Cinder block stand

[Cody Ray]

I have seen a couple of these here on RC. I want to save some money so I thought I would build one of my own. This would be for a 75/90 gallon. Unfortunatly photobucket screwed up the resolution my upload so here is what it says:

Top: 60"x24"x 5/8"
Pillars: 16"x24"x32"
Total: 60"x24"x 32 5/8"

Here is a material list:
16 8x8x16" natural cinder blocks
1 5/8x24x72" laminated pine panel
1 can stain
1 can lacquer

Any comments or suggestions?

 

[jasonj90]

looks good, however i would add some more lumber to your list to make shelves under the tank. other than that it looks like you should be good to go!

 

[Cody Ray]

Shelves would be nice if I have the room, there will be a 29 gallon sump and some other equipment.

 

[beaniebeagle]

make sure you have enough room underneath for a sump

you will want to put something thicker underneath the plywood to keep the support for the underside of the tank distributed evenly, definitely not enough with one panel...maybe some 2x4 's

center support vertically may be necessary

if on a floor that you care about, tile, wood etc....put something thin underneath the blocks

i almost did this, but had all the wood and wanted to use the new power tools

plan for a way to surround the sides so that you can cover up the blocks...unless you dont care

 

[splateee]

We built a cinder block stand for our 55 gallon. You definitly want to make sure that it is level, ours turned out slightly uneven.

 

[Cody Ray]

It isn't plywood, it is laminated pine however they did have some 1" thick boards so I might spend the extra $8 bucks. I could be wrong but if I remember correctly glass aquariums only need to be supported on the edge, especially the 4 corners because of the trim, most of the bottom doesn't touch the stand.. Sorry that I didn't mention it would be a glass aquarium. This will be on carpet and the floor is pretty much level.

 

[jasonj90]

i do not think that 2x4 support is necessary. you can use it but would be overkill for your setup. i didnt see earlier that you plan on using 5/8" thickness, i would spend the extra few dollars and get 1" pine instead. and i definately would say that center supports are not necessary, but can later be added if you get some sag over time.

 

[Cody Ray]

I will probably put a layer of foam between the stand and the blocks to compensate for any difference.

 

[TheFlyingTang]

IMHO just asking for trouble with this.

You know the old saying " Do it right the first time".

 

[Cody Ray]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7853711#post7853711 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TheFlyingTang
IMHO just asking for trouble with this.

You know the old saying " Do it right the first time".

Interesting, what makes you think that this design isn't safe? People build homes with this block, I don't see it having any issues with a 90 gallon.

 

[BeanAnimal]

A glass tank is not supported by the 4 corners. The tank is supported by the perimeter the whole way around. This distributes the weight evenly and prevents point loading (as long as the stand is not warped. In other words the supporting surface of the tank should be on one plane and offer contact the whole way around. Supporting only the corners will be tremendous stress on the vertical panes of glass. They may not break on day one... but trouble is not far away.

That said, I have seen tanks supported on just the ends... I have also seen broken tanks that were supported that way (or on an uneven stand.

 

[Cody Ray]

I'm sorry, when I ment 4 corners I ment the sides (as in the edges of the bottom pane) not the actual 90 degree angles) silly me

 

[BeanAnimal]

I would be worried about that span even with a 1" laminated pine slab. I think the deflection would be dangerous. A center support of some kind would give a much more comfortable safety factor.

 

[Cody Ray]

Well the distance between the inside edge of each side would be 32" (leaving 2 inches of extra space beside the sump ). If you can't tell from the image there will be 2 stacks of cinder blocks on each side forming an L-shape. This will create a width of 24" (16 plus 8). That means that the back will only have a span of 16" between each side while the front has 32".

 

[Cody Ray]

Maybe this will make it clearer

 

[exoticaquatix]

i did this when i was in school for my 65 gallon and all i can say is that it is a major pain in the butt to move. if you plan on staying in the same place i guess its a non-issue tho. if i had the tools i would have built one out of 2x4s and plywood. its about 50 times lighter and more than strong enough. plus you can put a "skin" on it and make it a cabinet.
-nick

 

[Cody Ray]

I have not issue with moving heavy objects. Call me crazy but I like the look of cinder blocks

 

[javatech]

What about cuting in a slot for a 2x4 beam across the front

 

[Cody Ray]

maybe, I would be worried about weakening the blocks

 

[Safir]

those blocks will be more than strong enough to hold your tank, i wouldn't worry about a need for additional support.