Supporting a tank on a stand

[prskiller]

This is solid constuction here,too solid if you ask me.Haven't any of you been to a aquarium store and taken a look at how their built there? It's far simpler constuction and take far less time building stands the way you see them in the local aquarium store.Plus a stand with all that lumber can be pain to move.Sheeted plywood and 1xs are all you need for lumber.Unless your building it for 200gal or more.

I stuck my head in many stands at my lfs, which led me to build my own. I didn't like how there was no structure support other than all those 1xs. Overkill is always better than underkill.

 

[PatrickTheArowana]

Here's a pic of the fish tank stand that I built,before the trim,stain and varnish.I'm trying to locate the finished pic.

 

[PatrickTheArowana]

I stuck my head in many stands at my lfs, which led me to build my own. I didn't like how there was no structure support other than all those 1xs. Overkill is always better than underkill.

Overkill is better than underkill that is for sure but you have to realize that your going to spend more money on something you don't need.It's like building walls for a house with all 2x6s instead of 2x4s.

You could build a stand like the ones at the aquarium store the same way they built it,but much better.Just remember,it doesn't take a whole lot of would to constuct something solid,just reinforce it.That stand I built,me and a buddy could stand on it and jump up and down and it wouldn't even twitch.And I weigh over 200 lbs.I don't know how much my buddy weighs but it's up there.

But hey,you built something solid and that's all that matters.

 

[FSM]

I have heard that a tank should be supported around the edges and not in the centre of the base. My stand has a typical top (outer frame with cross pieces).

False...You heard wrong.

...no. Unless it is acrylic, the base of the tank only needs to be supported on the outer edges. Thats how the stand I have for my 75 is, plus it has a frame around the tank (like most do) so it would be almost impossible to support the entire bottom.

 

[cdienzo]

I finally got around to making the doors. Here are 2 pics of the stand I just made for my 55g. Please excuse the random barrenness of the tank decor. I hope to do the real aquascaping this weekend.


Doors closed. Used some random, old-lady hardware I had laying around for the hinges & knobs.

Doors open. Here you can see my Eheim 2217 & other assorted crap. I don't know how all my yellow pages ended up down there...

Again, this was made following the "overbuilt" how-to guide referenced near the top of this thread.

Regards,
-cd