DIY Stands Template and Calculator

[Khazmodain]

Planning out a stand for my 400g acrylic in wall tank. Base of the stand will be cinder block and H-beams. For the top I was going to go with two sheets of 3/4" (actually 23/32") pine plywood from Lowes with no foam sheet. I plan to glue the plywood together and have the tank directly on the plywood. Does anyone recommend sealing the plywood with anything or should it be left bare? Is the basic pine plywood from Lowes the right choice or is there something else I should consider?

Thanks!

 

[RocketEngineer]

Planning out a stand for my 400g acrylic in wall tank. Base of the stand will be cinder block and H-beams. For the top I was going to go with two sheets of 3/4" (actually 23/32") pine plywood from Lowes with no foam sheet. I plan to glue the plywood together and have the tank directly on the plywood. Does anyone recommend sealing the plywood with anything or should it be left bare? Is the basic pine plywood from Lowes the right choice or is there something else I should consider?

Thanks!

It needs to be protected from moisture. This can either be paint, polyurethane, or some other waterproofing method.

You want to use the cabinet grade plywood. This will have more layers in it and they will not have voids in the edges of the layers. You can get it at the big box stores but it will be more expensive. Don't go cheap.

 

[Khazmodain]

It needs to be protected from moisture. This can either be paint, polyurethane, or some other waterproofing method.

You want to use the cabinet grade plywood. This will have more layers in it and they will not have voids in the edges of the layers. You can get it at the big box stores but it will be more expensive. Don't go cheap.

Thank you for the response, that's good to know.. is any type of wood superior for this purpose (oak/maple/birch/fir)?

 

[RocketEngineer]

Thank you for the response, that's good to know.. is any type of wood superior for this purpose (oak/maple/birch/fir)?

Look around. You want cabinet grade. The veneer doesn't matter as much as how the core layers look. The good stuff I've found has layers that are about 1/8" thick and there are 7+ of them. May have to shop at a different store to find the quality stuff.

 

[Meshmez]

would a non centered "center" support work?

I'm building a stand for a 60" x 24" x 24" 150 gallon tank.. I would LIKE to use 2x4 and not bump to 2x6 for the top rails. I want a 3' opening for my sump. would it be ok if i used 2x4s for the top rail and put a 2x4 support offset from center so there is 3' on one side and 2 on the other? i cant figure out any reason this would be a problem, but for some reason i have a weird feeling about it....

 

[rickztahone]

would a non centered "center" support work?

I'm building a stand for a 60" x 24" x 24" 150 gallon tank.. I would LIKE to use 2x4 and not bump to 2x6 for the top rails. I want a 3' opening for my sump. would it be ok if i used 2x4s for the top rail and put a 2x4 support offset from center so there is 3' on one side and 2 on the other? i cant figure out any reason this would be a problem, but for some reason i have a weird feeling about it....

that should work.

 

[BlurrVT]

Do you have to skin this style of stand to keep it stable? I will be building a 4'W x 18"D x 36"H stand with pocket joins instead of screw strips and ideally would only skin the front with doors. I'll have cabinets butted up to either side and I want to leave the back open for plumbing and electrical. Will it be stable enough?

 

[RocketEngineer]

Do you have to skin this style of stand to keep it stable? I will be building a 4'W x 18"D x 36"H stand with pocket joins instead of screw strips and ideally would only skin the front with doors. I'll have cabinets butted up to either side and I want to leave the back open for plumbing and electrical. Will it be stable enough?

Yes, it is stable without a skin.

 

[lagatbezan]

Need advice and help building one for a 300g acrylic tank.
The tank dimensions are 96L x 30H x 24W. want the stand to be about 42" high.
If I read correctly for that size tank I should be using 2x8 for the top rails and and 2x4 for the bottom rails as well as the upright feet. I will be having a few vertical center braces for the back and one for the center front.
Can I getaway with using 2x6 instead of 2x8?
is 2x4 for the vertical feet sufficient?
Also should the width and length of the stand match exactly to the tank or should i make it about .5" larger? do i go 96x24 or 96.5 x 24.5 for the stand?

 

[richiero]

Hello everyone finally decided to upgrade from a 75g to a 150g Glass rimless aquarium..... I just built my stand frame... I used 2x4's for the legs and bottom frame and 2x6's for the upper frame.... All legs were attached to the top and bottom frame with pocket cuts and (10) 3 1/2 inch screws on each leg top and bottom, wood was also glued on all joints. I am planning to put a center brace in the back but want took keep the front open to fit my sump and also have unobstructed access. So can i go without the center brace in the front? Thanks in advance for any help....

Stand size 49Lx301/2Dx36H Tank size 48Lx30Dx24H



https://goo.gl/photos/CG9agYwe5z8XuG6G8

 

[Meshmez]

Alright, I'm about ready to start building and I wanted to run this by everyone here one last time.

Tank is a glass 60" x 24" x 24" (150 gallon).
The stand is 61" x 30" x 36".
the stand is designed so there is a frame 61" x 25" under the tank and the rest is basically just to allow the drain pipes a place to be covered and add some room in the stand. I oversized the frame slightly so that the tank edges sit more toward the center of the rails, but i can change this if need be.

The stand is all 2x4 construction. The openings in the front are 37" across and 13.5" across. there will be plywood on the back and sides.

my main concern or questions are, is 2x4 ok for the top rails with the offset brace? does anyone see anything im missing?

 

[RocketEngineer]

Need advice and help building one for a 300g acrylic tank.
The tank dimensions are 96L x 30H x 24W. want the stand to be about 42" high.
If I read correctly for that size tank I should be using 2x8 for the top rails and and 2x4 for the bottom rails as well as the upright feet. I will be having a few vertical center braces for the back and one for the center front.
Can I getaway with using 2x6 instead of 2x8?
is 2x4 for the vertical feet sufficient?
Also should the width and length of the stand match exactly to the tank or should i make it about .5" larger? do i go 96x24 or 96.5 x 24.5 for the stand?

With a brace in the center, a 2X6 is acceptable because the result is a pair of 48" spans. Stick with 2X4s for the verticals, they are plenty strong in that direction. I recommend you make the stand a little bigger as it will give you some forgiveness if you are slight off vs the tank.

Hello everyone finally decided to upgrade from a 75g to a 150g Glass rimless aquarium..... I just built my stand frame... I used 2x4's for the legs and bottom frame and 2x6's for the upper frame.... All legs were attached to the top and bottom frame with pocket cuts and (10) 3 1/2 inch screws on each leg top and bottom, wood was also glued on all joints. I am planning to put a center brace in the back but want took keep the front open to fit my sump and also have unobstructed access. So can i go without the center brace in the front? Thanks in advance for any help....

Stand size 49Lx301/2Dx36H Tank size 48Lx30Dx24H

https://goo.gl/photos/CG9agYwe5z8XuG6G8

You don't need a center brace for your application. Looking at the pictures, I think you used deck screws in the pocket holes which can be a problem. A deck screw has a cone shape benieth the head of the screw which will split the wood at the bottom of the pocket hole. You may want to look into ensuring nothing split before you go forward with your build.

Alright, I'm about ready to start building and I wanted to run this by everyone here one last time.

Tank is a glass 60" x 24" x 24" (150 gallon).
The stand is 61" x 30" x 36".
the stand is designed so there is a frame 61" x 25" under the tank and the rest is basically just to allow the drain pipes a place to be covered and add some room in the stand. I oversized the frame slightly so that the tank edges sit more toward the center of the rails, but i can change this if need be.

The stand is all 2x4 construction. The openings in the front are 37" across and 13.5" across. there will be plywood on the back and sides.

my main concern or questions are, is 2x4 ok for the top rails with the offset brace? does anyone see anything im missing?

Since it's not supporting anything, you could get rid of the board in the middle that's behind the tank.

 

[Meshmez]

Since it's not supporting anything, you could get rid of the board in the middle that's behind the tank.

true, but the lack of uniformity might kill me... :lolspin: ill think about it, as long as the 2x4s are good for the rest

 

[richiero]

Hello rocket i inspected all the areas where screws went in i didn't see any splits in the 2x4's, or the 2x6's. Is that where they would split the ends of the 2x4's ? here are some pics....


https://goo.gl/photos/BurH7mc5dgFoTkyk9

 

[RocketEngineer]

If you looked and didn't see any splits, you should be fine. It's just not recommended to use deck screws in pocket holes because of the possibility. It is a risk but it looks like you're fine.

 

[richiero]

Thx rocket, so what kind of screws are good flat head cabinet screws . I was only able to find 2 1/2 inch pocket screws and I wanted to use 3 1/2 inch screws

 

[krusieski]

very nice write up


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Salty150]

Know anyone that can replicate this?

Just the tank part of the stand and canopy and corner moldings - not the built-in aspect of it and the side door, etc.

 

[BrettDS]

DIY Stands Template and Calculator

Know anyone that can replicate this?



Just the tank part of the stand and canopy and corner moldings - not the built-in aspect of it and the side door, etc.

Mine isn't nearly as ornate, but the same process I used would work for you. I simply built the stand described here in this thread and my father built a frame and doors to go around it. The nice thing about rocket engineer's stand design is that it's engineered to support the weight of the tank and then a good carpenter or cabinet maker can build something pretty around it without worrying about having to design something structural.

Here's a quick picture, but there are more pictures and details in my build thread below.

http://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?url...share_tid=2563684&share_fid=1489&share_type=t

 

[richiero]

Quick question for everyone , any one here have any good ideas for a single panel door for a aquarium stand ? I will have no center support so I want one full panel... Thx for any ideas ....