Steel or Wood stand for 220g tank

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hurricane_redbone

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Jack Dempsey
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Feb 5, 2007
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I have been doing all the pre-project calculations before I start building. The only thing I still cannot decide is what kind of stand to go with. The tank will be a 220g plywood tank with an acrylic glass side. I am quite the fan of aquascaping, so unlike many monster fish keepers, this giant tank will have lots of rocks, plants and wood structures to create hiding places.

how do you calculate how much a tank will weigh when it is full?
If I knew the weight that the stand would have to bear then I could decide what stand to build.

I want to get started this weekend on the stand so if anyone could tell me how much a 220g tank will weigh, that would be great.
 
The basic weight estimate on aquariums is to just multiply the gallons by 10.
Thus, your 220 would weigh about 2200 lbs full. Yours may weigh a little more than that if you add lots of rock since rocks are heavier than the water they displace.
I'd estimate 2500 lbs to be on the safe side.
 
Ok thanks guys
thats all i needed to know. Then building it out of wood wont be a problem.
for my 800 gallon (next summers project) ill be needing to weld a steel frame though...
 
Its all in the construction! If you want to use wood, then you just have to be smarter about your joints and supports and more of them. Steel is going to be more expensive and if you weld it you have to be careful of it warping. Also it really comes down to your dimensions of the tank. If you have some major spans, then 4x4's or 4x6's or steel.
 
the floor wont be a problem... it will be staying on the ground floor no basement...
 
boisblancboy;696472; said:
Its all in the construction! If you want to use wood, then you just have to be smarter about your joints and supports and more of them. Steel is going to be more expensive and if you weld it you have to be careful of it warping. Also it really comes down to your dimensions of the tank. If you have some major spans, then 4x4's or 4x6's or steel.
Click to expand...

im sorry but thats incorrect, if anything i would be worried about the wood warping not the steel. Im a welder and ive never seen a peice of steel or weld warp
 
Well then if you are a welder then you would know that heat, especially when welding, can cause steel to warp. So before going hog wild on your welded jointed make sure you tac each end point or it will warp. If you weld on one side or the other of a piece of steel that side of the joist will pull when it starts to cool! I know this because I well a ton myself, mostly on repairing heavy equipment and fabricating various things!!!
 
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