Urgent help! Tank stand woes...

[bazil323]

So I've been looking for a used stand (or nice hardwood dresser type furniture) for my 75 gallon tank since hubby said I couldn't get a new one. He did say he might build one, but that's been about 2 months now, and I'm getting impatient.

It appears that noone is selling any used stands in my area, let alone for a 75g. So I found a dresser that is 6 foot long and something like 20 inches deep and only 2 feet high. I figure that should be fine, I don't have little kids that might mess with it or anything that would warrant the tank being higher. The tank is 48" long (4 feet), 18" deep, and the height doesn't really matter for this question, lol. Standard 75 gallon dimensions.

I asked the guy what it was made of, and he said "well I'm not a wood guy, so I don't know the exact type." I asked if it was composite or pressboard or anything like that, and he said that the drawers were. I figured that should be fine, 'cause the weight doesn't rest on the drawers.

Once we got there though, it looks like it is some sort of composite, the whole thing! It's about a 1/2 inch, I think, and covered with laminate wood-type surface. It seems pretty sturdy, not like the newer crap that's sold in stores today. I'm kinda nervous about putting my tank on there, but I am having a hard time finding anything else that works and my once little fish are getting cramped in their temporary homes (I know, bad girl).

Should I just be careful about not getting it wet, or should I find something else?

[CaliLifeStyle]

Don't be desperate. That always leads to disaster. I would find something that you don't have to wonder if today is the day it buckles.

[Wyomingite]

Find something else. IIRC, a full, aquascaped 75 weighs 800-850 lbs. A composite board dresser lacks the strength in the material and does not have the reinforcement to support the tank in the right places. Its hit or miss whether it'll hold.

WYite

[Rbishop]

Can you post a picture of it?

[bazil323]

I'll see if I can get a pic up tomorrow. I've got someone coming over tonight, so I'm not sure how much time I'll have to mess with it.

[SuBXeRo]

i would just wait. it sounds flimsy. i built my stand for 300 bux which was 3x my original planned budget for my 72 gal tank stand. i still have the plans if interested. its quite simple to build honestly. it only requires 6 8foot 4x4's and then luan ply or whatever ply u want to skin it and cover the top with. realisitically it shouldnt cost you that much if you have the equipment to do it. figure 100 bux then.

[Cliff Mayes]

The 75 full of water is heavy and the casters may not be built to carry the weight. Racking or sideways movement is always an important consideration. Triangles are the only sturdy form. Any type of plyboard is rigid enough. Thin Luan is easily cut with a utility knife and ruler and the ripping and crosscutting will require some sort of saw.

Thin Luan, underlayment, is cheap and sturdy. Look at Kitchen cabinets to see another form of building a struture that will hold a lot of weight. Any strip of wood glued into the corners and edges is fine. Usually I just rip strips off of a 1 inch board. Metal fasteners are only used to hold wood together until the glue dries. Any type of Carpenters glue works fine, if used according to directions. Clamps are good, if have them, but they are not worth buying for one job.

Finishing can be done in any shade you wish with any paint or Varnish (combined with stain for color if you want) that is available everywhere.

This type of Construction is inexpensive and relatively light for the strength it provides.

Patience is the one virtue that will stand you in good stead in this Hobby. So either give these instructions to you Husband or do some reading and build your own: it is not that difficult.

If you need help, just ask. Good luck!

[bazil323]

Here's some pics of the dresser. I did put the tank on it for a better idea of proportion. It's not filled or anything, just sitting there.

[Mr.Midas]

I have the same problem with finding a sutible stand. I put my 75 gallon on an old hardwood dresser when I was newb and didnt know better. It's been there for a couple years now but it's still unsettling. Heres how I test for the ruggedness of a stand. I get the same or greater weight of the tank worth of people and jump on the stand, if it holds up I'll use it, lol. Get like 10 people and jump on your stand and see what happens, hahaha. I know that stress over time may take its toll though.

[OldMan47]

I seriously doubt that "stand" will hold up under the load. If you or your husband are at all handy and have a few tools, you can build a stand the way I do for about $50 and can dress it up with fancy plywood sides for another $50. If you know up front that you will be adding sides and a back in the form of some thin plywood, you might be able to redesign the legs and top to take advantage of the plywood's rigidity and combine structural strength with appearance. An integrated design usually looks better and ends up stronger.

[fishorama]

I have a particle board buffet for a 55g stand. I used 2x4s to brace it, 4 vertical along the back, 3 in front. I've used it for years but don't really trust it & a 75 weighs more.

[BigNorsk]

I've seen worse, the key is that board in the center between the two sets of drawers. If you support that from the floor I think you will be fine. The other thing to look at is the backboard. Make sure that is well attached since that is the brace to make the dresser rigid. If you replaced that with a more rigid board like 3/8 inch plywood and then attached the board well, it would work fine. But I think it will work without doing that if you support the middle just make sure the staples aren't loose and falling out or even glue it in place.

But in any case, it's that center board that needs to be held up from the floor, as it is, the span is too long, it might work if the tank was a long as the dresser but with it that far from the ends I would guess the dresser would sag a lot.

Marv

[Neonsilver]

That "stand" is junk for a fish tank. Build one out of 2x4's for now and then face it in some nice plywood later. I would need a couple more pictures to tell if it's all partical board or not though. One from underneath looking at the top and then one looking at the bottom of the sides. Not sure if you even care about that information now though.

[Cory Keeper]

Agreed, too flimsy. I built mine for my 20 long with some 2x4s, It was originally built with a 20 long in mind, but I got a 29 as well, and it has held up to extra 100 pounds or so.

[bazil323]

Okay, I guess that won't work. The center is all the way to the floor, and it is about 1" thick (maybe more, I didn't measure). But, given that the back looks like particle board and doesn't seem very thick and there isn't a whole lot of bracing, etc. Even if it did hold, I guess I'd still be pretty nervous about it.

Anybody want to share some plans for an easy 75 g stand? PM if you do. Hubby can easily build one, he just doesn't have the time to get fancy or anything. I'd be lucky to get a simple one within the next few months, probably, lol. Any recommendations on wood? I think he has a bunch of pine 2x6 and/or 2x8 boards that are something like 4-6 feet long. I wasn't really paying attention when we unloaded them. Thanks!

[wataugachicken]

if your fish are outgrowing the tanks they are in now, why not just set the 75g tank up on the floor until you find a suitable stand?

You could do a stand with concrete/masonry blocks, a piece of plywood, and some nice fabric. stacks of blocks supporting the corners and the center, plywood on top, and then sew or pin a "curtain" around it, or cut the fabric so it covers the entire stand, like a tablecloth.

That stand there is not just bad because of the construction materials, but because the corners of the tank are not supported directly. the legs/weight bearing parts should be as close as possible to the corners, instead they are way out on the middle of nowhere. as soon as the dresser starts to bow, a crack is a very real possibility.

[acevudoo]

That first bad dream is enough to avoid a questionable situation! Peace of mind cant be skimped on.. not only is it unsafe for the fishies.. are you a renter? this could be a huge mistake! If ya cant get him to build a tankstand.. how r u gonna get him to fix drywall or refinish floors/replace carpet? 75 gal. looks a lot bigger on the floor!!

[Waimeadad]

Here is a link w/ photos for a 55 gal. - http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f20/55-gallon-tank-stand-with-photos-102828.html
If you have a standard 75, just adjust the width of the stand for the extra 5 inches.

Another link for a basic stand - http://www.garf.org/tank/BuildStand.asp
Enter your dimensions and it gives you a basic materials list w/ a diagram.

Hope this helps :)

[bazil323]

Thanks for the links! I talked to hubby last night, and while he is willing to build a stand, he doesn't think he'll have time to do it. Besides, he'd have to borrow the tools to build it, and he's not sure if/when he'd be able to do that. So, he said, "just keep looking for a stand, and if you don't find one, I'll build one." He said building a bed frame was more important, lol. Since it's been 2 years since we had anything more than the mattress on the floor, I doubt I'll be getting a handmade stand anytime soon, lol.

Since he doesn't seem too interested in doing that, I'll need to keep looking. I did post wanted ads on Craigs List, so maybe something will come out of that and I'll keep watching the classifieds, etc. I might be able to talk my dad (unlikely) or my father-in-law (also unlikely) into building one.

So, if I can't find an actual tank stand, would a solid hardwood dresser, say oak or even pine, work. I mean not this particle board/composite crap I found. I might try what wautagachicken suggested to use concrete blocks and plywood covered by some sort of cloth, I guess. I'm just getting so frustrated that my excellent used tank deal has been turning into a time consuming nightmare! The fish that I mentioned earlier should be fine in their current tanks for probably a few months, but I don't feel right taking that risk. I want them in a proper sized tank asap, y'know? I'm paranoid, which can ironically sometimes lead to taking risks like I almost did with that stupid composite dresser. Uh, I'm getting worked up again, lol.

[bazil323]

Do you think that the dresser in this link (http://eauclaire.craigslist.org/fuo/957620471.html) will work? I contacted teh seller who says that the dimensions are 70" by 18" wide by 33" tall. This is the exact quote from the seller's email: " .hmmessage P { margin:0px; padding:0px } body.hmmessage { font-size: 10pt; font-family:Verdana } There are scratches on the dresser and mirror. I have a attached more pictures. Also on the sides of the mirror there is a piece of wood missing. The last time I moved they came off. I have an extra piece of glass for the door." I did reply asking about whether or not it is solid wood or not, but I haven't gotten a reply yet. It looks like it is in the pics, but it's hard to tell.

These are the additional pics the seller sent to me.

[yikesjason]

It looks ok, but it is so hard to say from just a few pictures.

[bazil323]

Hmm, the text I copied from the e-mail went wacky, I guess. This is what the seller said, "There are scratches on the dresser and mirror. I have attached more pictures. Also on the sides of the mirror there is a piece of wood missing. The last time I moved they came off. I have an extra piece of glass for the door."

[Cliff Mayes]

As long as you floor is reasonbly level and straight Cinder blocks, painted black of whatever color you want (if you want to paint them), is the least expensive way to go. Just make sure that the top is level and even. You are also limited to some multiple of the heights of the blocks.

[bazil323]

The spot where the tank is to be is carpeted.

Another little wrinkle was just brought to my attention. Will the floor even support all that weight? We have a trailer house from the early 80's. The tank will be near the middle against an inside wall perpendicular to the outside wall.

We used to have a couch (approximately same length) sitting in that spot and at one time had 3 fairly large men sitting in it at the same time. Hubby who is 280, his cousin who is prob 225-250, and a friend who is probably 200-225. So a total weight of 705, minimum was sitting there, but it was only for a few minutes.

[Neonsilver]

I would need larger and more pictures of the dresser to be able to tell one way or another. Get a picture of the top and some of the joinery used and I could give you an answer. Also, you should be fine when it comes to weight, the weight of a tank is placed over a broad floor space so hazards decrease at that point. pst: I had a 190 on the third floor of an apartment building.:headbang2:

[Cliff Mayes]

The weight of a tank is all of the time and I have heard of people having a fridge falling thru the floor into the cellar and a fridge is not usually as heavy as a large tank Weight considerations for floors are important.

Most dressers are supported at corners or by Casters so all of the weight is borne by the floor in the corners not the entire floor. If you build your stand or use a stack of blocks it will spread the weight over the entire area which is good.

Any judgement about weight bearing capability would have to be made by a qualified engineer that looked over the Trailer floor. Extrapolating from one place to another is hazardous.

[bazil323]

I figured, but if everyone said no way no how that floor will fail, I'd probably not attempt it, lol. I'd set it up at my parents' or in-laws', lol.

Anyway, I set up a time to go look at it tomorrow, and I'll bring hubby who is much more technically minded than I am to check it out.

I'm going to either have hubby remove any legs or set down some sort of base for it to rest on that will spread out the weight of the tank. I figured that even though that is a lot of weight for the floor to handle, if it is spread out evenly over a space of 70 inches by 18 inches (1260 square inches) that would make the actual weight distribution per square inch fairly reasonable. If I'm figuring right, it would be a ballpark 850 pounds of weight, so it would be 0.67 pounds per square inch. I guess I'm more concerned about the dresser itself holding up.

[bushwhacker]

i built this stand for my 75 gallon tank for less than 50 dollars, the top and base are 2x4 the sides are 3/4 inch cabinet grade luan built in a U shape with other 3/4 in piece glued and nailed in the top and bottom of the U (to attach it to the 2x4) the skin is old barnwood as are the doors just for looks oh yeah the facing is red oak from lowes

http://i338.photobucket.com/albums/n438/bushwhacker_01/11-02-08016.jpg

[bazil323]

That's awesome! I wish I could get hubby to do something like that, but after a 40+ hour week working in the cold, he isn't too eager to do even more work out in the cold. His workshop/shed is not insulated and is very drafty. Our dog can go under the doors of the thing.

Besides, he's not very enthusiastic about my hobby. He admits that the fish are kinda nice to look at, but he thinks I spend way too much time and money on them.

[bushwhacker]

thank you. its really a simple design. can be built in a cple hours, the barnwood was to match the entertainment center and my desk and the 55 gallons stand which i also built hehe

http://i338.photobucket.com/albums/n438/bushwhacker_01/12-22-07_0931.jpg

[bazil323]

That's awesome. I wish I was more technically inclined so that I'd have a hope of being able to build that on my own. The best I could to was making one of those pen holder things where it's basically a piece of 1x5 sanded down and sealed with a hold drilled through to drop in a pen, lol.

[fwiffo]

they sell wrought iron stands at pet stores for under 80 dollars i believe.

http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp42871/si1378593/cl0/bigalsstingraystand48x18lightoak

check that out, but shipping costs may be...high!

[bazil323]

Just an update: I did look at that other dresser, but I didn't get it. I just wasn't sure of its sturdiness.

And, hubby and I went to the new location of the lfs in Eau Claire, and we picked up a brand new stand! Yay! We ended up talking to the owner, I guess, and he gave it to us for about $210 with tax. The first lady we talked to said it would be about $247 without tax, so we were glad we stuck around for another 5 minutes, lol! :evil_lol:

So, I set up the stand and tank yesterday and filled it with water. I'll be adding gravel tonight and testing the equipment. If all goes well, I'll add everything from one of my smaller tanks (filter and gravel too) and the second filter which will be stuffed with media from yet another of my tanks.