industrial shelf to hold tank

[deadmanh]

i went to lowes and saw a shelf. there are 5 shelves each 48 x 24 inches and the whole tower is 72 inches high...

each shelf is rated for up to 1000lbs

at $77 can i use that as my stand for a 65g? 36 x 18 x 24

i figure high balling a 65g tank would be 800lbs...
and on the bottom shelf is a 29g sump which would be less than 400lbs.

and i can drill into it to hang a pendant.




CAN I USE THIS AS A STAND?


Danny

 

[PHATBEN]

i have used the gorilla racks from costco they work great and they cost around $60

 

[deadmanh]

how much weight did you have on it?
was the weight evenly spread on the bottom OR was there 4 individual legs?

 

[JenDub]

Hey Danny,

I use those to hold my prop tanks but they are 50 gallons or so and the a 2'X4' so the edge rests on the shelf edge. If you are going to use them for your tank have you checked out the model that is 3' X 18" wide at home depot? How much can that model hold per shelf?

A word about these stands--the top shelf is a joke, since the outer metal pieces are only 3 feet tall each you have to put two of them together to make a 6' tall stand. If you are going to load the stand to or near capacity be sure that the tank sits on a shelf that has both steel pins on the bottom piece of outer metal, then use a different shelf to hold the two outer pieces together and don't put anything too heavy on the upper part. The way the outer pieces hold together is by putting one pin in the bottom piece and one pin in the top, this shelf is shady to say the least

Also, the pressboard wood included is worthless especially once wet. I used 2 by 12's (wider version of a 2 by 4) cut to 4' length and then skinned them with 3/4" plywood. All of the wood was sealed with thopson's water seal before assembly. Also the metal pins that hold the shelf in place were coated with clear silicon 2 as the shelves were put in place to help avoid rusting off and a disasterious shelf dropout.

I just tore down a setup just like this that was 1.5 years old and it had some rusting on the shelf brackets. These probably need to be replaced every 2 years unless you coat the whole thing in a thin silicon coat (but who has the time hehe).

That's my expertise in the subject, they are great for a quick setup & last 2 years usually

~Charles~

 

[deadmanh]

oops... edit for being a dumba$$

 

[dattack]

I have a 3 tier metal bar stand about 6-7 foot tall. Holds 3 tanks 4x2 ft. Used to be a surplus stand at a LFS. Need to put a plywood board or 2x4s to place tank on. It's free if you want it.

 

[deadmanh]

thanks for the offer but im going to go for a new one.
on your industrial shelfs.... do they rest with 4 points/ legs or are they flat along the bottom...

im on a first floor apt, but there is a basement under me so i am not sure if 1500lbs + on 4 points will cause the thing to come crashing down into the basement ...

its a brick building built in the 1950's in Kansas. (moved for school)

 

[JenDub]

hahahaha, detail details! You'd be better off with a wood stand IMO, you could put a sheet of plywood under the feet but not sure that that would cut it

 

[deadmanh]

will those metal wire shelves work? from sams club or costco?

 

[JenDub]

no those are junk, they use a plastic collar to hold the shelves up!

 

[gcarroll]

I will be using the ones from lowes to build a system in the garage. The are definitly sturdier than the ones at home depot. but I agree with jendub and you are probaly better off with a wood stand.

 

[pledosophy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7230006#post7230006 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by deadmanh
will those metal wire shelves work? from sams club or costco?

I use them. I to was leary about the plastic piece holding up the shelves but they do have a high lbs per shelf rating, are rot proof, and have worked well for me.

 

[deadmanh]

pictures? please?

its not that i dont believe you i just wanna see exactly how it looks. id rather save money on the stand and have something that i can easily hang a pendant from.

Danny

 

[818]

DUDE!!! I AM SELLING A 60g Wood Stand!!!!!! Its 48 inches longx 18w like the shelf you want... 30.00

 

[deadmanh]

hehe, thanks... i might have but im in school right now in kansas.... i just like the socal forum cause thats home to me. and i get a lot better response.

 

[deadmanh]

bump.... any pictures of your tanks on these shelves.?