DIY Stand Ideas and Help!!!

[dragonfisher33]

Looking through a lot of stand plans and stand builds. Most of those resemble the following picture.

However, i have some other ideas floating in my head and need some help/recommendations:

1) I want an oversize stand for my tank. meaning that the tank will actually sit in the MIDDLE of the stand as opposed to sitting on the four sides of the stand. My ideas is to have 150 gal tank with ~150 gal sump (no, i can't have sump room hence the need for the big stand). the oversize stand should fit the sump, which means the display tank will have to sit in the middle. how do i reinforce the structure of the stand such that it doesn't give away to the weight of the display tank, especially in the mid-section of the stand?

2) an oversize stand also gives me the ability to add drawers, yes drawers, to the stand (just like the stand from Mr.Saltwater tank). most drawers are either stainless stain/aluminum/or some combo of the two. how can i make sure that the humidity of the sump doesn't cause any negative effects on the rails? is there such thing as plastic rails?

 

[Windy]

The fancy notched joints give no advantage. Otherwise looks good.

 

[dragonfisher33]

The fancy notched joints give no advantage. Otherwise looks good.

no, that's just a tank plan from Google image search. i may or may not do the notched joints. i just want to know how i can reinforce the stand in the middle so that it can support the weight of the tank sitting in the middle

 

[Windy]

Use 3/4 plywood on the top along with a 2 x 8 header over the front. Lose the two side blocks and sheet the stand back and sides with 1/2 ply. You may want to add a center block on the bottom to help support the plywood under the sump.

 

[redfishbluefish]

There are a number of ways this could be done, but here's the way I'd do it. First I'd use this plan, with the top boards (red and yellow) minimally 2x6's, and all others 2x4's.




Make this stand to the dimensions you wish....for the sake of argument, 7 feet long by 32 inches deep. Now what I'd do is add one more board on the top (a red board), right down the middle, and use joist hangers on each end (Note, you need to use joist hanger nails, not just any nail or screw). I'd add some blocking (blue boards) say every 16 - 24 inches along the top, and top the stand with 3/4 plywood. Finally, skin the stand in what floats your boat. Note, no center brace is needed, although you might wish to add some, especially along the back, to help attach the skin.

That stand would be able to support an elephant.

 

[Windy]

Redfishbluefish,

I think your advice is good with the exception of the third 2 x 6. It is way to much for a span of 3' and the plywood only spans 15 inches without it. Also, where does that stand diagram come from. I have seen it before and never understood why the green verticals are there as they add nothing to the structure. And you don't need two purple posts on each corner. You can build any way you want, but that diagram is way overkill.

 

[Windy]

I have often wondered why nobody builds stands from plywood. Two-three sheets and you have a box that can handle most tanks, and no framing materials.

 

[jsker]

3/4 outsides with solid mahogany and center supports with 2 x 3/4 ply bonded together. the ply and mahogany go straight to the floor.

 

[jsker]

Forgot the layout drawing

 

[redfishbluefish]

I think your advice is good with the exception of the third 2 x 6. It is way to much for a span of 3' and the plywood only spans 15 inches without it. Also, where does that stand diagram come from. I have seen it before and never understood why the green verticals are there as they add nothing to the structure. And you don't need two purple posts on each corner. You can build any way you want, but that diagram is way overkill.

Well, I made some assumptions, and one that caused me to add the middle board is that I assumed the tank was a six foot tank....and the OP wanted it larger than the tank to fit another 150 below as a sump. That is why my example of the stand is seven feet long.

That stand diagram is fairly old and came from another well know site were the OP stated that any tanks of 4 foot length or shorter, use all 2x4's. Any tanks longer than 4 foot, top boards need to be 2x6's. It is, without question, overkill. I built my stand this way....for a five foot tank....and I think the stand weighed more than the tank (1/2 glass). Anyway, I think the green boards are there to help in the installation of the purples. You are correct in that the only thing they do is make the purple installation easier. If you are good at toe-nailing or have a Kreg, certainly eliminate the greens.

I also agree with you that stands can be made of 3/4 plywood only. I recently helped a friend with a 180, with a commercial stand. I was surprised at how little wood it had. If you look at all commericial stands, they are plywood or some type of MDF/MDO/OSB/etc.

 

[mfinn]

I made my 240 gallon tank stand out of 3/4" plywood and 2x4's.
I first made a box with the plywood and then added the 2x4's.

For me it was easier to make a absolutely square box first, then add a little support using 2x4's.
Everything was put together using a lot of wood glue and plenty of screws.

Nothing fancy.

 

[snooked321]

Is the plywood on the top necessary? My 90 gallon has a frame and the glass never touches
the bottom, only the plastic frame/trim. Isn't the trim supporting the tank if the bottom glass
doesn't touch? I'm asking because I just finished my stand and have all the trim supported by the stand
around the tank perimeter with the center brace directly in contact with the center tank trim also.

 

[redfishbluefish]

The issue with dimensional lumber is that it's not necessarily truly flat. The plywood top "levels" out the dimensional lumber. If you've got nice straight sticks, then leave it off.

 

[dragonfisher33]

There are a number of ways this could be done, but here's the way I'd do it. First I'd use this plan, with the top boards (red and yellow) minimally 2x6's, and all others 2x4's.




Make this stand to the dimensions you wish....for the sake of argument, 7 feet long by 32 inches deep. Now what I'd do is add one more board on the top (a red board), right down the middle, and use joist hangers on each end (Note, you need to use joist hanger nails, not just any nail or screw). I'd add some blocking (blue boards) say every 16 - 24 inches along the top, and top the stand with 3/4 plywood. Finally, skin the stand in what floats your boat. Note, no center brace is needed, although you might wish to add some, especially along the back, to help attach the skin.

That stand would be able to support an elephant.

@redfishbluefish, if i add a red block right down in the middle on the top of the stand, what happens to the blue block? i thought that the blue blocks are needed to even out the weight from the center.

 

[redfishbluefish]

You will still want to add that blocking, but obviously much shorter. You also ideally what that blocking in line with the second block going across. This adds tremendous strength to the frame by transfer load to adjoining beams. Here's a crappy picture I drew to help show what I mean.