IM 25 lagoon stand DIY

[Stef777]

Howdy all,
I have been wanting to get a stand for my IM 25 lagoon, but the prices are outrageous or the stand (I am looking at you aqueon 24x24) are less than trustworthy. I am considering the DIY route since I am on an extreme budget due to life circumstances. What is the recommended route to go, and where do I even begin? I live in the dorms of a college, so I am moving every 6 months. Thank you in advance!

 

[Fish Fan]

Hello!

This is a great tank, but a little difficult to find a stand that fits it well. Another R2R member recently purchased this stand from PetSmart for their IM 25 lagoon. It doesn't fit the tank perfectly, but it does hold the tank just fine:

https://www.petsmart.com/fish/tanks...en-oak-universal-stand---up-to-37g-72113.html
If you're on a budget, you could look for a sturdy side table or dresser that may be able to hold this tank. You can check local FB marketplace or thrift stores, or even your grandma's attic. Just make sure it's a sturdy piece of furniture, and not some flimsy thing. Think old lol!

Last, DIY is indeed a great option, and while there's a lot of ways to go, I think the 2x4 stand by Rocket Engineer is a great way to go. This stand is solid, sturdy, easy to build, and you can "skin" it with plywood or panel board and it can look really great. Rocket Engineer is an active member here at R2R, and is usually available if you need help.

https://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1169964
Good luck!

 

[gkprevite]

Extreme budget and moving every 6 months sounds like a nightmare situation for having a reef tank. Maybe consider something a little smaller that you could put on a regular desk. It would be easier to move occasionally as well. A 2x4 stand is cheap but can get heavy really quick

 

[TheNative192]

Howdy all,
I have been wanting to get a stand for my IM 25 lagoon, but the prices are outrageous or the stand (I am looking at you aqueon 24x24) are less than trustworthy. I am considering the DIY route since I am on an extreme budget due to life circumstances. What is the recommended route to go, and where do I even begin? I live in the dorms of a college, so I am moving every 6 months. Thank you in advance!

Look up Item: 40 Gallon Aquarium Stand With Charging Station on Wayfair. It carries the weight and is 95 dollars, you do have to assemble it. I used it for my Grandparents tank I set up for him. It is larger than the tank in size but it is not too bad to have a bit of extra room.

Link

 

[bvickery1974]

Look up Item: 40 Gallon Aquarium Stand With Charging Station on Wayfair. It carries the weight and is 95 dollars, you do have to assemble it. I used it for my Grandparents tank I set up for him. It is larger than the tank in size but it is not too bad to have a bit of extra room.

Link

Another vote for this stand. VERY sturdy when it is all done.

 

[iprayforwaves]

Can you provide a link to this specific stand?

I just ordered this “heavy duty 40 gallon stand”, but off Amazon. Same stand, its just not available on Amazon anymore. https://www.ebay.com/itm/167882568314?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5338678874&toolid=20006&customid=be93f0c3f9c51ef0029599c29228d3d1||&loc_physical_ms=72625

I put it together over the weekend. Yesterday in between work and other obligations I got the tank set up on it, leveled and ready. Today in between meetings I filled it up with RODI for a water test… by the time I had filled it up the center was bowing so badly, I could barely open the doors and I was terrified the tank would crack. I drained all the water out onto the patio. I provided the photos to Amazon and they gave me a full refund with no return needed.

I’m trying to find a stand for this tank but IM is not selling them separately anymore due to freight costs. I did call them. The stand is ~$300. Freight is $400 on top.

I’ve lived through a 100 gallon tank cracking and don’t want to repeat that horror with my hardwood floors, even on a smaller scale. Please provide some suggestions for a good stand. TY!

 

[bvickery1974]

Can you provide a link to this specific stand?

I just ordered this “heavy duty 40 gallon stand”, but off Amazon. Same stand, its just not available on Amazon anymore. https://www.ebay.com/itm/167882568314?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5338678874&toolid=20006&customid=be93f0c3f9c51ef0029599c29228d3d1||&loc_physical_ms=72625

I put the IM 25 on it and filled it up with RODI for a water test… by the time I had filled it up the center was bowing so badly, I could barely open the doors and I was terrified the tank would crack. I drained all the water out onto the patio. I provided the photos to Amazon and they gave me a full refund with no return needed.

I’m trying to find a stand for this tank but IM is not selling them separately anymore due to freight costs.

This is the one I got. They appear to be different manufacturers.


https://www.wayfair.com/pet/pdp/tuc...rging-station-w115649449.html?piid=1867556970

 

[TheNative192]

Can you provide a link to this specific stand?

I just ordered this “heavy duty 40 gallon stand”, but off Amazon. Same stand, its just not available on Amazon anymore. https://www.ebay.com/itm/167882568314?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5338678874&toolid=20006&customid=be93f0c3f9c51ef0029599c29228d3d1||&loc_physical_ms=72625

I put it together over the weekend. Yesterday in between work and other obligations I got the tank set up on it, leveled and ready. Today in between meetings I filled it up with RODI for a water test… by the time I had filled it up the center was bowing so badly, I could barely open the doors and I was terrified the tank would crack. I drained all the water out onto the patio. I provided the photos to Amazon and they gave me a full refund with no return needed.

I’m trying to find a stand for this tank but IM is not selling them separately anymore due to freight costs. I did call them. The stand is ~$300. Freight is $400 on top.

I’ve lived through a 100 gallon tank cracking and don’t want to repeat that horror with my hardwood floors, even on a smaller scale. Please provide some suggestions for a good stand. TY!

The wayfair one is the way to go. Very Sturdy, uses metal for support and strong wood for the top.

I got the same one no issue and it is sturdier than other stands dedicated for tanks lol

https://www.wayfair.com/pet/pdp/tuc...rging-station-w115649449.html?piid=1867556970

 

[iprayforwaves]

This is the one I got. They appear to be different manufacturers.


https://www.wayfair.com/pet/pdp/tuc...rging-station-w115649449.html?piid=1867556970

Does this have bracing for the top? The one I got looks very similar but only has one small metal bar going across the center of the top panel, if that makes sense. There is no cross bar in the front nor the back, which leaves the front and back of the top surface unsupported.

See here in my attached photo, you can see that the space between the top and the door is diminished as the top is sagging under the weight of the aquarium. It’s just the tank and water. I’m gonna use it as a frag tank, so no rocks will be involved. Towards the middle, the top is touching the tops of the doors. And not seen in the photo, but the corners of the top were flexed upwards. It was really an alarming amount of bowing given the size of tank and supposedly the stand was rated for 600+ pounds.

Could you send a photo of the inside bracing for your stand? Hesitant to buy another without knowing how sturdy it is.

 

[TheNative192]

Does this have bracing for the top? The one I got looks very similar but only has one small metal bar going across the center of the top panel, if that makes sense. There is no cross bar in the front nor the back, which leaves the front and back of the top surface unsupported.

See here in my attached photo, you can see that the space between the top and the door is diminished as the top is sagging under the weight of the aquarium. It’s just the tank and water. I’m gonna use it as a frag tank, so no rocks will be involved. Towards the middle, the top is touching the tops of the doors. And not seen in the photo, but the corners of the top were flexed upwards. It was really an alarming amount of bowing given the size of tank and supposedly the stand was rated for 600+ pounds.

I mean it looks like the same stand. Are you sure you installed it correctly. Did the metal bar support screw into the metal box supports on both sides? I have the same stand that holds up my Grandfathers 40 gallon freshwater tank I set up for him & no issue with my 25 Gallon IM lagoon tank.

 

[TheNative192]

Does this have bracing for the top? The one I got looks very similar but only has one small metal bar going across the center of the top panel, if that makes sense. There is no cross bar in the front nor the back, which leaves the front and back of the top surface unsupported.

See here in my attached photo, you can see that the space between the top and the door is diminished as the top is sagging under the weight of the aquarium. It’s just the tank and water. I’m gonna use it as a frag tank, so no rocks will be involved. Towards the middle, the top is touching the tops of the doors. And not seen in the photo, but the corners of the top were flexed upwards. It was really an alarming amount of bowing given the size of tank and supposedly the stand was rated for 600+ pounds.

Could you send a photo of the inside bracing for your stand? Hesitant to buy another without knowing how sturdy it is.

It is the same stand. When you installed the metal bar yours seems to be a bit lower than mine so that is probably why it is sagging a bit. You can probably just get a 2x4, cut it to size and add it for extra support if your worried. I would be very surprised though if it somehow breaks the metal.

 

[iprayforwaves]

Does yours just have this one small crossbeam in the center of the cabinet?. My metal crossbeam is perfectly flush to the side panels. I’m not crazy, you can see the bowing in my previous photo. Doesn’t seem OK for a flat bottomed rimless tank to sit on this much of a bowing platform.

Is yours not doing this bowing across the front?

 

[iprayforwaves]

 

[TheNative192]

Does yours just have this one small crossbeam in the center of the cabinet?. My metal crossbeam is perfectly flush to the side panels. I’m not crazy, you can see the bowing in my previous photo. Doesn’t seem OK for a flat bottomed rimless tank to sit on this much of a bowing platform.

Is yours not doing this?

Yes I have the small crossbeam. When I installed it could shift around a bit before I screwed it in so you may have installed yours a little low so even though mine does bow a little bit it is not as much as yours. That being said my tank has rock sand and I do not expect any issue as I have kept my Grandfathers 40 Gallon tank with rock, sand etc for over a year with no issue. Its rated for 660 pounds and an average calculation would be:

• Light setup (1" sand, 15 lb rock, 25 lb tank):
  215 (water) + 16.7 (sand) + 15 (rock) + 25 (tank) = 271.7 lb ≈ 272 lb.
• Typical setup (2" sand, 25 lb rock, 30 lb tank):
  215 + 33.3 + 25 + 30 = 303.3 lb ≈ 303 lb.
• Heavy setup (2" sand, 40 lb rock, 35 lb tank):
  215 + 33.3 + 40 + 35 = 323.3 lb ≈ 323 lb.

 

[iprayforwaves]

Not worried about breaking the metal, mostly just worried about the bowing in the top surface and the tank cracking. The fact that the top surface was touching the doors and making them difficult to open… that seems like an unacceptable amount of bowing. This stand seems to be designed for a tank that is supported on all 4 corners.. a 36” tank.

My crossbeam is flush to the top, so it’s fully supported in the middle, but the bowing in the front makes me very nervous. I want the tank to be fully supported on all the edges. Like I said, I’ve lived through a tank cracking all over the floor and I don’t want to deal with that again.

I’ve tried to source a stand from IM but they aren’t shipping them anymore. I reached out to a friend who works an an LFS to see if I can get one that way.

I really do like this stand, its good looking and fits with my decor but the bowing I saw in the top in just the first 2 hours of the tank being filled with water makes it a nogo for me. Maybe I could source a marble top to put on it or maybe a nice 1” piece of stained hardwood. Anyways, I had bought this tank and stand for myself as a birthday present and it’s gone to crap. LOL.

 

[TheNative192]

Not worried about breaking the metal, mostly just worried about the bowing in the top surface and the tank cracking. The fact that the top surface was touching the doors and making them difficult to open… that seems like an unacceptable amount of bowing. This stand seems to be designed for a tank that is supported on all 4 corners.. a 36” tank.

My crossbeam is flush to the top, so it’s fully supported in the middle, but the bowing in the front makes me very nervous. I want the tank to be fully supported on all the edges. Like I said, I’ve lived through a tank cracking all over the floor and I don’t want to deal with that again.

I’ve tried to source a stand from IM but they aren’t shipping them anymore. I reached out to a friend who works an an LFS to see if I can get one that way.

I really do like this stand, its good looking and fits with my decor but the bowing I saw in the top in just the first 2 hours of the tank being filled with water makes it a nogo for me. Maybe I could source a marble top to put on it or maybe a nice 1” piece of stained hardwood. Anyways, I had bought this tank and stand for myself as a birthday present and it’s gone to ****. LOL.

Honestly if you are worried, take the tank off, drain it of water. Go get some 2x4s from lows or home depot. Drill them from the sides & above (from in the tank cabinet) and the bowing will go away.

 

[iprayforwaves]

.

 

[iprayforwaves]

Honestly if you are worried, take the tank off, drain it of water. Go get some 2x4s from lows or home depot. Drill them from the sides & above (from in the tank cabinet) and the bowing will go away.

I have drained the tank immediately upon seeing the bowing. Do you think if i put a 2x4 across the back and front it would be sufficient?

Hell, I know a lot about coral and fish, but cabinetry is not my strong suit at all.

 

[TheNative192]

I have drained the tank immediately upon seeing the bowing. Do you think if i put a 2x4 across the back and front it would be sufficient?

Hell, I know a lot about coral and fish, but cabinetry is not my strong suit at all.

100% if you put a 2x4 and drill into it from the side & top (like on the outside areas) it will provide a lot of support and should stop the bowing entirely. You can also go for a thick leveling matt as well which would solve the issue as well of concern over the tank cracking.

 

[iprayforwaves]

100% if you put a 2x4 and drill into it from the side & top (like on the outside areas) it will provide a lot of support and should stop the bowing entirely. You can also go for a thick leveling matt as well which would solve the issue as well of concern over the tank cracking.

The tank came with a pre-installed leveling mat which I could see compressing and expanding in the various areas of bowing, hard to explain, but visible in the prior picture. I wouldn’t fully trust the preinstalled leveling mat to compensate for the amount of bowing I saw. I do have some yoga mat in the closet I could add to help alleviate the issue but I would prefer to just have better support for the aquarium overall.

My husband is good at building things with wood, I’ll see if he can shore the stand up for me. I will give him your pointers.

Thanks for your advice, have a great week and happy Halloween as well.