stand strength question

[xxoczukxx]

Im trying to design a stand for my tank and Im going with something similar to this which im sure many have drawn inspiration from.

In the original thread its said that this can support a 125g 6' tank easily with no vertical supports due to using 2x6's at the top. I do plan to have more cross members on the top than just the 1 blue one in the picture however and I plan on a single center back brace but I did not want a brace in the front for ease of access to the sump.

My plans however are for a smaller tank (35g 20" cube) with extra space around it. Will just having the weight in the middle and instead of spread across the whole surface of the stand affect the strength or should the 2x6's still be able to handle it?

 

[Big G]

Make sure to use "kiln dried" lumber during your build. Regular construction lumber can be "green" which means it has lots of moisture within the wood and can shrink, move, crack, check, all bad things for furniture level building.
I used oak 1x6 doubled to provide more vertical strength to resist sagging on my stand. And it was for a 48" long tank. Did use a vertical support on the rear of the stand. Very sturdy. But would I span 72" . . . ? I don't think so. That's a lot of weight.
Here's a pic of mine.

 

[RocketEngineer]

As the originator of that ancient thread, I will say the stand could take the load as it’s only 35g. However, this isn’t optimal, just functional.

 

[xxoczukxx]

As the originator of that ancient thread, I will say the stand could take the load as it’s only 35g. However, this isn’t optimal, just functional.

good to hear from the man himself! I just wasnt sure if having the weight of the tank just in the middle instead of dispersed across the full length would affect the strength since the weight of the tank wouldnt actually be over the corners, adding more stress to the horizontals.

Im assuming optimal would be having vertical supports under where the tank itself is sitting to help support the weight under the horizontals?

Make sure to use "kiln dried" lumber during your build. Regular construction lumber can be "green" which means it has lots of moisture within the wood and can shrink, move, crack, check, all bad things for furniture level building.
I used oak 1x6 doubled to provide more vertical strength to resist sagging on my stand. And it was for a 48" long tank. Did use a vertical support on the rear of the stand. Very sturdy. But would I span 72" . . . ? I don't think so. That's a lot of weight.
Here's a pic of mine.

that looks great! i already have my kiln dried wood im just trying to plan properly before making the cuts to ensure nothing goes wrong in the future!