Plywood stand for 20 Gallon high?

[Charley Diesing]

I will be moving into an apartment soon and I want to make a stand that is as light as possible...

Stand dimension will be 36Lx20Wx36H

Aquarium dimensions will be 24Lx12Wx17H (20 gallon volume)

I will be following a stand idea similar to the red-sea reefers with plywood partition in the middle. That will separate the sump from the electrical. (so this should add some support in the middle)

Question:

1) Is this doable? Any recommendations?

2) What thickness of plywood would ya'll recommend?

 

[ThisGuy12]

Yes it is doable. I would use 3/4" plywood myself, double up the sides and top have the top bear on the sides. Your center partition should help with weight distribution.

If the tank is Rimless, the load distributes evenly amongst the bottom pane of glass, so spreading the weight shouldn't be a problem.

If the tank is Not Rimless the pressure points are along the black/silver/white trim, and should have some sort of support directly under the edges.

Glue & Screw (or Nail) EVERY joint and seam.

 

[falcona2552]

+1 to 3/4"

Use a right angle, a level, and measure everything twice

 

[MarkS]

Most "wooden" stands you can buy are nothing more than 3/4" thick particle board stapled together and covered in laminate. Plywood will be fine.

 

[EvenFurther]

3/4" plywood is plenty strong. Use pocket screws and adhesive. Building the stand oversize, both wider and longer will require some thought to the design. The tank should be supported from wood to the floor, with proper support, and weight not on the screws.

 

[reef thief]

Use eye protection, gloves and a reflective belt

 

[sde1500]

Use eye protection, gloves and a reflective belt

Reflective belt?

 

[OurCoralReef]

Reflective belt?

Lol [emoji23]

Make sure to paint everything with waterproof paint otherwise when you get water on it, it will expand the plywood will fall apart

 

[ThisGuy12]

Lol [emoji23]

Make sure to paint everything with waterproof paint otherwise when you get water on it, it will expand the plywood will fall apart

This.

I used latex acrylic white paint for the inside of my cabinet/steel stand to paint the floor where the sump sits and the 2x4 barriers I installed to keep water within the stand in the case of a leak.

 

[OurCoralReef]

This.



I used latex acrylic white paint for the inside of my cabinet/steel stand to paint the floor where the sump sits and the 2x4 barriers I installed to keep water within the stand in the case of a leak.

I used marine paint in the same way you described in every hole every surface after i finished building my stand

 

[rmchoi]

3/4" plywood is plenty strong. Use pocket screws and adhesive. Building the stand oversize, both wider and longer will require some thought to the design. The tank should be supported from wood to the floor, with proper support, and weight not on the screws.

I found plywood worked well. For a 75G tank, I made a tall Euro style stand, using 3/4" plywood. The joints were pocket screws and glue. Only two pieces were double plywood; the bottom and the front rail. Not using 2 x4 lumber gives the interior a clean look and maximizes the cabinet space.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2477081