questions for starting 55 gal....

B

butterflylove

fishie fishie fishie
Dec 17, 2004
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maryland
the LFS had a great deal on a coplete 55 gal tank, but with no stand. i thought that it would be alot easier than it is finding out some directions, and material, ect. so my first question is ... how in the world do i begin do build a stand? are there any web sites or somewhere i could get directions?
also, i already have a 20 gal full of live bearers right now and i would like to use that one for only the babies, so what is the quickest way to get a 55 gal started? i got the 29 gal already set up, so im lost on that.if any one has any ideas or comments...please let me know! thanks alot! this web site has been sooooo helpful!

oh yeah one more thing. my lil brother has a tank with goldfish in it and one of his just recently started spinning out of control!! alot!! it has been fine for months though, what could cause this?

thanks again!
amber
 
tank starting

I am not real familar with any sites that will give you directions on building the stand, but in my opinion depending on what you are looking for you can probably buy one for near the cost of building your own. You may search the DYI section of the forum for a possible match. As for the easiest and quickest way to start a tank I have tries a few different ways and have had success. I have taken a good portion of water out of one my established tanks and put it in the new tank and this worked well. I have also removed my filter media out of the established tank and squeezed the contents into the new tank and then let the remainder float in the tank and then test the water. With both methods I have cycled a tank in a little better than a week. After your tests settle down and the tank is cycled I would recommend introducing a few hardy fish at first and then build from there incase you get any spikes in your readings. Hope this helps and good luck.

Jim Rutherford
 
for a 55g you'd be safe using 2X4s.
Its pretty basic. Four legs, and you could use 1X4s to make a frame around it. You can customize it as much as you like. Make sure your wood isn't bent or cracked and make sure its standing straight upright and not leaning to one side (even slightly).
I built a stand for my 20g and 10g, cost me $11 in lumber. I'm working on a stand for a 180g right now.

I'm guessing a 55g stand would cost $30 ish.
 
butterflylove said:
the LFS had a great deal on a coplete 55 gal tank, but with no stand. i thought that it would be alot easier than it is finding out some directions, and material, ect. so my first question is ... how in the world do i begin do build a stand? are there any web sites or somewhere i could get directions?

i would buy a stand b/c if you put alot of money into an aquarium setup, then you would want it to have proper support and if you were to build your own stand then it may not bear the weight of the aquarium, but if you wish to build one, check out the diy plans on this website.
Click to expand...
 
spartan said:
I built a stand for my 20g and 10g, cost me $11 in lumber.
Click to expand...
thats a super low price, what type of wood did you use?

Personally I can't imagine building a stand for a 55g for under 50-70$ in lumber, figuring 2x4 frame and mdf coverings, then if you want to get fancy and paint it or wallpaper, make cabinets, etc...it adds up really fast.
You can easily spend 100$ and get something that just looks ok - if you dont have the greatest wood working skills.

Personally I'd fork out the extra $$ and get a premade stand/hood
 
An iron stand can be picked up for less than 100 dollars. Try ebay.com. Or big als aquarium supplies online, if you prefer new. :) If you have one of those sturdy old fashioned credenzas or dressers that were made like tanks from the old days, these work nicely too. Just make sure that its one piece, with no slim little legs or feet supporting it. Try even sitting on it to see if it rocks or is unstable. Take your measuring tape and go to a used furniture shop. I use a kitchen sideboard (without the hutch) for my 25g and I'm sure it could hold a 55g easily. Its an older piece and weighs a ton.
 
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When I bought my 55G I was facing same dilemma to buy or to build my own stand. I decided to build it myself. After many days of planning and calculations, I accidentally found a pretty good stand at WalMart witch was on sale for $20. Nothing can bit WalMart. :D
 
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