Beefing up stand for 180 gallon

[Jmcg89]

Hey there I recently bought a used 180 glass gallon tank and stand and I am debating on if the stand needs any modifications to be safe.
It apears to be the factory stand and the tank was obviously ok up to this point.
Has any one witnessed these stands failing? Or do you guys think the stand is ok the way it is. I cant see any rot or bad spots in the wood.

 

[Wasabiroot]

If it's solid wood you should be fine, but I'd be cautious if it's veneered particle board, which could have hidden water damage and be less likely to safely hold the tank since it's used. If you're not sure, you can build a relatively cheap stand with 2×4 or 2×6's. Otherwise, you could potentially reinforce the load bearing sections with wood, but you'd need to ensure that any fasteners like screws weren't load bearing as they will shear before the wood does.

 

[Jmcg89]

Ok yea i was thinking about building another frame inside essentially just be safe. It appears to be 2x1 on the corners and then thick plywood also.

 

[Wasabiroot]

You're probably fine (hard to say for sure, so take it with a grain of salt). That said, ensuring the tank is level in all directions is the best choice you can make for stability.

 

[Jmcg89]

Yea that makes sense, thanks for the reply

 

[csnmusic02]

If you have the abilities and knowledge I would just build it new so you know it’s strong

 

[Jmcg89]

That was my original gut feeling haha I have to plumb everything the way i want it so its just one thing i was hoping to avoid, the stand that is.

 

[csnmusic02]

Yea I’m one of they types I will reseal a tank rebuild a new stand and do plumbing and sump so it’s almost like a new tank haha

 

[Wasabiroot]

I built my 240g stand using 2x6 and 2x8 sections. The breaking point of large timber is absurd in the longitudinal direction, and if supported in the middle can hold a ton of weight. My stand is extremely overbuilt but with 3/4 plywood, 2x8 etc it could probably hold 10000 pounds. I used an excellent calculator by RocketEngineer on another forum. It's a fantastic thread if you're looking to diy and save money. Note that you will save yourself a ton of hassle down the line if you take your time selecting extremely straight lumber. But it's doable with modest skills. I do recommend a decent hand drill though so you can use star drive deck screws etc, or use a Kreg.

 

[Staghorn]

Regarding a comment earlier which mentioned hardwearing shear strength. I would definitely design the stand so you aren’t depending on the hardware to support the weight of the tank. Have your horizontal pieces that support the tank rest on top if your vertical pieces and use whatever hardware necessary to connect them( I would use stainless or at a minimum an outdoor screw). And try to avoid any gaps or spaces. You want the aquarium weight to be directly supported by wood all the way to the floor.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

I recommend building it how you want i built mine and I would build every one I have from now on. Build it tall so you can fit equipment i love the tall stand! Room for activities

Once it's up and running, its much harder to make changes...

 

[TheWalkingCoral]

In newly built houses, most of your floor joists are held on by hangers (hardware). Now my 1,000+ LB fish tank? Probably just build a new stand and call it good. Overkill is better in most cases just to give you piece of mind even if it doesn't add anything in the end. Plus it'll give you more places to hide and mount things.

The only thing that worries me with that stand is what will time + a little water every now and then do. \

Source: Framing Carpenter.