Need Aquarium stand plans

[Craig T. Smith]

I want to build an aquarium stand. 50 in. long 13in. deep by31in. high. I want to make it with mortise and tenon joints for strength. I don't really what design style. The weight of the water(approx. 440 pounds) is what is getting freaked out. If anyone has plans or knows where I can buy them I would really appreciate it. Craig Smith

[Mark Rios]

I don't know that you need to worry too much about strength, other than normal good quality construction.

Just last week I gave away an aquarium stand the had been left in one of my apartments that I manage. It was exactly the size that you mention. (The aquarium leaked so I threw it away but it had been full the last time that I saw it. The aquarium was about the same footprint as the stand.) It was built fairly simply in exactly the same way that an upper kitchen cabinet was built, maybe even less solidly.


111stand 1.jpg 111stand 2.jpg

You may want to use M&T's for aesthetics but good, solid woodworking construction and practices should suffice fine for strength. I advertised it for "sale" for free and listed the dimensions. When the taker called she mentioned that it was sized for a 50 gallon aquarium. Google says that a 50 gal. is equal to about 600 lbs., right? You should be fine.


HTH

[Roman Hruska]

I second what Mark said about just using good construction techniques.
About eight months ago I made a stand for a 18x48x22 tank, that was my wife's Christmas present. It was kind of a strange installation. The tank sits in a cutout pass-though in our dining nook. The wall was only eight inches wide, so I had to make two cabinets that would support the other ten inches of the tank. These boxes are just 3/4 birch ply from the BORG with rabbeted joints and stapled 1/4 ply backs. Took all of about two hours to do. The cabinet also holds all of the fish supplies and the cannister filter.

One of these days we will get around to putting a finish coat of paint on them.

Good luck with the stand and the tank!

Roman