Will this stand crack my tank?

[Oscar Mike]

I just finished a stand for my 90g and was planning on putting a 55 on the bottom shelf as a growout/hospital tank (for now, might convert to a sump later on for the 90 and a 100 that's next to them).

There's just barely enough clearance between the 55 and stand to fit in my hand or python tho, so I decided not to put in the .5'' plywood I had cut for the bottom frame. At first I thought that should be fine since the corners are all supported by vertical 2x4s along with one in the center and two more near the ends, but now I'm second guessing things because the trim on the front/back isn't fully supported.

It seems like basically the same concept as a cinder block stand to me tho, so what do u guys think? Is it ok to go without the plywood if both ends are supported (plus the 3 additional perpendicular supports along the bottom), or will the tank crack from stress without a full frame?

 

[Oscar Mike]

I have some spare 2x4s that I could use to build a full frame under the 55, but I would really prefer not to because that would mean flipping the stand again and screwing into surfaces that have already been painted. The spare pieces are 16'' tho while the gaps are 17.5'' so I would also have to connect a block at the ends, which would be a pain to fit the drill around and just look stupid. I'd like to fill the tanks tomorrow so any advice or opinions would be greatly appreciated

 

[Oscar Mike]

Bump, I would really appreciate a second opinion on this before filling them up. Does the trim on a glass tank need to be fully supported, or can it sit across the middle of the frame like this without plywood?

 

[tommybhermitage]

I think it would be fine. There's a board under the 55 right?


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[Oscar Mike]

There wasn't enough room to fit my hand in with the sheet of plywood on bottom but the 55 sits between the vertical corner supports because the 90 is wider, so both side panels are fully supported by the horizontal 2x4s on the ends of the bottom frame (if that makes sense lol).

The part I'm nervous about is the middle being supported by 3 perpendicular boards, instead of 2 long parallel pieces directly under the front/back panel (like it would be if the stand was the same width as the 55). It seems to sit evenly across the bottom frame but I'm worried the perpendicular boards will create stress under the tank if they're not all perfectly level

 

[tommybhermitage]

You'll be fine as long as there's some support in the middle


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[Oscar Mike]

Ok great thanks man! I was trying to keep the 90 under a window and didnt leave enough room under the stand lol. Now I just need to figure out how to fit some lights under there, its like .5cm too short for a t8 shop light :banghead: I'm thinking about LEDs but I might have to install the heatsinks first. I should just it as a sump but I have a ton of hobs/canisters and will have even more laying around when I upgrade the 240. I could also put a few 10g's down there but those could go anywhere so I don't wanna waste the space on them. A 40b would fit perfectly