125gallon tank question
- Thread starter Bsrt
- Start date
Take all of the middle 2x4's completely out. Cut half of them to fit in between the top box frame and the bottom box frame. Front and back where they were before only this time they will be flush with the frames. You'll have to screw them into the top and bottom on an angle from the sides.
Sorry for my ignorance but what are sister studs? How would I slide in a sump if I add plywood to the back? I think I get what your saying taking out the 2x4's and relocate them to the back and front 2x4's maybe I could get a steel plate bracket from home depot and screw into them. Man I'm in port st. Lucie Florida. Wish you lived closer.
A little bit of a drive for some carpentry help. Lol. No worries, we'll get it figured out.
This is not my picture but you can see what I'm describing for the middle supports. Sister stud simply means attaching two studs together, however after more thought and if you add a plywood back I wouldn't bother.
I would reinforce all 4 corners with another set of 2x4's. Like this, but don't bother with the green legs.
Finally, just put the plywood back on after you install the sump. Don't use glue, just screws. That's the beauty of using screws, you can easily take it apart.
I'd leave the top as is.
Btw, I'd take the tank off the stand while you're doing all of these modifications.
You could eliminate the bottom cross braces and install a plywood bottom inside the cabinet. This would give you an extra 3" if you used 1/2" plywood. Or lay the 2x4's flat with 1/2" plywood, but you'll only gain 1 1/2 inches.
Either way I would be sure to caulk and paint the bottom so that it can hold water for the inevitable spill or splash.
Btw, I'd take the tank off the stand while you're doing all of these modifications.
You could eliminate the bottom cross braces and install a plywood bottom inside the cabinet. This would give you an extra 3" if you used 1/2" plywood. Or lay the 2x4's flat with 1/2" plywood, but you'll only gain 1 1/2 inches.
Either way I would be sure to caulk and paint the bottom so that it can hold water for the inevitable spill or splash.
DrBoxedWine
New member
I had a similar issue with my 75g, the stand wasn't big enough to accommodate a standard sump. I looked into all sorts of options: cutting holes in the stand, having a custom made sump, etc... I ended up buying a really nice stand/hood off someone on CL for $125 that fixed the issue. By the time you have custom tanks built and do all that work, just to have a less than Ideal setup, you could have sold that current stand and bought one that fits your needs. Even if it costs you an extra $50 out of pocket now, it'll be WELL worth it. And once you fill that tank up, you're never going to want to drain it. Just do it now and get a different stand.
It's a pretty easy fix that will only cost him a sheet of plywood. By the time he unloads the current stand and finds a new one he could of simply fixed the current stand within a few hours.
schlegelli46
New member
you can remove all the center braces... it will hold
schlegelli46
New member
I will post a pic...
schlegelli46
New member
schlegelli46
New member
that's under a 55 fw tank, running my 40 sw
schlegelli46
New member
center brace removed
DrBoxedWine
New member
Yeah I hear you. Just a other suggestion. 20" high is also not a very ideal height... Reef tanks just need a little more room than FW (which i bet that stand was made for). The skimmer he'll need for a tank that size is going to barely fit (if at all). My 75g is 29" high at the door, and i'm thankful for every bit of space I have. Heck, my 30g sump alone is 18" high.
Now that, I can't disagree with. He could set the stand on a bottom 4x4 box frame and re trim it out. That would pick up another 3.5 inches for a total of 26.5.
DrBoxedWine
New member
But yeah you could also add a few inches. Just depends on how DIY inclined the OP is. Some people would love that sort of project, others not so much.
And sorry, I didn't mean to step on anyone's toes, or sound like a know it all. I just went through this exact issue, and for me, getting a new stand was the best choice. This new one is taller and has a hood, my wife didn't want a hood or a taller stand. Once she saw it all she goes "Hmmm... This is great, this is how we should have had it all along." lol, glad she's down with canopys now tho!
