Building a stand larger than aquarium

[unfeazi]

So at the moment I have a sumpless 40g breeder and am planning on making a stand to hold another 40g breeder under it as a sump. However I was wondering if I would be bale to make the stand to hold a bigger tank if I plan on upgrading for the future. Basically im asking if build the stand 48 x 24 using rocket engineers template, will it be able to hold my current setup of a 40g breeder on top? Ive already been told how to build the stand to accommodate the 40g sump and am just worried about the extra width of the stand being a problem.

[Young347]

No it won't be a problem at all when building the 48x24 you will be putting a cross race in on the top frame it will
Hold a 50 breeder with no problems also you might wanna make your stand 49x25 this to give you some room for like trimming and if the tank has trim it will stick out a little more then 48x24 so ya

[unfeazi]

That's great to know, thanks!

[Young347]

Also just some more little advice on the top rail use 2 2x4s sandwiched together and on the back rail use a single 2x8 so that you give yourself clearance for bulkheads

And on the bottom frame it doesn't need braces in the middle just for the the top frame doing this will give you even more room highth wise for equipment :)

Almost forgot to also say on your top plywood your tank will sit on do not do not put screws all the way around to secure the top it will cause small spot that sink down and so your tank will have gaps all along the bottom and the trimming all around don't put finishing nails on the top part either

[Young347]

Like this

[Coelli]

Every time I see this thread title pop up in New Posts it reminds me I should have had the lip on my tand made wide enough to hold a beer. :D

[unfeazi]

Every time I see this thread title pop up in New Posts it reminds me I should have had the lip on my tand made wide enough to hold a beer. :D

I think this will be a great use for the edges of the stand until I upgrade my tank, might even have to make and extra addition for it :beer:

[Coelli]

I think this will be a great use for the edges of the stand until I upgrade my tank, might even have to make and extra addition for it :beer:

Yup, I've been thinking of retrofitting a wider lip around mine. I spend a lot of time sitting on a stepstool just watching the tank, and it would be awesome if it was just an inch or two wider for beer or coffee! It's about 2" deep now, so there's enough support already to add another layer on top.

My stand was too small, but the guy who built it sometimes adds slide-out trays to them, like the kind you'd use for a computer keyboard on a desk or a cutting board. Very handy!

[Zacktosterone]

Its probably already been discussed but I need to find a way to have a sump underneath my stand that measures 36x24x20, my display tank is 48x24x24. Can someone calculate a diagram that will support this tank yet still hold my sump? I mould like a 4" lip all the way around my tank if I can.

[Fuel1976]

Interested to see what ideas are out there. I'm pondering ideas for an oversized stand for a 120gal (48x24x24) display tank with a 65gal (48x18x19) sump. I'd like the stand to be 54" long 36" tall and deeper than the tank (possibly 27.5").

[Fuel1976]

Also just some more little advice on the top rail use 2 2x4s sandwiched together and on the back rail use a single 2x8 so that you give yourself clearance for bulkheads

And on the bottom frame it doesn't need braces in the middle just for the the top frame doing this will give you even more room highth wise for equipment :)

Almost forgot to also say on your top plywood your tank will sit on do not do not put screws all the way around to secure the top it will cause small spot that sink down and so your tank will have gaps all along the bottom and the trimming all around don't put finishing nails on the top part either

For the top plywood piece if your not securing it with screws or finishing nails... should I use glue (Tighbond III)?

[BigJohnny]

For the top plywood piece if your not securing it with screws or finishing nails... should I use glue (Tighbond III)?
Titebond III is the best wood glue hands down. Having said that, I would also recommend atleast a small screw on each corner or some finishing nails with it. You can drive the screws in a little bit below the surface and fill in the screw holes with wood filler/sand flat. You can also rent finishing nailers at home depot for pretty cheap (by hour/4 hours/day) if you don't have one. But if not, titebond III is definitely the way to go. Lay it on heavy and wipe away excess.

[Shawn O]

Its probably already been discussed but I need to find a way to have a sump underneath my stand that measures 36x24x20, my display tank is 48x24x24. Can someone calculate a diagram that will support this tank yet still hold my sump? I mould like a 4" lip all the way around my tank if I can.

Use extra vertical support topped by extra horizontal supports running lengthwise. This is the 2x4 frame for the 55 I built. It should hold a 55, 75 or 90 with no problem. The 55 will have 6" of space behind it, a 75 or 90 will cover the entire top. Notice the extra 2x4s (gray and blue). Add a second set near the front

http://i675.photobucket.com/albums/vv113/JohnDoe_69/Fish%20tank%20stuff/55StandTemplate1.jpg

[beester15]

And on the bottom frame it doesn't need braces in the middle just for the the top frame doing this will give you even more room highth wise for equipment :)


Are you saying that the yellow cross braces aren't needed in the design?

[Fuel1976]

Shawn O and BigJohnny thank you for the responses.

[BigJohnny]

Shawn O and BigJohnny thank you for the responses.
No problem bud

[Shawn O]

Are you saying that the yellow cross braces aren't needed in the design?
The ones in the middle on bottom aren't technically needed. Your sump can sit directly on the floor.

If you have a sheet of plywood beneath the stand: If your floor is out of level and you need to do a lot of shimming, raising the perimeter and not having something solid for the sump to sit on (cross braces), the sump will be putting weight directly on the plywood bottom and sag after shimming. This is assuming your floor is really out of level and you've had to shim the stand a lot.

Shawn O and BigJohnny thank you for the responses.

NP, any time.

[Fuel1976]

Question about the top of a stand. Frame is done and I want to add a top. Was thinking of using 1" by 8" pine boards where as 2" would extend outside the perimeter of the tank to allow for a small shelf/ledge. Is this option ok or would it be better to use a single 1/2" sheet of plywood cut to allow a 2" overhang around the perimeter of the tank? Are there concerns using one or the other that I need to be aware of? Or is either option ok?

[Fuel1976]

Should add that the tank is a 120 gallon 4x2x2.

[McPuff]

Should add that the tank is a 120 gallon 4x2x2.

I have the same tank and for the stand I built in a 6" ledge on the back and side so that I could set stuff on it and stand on it... easier to access the contents. It's built in to a wall though and I'm not sure if you have this capability. But if you do... then go for it!

[Sk8r]

SUggestion: if you want a really wide top, consider getting a piece of laminate countertop from HD or Lowe's. If your vertical supports can hold it up securely, it'll hold most anything, won't corrode or go to punk, and wipes down easily. We saved a section of our replaced kitchen cabinet top for use atop the stand for the basement sump, and I can't say enough good about that choice.

[Zacktosterone]

Check out his stand thread. I'm one of the most recent posts

327007