Fish tank stand.....3/4" ply strong enough??

[Erik Loza]

Very nice does not say enough. ...but stealing the thread; you, not me
Is that one tank, (room remodeled over time) or two tanks?

Same tank, Jeff. Just progression of time.

Thanks,

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

[Jeff Erbele]

Thanks everyone for your help. After doing more research I'm going to go 3/4" ply with a combo of pocket hole and dado joinery.

George

Done right, that will work just fine.

Engineering wise, a corrugated cardboard box (square and level with no imperfections) would support it; until some lateral force acted upon it. If anything, any force caused it to move horizontally in any direction, or if the box got wet, all bets are off.

Think of a house of cards. How thick (or thin) the cards are not the focus but is your question. The cards could be 3" oak planks but wind could topple them.

Vertical forces; compression is not your weak link.
Preventing shear is your concern.
You do that by selecting the correct material for the application, (plywood, not excessively wet frequently will do fine), the correct size, and preventing movement of the vertical panels. Diagonal "X" bracing certainly would work but even small blocks properly fastened in the right places would do. Dado joints are a plus as are screws and water proof glue; water proof given the application and potetial hazard.

A side note. The assumption of the masses is an aquarium stand and area under it and around it will be wet often. The truth is, that is entirely up to you an how you maintain it. My 125g plywood & oak stand has never been wet in 15 years other than a few occasional drips which I wipe up quickly.

[James Baker SD]

Please no more nice pictures, I've got too many expensive hobbies as it is. :-)

[Alan Lightstone]

Very nice does not say enough. ...but stealing the thread; you, not me
Is that one tank, (room remodeled over time) or two tanks?

Same tank between two rooms, and yes, apologies for the thread hijack.

Like Erik and Jeff said, keeping it dry and avoiding racking forces are the important things. Bigger is better for tanks - much more stable an ecosystem.

The critical dimension is height. Just keep a tank less than your arm's length, and maintenance is easy. More than that, and it becomes a challenge.

[Jim Neeley]

The critical dimension is height. Just keep a tank less than your arm's length, and maintenance is easy. More than that, and it becomes a challenge.

More than that and you need flippers!!

[Mark Patoka]

I made a hex stand for my 40 gal hex using 3/4 oak plywood and it's plenty strong. I think I just used biscuits and glue. Two of the panels are doors so there are only four panels holding it all up and it's very solid. I think you'll be fine.

[Mike Heidrick]

Those tanks are BEAUTIFUL folks. Great job!

[George Farra]

WOW.....those are really nice tanks and way more than I can accomplish right now. Thanks everyone

George