tank stand question

thefatman · 03-22-2003, 09:15 PM

ok here is the cheapskate in me coming out

i was scrounging through the garage attic today and guess what i found.... ANOTHER 55 gallon tank :-) woohoo

i also found a spare stand, problem is that the stand is for a 20l. it's one of those steel stands that accomodates a top and bottom tank.

so i put the 55 on the 20 stand, and it has about 6 inches of overlap on the sides of the stand. front to back is the same size so i'm good there.

obviously i know better than to jsut put the tank on there and hope for the best. my question is, what if i were to get some 3/4" high quality MDF particle board or plywood and cut a top for the stand that would match the footprint of the tank. think this would hold? like i said, the stand itself, comes withing about 8 inches of the ends of the tank, so it's not a lot of overhang, and i'm thinking that some good thick plywood would do the trick.

i've seen stand like that before, where the base is smaller than the "shelf" but i dont think i've ever seen one with an 8 inch difference on each side. ( it may be slightly less, i havent gotten out the tape measure yet, but looks to be about 8")

anyone have any ideas? (as you can see, i'm tryign to avoid buying a new stand :-)

also, whats the best way to level a stand/tank? the spot i want to put this tank, (actually it's the only spot available that not taken up by furniture or one of the existing 7 tanks!) is not level. it's off by about one bubble. i know thats not very scientific or specific lol, but on my level, the bubble is off center by one bubble :-) lol so how do i level the stand, without compromising stability or strength?

thanks again!

aquaticsdeptleader · 03-22-2003, 09:21 PM

fwiw metal and salt dont mix mho

if your going to build something do the whole nine yards you can set it up the way you like ie sump space ect ect ect ect

jim

thefatman · 03-22-2003, 09:42 PM

thanks for the info jim

btw: you obviously have never seen one of my wood projects :-)

i can measure perfectly. and i'm a firm believer in measure twice cut once. i can use a straight edge and make a perfectly straight line. but for some reason my saw never actually follows the straight line :-)

i may just have to give in and buy a tank stand. but sheesh they cost so much, and none of them look like i want, nor look like they have the space for what i want to do ( in the bottom, sump area etc..)

hmm i think home depot does cuts on wood you buy from them, they do the first 4 cuts free, and each additional cut is only 25 cents. and they use a table saw, so everything would be the same sizes, that need to be. could be a better option than tryign to make a straight cut with my circular saw.

the 25 cents a cut wouldnt be such a bad option, for something that will look nice and be functional.

i'll have to look through the diy galleries again......

RWD · 03-23-2003, 12:04 AM

I wouldn't do it. Plywood or MDF is not that strong when laying flat. It may hold for a while only to bend later and cause the tank bottom to crack. DIYing a stand is not that hard. Or better yet, look in the local papers and you may find one. 55's are very popular and you can usually find a whole setup cheap. Bob

Geoff · 03-23-2003, 01:49 AM

you can make a stand plenty strong just using 2x4's on edge. if you want to make monster strong use 4x4 posts on the corners. you can cover it in anything you want, for it will not be weight bearing at all. 2x4's are less than $2 each. maybe 4 of them. 4x4 posts are $4 i think and 2 of these will make a pretty tall stand.

let them cut the wood and you get some 3 inch drywall screws and you are good to go.

G~

Casey · 03-23-2003, 06:31 AM

lol Geoff 4x4s cost 8 bucs a peice here. Casey

thefatman · 03-23-2003, 08:56 AM

thanks for the info everyone. somehow i i guess i knew i couldn't do it the way i wanted. but was hoping i MIGHT be able to get away cheap lol... but like someone said in another post. good things never happen fast, only the bad things. same is true with cash :-)

i think the 2x4 option sounds great. i've been looking at the diy galleries, and diy projects o na few other sites as well. i'll probably have HD cut the wood for me, then jsut put it all together. and probably cover it with some good mdf or plywood.

i'll probably get started on it mid week. i'll take pics and keep you all posted. i'll make a project out of it for the new diy forums..

thanks again!

oh one final note. would it better to make the stand the EXACT same size as the tank footprint, or have it slightly larger than the tank? or is that jsut a matter of personal preferance?

Doug1 · 03-23-2003, 01:48 PM

Slightly bigger is GOOD

thefatman · 03-23-2003, 10:59 PM

well thanks everyone for your input today. i ran down to the local LFS and checked out the way some of the stands for sale were built, ran back home and drew up some plans, then ran down to lowes to pick up some materials!!!

rather than show the pics here and tell what i did, i'll post it over in the diy section. the stand still isnt done. but " I'M " done for the night!!