DIY Stands Template and Calculator
- Thread starter RocketEngineer
- Start date
- Status
reefermike1
New member
what kind of wood are we talking about with these stands? pine?
also wouldnt wood sag in the middle over time with no center brace? especially on a longer tank?
im asking because i used basically this design(before i read this thread) except my red boards are 2 2x4s glued and nailed togeather instead of a 2x6. will this hold up on a 60" span?? if so id love to knock out my center brace!
also wouldnt wood sag in the middle over time with no center brace? especially on a longer tank?
im asking because i used basically this design(before i read this thread) except my red boards are 2 2x4s glued and nailed togeather instead of a 2x6. will this hold up on a 60" span?? if so id love to knock out my center brace!
hey everone in the process of making a stand myselsf. im following the basic diagram as well for my 240 acrylic truvu. 2 questions:
1. is it possible to use 2x4's as the red and yellow beams? i would actually put 1 2x4 as a middle brace on each side of the front and back as well.
2. do you guys suggest foam underneath an acrylic tank? since it should be supported everywhere?
1. is it possible to use 2x4's as the red and yellow beams? i would actually put 1 2x4 as a middle brace on each side of the front and back as well.
2. do you guys suggest foam underneath an acrylic tank? since it should be supported everywhere?
Last edited:
RokleM
Premium Member
Yes, standard pine is likely what most are using. If your wood is to the point of sagging on the horizontals, likely larger horizontals should have been used (or more verticals added). I have 3 stands build this way successfully without any sagging myself.
It's for a 240? How many vertical supports do you plan? The amount of vertical supports determines the size of the horizontal boards on top (i.e. more verticals, and you can go smaller boards on top). yes, you need a flat piece of plywood or similar on top of the stand, foam, then your acrylic tank.
RocketEngineer
Space is big.
RokleM - For a tank based on the dimensions you gave, I am assuming about 200g for a volume; times 10#s/g and you get a tank weight of about 2000#s. For a 48" rail to support half that weight, it would need to be a 2X6.
puttyman - There is no reason to put the plywood in either location other then preference. Putting it on top means you could slide equipment out of the stand for maintenance / cleaning. If you put the plywood across the bottom of the stand you gain the 3.5 inches of clearance. Really just a personal preference.
calli - The screw strips are shorter then the height of the stand to keep them from being load bearing. You want all the weight of the tank to go through the purple pieces instead. Also, by making the screw strips shorter you keep them from protruding beyond the top or bottom of the stand.
reefermike1 - Typically pine studs found at your local hardware store are used. With a glass tank, the tank itself is actually much stiffer then the stand, and as such the loading on any stand is typically where the supports for the upper frame are located. This is true for commercially bought stands and DIY versions. Now assuming a 60" span and a load of 100#s, the deflection of the 2X6 is 0.0135" while (2) 2X4s deflect .0262 so the answer to you second question is no, you probably need to keep the center brace. I would need your tank size to calculate actual values to be certain.
pogiboy67 - for acrylic tanks, I recommend going stronger if you can tolerate the top rail impinging into the stand. Since I know of at least two different standard dimensions for a 240g tank, I need to know which you have in order to calculate if 2X4s with center bracing will be enough.
puttyman - There is no reason to put the plywood in either location other then preference. Putting it on top means you could slide equipment out of the stand for maintenance / cleaning. If you put the plywood across the bottom of the stand you gain the 3.5 inches of clearance. Really just a personal preference.
calli - The screw strips are shorter then the height of the stand to keep them from being load bearing. You want all the weight of the tank to go through the purple pieces instead. Also, by making the screw strips shorter you keep them from protruding beyond the top or bottom of the stand.
reefermike1 - Typically pine studs found at your local hardware store are used. With a glass tank, the tank itself is actually much stiffer then the stand, and as such the loading on any stand is typically where the supports for the upper frame are located. This is true for commercially bought stands and DIY versions. Now assuming a 60" span and a load of 100#s, the deflection of the 2X6 is 0.0135" while (2) 2X4s deflect .0262 so the answer to you second question is no, you probably need to keep the center brace. I would need your tank size to calculate actual values to be certain.
pogiboy67 - for acrylic tanks, I recommend going stronger if you can tolerate the top rail impinging into the stand. Since I know of at least two different standard dimensions for a 240g tank, I need to know which you have in order to calculate if 2X4s with center bracing will be enough.
A quick question if I may .. I'm looking to build a stand for a 48 x 24 x 24. I intend to follow the OPs original design ... but which size beams should I use ?
Id like to avoid center braces and maximise the internal volume for my equipment. What size wood should I use ? Many Thanks
Id like to avoid center braces and maximise the internal volume for my equipment. What size wood should I use ? Many Thanks
RocketEng thanks for a great resource. I've used the plans on my 120 gallon and love it. It's nice not to have to stress or overbuild.
I just want to make sure I've got this right for my new tank it's glass 72"x36"x27" , 300 gals. 2x8's with no center brace or 2x6's if I add a center brace?
Thanks again
I just want to make sure I've got this right for my new tank it's glass 72"x36"x27" , 300 gals. 2x8's with no center brace or 2x6's if I add a center brace?
Thanks again
jerryz The answer is yes, and every other post on the thread ...and I'm on the clusp of 2x4 vs 2x6 with no concept of the relative stresses involved other than what I've gleaned here. I'd hoped one of you with greater knowledge might have confirmed.
Thanks for your positive input.
Thanks for your positive input.
reefermike1
New member
the tank is a 125gallon acrylic. 60x18 footprint. if they wont work would 2x6s hold, or should i go 2x8 since its acrylic? i really dont want it to sag at all. thanks
miwoodar
Likey the bikey
Hey Rocket - great thread you have going here.
I'm building a stand for a custom 280 that is 84"L x 30"D x 26"H. The bottom will be a sheet of PVC so I will be laying a sheet of 3/4" ply on top of the stand when it is complete. The stand will be ~40" tall.
A few quick questions if I may:
* I'm going to build the top frame with 2x8 douglas fir and the bottom frame with 2x4's laid flat (I have a jig for pocket screws). No center support will be added to the frame per your original design criteria. Am I all good with this approach?
* Do you have any special thoughts for people using your design with PVC-bottomed tanks? Other than the top skin, nothing else needs to be done, right?
I'm building a stand for a custom 280 that is 84"L x 30"D x 26"H. The bottom will be a sheet of PVC so I will be laying a sheet of 3/4" ply on top of the stand when it is complete. The stand will be ~40" tall.
A few quick questions if I may:
* I'm going to build the top frame with 2x8 douglas fir and the bottom frame with 2x4's laid flat (I have a jig for pocket screws). No center support will be added to the frame per your original design criteria. Am I all good with this approach?
* Do you have any special thoughts for people using your design with PVC-bottomed tanks? Other than the top skin, nothing else needs to be done, right?
RocketEngineer
Space is big.
dteske - for a tank that size, a 2X8 would have more deflection then my limit of .125" and as such you would be better going to a center braced stand. The 36" length significanly reduces the length and load each span needs to support so a 2X6 would work just fine.
eme - You are correct, it is on the cusp and as such, go the conservative route = 2X6.
reefermike1 - dealers choice. 2X6 = 0.0845 while 2X8 = 0.0369" deflection. An acrylic tank should have a stronger stand. But either should work just fine.
miwoodar - To be honest, I don't think you would want even a 2X10 supporting that kind of span. Instead, a single center brace would mean you can have two 42" spans and as such would only need a 2X6. I assume by PVC bottom, you mean an A.G.E. tank which if supported by a stand not built by them would probably void the warranty.
pogiboy67 - Personally, I would make the rails 2X6 with a center brace at the 4' mark. Considering its an acrylic tank, you want a minimum of deflection and as such, stiffer is better so consider a 2X8.
eme - You are correct, it is on the cusp and as such, go the conservative route = 2X6.
reefermike1 - dealers choice. 2X6 = 0.0845 while 2X8 = 0.0369" deflection. An acrylic tank should have a stronger stand. But either should work just fine.
miwoodar - To be honest, I don't think you would want even a 2X10 supporting that kind of span. Instead, a single center brace would mean you can have two 42" spans and as such would only need a 2X6. I assume by PVC bottom, you mean an A.G.E. tank which if supported by a stand not built by them would probably void the warranty.
pogiboy67 - Personally, I would make the rails 2X6 with a center brace at the 4' mark. Considering its an acrylic tank, you want a minimum of deflection and as such, stiffer is better so consider a 2X8.
72g bowfront tank. 48.5"x18" in the center. I plan to add 2 braces to the top, and cover with plywood to help distribute the weight. First, is this safe?
Secondly, even though the width of the tank in the center is only 18", I want to make the stand 24" deep to accomodate a 20H sitting front to back (intend on having a 29g and a 20g under the stand). With using the plywood on top, is this even safely possible?
Secondly, even though the width of the tank in the center is only 18", I want to make the stand 24" deep to accomodate a 20H sitting front to back (intend on having a 29g and a 20g under the stand). With using the plywood on top, is this even safely possible?
180 in the works
180 in the works
rocket a couple questions on a 180 x-change the 2x4s with 2x6s and 4x4s the corners? 6ft-2-2tank dimensions
also if uve got a minute my floors are 4inchh thick concrete any reason why ~300 gallons couldnt go ~4ft of a cinderblock load bearing wall?
i live in a condo
thanks for your time and the great thread
180 in the works
rocket a couple questions on a 180 x-change the 2x4s with 2x6s and 4x4s the corners? 6ft-2-2tank dimensions
also if uve got a minute my floors are 4inchh thick concrete any reason why ~300 gallons couldnt go ~4ft of a cinderblock load bearing wall?
i live in a condo
thanks for your time and the great thread
miwoodar
Likey the bikey
Thanks Rocket. Yes, it is an AGE tank being built for a buddy of mine. Two 42" spans using 2x6's was my earlier plan and I guess my current one too. We're trying to design the system to allow him to remove the sump if he ever needed to. I'm doubtful we'll be able to squeeze a 40x16x16 sump through that kind of an opening. Maybe I'm wrong? What if we split the back of the stand twice leaving us with three ~28" spans (minus the board widths of course). That would enable us to finagle the sump in, right?
BTW, the room is not wide enough to slide the sump in from the end of the stand.
***Edit***
Actually, ending up with two 42" spans might be fine. That would leave ~32" of opening after wood widths are taken into account. The bottom frame being 2x4's laid flat will allow us to go up to 32x25x20 for the sump.
Last edited:
- Status
