Help: DIY stand for 75 Gallon aquarium

[EthanHawaii]

Hi, I'm back from vacation and really need to get a new tank running, I'm thinking of buying a rectangle 75 gallon Deep Blue aquarium and if I end up getting it I'll need to build a stand, I've herd it's VERY important for the stand to be perfectly level, so seeing as wood is never perfect how do I make sure it's level?

Thanks
Ethan

 

[sde1500]

Use this:

 

[EthanHawaii]

Use this:

Lol ok, but should I use some sort of leveling foam?

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[ericarenee]

NO DO NOT USE A LEVEL...

Cut all of your pieces the same and square the stand with a framing square and tape measure using 3-4 =5 method.. Then use a level to shim under the perfect built stand to accommodate any floor issues

Real carpenters use square and square methods and a level can get you into trouble building furniture type construction..

 

[EthanHawaii]

NO DO NOT USE A LEVEL...

Cut all of your pieces the same and square the stand with a framing square and tape measure using 3-4 =5 method.. Then use a level to shim under the perfect built stand to accommodate any floor issues

Real carpenters use square and square methods and a level can get you into trouble building furniture type construction..

Ok, thanks.

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[125mph]

It doesn't matter how level you try to make the stand... your floors may not be level, you may end up moving the tank to another location, or the floors may get uneven over time. The way you ensure the tank is leveled is two fold:

1.) Use leveling feet.. I used six of these which can hold a 600lb load each. As the floors age and get uneven, you can still make adjustments to the leveling feet using an allen wrench: http://www.rockler.com/heavy-duty-lifting-leveler

2.) Use a 1/2" or 3/4" foam board between the stand and the tank. .That helps smooth out the stress

Here's a pic of my stand after I set up the tank:

 

[ericarenee]

Please be Careful

Please be Careful

It doesn't matter how level you try to make the stand... ]

First Building a Aquariums Stand or any piece of Furniture the Term LEVEL really does not apply..If you have a Absolutely perfect level surface you are building it on Yes you could use a level But there is NO Reason to..

Cut all the pieces the correct size using proper methods to for them to be square on each end and by Diag Cross checking .. When you put it together if you insure you have no FRAMING Gaps and Cross checking any sheathing and using a Square of a large enough size for the Project it will be Perfect..

As far as using any kind of mechanical levelers on the stand for sure the ones you posted are not correct..If you do go this route you would prob want one every foot and they need to be under the structure of the stand not screwed onto the side.. They MUST LOCK With nuts on top and bottom of the mounting plate.. But even then you are putting stress on those points of the floor... On Concrete its prob not a big deal..
:deadhorse1:
To level the tank once its setup use Cedar or composite shims they are cheap easy and just work...Here you want to use a level of the proper length.. DO NOT Try to level a 5 foot long stand with a 2 foot level. its needs to be 4 feet , Do not try to level a 6 foot tank with a 4 feet level unless you get it absolutely perfect also cross check from back left to front right and front right to back left to insure there is no warping.......
:deadhorse1:
Of Course this is only My opinion from a life long Career as a Carpenter.

 

[125mph]

As far as using any kind of mechanical levelers on the stand for sure the ones you posted are not correct..If you do go this route you would prob want one every foot and they need to be under the structure of the stand not screwed onto the side..

Well, these do go on the bottom where it holds the weight, not on the side. You don't think 6-8 of these works well? I noticed my tank dropped by 1/5 an inch after a year (the house is old) and it was easy to re-level the tank.

 

[ericarenee]

Well, these do go on the bottom where it holds the weight, not on the side. You don't think 6-8 of these works well? I noticed my tank dropped by 1/5 an inch after a year (the house is old) and it was easy to re-level the tank.

if those had a flange on the bottom that was u shape and wrapped around the whole bottom of the tank AND you add a washer and nut under the plate that is threaded.. Or maybe drilling out the screw hold and putting thru bolts from exterior of cabinet ..

OF course they look strong but i worry about corrosion and Rust ....

Guess i should have pointed out why i do not like those Jack screws...


If that is your tank it Looks Awesome ..

 

[Vinny Kreyling]

Ethan,
IF the tank is rimless then yes on a foam underneath.
IF there is a plastic frame then no on the foam.

 

[SaguaroSteve]

Ethan,
IF the tank is rimless then yes on a foam underneath.
IF there is a plastic frame then no on the foam.

+1

I'm not a big fan of the adjustable feet though, that's a lot of load on a small focal point. I'd only be comfortable with it if I knew it was on a floor joist.

 

[EthanHawaii]

Thank you everyone for the replies!

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