So I'm going to be building my first stand for a 14 gallon rimless cube tank by aqueon. I do plan on drilling the tank and putting a sump on it, so I need to leave room underneath for that. One saving grace I have is that the stand is going to be L shaped so I have a cabinet and a table built into it, so that means I can use a 10-20L for the sump since the length will be fine. The main problem is the width. I was planning on using 2X4s for the height of the stand, and make a square out of 2x4s on the top and bottom like how king of DIY makes his stands. I dont think that will leave much room for the sump with that, so could I use a thinner piece for the height since I'll still be using more 2x4s for supporting the weight? Or do you guys have another idea for it that would work? I want it to be relatively a seamless transition from the tank glass to the stand so it looks sleek. Attached is a rough drawing of my idea.
14 gallon cube custom stand
- Thread starter Cerberusfish
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For such a small tank, 2x4's are overkill. I have built several stands using 3/4" birch plywood with glued/screwed joints. You can always add corner blocks if you are concerned. That will give you the needed room on the interior for a sump.
The birch plywood can be stained/painted and there are many moulding options to dress it up.
The birch plywood can be stained/painted and there are many moulding options to dress it up.
Cerberusfish
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I appreciate the input. Last woodworking project I did was probably 12-13 years ago back when I was in boy scouts haha. This tank is going to be a bit of a crazy build for me and I want it all to go really well. I can handle plumbing, equipment etc but this stand is giving me a lot of trouble for some reason.
JoshH
Tank Status: Wet...ish, growing things....
What kind of tools do you have available to you? I agree that a plywood build is probably your best bet for space, heck even 3/4" plywood is overkill you could probably get away with half inch.
Cerberusfish
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I've got a table saw, drill, I can buy nails, a dremel that I'm sure I can figure out how to use for this if I need it, etc. Any power tools I definitely have covered. Anything else if I dont have it in the garage I can probably borrow it from a friend for a day or buy it.
JoshH
Tank Status: Wet...ish, growing things....
Well in that case I Definitely suggest the plywood route and a Kreg pocket jig. It will give you the most amount of room to work with under the stand.
Luckyduck
Well-Known Member
I agree, if you really want use 1x1s for the corners but 2x4s is over kill and will just waste space. Nice to build custom though cuz you can build to your own specs. Good luck and keep us posted with pics!
Cerberusfish
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Slightly unrelated to the topic, what size bulkheads should I use? I was thinking since it's so small I'd just use 3/4 inch ones I think I already have at home. I dont need a ton of flow for what I'm doing in it and was actually considering trying to build my own overflow boxes to save some money. (I think they are absurdly overpriced)
msjboy
Community Member
2x4 is readily available (make sure to buy straight ones) , easy to cut and cheap but overkill for a small tank like that whereas plywood, well, there is a lot more cutting to do. Some guys even use 3/4plywood for 200gallon tanks. All those new Waterbox aquariums use plywood and are way larger so that may be the way to go if you have the tools.
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