Judge my DIY 120 gallon stand!

AmatuerAuer

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I'm looking for critical feedback regarding my 120 gallon reef ready stand.

Specs:
- Top frame is made of 2x6 with one 2x4 center brace.
- Bottom frame is made of 2x4 with three center braces to support the sump
- Legs are made of 2x6 in the from and back with 2x4 support the width. Both are screwed into 2x4 which are anchored to the top and bottom
- 3/4" oak marine board makes up the top, sides and back of the stand
- There were small gaps between the legs and the stand so I sed wooden shims to fill
- There are a few metal brackets holding the legs to the top frame and the front legs to the base. I know they could/will rust but shouldn't effect the water chemistry. If they start to disintegrate I would remove.
- It is not in this picture but I will be adding a 2x4 rear center brace between the top frame and bottom.
- I like the light color of the wood so I do not plan to treat it.

ImageUploadedByREEF2REEF1427474511.442950.jpg
ImageUploadedByREEF2REEF1427474527.162829.jpg
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Questions:
1) does this look sufficient for a 120gallon tank?
2) Do I need a center brace in the front of the tank connecting the top frame to the bottom? It would block access to the sump..
3) Anything else I missed?
 

iReef86

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couple of tips for you. 1. finish the stand 100% of the way you want it before you add water. 2. The braces on the inside are pointless if they don't reach the ground or plywood. You are more than safe other than that. Never go more than 4 ft without support, You are at less than 4ft without support in the middle.
 
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AmatuerAuer

AmatuerAuer

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Thank you both.

The center braces on the bottom will support the sump, not structural support for the 120.

The center braces running 'North south' would connect the top frame to the bottom frame to stop the sides from bending down/inward.
 

redfishbluefish

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This stand design is waaaaay over-built. With a four foot tank, all 2x4's could have been used (without center support) and you would have been just fine. I would remove the metal brackets you've installed...not sure what they are doing. However, with saltwater and time, they'll just rust.

Skinning this stand is important to keep it from racking....and the 3/4 ply does this with overkill....so you're fine.


Again, no center brace is required...ever if it were 2x4's.
 
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AmatuerAuer

AmatuerAuer

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Over built doesn't bother me its under built that scares me.

What do you mean racking? Don't know that term. The oak skin is connected with 6 screws for the sides and 8 for the top.

The metal is just mean to keep the legs flush and stop any wobble if it occurs.

So no middle brace on either the front or back eh?

Thanks Redfish
 
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AmatuerAuer

AmatuerAuer

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That is the plan Helena. Just wanted to ensure the tank was flush with the stand first.

I'm not using styrofoam pad either.

My understanding is that is acrylic tanks only. Glass is unnecessary.
 

redfishbluefish

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Racking is when the vertical boards are no longer perpendicular to the horizontal boards (no longer 90 degrees)....and the failure is when the frame rocks enough to fall apart. The plywood "stiffens" or braces the framed structure and keeps it from racking. If you didn't skin the stand, you'd have to add cross bracing to stop racking.




Again with the metal brackets, I'm still not sure why they are there. Each "outer" leg should be screwed to the "inner" leg. In this picture, the purples screwed to the lime greens. And the lime greens need to be screwed to the top and bottom boards, red and brown, respectively. If you had a pocket jig, you could have also screwed to the upper and lower supports, but not necessary







The original design posts on dimensional stands had any tank at 4 foot and under using 2x4's. Tanks over four foot, the top boards needed to be 2x6's, with all other boards 2x4's. In either case, no center brace. I've built a couple of these stands for five and six foot tanks and used 2x6 top boards with no center brace.....and no problems. It makes getting into the sump easy....and easy to get the sump in and out. So, NO MIDDLE BRACE, FRONT OR BACK.
 
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AmatuerAuer

AmatuerAuer

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Thanks very much Redfish, your explanations are outstanding. That is the diagram I used obviously.

Let's be honest, the metal braces make me feel better....that's about it... I will likely remove when/if they rust.

I'll be drilling the hole for the plumbing tonight. Small enough to fit the pipes only.

Going to use flexible tubing for the system as well.
 

Rob Top1

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Agree with the over kill. I'm guilty of that too. The stand I built for my 240 could likely hold the weight of three 240s. It amazes me to look at mass produced stands for large tanks. Aqueon for their 210, Marinelands 300dd stand. Wood properly placed supported and secured is crazy strong.
One thing I did was fill every seam with paintable latex caulk, sealed and painted. My fear was over the years water spills would get into the cracks and cause mold issues.
Wood is cheap relative to everything else we put on top of it. Over kill is better than a spill
 

myrjon

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Over built. Over build. make it strong .Do you want to clean up a mess. Not me .
 
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AmatuerAuer

AmatuerAuer

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I have a **** 1/8" gap that developed in the front left corner.. What can I do and/or is it a serious problem?

I have wood shims but they are not perfect fits and may in fact be slightly raising that corner. The front right & back left corners are flush. The back right (opposite the front left with the gap) has a small gap of only maybe 1/32 if not less.


ImageUploadedByREEF2REEF1427644626.914571.jpg

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AriMiko43

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I would definitely put a shim there, I used the hard plastice shims on mine. Ideally you want the whole bottom resting on the wood so there is no flex once its filled with water. Do the best you can to fill it without raising the corner to much and messing up the other 3 corners. Hope this helps you.
 

Pete polyp

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If the shim is too thick just sand it down to the desired thickness
 
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AmatuerAuer

AmatuerAuer

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The shim would support the corner but not the rest of the rim ya know? It is not a perfect uniform fit
 

redfishbluefish

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That to me is a problem.....but fixable. Some might say to include some type of compressed board/foam on the top....I don't like this fix. It's not uncommon for dimensional lumber to have a crown (a slight arch). Here's what I'd do. Remove the plywood and using a metal straight edge, determine the high spots, and plane them down. Take you're time, rechecking left to right, front to back, and you should be able to remove the crown.


The other option is to use shims (wood wedges) between the ply and dimensional to flatten the top.
 
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AmatuerAuer

AmatuerAuer

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Update: I put a shim under the 3/4" oak and it's now level on the corners but a slight gap in the middle
ImageUploadedByREEF2REEF1427648732.103148.jpg


All other lines are flush
 
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AmatuerAuer

AmatuerAuer

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I shimmed the center and now I think all is well. Still have a gap in the corner but it is only wide enough for a business card. That's alright right???
 
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