5 Gallon on this shelf, Hold?

[CheeHoo]

I wanted to put a 5 gallon tank here. Do you think this will hold or this is too risky?

 

[chrizo]

I wouldnt do it

 

[JumboShrimp]

NOoooooooooo! Not if we are talking about "my" comfort level.

 

[CheeHoo]

what if i add a few legs on the bottom for support lol
Those right angle supports

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I have a shelf that looks like that (just bigger, but looks to be made of the same material). Two things I would be concerned about. Weight and water damage. Those shelves, mixed with water, do not do well at all. Not to mention, I've had my shelves bow in the past due to weight.

 

[Subsea]

I wanted to put a 5 gallon tank here. Do you think this will hold or this is too risky?

Yes, it could be done. Not recommended for the long haul.

I have a shelf that looks like that (just bigger, but looks to be made of the same material). Two things I would be concerned about. Weight and water damage. Those shelves, mixed with water, do not do well at all. Not to mention, I've had my shelves bow in the past due to weight.

Exactly!

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Further to all other comments, what would you do with all the wires? The ATO? Or you would fill up manually in that small spot? How to scrape the glass? You'd have no place to work or maneuver around this tank, for me it would be too frustrating.

 

[Surfrunner]

A fully set up 5-gallon reef tank typically weighs around 55-75lbs. This total includes the empty glass tank (about 7 lbs), saltwater (about 42 lbs), live sand or substrate (5–10 lbs), and live rock (5–10 lbs).

So, if you really want it there, test it. If you've got a weight set at home, put a few 25's and a 20 on there and see what happens. If you don't, I dunno, find a compact but overweight dog or cat, put them on the shelf, see if it collapses. Costco bags of flour? Cinder blocks? Whatever, get to that weight, see if it holds.

Without looking at the shelf in person, I'd say that it's probably MDF with basic shelf pins. Those shelf pins hold about 20 to 20lbs per pin, so in theory you'd be looking a shelf that could hold 80-100lbs. But, it's also dependent on the material that the pin is seated in, and the material that the pin is resting on.

Then there is the water damage that will absolutely happen. We all spill at some point.

If that were a solid oak, or other hardwood cabinet with a hardwood shelf, I'd say you're fine.

But. As others have pointed out, it'd be incredibly frustrating to clean, hide equipment, and just live with. So I probably wouldn't.

 

[JumboShrimp]

I can tell you'd really love a tank there-- who wouldn't? But as someone said, it looks like MDF and pins. I wouldn't put even a 2-gallon tank filled with water there. It's maybe good for a Chia-Pet.

 

[Surfrunner]

what if i add a few legs on the bottom for support lol
Those right angle supports

At the end of the day, it's your tank, your setup. I'm not a structural engineer, just an aerospace engineer. So I can tell you all day long about metal fatigue, propulsion, and other fun stuff that goes fast.

That said, I build custom furniture, so furniture is kinda in my realm.

I'm not worried about the immediate load. I'm worried about the load over time. Could it work? Sure. Could it fail in a month? It could. Could it fail in a year after water has been spilled a few times? Yeah.

Bottom line, we'll never know until you try. ;)