Do I Need to Buy an Aquarium Stand?

[mamajp4]

Hi,

I bought my daughter a Marineland 20-gallon aquarium kit for her birthday (thanks to those who helped me make the decision). Now, we're trying to figure out where to put it. We had planned to place it on her very large, very heavy desk. The aquarium is about 24" x 15" x 12.5". Seems so many people use a stand. I don't see that the affordable stands are all that sturdy. Why wouldn't it work just as well to use a sturdy piece of furniture.Or, I've thought about using Craigslist to find a TV stand (for the old-fashioned heavy tvs) or cabinet with a countertop, or some other heavy piece of furniture. Maybe even a corner Entertainment stand (place for the aquarium and cabinet doors, drawers, etc. for storage). Is there a reason a stand is better? What are the things I need to look for? Finances are tight right now......I can't afford more than about $75. My daughter loves the look of her bedroom...furniture is white, so I'd like to do something compatible since we put so much effort into her bedroom.

Thanks,
Julie

 

[FishesRWishes]

I have my 20 gallon on a regular table and it has worked out fine. (Knock on wood!)

Just make sure your daughter's desk is capable of holding 200+ pounds, as your tank will weigh about that much when full. Not to mention it will need to be able to support everything else on the desk too.

Does she use the desk for a computer? If so I wouldn't put the aquarium on the desk. You will end up getting water everywhere at some point, regardless how careful you are ('Ooops, thought the siphon was closed! Guess not!' type of thing.)

I think stands become more important when you get larger tanks, because they need to be built to support the hundreds of pounds of water.

 

[tanker]

A stand is always better. Furature just does not have the "vertical" strength the handle that much weight. A 20gal is small, but still over 200lbs. Most TVs are less then 1/3 of that weight.

See if you can find a used stand.

 

[dansnyder]

A stand isn't necessary. I think the only real advantages are that it is designed to hold the weight of a fishtank and that they often have a compartment to store things for your tank like net, siphon, water treatments, food, etc. My first tank was a 30 G tall and I had it on a fairly cheaply made dresser of mine and it was fine for 15 years. Keep in mind that it depends on the furniture. For instance, if a dresser is just 2 pieces of plywood on either end with another piece bridging them and some drawers then that isn't suitable for a fishtank. If you can describe the basic construction of the furniture in question then maybe I could give you an idea as to whether it'll be good enough.

Usually what I end up doing is making my own stands. If you're really looking to save money, and you or someone you know has carpentry skills / tools, you can make a 20$ stand out of 2x4's in an afternoon. Here is a pic of the most recent one I made:

 

[rufioman]

I usually make my own stands. For around $80 if you have a drill and maybe some clamps you're set. For a 20g I wouldn't worry about it...I went to the goodwill down the street and got this cool little steel filing cabinet of sorts for my 20g at $10. Works like a champ!

 

[coach_z]

most furniture is not meant to hold the weight of an aquarium. They are also not meant to hold that weight for a very long period of time.

What don't you like about the cheap stands? Which ones have you looked at?

 

[mamajp4]

I really love this idea! My husband is great at building things but very short on time and money right now. This should be quick enough and not very expensive. Plus, we could paint it to match her bedroom, which she will love. Thanks for the great picture. I think he can figure out how to build it from the photo.

 

[dansnyder]

No problem, good luck! I have a Sketchup file describing the exact dimensions if needed. It was a fun project.

Here's an unpainted picture, you can get a better idea of the construction. It took about 5 2x4's and some screws.

 

[garyfla]

Hi
To the above drawing iwould add a better layout . Turn the 2x4 sideways cut a notch to accept the cross memeber.
Use a flat 2x4 at the bottom . Cuts the amount of material in half all weight is supported by the 2x4's instead of the screws.
This allow the greatest amount of space on the interior The flat 2x4 on the bottom allows for easy leveling no matter how uneven the floor. , takes no space from the interior. You can get cheap door and drawers from used furniture
My last one for a 75 was covered on the ends with sheet styrofoam painted with stucco looks like stone Used vinyl femcing below the tank held in place by pressure . Entire front can be removed and no hinges required. Cost 18 dollars.
gary

 

[ianab]

A 20gal is not a big tank, and most any STURDY piece of furniture (desk, coffee table, chest of drawers) will support one. I can't vouch for some of the crappy bargain store junk that's made of plastic covered cardboard, but something built properly will be fine. The tank weighs about 160lbs when full, about the same as an adult person. Would you be safe dancing on the piece in question? If yes, then it's OK. If it's going to sag or fold up if you sit on it - then no.

Or, as the others have suggested, some 4x2s and/or plywood, some DIY tools and you can build a stand to hold pretty much ANY size tank.

Ian