Will my desk hold my tank?

Ohhhh....neat I'll have to try that. The only thing I'm still a little worried about is that I have a very large dog and she is a little crazy and bumps into everything. Would it be stable enough to take that hit? I really wouldn't be happy if she bumped it really hard and it rocked hitting the wall (which is brick where I want the tank.)
 
just so you know cmu's or cinder blocks as you guys are calling them are actually 3/8" smaller than the size listed in all dimensions to account for motar.

Just so if you are designing something that the accuracy would matter

also if you are worried about the dog "knocking it over" which I am almost positive wouldnt happen, you can put a 4x4 post through the holes in the cinder blocks to lock them together.
 
you could reinforce it with a T brace under the place where the chair goes...but then you would barely be able to sit there lol

another cheap alternative and extremely sturdy and trustworthy

get a stack of milk crates and bind them together vertically and horizontally so they don't move...cheap easy TEMPORARY solution

milk crates are hella sturdy

buddy of mine did it with a 90g tank with no issues...and you don't have to worry about dripping water on it lol
 
i built this stand for my 75 in a day at a cost of around 50 dollars plus some scrap wood i had around the shop. top and bottom are 2x4 the body is 3/4" cabinet grade luan ply. then i skinned it with some 100 year old barnwood

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I owuldnt use that desk unless you want a broken tank and water everywhere. Even if you try and brace it, with the desk being made out of pressboard, the wood you use to brace it will only come out from weight pressing down on the press board and your brace.

Get a stand. Dressers and things like that are not made to support aquariums.
 
dundadundun said:
under the tank... it helps sometimes with bigger tanks. it gives them more even support in the off chance something bows or doesn't make contact in just the right area. it can prevent things like all those busted tank disasters from silicone peeling or glass shattering from uneven pressure. so, yes styrofoam.
Click to expand...

Oh do you mean rigid styrofoam ,like the little balls you can get in the craft stores, or like a egg crate styrofoam, you know the foam things you can put on your bed?
 
That isnt wahat that foam is intended for. You use the foam for large tanks, this will help fill in any voids in a stand. That is all it is intended for.

Even if you had the right foam it wont stop that weak desk form bowing and breaking.

The foam you are thinking of wont work. You have to get a special foam.
 
best not to take a chance at all in this case honestly...
that's an expensive and messy boo boo should that desk buckle and give in

the wood isn't the issue really...particle board is much stronger than normal wood...try breaking a piece one time and don't get frustrated when it doesn't break (wood glue + wood particles ftw alex)

the structure of the desk doesn't really allow for 600+ lbs of water + substrate + the weight of the actual tank itself

that gap where the chair slides under the desk will definitely be the weak point

a proper stand will cost more sure...it will also last longer and the last and most crucial point

there's no price on peace of mind knowing that stand can never buckle or break
 
Tay690 said:
particle board is much stronger than normal wood...try breaking a piece one time and don't get frustrated when it doesn't break (wood glue + wood particles ftw alex)
Click to expand...

I have to disagree with that statement.
 
^^ I was talking about the foam for a cinder block stand, several people and few sites recommended using foam between the plywood and the tank. I've given up on my desk at the moment and decided on the idea of this cinder block stand, I did a drawing of it on page 3 I believe.
 
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