Is a tiny bit of overhang okay on aquarium?

[Brian Goldstein]

Hey Everyone-

I have an acrylic frag tank that is 36L x 20W x 12H .

I've thoroughly searched for a stand that properly fits the tank, but the closest I can find is 50L x 19.625W ... The issue is finding a stand with the proper width.

The overhang will less be than a 1/4 of an inch on each end (front to back). The stand would basically be ending at the halfway point on the acrylic panels ( tank is 1/2 inch acrylic)

Here are some pictures of the stand: (I am also worried about the stand giving enough center support for the acrylic bottom)

Would appreciate your advice.

Thanks,

-Brian G.

 

[geddavis]

it is probably ok short term so long as the front panel is on top of the bottom panel. also, make sure there are no bubbles in the seems so that you know it is a strong bond

 

[Flippers4pups]

I think your best bet would be to DIY stand that fits the dimensions properly. 1/4 hanging over would put stress on the seams.

 

[Brian Goldstein]

Yeah, I tried DIY.. I don't have the equipment and I've already tried Lowes and Home Depot and they can't manage to cut a piece of would correctly.

 

[Rjukan]

I wouldn't if I were you. There looks like a beveled edge around the top piece of the stand, if the dimension they give is to the outside edge the flat surface is actually much smaller than that.

 

[ca1ore]

I’ll take the contrarian view and say that it’ll be no problem, particularly if the entire bottom of the tank sits flat on the stand versus on a rim. If it bothers you, cut a piece of 1/2” ply to the full tank dimensions, paint it black, and use it between the tank and the stand.

 

[ReefQueen]

Hire a cabinet maker to build a stand to your exact specifications if building one yourself isn’t an option. It would last years longer then any stand you could buy in a store. Not to mention the stand pictured gives you barely any room for storage, let alone a sump. Having any sort of overhang would make me nervous, it would keep me up all night worrying about it. Also I like symmetry, even if it was 100% safe, seeing that little bit hanging off into thin air everyday would drive me insane lol.

 

[Crustaceon]

I’ll take the contrarian view and say that it’ll be no problem, particularly if the entire bottom of the tank sits flat on the stand versus on a rim. If it bothers you, cut a piece of 1/2” ply to the full tank dimensions, paint it black, and use it between the tank and the stand.

+1. An additional 1/2” board under the tank would easily handle that much overhang and it’s accompanying load which won’t be much as the panel is halfway supported by the edges of the stand. Make extra sure the tank and stand are level though as this will make the setup slightly more top-heavy and unstable. I wouldn’t be too concerned after that TBH.

 

[homer1475]

Maybe I'm missing it, but the tank you show on that stand doesn't even overhang? Maybe just a spare tank as a visual guide?

If it did overhang a bit, I would do the above and just cut a sheet a 1/2" or 3/4" ply, paint it black and off you go. I would not trust any tank that overhangs the stand. It's not a matter of if it will fail, it's more of when it will fail.

 

[Brian Goldstein]

Maybe I'm missing it, but the tank you show on that stand doesn't even overhang? Maybe just a spare tank as a visual guide?

If it did overhang a bit, I would do the above and just cut a sheet a 1/2" or 3/4" ply, paint it black and off you go. I would not trust any tank that overhangs the stand. It's not a matter of if it will fail, it's more of when it will fail.

Sorry, that's just a picture of the stand I found online.

I just posted a thread on my tank regarding the issues I'm having. It's called:"
Bad Seal/Seam on new acrylic aquarium?"

The stand its sitting on now is fully supporting the tank, but I've been getting crazing and bubbles....so I've been looking for a new stand. Every commercially built stand would require me to add plywood for the additional width. Now, I'm not even sure if its my stand that's the issue.

 

[samnaz]

is DIY stand not an option?

 

[Brian Goldstein]

is DIY stand not an option?

I had a DIY stand all drawn out. I've bought wood at Lowes and Home Depot on two separate occasions.. BOTH of them screwed up simple measurements so I decided I was over that route. I've reached out to a buddy who's going to cut the wood for me next weekend. However, now my primary concern is whether my tank may need to be resealed. It was built by one of the best acrylic biz's in the hobby, but I know things happen... I've had really crappy luck this past month with my new set up. One thing after the other

 

[cracker]

Could be about the $$ . A 1/2 " of plywood would be a lot less expensive than a pro built stand. Hard call !

 

[DarrenCar]

It sounds to me like your in need of some woodworking tools and that is holding you back from the DIY option. Don't ever expect Lowes or Home D to make precision cuts that would be sufficient to build a stand, it just wont happen.
Some options may be as others have stated placing a piece of plywood on top of the current stand to accommodate the bigger tank. As for working with wood you should be able to obtain some wicked inexpensive tools at say Walmart or Harbor Freight that would be sufficient to get a DIY stand done correctly. You can literally cut all you wood with a circular saw ~$29.00 at Walmart. You may need a few other tools also but id say cost would be less than $75 for all needed.
Another option, and one I had taken before I owned wood working tools, cut all the wood at Lowes or HD yourself in the back on there molding and trim cutting station. There you will find a miter box, tape measure and a hand saw. Plywood may be an issue to cut there but that's where you may need to buy the saw or let them cut those, I'm sure they can get close enough that's what I did. I built a entire cabinet with only a bottle of glue, a cheap drill/driver and sandpaper. I still have this cabinet to this day and I will post a picture below.
As for the acrylic tank. I don't know much about the acrylic tank industry but I do know that when acrylic is bonded together properly it creates a seamless clear bond with no bubbles or gaps. I would not trust the tank you have posted pictures of.
Disclaimer: ALL above statements are a matter of opinion I am no expert by any means.
Thanks and best wishes.
Darren

 

[jtl]

I am agreeing with Ca1ore. That little overhang will not pose a problem. The pressure on a tank is down and out from the water. If the front, sides and back sit on the bottom panel you are good to go. Some tanks are constructed with the panel going around the bottom, in that situation they need bottom support from the top of your cabinet but if most of the side is supported imo it would still be ok.