DIY Stands Template and Calculator

Started my build yesterday. Still debating how I'm going to finish it. Don't really want to put a center brace in so I can have a wide opening since a 42x16x16 sump will be under it. From what I read it will be fine with the 2x6 top rail not to have a center brace.

Recessed the bottom that the sump will go on, figure if I get a leak I can contain some of the water instead of it getting on the hardwoods in the house.

Tank measurement will be 68x20x22H. Stand is 68x20x40. Not sure what I will skin it with yet, I stained some different types of wood and the wife and I are still not sure what we want. It will be either 1/2" ply or 1x's.

Best part is getting my little boy involved.

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/126085680@N06/17127043852" title="130 Gallon Reef Stand by Ryan Saalman, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8716/17127043852_793b70b665.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="130 Gallon Reef Stand"></a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/126085680@N06/17102649556" title="130 Gallon Reef Stand by Ryan Saalman, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7663/17102649556_42c11b9658.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="130 Gallon Reef Stand"></a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/126085680@N06/16506177464" title="130 Gallon Reef Stand by Ryan Saalman, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8796/16506177464_eaa8d0a1e9.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="130 Gallon Reef Stand"></a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/126085680@N06/16940826358" title="130 Gallon Reef Stand by Ryan Saalman, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8727/16940826358_7112be84e2.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="130 Gallon Reef Stand"></a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/126085680@N06/16941075880" title="130 Gallon Reef Stand by Ryan Saalman, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7634/16941075880_1b8664afec.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="130 Gallon Reef Stand"></a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/126085680@N06/17127054332" title="130 Gallon Reef Stand by Ryan Saalman, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7698/17127054332_a8da13e0cf.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="130 Gallon Reef Stand"></a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/126085680@N06/16508468333" title="130 Gallon Reef Stand by Ryan Saalman, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7598/16508468333_4c71d36622.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="130 Gallon Reef Stand"></a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/126085680@N06/16508473693" title="130 Gallon Reef Stand by Ryan Saalman, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8699/16508473693_50ff5f5813.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="130 Gallon Reef Stand"></a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/126085680@N06/16506199924" title="130 Gallon Reef Stand by Ryan Saalman, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7593/16506199924_50a89de02b.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="130 Gallon Reef Stand"></a>
 
Last edited:
Rsaalman said:
Best part is getting my little boy involved.
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/126085680@N06/16941075880" title="130 Gallon Reef Stand by Ryan Saalman, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7634/16941075880_1b8664afec.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="130 Gallon Reef Stand"></a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/126085680@N06/17127054332" title="130 Gallon Reef Stand by Ryan Saalman, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7698/17127054332_a8da13e0cf.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="130 Gallon Reef Stand"></a>
Click to expand...

That's awesome. Start them young.

Looks like you're off to a good start.
 
Got my stand done for my 180 and the stand rocks like a rocking chair.lol.I placed the tank on top which has 3/4'' plywood and only one corner of the tank has contact with the top.One corner I can slide a piece of paper to the middle brace.The right front corner and left rear of the stand are bowed up.If I apply pressure on the corners the tank the gap is not near as bad.Would filling the tank half full and check the corners be a problem.
 
That would be a risky situation. My stand rocks as well, but the top panel is true. So I plan on supporting the high corner with shims so the top stays true once its loaded
 
The 2x8s top frame is the cause,when the frame was done it rocked and the bottom 2x4 frame was straight.The 2x8 had a slight twist that I didn't notice when picking the lumber.
 
Rsaalman said:
Started my build yesterday. Still debating how I'm going to finish it. Don't really want to put a center brace in so I can have a wide opening since a 42x16x16 sump will be under it. From what I read it will be fine with the 2x6 top rail not to have a center brace.

Recessed the bottom that the sump will go on, figure if I get a leak I can contain some of the water instead of it getting on the hardwoods in the house.

Tank measurement will be 68x20x22H. Stand is 68x20x40. Not sure what I will skin it with yet, I stained some different types of wood and the wife and I are still not sure what we want. It will be either 1/2" ply or 1x's.

Best part is getting my little boy involved.

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/126085680@N06/17127043852" title="130 Gallon Reef Stand by Ryan Saalman, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8716/17127043852_793b70b665.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="130 Gallon Reef Stand"></a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/126085680@N06/17102649556" title="130 Gallon Reef Stand by Ryan Saalman, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7663/17102649556_42c11b9658.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="130 Gallon Reef Stand"></a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/126085680@N06/16506177464" title="130 Gallon Reef Stand by Ryan Saalman, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8796/16506177464_eaa8d0a1e9.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="130 Gallon Reef Stand"></a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/126085680@N06/16940826358" title="130 Gallon Reef Stand by Ryan Saalman, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8727/16940826358_7112be84e2.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="130 Gallon Reef Stand"></a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/126085680@N06/16941075880" title="130 Gallon Reef Stand by Ryan Saalman, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7634/16941075880_1b8664afec.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="130 Gallon Reef Stand"></a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/126085680@N06/17127054332" title="130 Gallon Reef Stand by Ryan Saalman, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7698/17127054332_a8da13e0cf.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="130 Gallon Reef Stand"></a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/126085680@N06/16508468333" title="130 Gallon Reef Stand by Ryan Saalman, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7598/16508468333_4c71d36622.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="130 Gallon Reef Stand"></a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/126085680@N06/16508473693" title="130 Gallon Reef Stand by Ryan Saalman, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8699/16508473693_50ff5f5813.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="130 Gallon Reef Stand"></a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/126085680@N06/16506199924" title="130 Gallon Reef Stand by Ryan Saalman, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7593/16506199924_50a89de02b.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="130 Gallon Reef Stand"></a>
Click to expand...

What Types of wood are you staining?
 
Yes, it would just be a smooth painted finish. We have a lot of dark woods for flooring and cabinets so we are thinking of doing something different on the stand. Maybe a light gray.
 
I placed about 2000 lbs on the stand,and it straighten it out.My question is should I place tank and fill half way and check or redo the the top frame.
 
Rsaalman said:
Just testing how the stain looks on the ply and pine plank. Looking more like it may get painted now.
Click to expand...

I did a couple of test stains my left over birch ply and pine. I thought the stain looked great on the birch ply, but not so good on the pine.

I'm considering painting as a result.
 
SNAKEMANVET said:
I placed about 2000 lbs on the stand,and it straighten it out.My question is should I place tank and fill half way and check or redo the the top frame.
Click to expand...

Earlier in this thread, I posted about a pretty small gap between the top of the stand and bottom of the tank. The response was that it should be fixed.

You probably should redo the top frame.
 
Just signed up to say big thanks to Rocket and everyone else who posted their builds.

I haven't worked with wood since high school, but after reading through this thread I decided to give it a crack myself.

Had my doubts about the strength of timber (I don't anymore) and didn't want a centre brace so my stand is REALLY over engineered, but hey, better to be safe then sorry.

Tank is 1500x800x600. Around 190gal I think.

240x45 top frame, 90x45 for the rest, 9mm marine ply panels, finished with 2 coats of waterproof primer & 2 coats of high gloss acrylic paint.

Quite happy with how it turned out in the end.

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Hitch08 said:
Thanks, Turbo. FWIW, a lady at Marineland told me that bubbles in the seams aren't caused by a lack of tank support. She said those bubbles happen when the tank is made and that any bubble less than a quarter inch is not an issue.
Click to expand...

Just saw this...That wasn't the case with mine, hard to explain. They went away after I fixed the stand issue, so it was definitely a problem
 
Hitch08 said:
I did a couple of test stains my left over birch ply and pine. I thought the stain looked great on the birch ply, but not so good on the pine.

I'm considering painting as a result.
Click to expand...

Yeah we decided that paints and stains will get put away until I can finish the stand and we know what it looks like.
 
Just got back from the lumber store,and could not find one single straight 2x8.They all had a slight twist just like the ones I used on my stand.If I used some weight on the frame to straighten it out then applied my plywood,would that keep it straight.
 
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