Is it okay to put 3/4" plywood under a 40Gal rimless tank? I find most sheets of plywood are at least a bit warped and therefore not flat. I'm just wondering because I have a steel framed imagitarium tank stand I'd like to use to hold my tank.
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I have a foam mat already. What do you mean by high quality plywood? I'm not actually familiar with like grades of plywood.With that stand and a rimless tank I would definitely use a piece of plywood in between. Get high quality plywood, not that cheap stuff used for siding. I would also check with your tank manufacturer if they require a foam leveling mat on top of the plywood too. Most rimless tanks do.
Is MDF going to be strong enough for a 40 gallon? I was under the understanding that it's much weaker?you could just use a piece of MDF instead of plywood. Paint it first so water won’t penetrate it in the event of a spill or splash. MDF is much cheaper and perfectly flat. I believe a 4’ x 8’ sheet of 3/4” MDF goes for $16 at my local Home Depot/Lowe’s.
For the most part, those skinny foam mats do nothing to support or distribute the weight of our tanks. Once the weight gets above 100 or so pounds, the foam is completely compressed.
That’s what I did with my tank.
I have a foam mat already. What do you mean by high quality plywood? I'm not actually familiar with like grades of plywood.
Something like this? https://www.homedepot.com/p/18mm-Sa...ual-0-709-in-x-48-in-x-96-in-454559/203414066MDF is particle board and the cheapest. Then there's basic plywood (can see multiple layers when looking at side), then there's sanded plywood that looks a bit nicer, then there's actually Maple, Birch, etc plywood that has nicer finishes. They differ in price by like $10 a 4' x 8' sheet at Home Depot/Lowes.
Something like this?
Is it actually likely to be straight/flat? With the typical sanded etc. It's usually warped quite a bit.
Is MDF going to be strong enough for a 40 gallon? I was under the understanding that it's much weaker?
WHOA now. Many grades of MDF out there, the best of which rival plywood when it comes to resilience to wet/dry cycles.... Plywood will always delaminate/bubble/damage. Good MDF just goes back to business.MDF is particle board and the cheapest. Then there's basic plywood (can see multiple layers when looking at side), then there's sanded plywood that looks a bit nicer, then there's actually Maple, Birch, etc plywood that has nicer finishes. They differ in price by like $10 a 4' x 8' sheet at Home Depot/Lowes.
I was just pricing out building two stands for 48 x 24 frag tanks. Just going to be built from higher grade 2x4's and maple or birch plywood and stained light/dark. Functional goal, but still some "look" to it.
WHOA now.
I do the same thing . But a connoisseur I am not, just listen to guys a lot smarter/more experienced than I.When I posted it I expected a MDF/Plywood connoisseur to point out the inadequacies in the specifics of my description.
I’ve got a revolutionary thought ..... how about asking the tank manufacturer what they recommend. Most rimless tank manufacturers require full spanned support for the bottom with a foam layer in between. Plywood has very little support through the thin dimension so would likely only be good of there were cross members in the stand. Good quality AC plywood in 3/4” is generally perfectly flat. Hardwood ply even better.