questions for starting 55 gal....

I too had a 55 gallon without a stand. I scored however at a garage sale and got an old behind the couch table, like a coffee table but skinnier and longer. It is perfect for my 55 gallon. of course it could be no whimpy table, it is well made and very sturdy. Maybe not the ideal stand, as there is no cupboards for storage, but considering I priced stands for months, and never came up under $100.00, it works perfect for me. I would suggest looking at some used furniture shops, and go the less traditional route, if you are looking to go cheap anyway. Nothing beats the look of a tank in a nice custom built stand! :)
 
If you're a woodworker or even wannabe, a tank stand can be furniture. My brother built for his 90 gallon and its georgeous. If you add the filter you've got for your 55 to your 20 gallon now, by the time you get your stand done and your tank full, the filter should be ready to go. Just don't overstock your new tank right away. Are you going to have live plants?
 
If you're a woodworker or even wannabe, a tank stand can be furniture.
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My 55 gallon tank stand is furniture. Literally. Picked up a coffe table at a goodwill type store for $5. I could park my truck on it if I wanted to. I did a jump test on it(jumped on it, very hard, and I am not small, there is only 260 lbs of me.......), and no problem. Course, the tank is only ~3' off the floor(at the top of the tank), but that makes maintance all the more easier!

If I were to build my own stand, it would be a short one, especially with a bigger tank, as it makes it more stable.
 
i agree with jason -- goodwill is the way to go. i found a dresser that easly passed a weight test (me and two other people, equalling about 550lbs) sat on it. i took out the middle section of drawers, there ware doors on each side, and I put in shelves in the middle. looks beautiful and cost about 25 bucks total.
 
thank you~!

thank you all for your comments ! this should help me out alot. im going to try to look for some good deals on furniture and see if i get lucky. if not, then i will look into building a stand. im not sure if i want live plants . are they hard to care for? thanks again!!!
 
I like the idea of a short stand too. I've got my 4 foot long on an wooden stand wich raises it to hip level. The tank is 20 inches tall. I'm planning on planting it soon. Now, I'm wondering what kind of chore it will be to reach the bottom. Height is a factor. Maybe a snorkel kit is in my future? ;)

butterflylove, just fyi, don't give up on the used furniture shops. Half the fun is finding a bargain, and also you can spend the money you saved on more fishies! :) Even if you have to paint or re-finish a piece. You can say "I did it" and that's half the fun of this hobby, methinks! Good hunting.

about the plants, its a s hard or complicated or a simple as you want to make it, provide adequate lighting, proper growing medium and it should be beautiful.

I grew a few plants under lowlight in my first tank, very satisfying, and people said it was very nice, but after googling all the planted tanks, I got kind of sucked into wanting to do it a more ambitious project. That's what happens..... just have fun.
so here I go
 
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As for setting up the new tank and getting the fish moved over. While you are waiting to setup the new tank you should run the new filter on the old tank. That will seed the filter media, then move the filter over to the new tank with your fish. Or else steal the filter media from your current tank and stuff it into the new tank and add the fish. The odl tank will still have enough good bacteria in the rocks and decorations to keep going without problems, especially after removing a portion of the fish load.
 
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