Help With 125g In Wall Aquarium. Hope Without Center Brace ?

[427HISS]

I'm about ready to start building a stand for out new 125g in-wall stand.
Being in the wall, and with the tank in the aquarium room, the stand will open, no sheathing.

I've built stands in the past, a in-wall 75g reef, a couple 40g breeders and a 55 gallon, but this is a new animal.

Question's- 2x6 or 2x8 ?

I don't know what there called, but construct the usual corners ?
You make a box, put the corner vertical uprights inside the box, then attach the load upright on the outside. Is that understandable ? lol

I broke my neck and fused four vertebra, so it's difficult to look under things. I'd like to build the stand without a center brace. Is there a method to do this. yet still support the weight in the middle ?

I will appreciate your opinions and to discuss this stand.

 

[Flippers4pups]

I'm about ready to start building a stand for out new 125g in-wall stand.
Being in the wall, and with the tank in the aquarium room, the stand will open, no sheathing.

I've built stands in the past, a in-wall 75g reef, a couple 40g breeders and a 55 gallon, but this is a new animal.

Question's- 2x6 or 2x8 ?

I don't know what there called, but construct the usual corners ?
You make a box, put the corner vertical uprights inside the box, then attach the load upright on the outside. Is that understandable ? lol

I broke my neck and fused four vertebra, so it's difficult to look under things. I'd like to build the stand without a center brace. Is there a method to do this. yet still support the weight in the middle ?

I will appreciate your opinions and to discuss this stand.

I used 2x6 for my top frame and 2x4 for the rest on my the stand. Based on rocket engineer's design. As long as the corners are coplanar, you should be able to get away with no vertical center bracing.

 

[427HISS]

How does the coplanar, work for corners on a stand ?

 

[Flippers4pups]

How does the coplanar, work for corners on a stand ?

Coplanar is that all corners are level to each other.

 

[427HISS]

Ok, thanks.

If I bolted a 6' length of a 4"x 4" angle iron and bolting it to the top's of the front & back rails, would that be strong enough to support most of the weight of a full tank ?

 

[Flippers4pups]

Ok, thanks.

If I bolted a 6' length of a 4"x 4" angle iron and bolting it to the top's of the front & back rails, would that be strong enough to support most of the weight of a full tank ?

Don't think that's needed.

The 2x4 legs and bottom frame and 2x6 top should be all you need.

Here's my frame to my DT. I put vertical center bracing only for my doors and skin. Don't need them.

 

[427HISS]

Nice. So with my 125g, using the 2x4 legs and top & bottom frame of 2x6's, I won't need any middle bracing ?
What size is your tank, 6' long ?

 

[Flippers4pups]

Nice. So with my 125g, using the 2x4 legs and top & bottom frame of 2x6's, I won't need any middle bracing ?
What size is your tank, 6' long ?

2x6 top and 2x4 bottom frame is enough. No need for center bracing. On plastic trimmed tank's, all that's needed is the corners to support. Wood screws and wood glue is all that's needed to secure it. The design keeps the frame from racking, especially without plywood skin.

Yes, in have a 6', 125 :

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/flippers-reef-125-gallon.317425/

 

[427HISS]

Why is your center brace a 2x4 for the doors, couldn't it be just a 1x4 or even a 2x2, since you don't need it as support ?

 

[Flippers4pups]

Why is your center brace a 2x4 for the doors, couldn't it be just a 1x4 or even a 2x2, since you don't need it as support ?

You could. I just had some left over 2x4's that I used. The sump stand, I had planned on skinning, so it got them too, but I never got around to it.

 

[427HISS]

lol,.."never got around to it",...I know how that goes !

 

[427HISS]

Had you thought of using a 2 x 8 or 2 x 10 ?
I watched a few 125g stands on youtube, that used both sizes. Is that just overkill ?

 

[Flippers4pups]

Had you thought of using a 2 x 8 or 2 x 10 ?
I watched a few 125g stands on youtube, that used both sizes. Is that just overkill ?

No. Anything larger would be over kill. I've seen people attempt to use 4x4's for the vertical supports as well. Those can and do at times twist and bend. I highly not recommend using them.

 

[427HISS]

Really, the 4x4 surprises me. Thanks for pointing that out.
Did you get any center deflection at all ?

 

[redfishbluefish]

Flippers has this covered....and even referencing rocketengineer. Tanks up to four feet long, everything 2x4's. Up to six foot long, 2x6 top frame, all the rest, 2x4's. In both designs, no center brace needed.

My other recommendations; top with 3/4 plywood to help level out the imperfections in the dimensional lumber. And either skin the stand or add corner braces to keep it from racking.

Finally, never use 4x4's for any tank build. They tend to be center cut lumber that ends up twisting, bending, wrapping, and additionally poor horizontal structural strength.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Really, the 4x4 surprises me. Thanks for pointing that out.
Did you get any center deflection at all ?

No

 

[K7BMG]

One thing not mentioned here is wood quality.

Do not use framing grade lumber, use only KILN DRIED lumber.

Green or framing lumber has not been dried and will warp or twist as it dries.
The final results could be disastrous over the coming weeks.
YMMV

 

[427HISS]

I've always used plywood on three sides to stiffen the stand, and the use of screws and bolts, not nail's.

I once bought Menards lumber to built a large deck for my sister, and boy, was that a mistake. The guys delivered it all and when I got started, half was cracked, split, twisted, warped etc....I called the manager and I wasn't very nice, he was great. They sent out a second load, but a third was again junk. I had the manager out to the house to inspect all the bad lumber. He ended up giving us the lumber for free, but I will never use Menards lumber again. Theirs is not, dried....

Great, I'll go the Flipper way....

 

[Flippers4pups]

Flipper approved! Lol

 

[427HISS]

Flipper approved! Lol

You got it bro !!!