Unique aquarium stand problem

[ibryson]

I call it unique because I was unable to find a similar thread to answer my question. Here goes: I have a 180 gallon aquarium. I recently built a stand to support it. The tank measures 72.5 X 24.5 X 25. Currently, my stand only measures 71 1/4 inches long but I have yet to put the 3/4 plywood sides on it. After the 3/4 sides are put on, it'll total 72 3/4 inches long. Same situation for width ( currently the stand is barely shorter than the actual tank). My concern is the weight distribution. The aquarium has black trim around it, and to my knowledge, this distrubutes the weight around the perimeter. With these dimensions the black trim will be sitting directly on the 3/4 inch plywood sides and front. Will the entire stand bare the load, or will this cause a problem?
Any advice would be appreciated! I'm happy to provide more details if necessary.

Thanks!!

 

[Lsufan]

The tank is really supposed to sit on top of the frame. It will distribute the wieght to the frame but it also makes it to where the ply doesn't have to be in perfect plane with the frame.

How u have it I would do a couple of things to help out. I would make sure u glue the plywood to the frame & also make sure your ply goes all the way to the floor to support the wieght. U will have to make sure that the ply is perfectly plane with the top & the bottom, which sounds easier then it is.

If u leave it how it is then that is about all u can do. If u aren't comfortable with it then u can wrap the frame with 2 by 4. Wrap the bottom & top frame then install legs inbetween at the corners. Then u can use a 1 by 4 or 1 by 6 and make a ledge around the top to cover the part of the stand that is sticking past the tank. I like having a ledge around my stands anyways, it gives u a place to set things while your messing with the tank.

 

[fishgate]

Since all of the weight on a framed aquarium rests on the frame, where that frame sits is where the weight will go. 3/4" plywood will probably hold the weight ok but IMO this is not a proper way to construct a stand. In essence a lot of the weight will be resting on the screws you use to attach the plywood to the 2x4 frame if you don't get it all the way to the floor. Lots of variables at work here. Now, if you put a plywood top on the stand that spans the entire bottom of the tank, more of your load will be distributed to the 2x4 frame.

1st choice: rebuild stand
2nd choice: plywood top
3rd choice: #1 or #2

 

[twitchy]

^What they said.
Dont risk it just resting on the plywood sides.
I personally would put a thick plywood top on the whole thing, then veneer the edges.

 

[ibryson]

So you think if I put a top on it that overhangs maybe an inch or two all the way around that it will distribute the weight evenly across the frame? My frame is very strong, but I definitely don't trust the 3/4 plywood to hold the tank up

 

[mcgyvr]

So long as you add the sides that touch the floor AND that the top of the stand extends to or beyond those sides you are good to go..

 

[ca1ore]

I had a similar issue with a stand. Built the stand an inch short (in length) due to inaccurate tank dimension information. I screwed two 6" wide thicknesses of 3/4" plywood to the top ends (and then a top panel on top of those strips). Tank (a 265) has been just fine for 4 years.

 

[Lsufan]

I would definitely put a plywood top on it but that isn't going to distribute the wieght to the frame. Like we mentioned, u will have to make sure the plywood goes all the way to the floor & the top is in plane with the frame. Then put the plywood top on. I would definitely use wood glue to glue the plywood to the frame to help strengthen it up

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

Throw the existing stand away and make the whole thing from the 3/4" plywood. Problem solved

In all honesty, it's kind of hard to give advice without knowing more about your stand design and how it was built. I don't inherently disagree with anything that's been said so far but it's just shots in the dark without more info. You never even said that the existing stand was built from 2x4, but everyone seems to have assumed that!

 

[NanoReefWanabe]

I font know why everyone keeps saying the plywood needs to transfer the weight of the tank to the structure... that sounds ridiculous.. if he us using 3/4" ply and the rim of the tank is sitting on it then that is ideal... ensure the ply goes to the floor and call it a day... you want the weight transferred to the floor not the structure of the stand...

 

[Apotack]

Starting over sucks. But if it were me I would start over, the time and money do not amount to much compared to everything else associated with the hobby. The peace of mind will be well worth it.