150 gallon tank build
 

ok im starting to fix up a tank i just got its a 150g im upgrading from a 55g. do u think this stand will hold the 150g tank?http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/pi...pictureid=4751 http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/pi...pictureid=4753

I'll let others chime in but I would at least wedge more 2x4s vertically between the hortiz 2x4s - mated to the existing vertical 2x4s.

I err on the side of caution though. :D GL

yeah i was thinking the same thing. sould i put a top on it and put the tank on a piece of foam?

The wood looks real thin to hold 1000lbs imo

well its made of 2x4s isnt that what every one uses?

+1 I would recommend the same. It might be ok how it is, but by adding the extra 2 X 4's it puts the weight in those vertical 2 x's that are them transferring the weight to the horizontals. Right now you are relying in the nails or screws to hold the tank up.

Hope this makes sense, and helps

And for the record the sheer strenght of a single 2X4 horizontally is some insane pondeage, something like 800 and something pounds or something like that. I'm sure someone has a real number for you.

So no, the 2x's are not to thin.

HTH

It looks pretty good. I have seen quite smaller stands with bigger tanks on them.

How about equipment? What do you plan to use on the new 150?

I recently upgraded from a 55 myself to 180. I am curious to see what equipment you are going to reuse and what you are going to upgrade.

I'm going to use my msx 300 for skimmer. And use a 20 gallon tank for a refugium.
And use a 28 gallon for a sump.

To night I will add some more 2x4s and post some pics.I resealed part of the tank last night.

sweet set up but make sure you brace the corners to prevent racking.....this is the side to side movement.......also i have always been told not to have a solid top cause it cause pressure under the tank which can cause it to crack good luck and i hope i didnt scare you

I would use foam.

I have had a number of tanks, and they have all sat on a solid top.




This ties in with my other reply, if the tank is glass and has trim on the bottom, then this is a very bad idea. If it is acrylic or glass without trim, then foam is an option. If the top on the stand is straight, flat, smooth, and level you don't HAVE to put anything on the stand. I have my acrylic tank right on the stand with nothing in it.

Its hard to tell by the pic what exactly the tank is. Is it glass or acrylic, and does it have trim on it.

A 2x4 in compression can hold an amazing amount if properly diagonally braced. One 2x4 has enough compression strength to hold your tank and more, even unsupported if it's short, like less than 2 feet. I'm not suggesting you support you're tank on one 2x4, you just need diagonal support so the stand won't fold and you're good. Plywood sheething serves that purpose on a house

Here are some pics of a DIY stand I built for a 220g tank. If you look at the vertical 2x4's on each corner, you can see what has already discussed and will take the pressure off of the screws. I think what I did here would be overkill for a 150g, but it may help you some.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...nkBuild028.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...nkBuild009.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...nkBuild012.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...nkBuild013.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...nkBuild016.jpg

HTH!!

Finished product sans the doors, which I have not gotten to yet....mush to my wife's displeasure......:rollface:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...Build003-1.jpg

I built my stand for a 180 simmilar to makenna's but I didnt include any of the horizontal cross bracing, just two rectangles with the tripple 2x4 corners, one verticle center brace on the front and two on the back. I used 1/2" plywood on the top and 1/2" foam, no problems and its been 3 months. Moving your verticle braces out so compression is on the wood and not the screws is a good idea and you can only use one like makenna to give you lots of room to work in. Also I have removable side panels so if I feel like it I can slide a 5 1/2' by 16" sump into the stand, otherwise you are restricted by the center brace and on a 150 you would be dealing with about 20" as your opening.

Looking good can't wait untill it's up and running. Keep up the good work

ok here are some of the up dates on the stand

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/pi...pictureid=5027

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/pi...pictureid=5028