Steel or wood stand

[McCune]

I am going back and forth and on which type of stand I should have built for my 220 custom 60x30. I like the idea of steel because I can probably get away with no center brace which would leave so much room to access the sump. I have someone who can build a steel stand for me. I recently found a local custom woodworker who build beautiful stands and canopies. Wood will make it easier to mount and equipment I need to.
What do you think

[Mr. Eel]

I make all my tanks from steel, but even after being coated against rust one of my tanks has a bit of rust on it.

[mcgyvr]

personal preference and dictated 100% by your specific requirements/plans/limitations/budgetary constraints/unspecified details/localized design and style concerns and objectives, etc...

so maybe flip a coin if you can't decide yourself..

Or average out the responses and pick a winnder.. put me down for..um...
wood

[Dmorty217]

For a 220g wood will be fine. I built a stand for my 220g when I had one a few years back. It was hard enough to move that. A steel stand would be overkill IMO

[D-Nak]

If cost isn't a factor, I would do both -- a metal stand with a wooden skin that can be completely removed.

[RCS82]

I vote steal. The inside can be lined with plywood easily and will have an excellent amount of space inside.
As far as weight goes a quality wood stand for a 220 would still require 2 or more people to move and its not like like you will move it often.

[drtrash]

8020

[thegrun]

I use a hybrid of steel cross members and wood side supports which make it easier to attach the wood side panels.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBruzRBurKY

[McCune]

So I am leaning towards the steel stand wrapped in wood. I have a friend who is a welder by trade so he can build the steel stand for the cost of materials. I am planning on staying the stand with an industrial epoxy costing I have used before on steel beams that are under water. That costing should eliminate any chance of rust. For the steel used to construct the stand I am thinking of using 2” square stock.
I think I am going to contact the woodworker to skin the stand and make a matching canopy.
I am thinking of painting the stand in chalk paint to give it an antique look.

[sfdan]

FWIW I'm pretty sure that for a 60" span, you can use a 2x8 (or even 2x6) top frame and not need a center brace. Discussed in this thread.

Obviously though that will take up quite a bit more space than a comparable steel frame, but you don't need a center brace.

[Dmorty217]

Originally Posted by sfdan

FWIW I'm pretty sure that for a 60" span, you can use a 2x8 (or even 2x6) top frame and not need a center brace. Discussed in this thread.

Obviously though that will take up quite a bit more space than a comparable steel frame, but you don't need a center brace.

2x6 without a center brace, but it sounds like he is going steel wrapped in wood

[oldhead]

Originally Posted by McCune

So I am leaning towards the steel stand wrapped in wood. I have a friend who is a welder by trade so he can build the steel stand for the cost of materials. I am planning on staying the stand with an industrial epoxy costing I have used before on steel beams that are under water. That costing should eliminate any chance of rust. For the steel used to construct the stand I am thinking of using 2” square stock.
I think I am going to contact the woodworker to skin the stand and make a matching canopy.
I am thinking of painting the stand in chalk paint to give it an antique look.

You could also have it powder coated

[Crusty Old Shellback]

No matter what you use, you will eventually have issues. Wood getting wet and soaking/decay. Steel rusting from a small pinhole in what ever coating you use. And any hole you drill into it will just speed up the process.

In 35 years of riding ships out on the ocean, the only material I have seen so far that the salt water does not affect it is titanium. But I doubt you can afford a stand built of that.

In 40 + years of having aquariums, they all eventually have issues. The longer you keep them, the more prone to issues you will have. A wood finish will wear off from the heat/sun/lights/normal use. Steel will rust from oxygen on the inside of the tube, water seeping into a tiny pinhole, scratches in the finish. Even powder coating doesn't last for long.

Good luck.

[mcgyvr]

Dang.. what a downer ^^..

yeah.. just forget the stand.. forget the tank.. its gonna fail so why even try..

Merry Christmas all..!!!!

[VoltzNSalt]

I built mine from wood and put 5 coats of marine primer on everything inside and 5 coats of spar varnish on everything outside. But like Crusty says, saltwater will eventually have its way with either material (eventually being 20+ years?)...

[FoxFace Fish]

well this kinda makes sense but all around the best stand ever (that I could think of... and don't ask me how to do this) would be a wooden stand with tons of water proof and marine primer then put a layer of aluminum over that (since it does not rust) then put weather proof pant on it. seems a little overkill but it could work hypothetically but it would cost more than the tank ever would XD

but I guess the aluminum would eventually have corrosion and waste away this thread actually upsets me more than it should XD

[D-Nak]

Originally Posted by McCune

So I am leaning towards the steel stand wrapped in wood. I have a friend who is a welder by trade so he can build the steel stand for the cost of materials. I am planning on staying the stand with an industrial epoxy costing I have used before on steel beams that are under water. That costing should eliminate any chance of rust. For the steel used to construct the stand I am thinking of using 2” square stock.
I think I am going to contact the woodworker to skin the stand and make a matching canopy.
I am thinking of painting the stand in chalk paint to give it an antique look.

This is what I was talking about. Just go with this and you'll be fine. When the wood gets worn or old, or you just want to replace it to match some new furniture you got, you can easily and quickly swap it without having to dismantle the tank.

You can add magnets to the wood panels so they'll stick to the stand. I've also seen wood skins that that have wheels so they can easily be pulled away from the steel stand, providing complete access to the entire underside of the tank. The skin also has doors for everyday use.

[jmm]

My stand is powder coated stainless steel. It DOESN'T rust or corrode. However, when I wanted to mount a reactor with screws, no drill bit would even put a dent in it, much less a hole.

I solved the problem by mounting a sandwich of HDPE 1x6's inside and outside the verticals, with thumbscrews to tighten the fixture, tightening one part to the other. (That's a terrible sentence, even I can't picture it from that description).

[sfdan]

I think you are all nuts.

The stand isn't submerged underwater, it is getting splashed with water every now and again. A more apt comparison would be to a bathroom vanity than a boat.

Additionally, metal rusting and wood rotting require very different moisture levels. In my shop, any cast iron surface that doesn't have a coat of wax will start rusting in a few months, whereas with that same moisture level the wooden beams that hold up my house have been doing just fine for decades. Yes, if you have a leak and wood is constantly drenched with water, it will rot. But with any sort of normal indoor humidity levels, it is not going to be an issue.

I have a completely untreated/unprotected planter bed made out of a douglas fir that has been outside for 4 years and is in fine structural shape. Getting hit by UV rays, getting drenched by rain, attacked by insects, things that will not happen to your aquarium stand. I don't expect it to last 20 years, but I wouldn't be surprised if it lasted 10. Wood is really really durable.

When you are talking about a properly built wooden aquarium stand, indoors, covered in any sort of protective paint, the lifespan is effectively infinite.

[dieselkeeper]

I built a steel stand for my 210 gal tank with a 3 dosed box for skin. I can move the whole skin away and have access to anything. Which is great. The problem is there is no place to mount anything. If you go with steel, make plans to have some wood to mount plumbing manifolds, controllers, and stuff. Have some tabs welded on where you could mount a piece of wood for that kind of stuff.

[Kevin Guthrie]

Originally Posted by sfdan

I think you are all nuts.
When you are talking about a properly built wooden aquarium stand, indoors, covered in any sort of protective paint, the lifespan is effectively infinite.

I agree. I have a 25 year old 1x3 & paneling wood stand under my 90. It's ugly, the wood in places is impregnated with salt, but it sure is sturdy. Can't say that wood is the way to go, just that it holds up. The hardware OTOH rusts.

Also if you are going to skin something, consider using PVC. It's not cheap and it has no structural value whatsoever, and its heavier than plywood. But it never degrades, cleans super easy, cuts like a dream, and you can easily make the seams watertight to protect whatever is behind it.

[tlandrum]

I am having a similar conundrum... I only need my refugiums (100 gallon stock tanks) to be off the ground a few inches... thinking of using a couple of 4x4's (or 2x4's) and just setting them on the ground... but will they rot away down there? I'll use pressure treated lumber, but how long till they rot away?!?! I looked into some HDPE 4x4's, but they were going to cost well over 10x the price?!?

[Gorgok]

I've had to move my tank 4 times in the last 6 months (since Harvey) around the house to get rid of old walls/flooring and now install new stuff. Without having a steel stand i could just jack up and roll around that would have been the end of the tank for me. As is it just suffered short power outages here and there throughout the 'experience'.

I will have to make new skins for it as the old ones i tore off once the waters receded, they had swollen and such from sitting in water.

Course that is a fairly specific reason for steel stands, but steel stands would be my choice anywhere even not near a flood plain.

[HBtank]

Originally Posted by sfdan

I think you are all nuts.

The stand isn't submerged underwater, it is getting splashed with water every now and again. A more apt comparison would be to a bathroom vanity than a boat.

Additionally, metal rusting and wood rotting require very different moisture levels. In my shop, any cast iron surface that doesn't have a coat of wax will start rusting in a few months, whereas with that same moisture level the wooden beams that hold up my house have been doing just fine for decades. Yes, if you have a leak and wood is constantly drenched with water, it will rot. But with any sort of normal indoor humidity levels, it is not going to be an issue.

I have a completely untreated/unprotected planter bed made out of a douglas fir that has been outside for 4 years and is in fine structural shape. Getting hit by UV rays, getting drenched by rain, attacked by insects, things that will not happen to your aquarium stand. I don't expect it to last 20 years, but I wouldn't be surprised if it lasted 10. Wood is really really durable.

When you are talking about a properly built wooden aquarium stand, indoors, covered in any sort of protective paint, the lifespan is effectively infinite.

This, I have been anything but careful (other than stopping any steady leak/seep), but 12 years on my current wood stand and no issues beyond aesthetics. Couple repaints where I get spray, thinking of lining some of those areas with starboard (inside) but nothing is wrong with the stand that isn't purely cosmetic.

I just see wood as winning in the longevity department when the main concern is corrosion, any structural issue would be easily noticeable in comparison IMO. Salt water and steel, and a spot of corrosion you happen to not be able to see (can be internal) left on its own..... That recent fair accident comes to mind, not even daily inspections could overcome failure from corrosion in that case.