DIY Stands Template and Calculator

[PurdueMAN_08]

Wombat, thanks for the input. In the case of my design there are a couple of things to keep in mind, however, but I could be wrong.

1. two 2x4s would not work as well as 4x4 posts since I doubled up the lumber on the edge of the top and bottom.

2. 2x6 on the bottom will help resist any change in the settling of the floor with the immense weight of the tank. If this was sitting on concrete then I would agree with you but since it is over a crawl then the 2x6 will help resist any settlement even though I do have 3 piers located directly under the tank to help out as well.

Yes I agree that 2x4 will be strong enough to support the vertical load but 2x6 will be better able to handle the settling of the floor as mentioned above.

 

[RocketEngineer]

1. two 2x4s would not work as well as 4x4 posts since I doubled up the lumber on the edge of the top and bottom.

No need to double it up. Singles would work just fine, eliminating half the lumber and making the use of 2X4s possible.

2. 2x6 on the bottom will help resist any change in the settling of the floor with the immense weight of the tank. If this was sitting on concrete then I would agree with you but since it is over a crawl then the 2x6 will help resist any settlement even though I do have 3 piers located directly under the tank to help out as well.

Sort of correct. The direction of the floor joists will determine this more. The floor is going to move when you put that much weight on it whether you do it in one spot or spread over a large area. The larger the area the better but in the end, its all going to the joists and into the footings anyways. That being the case, a 2X6 bottom will help to distribute the load across the joist more evenly but won't do much more than the 2X4 since the load is still concentrated in the corners.

Oh, and the boards in the middle don't gain you anything. I would remove them myself as I like plenty of access under my tank.

 

[PurdueMAN_08]

.....

Oh, and the boards in the middle don't gain you anything. I would remove them myself as I like plenty of access under my tank.

They give me lateral support. I plan to run the long 6 foot section in a V instead of what is indicated in the picture.

 

[RocketEngineer]

They give me lateral support. I plan to run the long 6 foot section in a V instead of what is indicated in the picture.

I'm assuming this is for the in-wall you list in your signature.

If so you would be better off with plywood triangles and even those are unnecessary if you use the internal screw strips or even pocket screws.

Just trying to save you a couple bucks on stuff that doesn't really improve the design.

 

[Wombat_101]

RocketEngineer I have a question about my in-wall stand I posted a few days ago. For a 6 foot span is the single support in the middle of the top frame sufficient or should I add more. As stated I am using 3/4 oak plywood with 2x8's. The tank will be 245 gallons flat glass bottom. Thanks

 

[nogascans]

I got busy over weekend, and got the basic frame of the stand together. Plan is to skin the outside with 1/4" birch, with left side and back solid, front and right cut out for doors. I was contemplating adding a header to front and side below top frame to lower the door face for the addition of some trim around top. I picked up some waterproof epoxy for the inside and after getting that done, I intend to skin the outside, and lastly add the 3/4" birch top.

Picture attached.



I was thinking of trying to incorporate some of the design traits of our china cabinet nearby, shown here:



Sincerely,

David

The best way I can think to explain racking is, If you loosen all the legs on your dining room table. It will hold the downward weight but if you push it sideways it fall. Looks like you have a good plan there. The screws biting into the bottom 2 by 4 will help. Making the back and one side all but solid will make sure the stand doesn't rack.

 

[Kroamium]

A big thank you to those of you who contributed to this posts. It has helped tremendously in my stand design for my 360g 96"x36"x24" acrylic tank. So here's a few shots to show it off a bit.

I used 8" LVL for the top rim and center joist. I have a few more joists for the center to cover the left and right sections there just not in the pictures as they are not screwed in yet to leave room to put in the sump. base is made of 2x4 and legs are 2x6, Final height of the stand is 44". Also I plan to have two 3/4" plywood tops one screwed down and one floating on top of that along with a foamboard

Let me know what ya think.

 

[SPotter]

A big thank you to those of you who contributed to this posts. It has helped tremendously in my stand design for my 360g 96"x36"x24" acrylic tank. So here's a few shots to show it off a bit.

I used 8" LVL for the top rim and center joist. I have a few more joists for the center to cover the left and right sections there just not in the pictures as they are not screwed in yet to leave room to put in the sump. base is made of 2x4 and legs are 2x6, Final height of the stand is 44". Also I plan to have two 3/4" plywood tops one screwed down and one floating on top of that along with a foamboard

Let me know what ya think.

Looks amazing!!!!! I will be book marking this page since I have the same exact tank on order and will be building my own stand as well! Great job!

 

[PurdueMAN_08]

Okay, I redid my design. Any concerns on this design?

2x8 top
2x6 everything else except 2x4 inner-bottom boards (dark yellow)

3/4" plywood will be placed on top. The glasscages tank won't have plastic rim and will need support over the entire bottom pane of glass. 3/4" insulation board foam will be between 3/4" plywood and tank for extra precaution.

[/URL][/IMG]

 

[Kroamium]

Looks amazing!!!!! I will be book marking this page since I have the same exact tank on order and will be building my own stand as well! Great job!

Thanks for the kind words. I should be able to finish it up by the end of the weekend. I plan to plywood sump and skin the fish room side. I'll prob just go with a staind peice of plywood. just to make it look nice and some rigidity to it. Not that it needs it.

 

[SPotter]

Thanks for the kind words. I should be able to finish it up by the end of the weekend. I plan to plywood sump and skin the fish room side. I'll prob just go with a staind peice of plywood. just to make it look nice and some rigidity to it. Not that it needs it.

definitely post info about how the sump turns out in your thread! I am thinking about doing something similar for a fuge.

 

[ArmanS]

Hey everyone! I am going to start building a stand for my fish room tomorrow hopefully. This will be my 2nd build following the template.

However, I have a quick question.

I will be building a stand 82"x32"x48" lxwxh.

It will have a 60g frag tank on top and a 40breeder as well side by side. Underneath will be my sump.

I was plannong on using all 2x4's and for the beams 2x6. Will this be fine or should I go with 2x8?

And do I need any addition center braces since the tanks will not span the entire stand and will sit centered on the stand and not all the way to the edges.

Thanks,
Arman

 

[drillsar]

Home depot wood is garbage you guys agree? I think it's worth to go to a lumber yard and get good quality wood.

 

[DivingTheWorld]

Home depot wood is garbage you guys agree? I think it's worth to go to a lumber yard and get good quality wood.

It depends. I think their 2x4's are junk. I checked lumber yards around the bay area and the best, driest wood I was able to find was at Lowes. I had to go through half a pallet to find enough strait, light (dry), and relatively knot free 2x4's to make my stand, but Lowes was the best.

But when it came to skinning, I found the best quality and price 3/4" solid wood boards at Home Depot.

 

[RicoJ]

Can anyone tell if 2x4 or 2x6 is recommended for a 100 gallon tank that is 5' long?

Thank you.

 

[Redman88]

Read the original thread it's on the first few posts

 

[RicoJ]

Read the original thread it's on the first few posts

Thanks... 2x6 it is!

 

[jrod738776]

Does have have a build for a 220g (72"x24"x30")? I searched but only found a few posts but not much details or answers. Basically I just want to know if I can use the exact layout on the first page, and use 2x8s for the top frame, with no braces going across the middle on the top or bottom?

 

[tomreefer]

I started my first frame today and well cracked it. I guess I should have used pilot holes. What size pilot holes would be good for 2 1/2 decking screws to go into 2 x 4?

 

[pfcreed]

My frame is built and skinned but I have a question. I would like to take some 1x6 no2 white wood, cut it at 45 degree angles and lay it flat over the top of the stand. then I want to put the tank on top of that instead of putting the tank directly on the frame. my question is, is no2 white wood ok to use with a 40 gal breeder because it is a soft wood vs a hard wood. the wood is already purchased.