DIY stand questions

[Peach02]

So I'm looking into building a custom aquerium stand since I can't find a option online or off the shelf but I have a few questions but first background info
Tank is 150x60x60 or 5'2'2'
Not planning on having a canopy
Will have overflow pipe going through base of tank

Now for the questions
1. Is wood strong enough to hold a tank this size long term? I'm worried about salt etc screwing with it and I want this to last several years comfortably
2. How would you recommend protecting wood And what type of wood would you recommend or can you reinforce wood with metal.
3. does this sound doable in the stand
Having room for a trigger systems Triton 44, room for a dosing pump and dosing containers, room for a ato container. Having a apex / controller board seperated from the sump on the side (kind of like a third door opening to it on the side but ideally glass door) room for some pellet food and nets etc two

 

[Paul B]

My tank is 6' long and 2' wide and I used wood. I used redwood for the long pieces because it is rot resistant, strong and it doesn't warp. The legs I used 4 X 4 pressure treated pine and the hardware is all hot dipped galvanized steel. It must be Hot dipped and not just galvanized as that won't last long. The bolts have machine threads go all the way through. Not screw threads.

The tops of the 4 X 4 legs are cut at the top of the stand so the rails can't slip


I didn't have to treat it but I did anyway with "Thompsons Water Seal"
I also don't have the bottom of the legs sitting right on the floor. I raised them up slightly on pieces of vinyl tile.

I would use 2 X 6" for the long rails.

 

[Katrina71]

Marine paint helps too.

 

[Peach02]

@Paul B @Katrina71 thank you both for your help. What do you think of this early draft of the stand. The holes in the supporting wood are cable management and only 5cm diameter not the whole thing

 

[Katrina71]

I am going to do ventilation holes in mine in addition to cord management. The "skin" of the tank should not be considered for load bearing, just aesthetics. Imo.

 

[Paul B]

I can't tell from that drawing. What are the supports built out of?

 

[Katrina71]

@dantimdad what do you think of the rough sketch?

 

[dantimdad]

@dantimdad what do you think of the rough sketch?

A little hard to tell from the sketch but, if that's 25mm plywood, then the holes shouldn't present an issue at all.

 

[lmm1967]

Yes - built and sealed properly wood can hold your tank.

A few notes - please feel free to research these points on your own - I'm only giving you info that I use when I build my stands.

Do not use 4X4 - they are not stable enough. If you are using dimensional lumber - go smaller and laminate with glue / screws. (double up 2X4 is stronger than a single 4X4).

The top frame in Paul B's photo above should be sitting ON TOP of those legs - never attach the top frame to the sides of the legs - all the weight of that entire tank is being transferred to the legs via 8 lag bolts. Not a good way to transfer the weight with a greater chance of failure.

IF you have the tools / ability (it's not hard really) to cut plywood accurately - consider making your stand out of plywood. When cut square and connections done properly (glue / pocket screws) the stand will be lighter and stronger.

I have my 120 gallon on a DIY stand made from 2 sheets of 4'X8'X3/4" plywood - I'm serious when I say the stand would hold up a car.

Your primary consideration is preventing "racking" - that is important with any DIY stand. Make sure it's steady as can be and that you are unable to rock the stand at all in any direction prior to putting the tank on it.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

I build all of my stands from wood. Tanks range from 45 gallons to 220 gallons. Hot dipped screws are a must. I prefer to use white tractor paint to seal the wood as it is an enamel that is super tough and has no issues with salt, as it is intended for direct diesel and gas contact. It is also cheap for a gallon of it lol. I skin my stands with recycled pallet wood since it matches the style of our house and that gets numerous coats of flat poly after it has been cut and test fitted. My oldest stand is 11 years old and still looks as good as when it was built. This includes having a tank crack and leak water all over it.

 

[Paul B]

Do not use 4X4 - they are not stable enough. If you are using dimensional lumber - go smaller and laminate with glue / screws. (double up 2X4 is stronger than a single 4X4).

I purposely didn't want to sandwich 2 X 4"s because of the possibility of water getting in between there which will never dry.

The compression stregnth of one 4 X 4 is 7,497lbs so 4 of them will hold the tank and your house.

2 2X4s are stronger but as I said there is a possibility of water getting there and warping them.
I built the legs of mine all the way up like that and bolted and glued them because I figured that was the strongest "and" what you can't see in my photo is that those 4 X 4 legs have the top third cut off on one side which makes the side rails "sit on top" of them and inside of them like strong furniture is built.

We build buildings all over the place like that and you get the benefit of having a thick, firm place to put the bolts and less chance of wobble.

My last stand was for my 100 gallon tank and it lasted for over 40 years with no problems. I think this new one is even stronger. Just my opinion of course.

 

[Dom]

My tank is 6' long and 2' wide and I used wood. I used redwood for the long pieces because it is rot resistant, strong and it doesn't warp. The legs I used 4 X 4 pressure treated pine and the hardware is all hot dipped galvanized steel. It must be Hot dipped and not just galvanized as that won't last long. The bolts have machine threads go all the way through. Not screw threads.

The tops of the 4 X 4 legs are cut at the top of the stand so the rails can't slip


I didn't have to treat it but I did anyway with "Thompsons Water Seal"
I also don't have the bottom of the legs sitting right on the floor. I raised them up slightly on pieces of vinyl tile.

I would use 2 X 6" for the long rails.

Nick looking stand, Paul! Good choice of materials.

I too only build my stands from wood. Over time, metal is susceptible to rust from the salt and humidity. So if you did go metal, I'd get it powder coated before using it.

I stain a color to penetrate the wood and then a few coats of polyurethane to protect it further. Never a problem.

 

[lmm1967]

I purposely didn't want to sandwich 2 X 4"s because of the possibility of water getting in between there which will never dry.
...... "and" what you can't see in my photo is that those 4 X 4 legs have the top third cut off on one side which makes the side rails "sit on top" of them and inside of them like strong furniture is built.

We build buildings all over the place like that and you get the benefit of having a thick, firm place to put the bolts and less chance of wobble.

Thanks for the clarification - so - what you are accomplishing (but doesn't show well) is essentially the frame IS sitting on top of the 4X4 - which is where the downward strength comes from.

Typically - 4X4's are much more prone to warping / twisting etc. Over time - that can create weakness.

re getting water between laminated pieces of lumber - I've done this several times with plywood strips -with straight pieces of wood - a good layer of glue and then using screws to pull the pieces together nice and solid - I can't see the possibility of any water getting between the pieces.

It's probably becoming obvious that I prefer to do this with plywood - with practice and a fairly inexpensive track saw setup - I've been able to cut plywood much straighter and more consistent than what I can purchase at our local lumber yards.

 

[Paul B]

I was going for a simple, strong construction. The 1/2" carriage bolts in my design are only there to keep the top rails on top of the 4X4s and supply little weight support.

The most expensive part was the red wood. It comes very straight and doesn't warp like pine would. You can also get redwood 4X4s because they are used in deck construction. They don't rot which is why they are used for decks but I didn't think the extra cost verses the slight warpage would matter.

My last stand I built out of "Kindorf" which is a galvanized construction material that we as construction electricians used for virtually everything in the industry. Plumbers use "B Line" which is almost the same thing. It can be used outside or encased in concrete. I used 3" Kindorf and it is very expensive and that stand would have cost me a few grand if I had to buy the stuff.
But look what happened to the legs after 40 years. I had to put anther piece next to it to shore it up. Salt water beats up metal but not wood to bad. Freshwater is worse on wood. When the salt water dries it coats the wood in salt so fungus and mold don't grow and termites won't eat it.

 

[Peach02]

@Paul B i haven't decided on a material yet the only thing I have decided is that I'd like the controller cabinet door to be glass or acrylic at least partially. What would your preferred material for the supports be (from the replies I've gathered 25mm plywood is good for the "walls") bearing in mind I don't have access to many tools but could get wood And maybe metal cut to size

 

[Peach02]

I am going to do ventilation holes in mine in addition to cord management. The "skin" of the tank should not be considered for load bearing, just aesthetics. Imo.

How many ventilation holes would you reccomend? Would each section need them?

 

[Peach02]

Your primary consideration is preventing "racking" - that is important with any DIY stand. Make sure it's steady as can be and that you are unable to rock the stand at all in any direction prior to putting the tank on it.

How would you reccomend stopping this

 

[Peach02]

Thanks everyone so far for the very well researched and informative replies. This is what makes this forum awsome

 

[Peach02]

Hot dipped screws are a must.

I prefer to use white tractor paint to seal the wood as it is an enamel that is super tough and has no issues with salt, as it is intended for direct diesel and gas contact.

Why are hot dipped screws a must?

How many coats would you reccomend?

 

[alton]

I remember my first stand with 2x4 and 2 x 6 construction. It was heavier than the 135 gallon tank that sat on it. From small tanks to 200 to my new 310 I use plywood. the best is russian birch

https://paxtonwood.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/BALTIC-B-SELL-SHEET-Paxton.compressed.pdf

I call it glue and screw all pieces