DIY Stands Template and Calculator - Page 7

Mirror Pond · 10/16/2007, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by fishnugget
It says D-3 for yellow and blue.

If I want to make depth 19", then 19-3 =16

16 + 2" (from 2*4)=2" (from other 2*4)= 20" not 19"

Height I want is 30" Purple uprights

30-7 = 23

23+4" of 1 (2*4) + 4" (other 2*4) = 31" not 30"

Am I doing something wrong?

2x4's actually measure 1.5"x3.5"

fishnugget · 10/16/2007, 03:38 PM

Thank you, I thought I was going crazy

burton14e7 · 10/16/2007, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mirror Pond
2x4's actually measure 1.5"x3.5"

Woops, back to the drawing board for me.

saltwaterfishlover · 11/14/2007, 06:43 AM

stand is 62" long 36" front to back and 33" tall

2x6 upper frame and 2x4 for the rest
andy

homebrewdude · 12/09/2007, 08:45 AM

I worked though the deisgn shown on the first page in this thread.
This would not allow internal room for my 75gal sump.

So I modified the design to put the supports on the outside. I will then have a small lip around my tank, probably trim or tile this area.

See my build thread for the details.

I plan on running some stress software on the stand, to see where the hot points are.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1240993

jcpatella · 12/13/2007, 03:10 PM

I love the frame design - open access to the front and sturdy as well. I do have one question though. After skinning this frame (with either 1/2 or 3/4 plywood) and building it for a 75g aquarium (48"x18"), how much will just the stand weigh?

kharrell · 01/28/2008, 06:16 PM

Great thread,

I am planning on 40 gallon breeder (36" x 18" x 16" 458 lbs ) in wall with the viewing window of the tank flush with the wall.

I would like the stand to be about 50" tall so that the the tank is at eye level.

What modifications would need to be done to the stand design?
(ie the front of the tank is in the wall and the legs are not)

kgross · 01/28/2008, 06:33 PM

Have you looked at these calculators?

http://www.idahoreefs.org/calculators.shtm

Kim

kharrell · 01/28/2008, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by kharrell
Great thread,

I am planning on 40 gallon breeder (36" x 18" x 16" 458 lbs ) in wall with the viewing window of the tank flush with the wall.

I would like the stand to be about 50" tall so that the the tank is at eye level.

What modifications would need to be done to the stand design?
(ie the front of the tank is in the wall and the legs are not)

PS: The wall is 5" thick

RocketEngineer · 01/29/2008, 07:37 AM

I think the best way would be to take the sheetrock off the tank room side of the wall, header off the opening, cut the studs in the bottom half short, and build the stand over top of the bottom studs. You can then incoporate the wall side of the stand into the wall itself and have the rest of the stand in the fish room. Put simply, you are making a window and using the window framing for one side of the stand.

mcliffy2 · 01/29/2008, 10:07 AM

Just completed my stands using this design (two 18x60 stands for my 60x36 tank). Thanks much for posting this. One tip I found was that using some wood putty where the legs meet the bottom square and the top square greatly increased the rigidity of the stand. I still need to do some leveling but overall I'm pretty happy with how it came out.

Heres a pic:

kharrell · 01/29/2008, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by RocketEngineer
I think the best way would be to take the sheetrock off the tank room side of the wall, header off the opening, cut the studs in the bottom half short, and build the stand over top of the bottom studs. You can then incoporate the wall side of the stand into the wall itself and have the rest of the stand in the fish room. Put simply, you are making a window and using the window framing for one side of the stand.

Thanks! That makes sense.

badazztealcobra · 01/29/2008, 09:21 PM

Well, a bunch of 2x6's, some 2x4's, a bottle of titebond III, and a box of deckmate screws later....

Then some cross supports, some plywood, Kilz premium, and a few coats of exterior paint later....

Another sheet of plywood, and some 1x3's for a rim where the sump will reside to catch any leaks later...

Finally have the tank up on the stand and sand and rock in it too...

Thanks for the thread and the help with my questions Rocket... Can't wait to get water in this thing in the next week...

Siffy · 01/29/2008, 11:44 PM

I guess I should feel compelled to post some pics of mine as well. Just finished painting the inside of it last night (white Behr waterproof deck sealer/paint). I may put another coat of that on before I set it up.

Mine was framed using 2 1x4s per corner with a 2x2 screw strip.

Both "boxes" are made from 1x4s as well. With a center member to prevent bowing.

I take credit for the framing, but cannot for the skin and trim. A friend did all of that for cost of materials. It's good to know someone who enjoys finishing.

The doors were ordered from http://www.cabinetdoorsandhardware.com

I'm still uncertain if I'm sticking with a 40b or a 65g for it. But it will likely be initially setup with a 40g breeder. I'll build another frame only style stand for the 40g (for a frag tank or possibly clams) if I upgrade to a 65g.

Siffy · 01/29/2008, 11:47 PM

Forgot to mention. The doors are 15x25". And the whole stand cost about $200. $20 to frame up. Really cheap design, imo. The total cost includes everything from lumber down to screws, stand, poly, tack clothes, paint, etc. The little things add up.

patel · 01/31/2008, 07:27 PM

Here's a couple of pictures of a stand I made using these instructions. The tank is 2' x 2' x 6'. I put some plywood on the back and the side against the wall. The bottom was screwed in which I then ended up removing so I could add some shims under the base.

So the tip here is, don't screw in the bottom until you shim it in place. I'd have to say this thread is great, thanks to everybody who contributed

Haxer · 02/01/2008, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by slandis3
The tank will have nothing under the stand. Its actually going in a wall so having no space under the stand is not a problem. the sump will sit against another wall. I guessing the full tank ( water rock corals etc.) will weigh somewhere around 3000lbs + so thats why i was thinking 2x6.

Rocket,
My new 240 from glass cages will weigh this much as well,
Will one of your stands made out of 2X8's support it without a center brace. Tank is 72x30x25 and i want to make the stand 40" tall. Any thoughts or measurments ? I saw where laud (sp?) above in another post made one for a 210, so my 240 isnt far from that ? I have no problem using big size material, just want to know what to use and what sizes to make it ROCk SOLID.
thanks...

patel · 02/01/2008, 02:58 PM

For what it's worth... I used 2x8s for a 72x24x24 180gal. The height of the stand is 34" The stand is solid. I stood on one of the horizontal pieces and there was no deflection. I happened to see an AGA stand in the store recently and this design seems a lot stronger.

badazztealcobra · 02/01/2008, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by patel
For what it's worth... I used 2x8s for a 72x24x24 180gal. The height of the stand is 34" The stand is solid. I stood on one of the horizontal pieces and there was no deflection. I happened to see an AGA stand in the store recently and this design seems a lot stronger.

Huge difference between you standing on it and a fully filled tank....

What size lumber did you use for the legs Patel ??? How far is the span between the legs of your tank ???

Haxer, I would go for 2x8's for the build.... I'm using 2x6's on a 180 which will be fine, but with the additional depth on yours I would up it to 2x8's personally. My tank is also sitting at 39", It's so nice to have all the room under it and to not have to bend over to look into the tank....

jck9 · 02/01/2008, 03:29 PM

i posted a thread earlier but didnt get very many responses so i thought id give this a try. i want to build a stand for my 890 gal aga tank and be able to fit a 55 gal aga tank inside the stand for my sump. with the sump also being removeable by taking off one side panel. the problem im having is that once i build the frame to accomidate the 55 sump the 90 gal display will fit insde the frame. i cant seem to figure out how i could do this. any help would be appreciated. thanks
john

jck9 · 02/01/2008, 03:37 PM

i just looked back through the trhead and saw what saltwaterfishlover did with his stand. that is basically what i want to build except for a 90 gal. do the joist hangers carry all the weight? i dont see any vertical supports under the inside frame that the tank actually sits on. if the joist hangers will work ill just build the stand just like his. thanks
john

Haxer · 02/01/2008, 06:38 PM

badazztealcobra,
Did you use a center brace? I will use one if that is what it takes, but i would LOVE to not have to have one...makes things so much eaiser..

After looking at my factory oceanic 72 gal bowfront stand, it looks like its made of toothpicks compared to these stands ...

Also is that high a stand likely to tip over - shake - like when the washingmachine is on spincycle etc ...

badazztealcobra · 02/01/2008, 06:47 PM

No center brace on there currently, but when I go over it with 1/2" oak it will "technically" have one.... I have the tank, 180 pounds of sand and 150 pounds of rock in it now, should be adding water soon. I liked having it open because I put a 75g tank under it for a sump.

jck9 · 02/01/2008, 08:01 PM

i just looked back through the trhead and saw what saltwaterfishlover did with his stand. that is basically what i want to build except for a 90 gal. do the joist hangers carry all the weight? i dont see any vertical supports under the inside frame that the tank actually sits on. if the joist hangers will work ill just build the stand just like his. thanks
john

tinnghe · 02/01/2008, 08:52 PM

hey

i am looking to build a stand for my 140g would u like to run some number and see that the DIY stand can handle it or not? what should i use? tank dimension is 48*24*28

11/14/2007, 06:43 AM	#154
saltwaterfishlover Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Deerfield Beach, Florida Posts: 1,983	stand is 62" long 36" front to back and 33" tall 2x6 upper frame and 2x4 for the rest andy __________________ {andy} saltwater since 1982..its such a love hate relationship

12/13/2007, 03:10 PM	#156
jcpatella Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: New Orleans, LA Posts: 814	I love the frame design - open access to the front and sturdy as well. I do have one question though. After skinning this frame (with either 1/2 or 3/4 plywood) and building it for a 75g aquarium (48"x18"), how much will just the stand weigh? __________________ Dogs - Man's best friend; entropy's greatest catalyst. Current Tank Info: Biocube 8 on the way!

01/28/2008, 06:33 PM	#158
kgross Premium Member Join Date: Nov 1999 Location: Nampa, ID Posts: 5,870	Have you looked at these calculators? http://www.idahoreefs.org/calculators.shtm Kim __________________ Proud Member of the Idaho Marine Aquarium Society America will only be the Land of the Free as long as it is the Home of the Brave. Current Tank Info: AGA 180gallon tank, VHO/MH lighting, DSB, calcium reactor, Also a 7 Gallon Nano softy tank, and a 32 gallon cube

01/29/2008, 07:37 AM	#160
RocketEngineer Space is big. Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Maryland Eastern Shore Posts: 3,226	I think the best way would be to take the sheetrock off the tank room side of the wall, header off the opening, cut the studs in the bottom half short, and build the stand over top of the bottom studs. You can then incoporate the wall side of the stand into the wall itself and have the rest of the stand in the fish room. Put simply, you are making a window and using the window framing for one side of the stand. __________________ -RocketEngineer "Knowledge is what you get when you read the directions, experience is what you get when you don't." - Unknown Current Tank Info: None Currently

01/29/2008, 10:07 AM	#161
mcliffy2 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Downtown Chicago Posts: 4,093	Just completed my stands using this design (two 18x60 stands for my 60x36 tank). Thanks much for posting this. One tip I found was that using some wood putty where the legs meet the bottom square and the top square greatly increased the rigidity of the stand. I still need to do some leveling but overall I'm pretty happy with how it came out. Heres a pic: __________________ 238g 60x36x26, 100g sump/fuge, 30g frag, 23g skimmer sump, 4 Vortechs, ATB L, Sfiligoi 12x54w T5 Bulb Combo: Super actinic, 6 Blue Plus/AS 22k, Fiji Purple, 2 Aquablue special, 2 Aquascience Duo

10/16/2007, 03:38 PM	#152
fishnugget Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Parkland, Florida Posts: 1,164	Thank you, I thought I was going crazy

12/09/2007, 08:45 AM	#155
homebrewdude Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Dyer Posts: 995	I worked though the deisgn shown on the first page in this thread. This would not allow internal room for my 75gal sump. So I modified the design to put the supports on the outside. I will then have a small lip around my tank, probably trim or tile this area. See my build thread for the details. I plan on running some stress software on the stand, to see where the hot points are. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1240993

01/28/2008, 06:16 PM	#157
kharrell Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Woodland Park CO Posts: 15	Great thread, I am planning on 40 gallon breeder (36" x 18" x 16" 458 lbs ) in wall with the viewing window of the tank flush with the wall. I would like the stand to be about 50" tall so that the the tank is at eye level. What modifications would need to be done to the stand design? (ie the front of the tank is in the wall and the legs are not)

01/29/2008, 09:21 PM	#163
badazztealcobra Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Streamwood, IL Posts: 7,394	Well, a bunch of 2x6's, some 2x4's, a bottle of titebond III, and a box of deckmate screws later.... Then some cross supports, some plywood, Kilz premium, and a few coats of exterior paint later.... Another sheet of plywood, and some 1x3's for a rim where the sump will reside to catch any leaks later... Finally have the tank up on the stand and sand and rock in it too... Thanks for the thread and the help with my questions Rocket... Can't wait to get water in this thing in the next week... Last edited by Misled; 03/27/2018 at 06:47 PM.

01/29/2008, 11:44 PM	#164
Siffy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: AL Posts: 1,047	I guess I should feel compelled to post some pics of mine as well. Just finished painting the inside of it last night (white Behr waterproof deck sealer/paint). I may put another coat of that on before I set it up. Mine was framed using 2 1x4s per corner with a 2x2 screw strip. Both "boxes" are made from 1x4s as well. With a center member to prevent bowing. I take credit for the framing, but cannot for the skin and trim. A friend did all of that for cost of materials. It's good to know someone who enjoys finishing. The doors were ordered from http://www.cabinetdoorsandhardware.com I'm still uncertain if I'm sticking with a 40b or a 65g for it. But it will likely be initially setup with a 40g breeder. I'll build another frame only style stand for the 40g (for a frag tank or possibly clams) if I upgrade to a 65g. __________________ "When I get sad, I stop being sad and be awesome instead. True Story." Current Tank Info: 29g Mixed Reef with Metal Halide Last edited by Misled; 04/11/2018 at 05:15 PM.

01/29/2008, 11:47 PM	#165
Siffy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: AL Posts: 1,047	Forgot to mention. The doors are 15x25". And the whole stand cost about $200. $20 to frame up. Really cheap design, imo. The total cost includes everything from lumber down to screws, stand, poly, tack clothes, paint, etc. The little things add up. __________________ "When I get sad, I stop being sad and be awesome instead. True Story." Current Tank Info: 29g Mixed Reef with Metal Halide

01/31/2008, 07:27 PM	#166
patel Awaiting Email Confirmation Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 19	Here's a couple of pictures of a stand I made using these instructions. The tank is 2' x 2' x 6'. I put some plywood on the back and the side against the wall. The bottom was screwed in which I then ended up removing so I could add some shims under the base. So the tip here is, don't screw in the bottom until you shim it in place. I'd have to say this thread is great, thanks to everybody who contributed

02/01/2008, 02:58 PM	#168
patel Awaiting Email Confirmation Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 19	For what it's worth... I used 2x8s for a 72x24x24 180gal. The height of the stand is 34" The stand is solid. I stood on one of the horizontal pieces and there was no deflection. I happened to see an AGA stand in the store recently and this design seems a lot stronger.

02/01/2008, 03:29 PM	#170
jck9 Moved On Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: pataskala, oh Posts: 589	i posted a thread earlier but didnt get very many responses so i thought id give this a try. i want to build a stand for my 890 gal aga tank and be able to fit a 55 gal aga tank inside the stand for my sump. with the sump also being removeable by taking off one side panel. the problem im having is that once i build the frame to accomidate the 55 sump the 90 gal display will fit insde the frame. i cant seem to figure out how i could do this. any help would be appreciated. thanks john

02/01/2008, 03:37 PM	#171
jck9 Moved On Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: pataskala, oh Posts: 589	i just looked back through the trhead and saw what saltwaterfishlover did with his stand. that is basically what i want to build except for a 90 gal. do the joist hangers carry all the weight? i dont see any vertical supports under the inside frame that the tank actually sits on. if the joist hangers will work ill just build the stand just like his. thanks john

02/01/2008, 06:38 PM	#172
Haxer Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Cross Hill, SC Posts: 250	badazztealcobra, Did you use a center brace? I will use one if that is what it takes, but i would LOVE to not have to have one...makes things so much eaiser.. After looking at my factory oceanic 72 gal bowfront stand, it looks like its made of toothpicks compared to these stands ... Also is that high a stand likely to tip over - shake - like when the washingmachine is on spincycle etc ...

02/01/2008, 06:47 PM	#173
badazztealcobra Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Streamwood, IL Posts: 7,394	No center brace on there currently, but when I go over it with 1/2" oak it will "technically" have one.... I have the tank, 180 pounds of sand and 150 pounds of rock in it now, should be adding water soon. I liked having it open because I put a 75g tank under it for a sump.

02/01/2008, 08:01 PM	#174
jck9 Moved On Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: pataskala, oh Posts: 589	i just looked back through the trhead and saw what saltwaterfishlover did with his stand. that is basically what i want to build except for a 90 gal. do the joist hangers carry all the weight? i dont see any vertical supports under the inside frame that the tank actually sits on. if the joist hangers will work ill just build the stand just like his. thanks john

02/01/2008, 08:52 PM	#175
tinnghe Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 800	hey i am looking to build a stand for my 140g would u like to run some number and see that the DIY stand can handle it or not? what should i use? tank dimension is 482428