Aquarium Stand - question

[Mike Goetzke]

I built a stand for a corned bowed tank. I used 3/4" ply and 3/4" oak which as mentioned above is plenty of support. A couple of other things to look for. Make sure that not only the tank but the floor are level. Make sure the top/platform for the tank is flat and supports the tanks frame fully. I built mine with my boys and had lots of fun:

[Dave Fifield]

Some nice examples above!

I once skinned a very large metal frame tank stand (tank was 5' x 2' x 18" IIRC) with cherry veneered particle board (sides, doors, shelves, top - no back) for someone. It looked great and was incredibly strong and didn't cost much to do. No pic, sorry, this was way before digital cameras were invented.

[Bruce Page]

Roger, I think your basic design will be plenty strong, but I would add some support to the middle area.

Here's a couple of pics of my 110gal setup.

[Roger Los]

More nice examples, unfortunately I pointed my wife at this thread and now she has "expectations".

Another question: I was going to make this "legged" and I note every stand above has an entirely flat base. Is this purely preference or another thing I should consider? With 4 legs it would be about 100lbs/leg on the floor. This will be standing on a hardwood floor. I didn't think this was excessive, or is there something I'm missing (other than any sort of sense).

[Dev Emch]

Wood is great in compression and most likely will work. But I recall from my college days that dorm dressers make horrid tank stands. My dorm neigbor BORROWED a plate glass window from shopping mall construction project and built a 100 gallon tank out of it. He and his room mate were a bit over zealous in the brewskies dept when they borrowed that window. They cut the window up and glued it up with silicone rubber cement and banded the upper edge. Capacity was about 100 or gallons. They needed this for our dorm mascot... CLYDE. Clyde was a fat red and green pirranea fish from south america that would eat only live gold fish and dorm caffeteria liver. Go figure!

In time, the dresser began to buldge and spread apart. The mitre joints had moved about 1/8 inch apart along the top edge by the end of the school year. Its hard to say if this was caused by the weight or by slow leaks. But most folks were paying more attention to Clyde and making remarks about Clyde needing an orthadondist and braces.

[Bill Fields]

Roger--
15" X 36" = 540 Sq. Inches, So At 500#, That's Less Than 1# Per Square In.

3/4 Ply With 2x3 Or 2x4 Uprights Should Do The Trick.

(sorry About The Caps--keyboard Is Acting Up.)

Bill

[Chris Barton]

Water weighs just over 6 lbs/gal. 300lbs is a reasonable stress requirement. The vast majority of tanks made today come in at least 10% below their advertised cap.

[Norman Hitt]

Roger posted this, as we sure weren't getting much response to another Aquarium related post over on the Off Topic Page. The one I will build for my Computer Guru Friend is, (IIRC) a 135 gal tank. The tank is 72 1/2" x 23" x 18 1/2". The case, (sans top & bottom hardwood 1' x 3' caps) will be 72" x 23 1/2" x 40" tall, built with standard case construction of 3/4" ply for the ends and two center dividers, 3/4 " ply for the top and bottom with a 3/4" ply back(set in 1/4") in the center section to eliminate racking, and 1/4" ply back covering all three sections.

There will be a Red Oak face frame with 3/4" x 4" end stiles, 3/4" x 2" center stiles, with a 3/4" x 4" bottom rail and a 3/4" x 6" top rail. The back will also have a bottom and top rail of the same dimensions from poplar, and the inside of the Front Face Frame will be backed by poplar. I also plan to run a 3/4" x 4" poplar support lengthwise down the center at the top, cut into the two center dividers to give support under the plywood top. The two end sections will have doors, and the center section will be open at the front with adjustable shelves for pics, etc. There will be other bracing blocks at the joints (inside) as necessary, and molding trim around the top and bottom.

Does anyone see any problem with this design for this weight load, (estimated at around 1500#).

Thanks for your thoughts.

[Randy Meijer]

My modest store-bought stand for a 55 gal SW tank is a 3/4" plywood box(?). 2 sides, a top, bottom, open back and 2 big doors on the front. 2 stringers are 3/4" x4" plywood and the face frame is 3/4" x 3" plywood. The total weight of my tank is around 650 lbs. It has been in place for over 5 years and never had a problem. it really doesn't take much to hold up a moderately sized tank. The design you are considering should do just fine. As to the leg thing, my stand has four of those little adjustable screw-in legs with the plastic glides that you see on a lot of furniture. My tank is set up on carpet over a concrete slab; but if you want a stand with legs it will be plenty safe even on any sound wooden floor. Here is an interesting discussion of residential floor loading and dealing with aquariums: http://www.african-cichlid.com/Structure.htm

One final point: Fresh water water weighs about 8.3 lbs. per gallon......remember "..a pint is a pound.." and salt water a little more...about 8.5 lbs. per pound.

[John Hemenway]

Good thread, guys!

Norman -- sounds good. How is the top attached to the rails? If the Poplar forms a ledge for the top you have a very strong case there.

I'm a little unclear as to the case construction. Are there two dividers front to back at the doors? If so you don't need the "3/4" x 4" poplar support lengthwise down the center at the top". Having as much space as possible in the stand is a good thing. I'd do joists front to back at the two middle stiles. That should be plenty. Is the tank glass or Plexi? Glass only touches the base at it's perimeter so doesn't need much down the middle support.

Roger -- I don't think you will have any problems with legs. Could two Bill Grumbines stand close to each other in your house without breaking the floor? Your tank will be fine.

I had always heard plexi needed to be supported completly, then I noticed some of the tanks in my LSF fishroom. They have 50 G. tanks hanging 4 inches off the edge of stand! Been that way for years!!

[Norman Hitt]

[QUOTE=John Hemenway]Good thread, guys!

Norman -- sounds good. How is the top attached to the rails? If the Poplar forms a ledge for the top you have a very strong case there.

I'm a little unclear as to the case construction. Are there two dividers front to back at the doors? If so you don't need the "3/4" x 4" poplar support lengthwise down the center at the top". Having as much space as possible in the stand is a good thing. I'd do joists front to back at the two middle stiles. That should be plenty. Is the tank glass or Plexi? Glass only touches the base at it's perimeter so doesn't need much down the middle support.
QUOTE]

John, I "Think" he said the tank is Glass, (I haven't seen it, just got the dimensions from him). The case will have three compartments, and will have the 3/4" ply for both ends, AND for the two dividers, (that is where the center stiles will go to face the divider Ply, and to frame the door openings for the two end compartments. The center compartment will be open with adjustable shelves for displaying pics & other items. He wants the tank to set at the front of the case with about 5" space behind it to run the wires/hoses up from the Cabinet to the tank, and the longitudinal "Stringer" is for support of the top, BUT Mainly for antiracking. (He has some real active young boys that "Might" occasionally Crash into it), so I want it Solid. the stringer won't be seen, as the bottom of it will still be higher inside the case than the 6" wide front frame. Oh yes, the poplar will form a ledge for the top at both the front and back of the case.

Thanks for your thoughts.

[Dan Stuewe]

I've been working on a stand myself. Count me in with the over-engineered group...

I've also got a crazy idea to make it mobile. My thought was to us a couple of A-fram trailer jacks through the 3x3 cross beams. Then using four 250 lb casters. The trailer jacks are to raise and lower the stand when my wife wants to re-arrange the living room. Now I'm not so sure since a question was raised if the tank seams can handle the sloshing of a partially filled tank.

BTW, this shows the support structure. I'm planning on covering everything with a face frame and three doors.

[John Hemenway]

Dan, does your living room have a floor drain?

It might actually work if it's plexi. Still, having the floor drain would be good backup.

[John Hemenway]

Norman, it does sound strong. Seems like the boys need some training. (taser? )Running into the stand would be the least of my worries. If it's a glass tank, I'd be real worried about them hitting it, causing a stress point and 'Surfs UP!'

I also have my doubts about displaying 'pics and ...'. Always seems like there is some water spilled on and around the stand. Ah well, to each his own...

Post some pics as you make it!

[Roger Los]

I hope to get started on this on Sunday. My biggest issue right now with my design is that none of the local lumber places here on the island stocks nominal 4 x 4 timber for the corners, so I will probably be making my own from mitered 2 x 4 lumber. I'm going to go with fir as it's one of my favorite woods and the local store had some nice pieces on hand. I'll try to post a sketch a bit later on for general humorous effect.