DIY Stands Template and Calculator

fas77 said:
Any thoughts on this,


I'm in the design stage for my 210 AG tank.
My stand is going to be 73h x 25d x 40h
I understand I can use 2x8 for top rails with no center support.
If I use a center support in the front and back, can I use
2x4 for the top rails?
Click to expand...

not sure your dims are correct, I hope not!
this has me concerned, 73h x 25d x 40h
that is way too tall for a stand, thats 6ft 1inch, you would need 4x4 for the legs on a stand that tall, lol!
I personally never go above 40 inches, and prefer to stay around 36 inchs.
 
in that case, i would go with at the very least 2x6 for the top, with 1 center brace
front and back. you should have plenty of room for a sump.
 
This is what is written at the start of this thread.

(2) Red - Upper Rails: Length = W
These will be sized according to length: 2X4 for 48" or less for smaller tanks (Rule of thumb is 75g-90g); 2X6 up to 72" with 125g-150g being acceptable; For longer spans and larger tanks 2X8s are recommended.

So if I put a center post in, my span across will be 36.5" - center - 36.5"
The space falls within the 2X4 usage, but my tank is 210g not 75g-90g

Just wondering if anyone else used this logic in their stand.
 
fas77 said:
This is what is written at the start of this thread.

(2) Red - Upper Rails: Length = W
These will be sized according to length: 2X4 for 48" or less for smaller tanks (Rule of thumb is 75g-90g); 2X6 up to 72" with 125g-150g being acceptable; For longer spans and larger tanks 2X8s are recommended.

So if I put a center post in, my span across will be 36.5" - center - 36.5"
The space falls within the 2X4 usage, but my tank is 210g not 75g-90g

Just wondering if anyone else used this logic in their stand.
Click to expand...

This actually does work but the 210g is 24" front to back, not the 18" for 75g tanks. This increases the load on those boards. However, I ran the numbers and as long as you have the center support, 2X4 is acceptable at those distances.
 
my reasoning for going with 2x6 at that span is becuase i find that if you are getting your lumber from lowes or HD, their 2x4's all start to warp after a certain distance, i have found this to be less true when dealing with 2x6 and up, though i know some will suffer from twisting. another option would be to cut your 2x4's to 36.5 and place them on top of the center support. 1/2 and 1/2 if that makes sense.

when i built my stand for my 225 60*30*29, i did go overboard and built the entire stand with 2x6, but it was rock solid.

DSC01421-M.jpg
 
RocketEngineer said:
This actually does work but the 210g is 24" front to back, not the 18" for 75g tanks. This increases the load on those boards. However, I ran the numbers and as long as you have the center support, 2X4 is acceptable at those distances.
Click to expand...

How much less deflection would there be Vs using a 2x6?
 
Thanks RE! What is a safe amount of deflection? I know that the 2x8 @ 73" span is safe, but just wondering what is considerd an acceptable amount of deflection. Thanks again RE. I was just combing thru the thread because I've got a new build coming up. 72"x30"x24". So 225 gal total. I want to use 2x4s with 1 center brace. The 2x8s are cool, but I think I'd like the extra 4" to squeeze my head under the stand. So 2x4s would be ok to use for top rails on a 30" deep tank too? It's seems so since it would be under 48" span.
 
Hopefully this thread is still running because I have a question.In the diagram on the first paige, why are the green 2x4's 2" smaller? Would it be more support for the tank if those 4 went flush to the top?

Also,
Is the tank resting on the yellow and read 2x4's? Or is plywood supposed to be on the yellow and red 2x4's and then the tank on top of that?

Thanks!
 
reefermad619 said:
Thanks RE! What is a safe amount of deflection? I know that the 2x8 @ 73" span is safe, but just wondering what is considerd an acceptable amount of deflection. Thanks again RE. I was just combing thru the thread because I've got a new build coming up. 72"x30"x24". So 225 gal total. I want to use 2x4s with 1 center brace. The 2x8s are cool, but I think I'd like the extra 4" to squeeze my head under the stand. So 2x4s would be ok to use for top rails on a 30" deep tank too? It's seems so since it would be under 48" span.
Click to expand...

I like to see less than 1/8" of deflection. Once you get outside standard sizes, its always best to run the numbers.

telamont said:
Hopefully this thread is still running because I have a question.In the diagram on the first paige, why are the green 2x4's 2" smaller? Would it be more support for the tank if those 4 went flush to the top?

Also,
Is the tank resting on the yellow and read 2x4's? Or is plywood supposed to be on the yellow and red 2x4's and then the tank on top of that?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

The green boards are just to hold things together rather than being load bearing. They are cut short so that if you get settling they don't try to push their way upwards and cause issues. There is plenty of support with the purple pieces and if you use alternate joining methods for the frame(pocket screws, mortice/tenon), the green pieces can be eliminated.

The tank can sit directly on the 2X4s. You may need to sand them to get them perfectly flat but I would do that anyways. Most people add plywood but it isn't required. The nice thing about a plywood top is the ability to mount things to the underside of the plywood (wire management comes to mind).

RocketEngineer
 
I've read a lot of this thread and before it was split but I have a question that I don't believe has been answered before (sorry if it has). I have a 90g with the standard dimensions (48x18x24) and i'm looking to build the stand with a 40b as the sump (36x18x16). Looking at the stand design, the 40b is going to be too wide to fit. Is it possible to build the stand to the dimensions of a 120 (48x24x24) for my 90? I know the tank won't sit on the 2x4's correctly so that will have to be compensated for some how and i'm not seeing how.

If anyone has built a stand that is deeper than their tank I would like to know how. My idea was to use 1/2" plywood on top to distribute the weight but that may lead to sagging and not being able to hold it so I would like some ideas as to how to fix this.

Thanks
 
Pearson said:
I've read a lot of this thread and before it was split but I have a question that I don't believe has been answered before (sorry if it has). I have a 90g with the standard dimensions (48x18x24) and i'm looking to build the stand with a 40b as the sump (36x18x16). Looking at the stand design, the 40b is going to be too wide to fit. Is it possible to build the stand to the dimensions of a 120 (48x24x24) for my 90? I know the tank won't sit on the 2x4's correctly so that will have to be compensated for some how and i'm not seeing how.

If anyone has built a stand that is deeper than their tank I would like to know how. My idea was to use 1/2" plywood on top to distribute the weight but that may lead to sagging and not being able to hold it so I would like some ideas as to how to fix this.

Thanks
Click to expand...

The solution was posted on page 100 so it's not as easy to find anymore.
RocketEngineer said:
StandWithbackgap90g.jpg

Same concept but pay attention to where the legs are located. They should be directly under the rails supporting the tank.

RocketEngineer
Click to expand...

The idea is to extend the ends past the rails instead of the other way around. This lets the tank sit forward while the sump goes further back. I used this idea when I built my setup. I recommend 6" of space behind the display as this give you enough space for plumbing and the ends can be covered by a 1X6 (which is actually 5.5" wide).
 
success

success

finished mine thanks to the plans, got the tank on and we are currently cycling.

This was my first time ever building something and i don't have a table saw to build doors so i just went with a large removable panel held on by magnet clasps.

I also built the stand a little deeper and left room for a 6" ledge to tile and i really like it.

baseboard corner and top molding as well. stained and varnished, its only 34 inches tall, If i could do it again, I'd go taller.

fts002.jpg

tile.jpg

fts003.jpg
 
I am building (with a knowledgeable friends help) a 67"Lx31Dx42"h stand for a 330 gallon tank. Tank is 36" tall. Obviously I need 2x8 for the span, but even with a 2x8 can I go without a center brace? With where this is situated, it would be nice to be able to slide the sump in the front.
 
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