Test or Reinforce ?

[Kharn]

G'day all

I have had my 48x18x18inch tank up and running for a month now and am only now going to place a relatively simple sump beneath the Display Tank within the confineds of its stand I have a few worries though...

There is a bottom shelf on the stand that sits maybe 10cm off the floor of the room, from what I can SEE too me it seems as though this shelf is being held in place by 2 things, each corner of the shelf looks as though it has nails belted through it and into each leg of the tanks stand, 5 nails per corner from what I can see, it also seems to of had glue applied to it before it was nailed together.

Since the Display Tank is cycling and full of water etc, I don't wannt break it down to re-mod the stand....how can I go about testing to see if it could hold the weight of the sump I intend to have put in (100cmx30cmx30cm) the sump will hold "about" 70-80L if that....

Or should I skip the "test" and just reinforce the shelf by putting hardwood chocks beneath the shelf which would support it ?

I am leaning towards the "better be safe the sorry" side of things a.k.a going with the wood chocks!

any comments be highly appreciative !!!!!!

[fragyoureef]

75 L is about the same weight as a man 165pounds. If your tank is still cycling why not take it apart drain it move it and re-enforce your stand. Your leaning towered better safe then sorry also what happens if you test it and it doesn't hold? You'd then still have to take your tank apart if it wasn't already for you to fix the stand. Don't half @55 Better safe then sorry means going that extra step and personally I would

[Kharn]

75 L is about the same weight as a man 165pounds. If your tank is still cycling why not take it apart drain it move it and re-enforce your stand. Your leaning towered better safe then sorry also what happens if you test it and it doesn't hold? You'd then still have to take your tank apart if it wasn't already for you to fix the stand. Don't half @55 Better safe then sorry means going that extra step and personally I would

I really don't want to touch my tank just to let it continue on with its cycling....Even IF the shelving failed whilst the sump was in it and there were chocks under the shelf It would only drop a couple of mm if that and even then the natural weight of the sump could make the shelf flex enough that it will sit down on the chocks, I planned on getting 3 chocks the length of the width of the shelf then placing one on either end and the other in the center I also planned on placing a sheet of styrofoam over the top of the chocks along with planing the wood till it slots in nice and neatly don't want to much of gaps...

This should hopefully prevent having to touch the main tank up top =D

please don't think I am ignoring your advice "fragyoureef" I have taken everything you said into account, I plan on taking photos of the whole process which I will do toomorow =)

P.S. As far as I am concerned, the shelf does nothing to support the Display tank above....as far as I am concerned.....