cost you under $100.... this always gets my vote..

a buddy of mine and i built this stand like a week ago for my outdoor/plantclippings/guppy/duckweed tank.. it took about 2 hours with lots of goofing around...

5 - 2x4s ($2 each)
56 - screws (box of 100 for less than $10)
add:
1 - sheet of plywood ($7-$20)
2 - pieces of trim ($6)


petco/petsmart/lfs all sell 55 stands made of MDF and sometimes they have metal ones that are held together by gravity...

 

[Knowdafish]

"petco/petsmart/lfs all sell 55 stands made of MDF and sometimes they have metal ones that are held together by gravity..."

Metal ones held together by gravity.


Don't use/buy anything made from MDF!!! MDF is a catastrophe waiting to happen!!!!

 

[mattison187]

if your handy go to the DIY section and build one to your liking. then you get exacly what you need/want.

 

[chesterthehero]

"petco/petsmart/lfs all sell 55 stands made of MDF and sometimes they have metal ones that are held together by gravity..."

Metal ones held together by gravity.


Don't use/buy anything made from MDF!!! MDF is a catastrophe waiting to happen!!!!

im dead searious.. i have one that fits 2-20gallon tanks (also works well to hold my printer.. no way am i putting water on that POS).. the 4 legs have a "nub" about 8" from the bottom that a lower "shelf" fits on.. the nubs sit inside the frame... the top "shelf" has a "cap" that fits over the top of each leg.... if you stand it up like it should be it will "hold 2 20 gallon tall tanks"... if you lay it down or try to pick it up the whole thing falls apart

my guess is the stand cost like $40 or so...

anyway... sorry for the slight derail lets get this thread back on topic

 

[12 Volt Man]

the Aqueon/Marineland pine stands are nice.

 

[drizzt04]

dont use mdf. horrible stuff. it will expand and bubble and fall apart when it gets wet. of course, the same can be said for plywood. ply and water do not mix very well together.

best bet is, if you cant build your own, look around at the stores. look the stand over, check to see how well it is constructed. make sure it has screws and not brad nails. if metal, check that welds are clean and tight. if wood, check if pieces are cut well and fit tightly. dont just look at asthetics, though you should like the way it looks. but actually take a minute to look at the quality. your instincts will usually be pretty good.

after years of construction work, one thing has become abundantly clear to me. if it looks like a pos it is a pos.

on the other hand, you can probably pay someone on here to build one for you. most of these guys are pretty handy.

good luck.

 

[Pyramid_Party]

Thanks guys. Like I say, I got some money I am willing to put into this. I would be willing to build my own, I just dont know if I have the right skills. I worry about things like having the wood level/straight or having adequate support and things like that. I dont know if I could trust myself.

I'd prefer to buy one made but I dont wanna buy a cheap one, strong wood and strong build is what I am looking for. I may look around on the DIY section, Chesterthehero kinda influenced me to give it a try since its alot cheaper to build your own. And plus when you build your own you can build it the way you want. I'll also look into 12 volt mans suggestion as well.

Anymore suggestions/comments keep them coming. Thanks

 

[rallysman]

Any stand you buy that is mass produced will be made with profit in mind. They'll work, but not the best. The best is to make one yourself or have someone who knows what they're doing make one. If you can use a drill, circular saw, and a tape measure you can make a stand.

 

[ShipOfFools37]

I'm not incredibly handyman-inclined, but I built a cheap stand out of 2x4's for a 55g. It probably cost me 20 bucks. It's not exactly gorgeous, but it's sturdy as can be and I built little lips into the corner. I have another 55g on a metal frame stand that it just sits on and I have this fear that it could slip off this stand. obviously over 500 lbs of water and tank isn't going to slide around, but either way I feel better about the stand I built.

If you really want to buy one, I'd go with real wood, none of that MDS or particle board crap. But the real wood will be expensive. Or get just a metal framed stand. They're sturdy and reliable, but I'd be sure to get a metal one that is welded together , not secured by gravity, lol.