Beefy_Reefy
New member
Has anyone made a dual 40 breeder stand? If so can you post pic?
Thanks
Thanks
DIY Stands Template and Calculator
- Thread starter JohnL
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Beefy_Reefy
New member
guess I'll do 40/29 then ;/ :reading:
Hey guys, been lurking around this forum for months now and finally decided to register. Im about to start building a stand for my 60"x18x26" 120g, woohoo! My question is: my floor is sloped about a 1/2" over the 5' span where im placing the tank. Should i be using 2x6 boards for my bottom horizontal frame with a center brace since most of the bottom frame will not be contacting the carpeted floor? I will shim but i just had a bad experience with a 120 cracking across the front pane and draining its contents all over my livingroom and i believe it was the stand possibly twisting but im not sure. Anyway i just wanted to hear opinions as to wether or not i needed a 2x6 lower frame, i will be using 2x6 for upper with a center brace mostly for door stops but the extra support is piece of mind. Thanks in advance.
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Rhodophyta
New member
It helps to know it's carpeted floor, and with that slope/gradient, most likely a concrete slab, or unfortunately, a newly built home which they don't make like they used to.
Instead of shimming, I would suggest a 2 by 4 frame flat on the carpet, planed so that it will measure level on top, and will be in contact with the carpet everywhere. If you don't have a power tool for this, a hand plane will work, but, so. will. you! The 2 by 4 frame would be flush with the inside of the stand base for two reasons.
1. The inch+ inset will help avoid pinching the carpet tack strip near the wall which would lift the frame about half an inch if set on top of the tack strip. The strips are usually about two inches from the wall, but rarely measured, and once in a while you will have an installer who saves time by lapping the strips instead of cutting them to fit. You can find the tack strips without lifting the carpet. Push a finish nail into the carpet out in the room and flag it with masking tape flush with the carpet. If you push the nail in near the wall, the flag will stand up about a quarter inch to half an inch above the carpet, depending on whether it hits a tack or slides between and hits the wood part of the strip.
2. The inset will not show except as a kick, common in furniture and cabinets. It will help hide the unevenness of the floor and if the outer edge is painted dark or the color of the carpet, it will be virtually invisible.
Note: If your half is slope is from the wall toward the center of the room, I would suspect you have the stand on the tack strip. Leaving more space between wall and the back of the stand could save a whole lot of planing!
Rhodophyta
New member
My bro-in-law has some aluminum welded boxes that he made into aquariums by inserting glass. He could have used them for stands too. These things are decades old now, exposed over the years not just to regular aquarium water for his angelfish but also to saltwater in his French angel tanks. Oxidation is surface and not a problem.
livingseas
New member
I looking to build a stand for a Glass Marineland 300g tank thats
72" w x 36" d x 27 " h .. about 3500 lbs total when done.
Ideally I'd like the stand to be 36" high and have no center leg support
due to the 125 gallon sump I need to fit in there. Ideally I'd like the
stand a little larger then the tank.. 2" all the way around.
The returns are located in the rear two corners.
What do you guys think? What do I need to beef up?
3/4 plywood top?
Thanks, Mike
72" w x 36" d x 27 " h .. about 3500 lbs total when done.
Ideally I'd like the stand to be 36" high and have no center leg support
due to the 125 gallon sump I need to fit in there. Ideally I'd like the
stand a little larger then the tank.. 2" all the way around.
The returns are located in the rear two corners.
What do you guys think? What do I need to beef up?
3/4 plywood top?
Thanks, Mike
Rhodophyta
New member
Why not slide the 125 in from one of the ends?
livingseas
New member
I suppose that's doable. So if I had the center support. What would I need to beef up?
DanaC
New member
I've read some seemingly contradicting info in this thread.
It has been stated that since almost all lumber is bowed to some degree, the bow should be up.
It has also been stated that if there is any bowing, especially such that the corners of the tank do not touch the stand, the wood must be sanded / sawed flat.
Obviously there is an allowable limit to the amount of arch, but what is that limit over a 72" span for a glass tank?
BTW, my stand build hasn't started yet but will in the next few days, and will include space for a 65 fuge centered under the 180 main tank with vertical braces on each side of the 65. My greatest span will be about 40" so I'm assuming 2x4 top rails will be adequate. I'm thinking I'll buy 2x6s and run them through the table saw to even them out and cut them down.
It has been stated that since almost all lumber is bowed to some degree, the bow should be up.
It has also been stated that if there is any bowing, especially such that the corners of the tank do not touch the stand, the wood must be sanded / sawed flat.
Obviously there is an allowable limit to the amount of arch, but what is that limit over a 72" span for a glass tank?
BTW, my stand build hasn't started yet but will in the next few days, and will include space for a 65 fuge centered under the 180 main tank with vertical braces on each side of the 65. My greatest span will be about 40" so I'm assuming 2x4 top rails will be adequate. I'm thinking I'll buy 2x6s and run them through the table saw to even them out and cut them down.
Rhodophyta
New member
There is a term for this, "cherry pick". When you select your lumber you pick the straightest, clearest, etc. When you choose the pieces for the long boards, you again pick the boards from your select boards that have that length of them the longest and straightest. If you are doubling boards, you pick out two that will complement each other the best, a bow the other way, or opposing grain. On long boards, even if not doubled, it helps to cut a sheet of plywood to face that board on the back side. Plywood's cross grain nature helps stabilize the 2 by stock.
I drop that plywood 3/4", and then put a sheet of plywood set in flush with the rails (horizontals) as a shelf. If the rails stick up somewhere, I have the flat plywood shelf to see where I might have to sand or plane. It does not happen very often.
Either people are very polite or they really don't notice the plywood sticking down 3/4" behind each rail at the bottom.
RocketEngineer
Space is big.
The amount of arch is subjective to how much things move once loaded. If you place the tank on the stand, fill it, and still have gaps in the corners than I would say you have to much arch and should sand down the high spots. A small gap over a short distance in the middle of the tank won't be fatal to the tank. The goal is supporting the tank along its entire length but perfection is required.
The idea of trimming the 2X6s to make them straight would work best if you did so using a truly straight edge to cut them. If this were a rough piece of lumber, most wood workers place the piece to be cut on a sled and use the sled to keep the lumber being cut straight with regards to the saw blade. Personally, I would rather take the 15 minutes and sort through the entire pile of lumber to find the best boards I can (done that). In the long run starting with good boards improves the end result.
RocketEngineer
BigAirHarper
New member
Same concept but pay attention to where the legs are located. They should be directly under the rails supporting the tank.
RocketEngineer
SO what if instead of building the stand deeper, I built it 5 inches longer (peninsula style 125) using 2x6's on my top frame, however I kept the legs all the way to the edge and used a cross brace where my tank ended on the stand to provide support. Am I good with this design?
nemosworld
Active member
that is beautiful!
SquigglyFrog
New member
Next stand I build is going to have the sump/fuge visible, or else just a separate larger fuge... My cats and I oddly enough, seem fascinated with watching the sump and the fuge.. I open the doors, they just lay down immediately in front and will just sit there watching...
Flazky
New member
I am currently building a stand for a 166gal tank with the following dimensions
48x35x24
I have finished the templates, but am not sure if I need middle vertical supports.
I have built the same stand for a 30x30 cube and it was much sturdier than this one.
Any suggestions?
Will post a pic soon.
48x35x24
I have finished the templates, but am not sure if I need middle vertical supports.
I have built the same stand for a 30x30 cube and it was much sturdier than this one.
Any suggestions?
Will post a pic soon.
livingseas
New member
need advice Rocket!
Okay how about this as a revised plan... Building it tonight.
Tank is coming tomorrow!
300 gallon tank.. 72x36x27
Stand is 72x36x40
Can I builld the entire thing out of 2x4's and eliminate the
green legs by pocket drilling? I also want to switch which
2x4 is in the corner so I can maximize the depth of the stand.
I have a 28" deep sump that needs to slide in from the side.
I will have a center leg on each side at the 36" mark.
I will add diagonal cross bracing to the back/sides
once I get the sump in place (3 weeks).
Doable? Should I go with 2x6's for the top frame?
Thanks, Mike
Okay how about this as a revised plan... Building it tonight.
Tank is coming tomorrow!
300 gallon tank.. 72x36x27
Stand is 72x36x40
Can I builld the entire thing out of 2x4's and eliminate the
green legs by pocket drilling? I also want to switch which
2x4 is in the corner so I can maximize the depth of the stand.
I have a 28" deep sump that needs to slide in from the side.
I will have a center leg on each side at the 36" mark.
I will add diagonal cross bracing to the back/sides
once I get the sump in place (3 weeks).
Doable? Should I go with 2x6's for the top frame?
Thanks, Mike
