Hey everyone! I'm needing a new stand for my 90 gallon as the wood is cracking on the pine stand. I found a sturdy steel shelving unit at a local hardware store rated at 2100lbs per shelf for a 90 gallon foot print of 48" x 18". The set up would only cost $116 and change verses $259 for a new pine stand. I have heard some situations of tanks bursting due to the steel not giving on steel stands. Does anyone have experience in this arena? I would build my own stand but I just don't know if I trust my carpentry skills. Thoughts?...
Steel shelving for aquariums... Good or bad? I need a new stand.
- Thread starter Batboi3000
- Start date
I'm not sure if you mean this "tanks bursting due to the steel not giving on steel stands" or this "tanks bursting due to the steel giving on steel stands". See the other post on steel shelving in this forum today. You don't want the shelves to 'give' underneath a tank.
Personally, I don't trust using industrial shelving for aquariums as it has may have high weight ratings, but the rating includes deflection which we don't want under a tank. Steel bends a lot before it fails, while glass doesn't.
If you feel uncomfortable with wood DIY builds or just don't have the tools handy, glass 90 gallon tanks can be easily supported on cinder blocks (3 high on each side perpendicular to the tank) spanned by 5 or 6 2x4's underneath a 48"x18" 1/2" plywood sheet. For added support (and especially with acrylic), I typically place a third set of blocks midd-center underneath. You can use the open sided blocks with the open side facing up and you are good to go. http://concreteblocksizes.blogspot.com/2012/05/cinder-block-dimensions-find-out-more.html
I've used simple builds like this: quick, inexpensive and ridiculously more than capable of holding the weight. A little bit of paint or a simple veneer (drop cloth for example) and it's furniture.
Looks to me like that can be built for about $40 at Lowes or Home Depot. (9 @ $1 for blocks, 3 x 2"x4"x8' @ $4 -cut in 4 foot lengths, ~$15 for the plywood.)
Personally, I don't trust using industrial shelving for aquariums as it has may have high weight ratings, but the rating includes deflection which we don't want under a tank. Steel bends a lot before it fails, while glass doesn't.
If you feel uncomfortable with wood DIY builds or just don't have the tools handy, glass 90 gallon tanks can be easily supported on cinder blocks (3 high on each side perpendicular to the tank) spanned by 5 or 6 2x4's underneath a 48"x18" 1/2" plywood sheet. For added support (and especially with acrylic), I typically place a third set of blocks midd-center underneath. You can use the open sided blocks with the open side facing up and you are good to go. http://concreteblocksizes.blogspot.com/2012/05/cinder-block-dimensions-find-out-more.html
I've used simple builds like this: quick, inexpensive and ridiculously more than capable of holding the weight. A little bit of paint or a simple veneer (drop cloth for example) and it's furniture.
Looks to me like that can be built for about $40 at Lowes or Home Depot. (9 @ $1 for blocks, 3 x 2"x4"x8' @ $4 -cut in 4 foot lengths, ~$15 for the plywood.)
Bingo. 0.25mm flex under a glass tank will put most of the loading on the glass and silicone, not the stand. And I've seen those industrial shelves flex a hell of a lot more than that!!
fair nough... I actually am going to go a different direction now. I am just going to reinforce the pine stand I have with a bunch of 2x4s and basically add another internal frame to the current stand. Besides that, the steel shelving I was looking at actually wouldn't fit my tank after I looked at it the second time. I've had quite a few guys tell me to just reinforce my stand and it'll be good to go, one friend being a fish store manager who builds his own stands, and another friend who is a professional contractor with his own business. 2 guys at least that I know and trust who have plenty of experience. Thanks for your direction guys! If you have any more input, I would love to hear it. Thank you!