Wall mounted QT tank.

[IUfan]

Trying to come up with a way to place a QT tank in my fish room without needing another stand for it to sit on.

Was thinking of using 2 of these heavy duty shelf brackets and then some 1/2” plywood as the shelf.

It says it can handle 500lbs (x2 should be 1000lbs) but I am still concerned, just worries me for some reason. Would be on a studded wall, so each bracket will be mounted into a 2x4 stud. Can the wall handle this?

The qt tank would be a small 10 gallon tank, 20”x10.5”x11”.

Thoughts?




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[Vinny Kreyling]

Figure 9 gallons max in the tank-- so 9 x 9 = 81 lbs.
NO WORRIES & the water actually weighs slightly less.
I had a 1/4 HP chiller next to a window with the same arrangement, it never fell.
Just use a sufficient length on the screws. I would say 2"

[Willistein]

Agreed - screw tear-out would be the way this would fail. I would use at least 2" screws.
Maybe flip the brackets so the long edge is vertical to minimize reaction force at screws.

[IUfan]

Use 2” lag bolts?


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[Willistein]

I would actually use 2-1/2" or even 3" drywall screws. You lose at least 1/2" in the drywall which does nothing for pullout. The most critical screws are the ones at the top of the vertical legs since they will be under tension. Yes, lag screws would be a little better, but long drywall screws should be fine.

[IUfan]

I’ll do 3” lag screws then. Lag bolts will help me sleep at night


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[MarineGP]

Most important to have the bolts centered and recommend pilot holes so the wood does not split.

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[IUfan]

Yeah, pilot hole for sure. Thanks


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[mann1139]

I wall-mounted my 10g QT in my office four or five years ago.

I used a piece of 10" melamine shelving and 8inx10in brackets. I used deck screws into the studs.

You can't see it from the pics, but the tank is 2in from the wall to run wiring.

It's steady as a rock. I just yanked on one bracket, and still no movement.

(Clownfish is real, but nothing else)

https://photos.app.goo.gl/h2u7aYqtz99wbFB38

[IUfan]

That’s great to hear! Looks great! Going to try install mine like this in a few weeks


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[IUfan]

How did I do? Still anxious about putting the weight on it, used a 3” lag bolt on the bottom hole to screw into the studs, then 2-1/2” #10 screws on the upper holes. Think this will work okay?




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[Willistein]

The screws you have to worry about are the top ones. Those are the ones that would potentially pull out. I also would have used larger brackets and flipped them so that the long edge of the brackets was against the wall and the short legs were under the shelf. Longer bracket on the wall = less pullout force at the top screw. I made these suggestions previously...

That being said, I think this will hold. It's < 100 lbs.

[IUfan]

I took the suggestion and used longer screws.

With the bracket positioning, I figured the shelf needed support under it, so needed the long part sticking out from the wall? Or no?


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[mann1139]

Willistein is correct, the top screws are seeing a 'pull' force, the lower screws are really only seeing a 'down' force.

Are the screws well into the stud?

Are the studs legitimate?

If those answers are yes, you should be fine.

[IUfan]

The reason I didn’t use the lag screws on the top is that the two holes were spaced very close together, I was worried 2 lag screws could split the wood.

The studs are regular studs. The drywall is .5” so the screw is around 1-7/8” screwed into the wood after the bracket and drywall.

Should I turn the bracket around?


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[mann1139]

No, the risk of the shorter bracket is warping the board.

That's worse than the shear forces on the bracket and screws.

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[IUfan]

That’s what I was thinking to. Well, guess I’ll fill with water and find out how it holds


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[BigDave]

I know you already finished yours, but for others thinking of doing it.

Use lag bolts. The braces are rated at 500lbs, but that's assuming you use the largest lag bolts that will fit in the holes. Pre drill and use 3" bolts.

The issue is not only the stripping of the screw from the wood, but also the sheer strength of the screw head. Wood screws and dry wall screws are designed to pull something tight, but not designed to take a large side load. Lag bolts are.

I use these for horizontal storage of lumber in my garage.

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[IUfan]

@BigDave, I can easily switch out the screws for lag bolts. Should I?


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[BigDave]

Originally Posted by IUfan

@BigDave, I can easily switch out the screws for lag bolts. Should I?


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I would if it were my piece of mind.

[Sharpimage]

It is only 75 pounds. 2 barakets are holding 40 pounds each. It fine with screws. One screw would hold 75 pounds by itself. The wood isn't going to warp. Its fine the way it sits. They make drywall anchors rated for 75 pounds each.

[lingwendil]

Redrill top holes for lag bolts, and use a wide washer under each head to distribute load. I've had one of these pull out of the wall (wasn't mounted by me!) when using regular wood/drywall screws. If moisture gets to the studs it can be an issue. This was in an older house's separate garage converted to a fishroom, with poor insulation. Lag bolts and fender washers will give piece of mind and additional holding force, and they're cheap.

[IUfan]

Wanted to update this thread. Replaced the top screws with lag bolts, just for peace of mind. Placed the QT tank up there and so far so good.




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