The perfect stand height! Do you wish your stand was taller or shorter?

What's most important when it comes to the height of your tank stand?

  • The viewing heigth

    Votes: 136 58.6%
  • The ease of maintenance

    Votes: 50 21.6%
  • The space for equipment within the stand

    Votes: 33 14.2%
  • Other (please explain)

    Votes: 13 5.6%

  • Total voters
    232

vabben

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My stand on my nano is 29" tall, though it sits next to my desk. So perfect viewing while sitting at my desk working.
 

ultraArcite

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1. What do you think is the ideal height for a reef aquarium?
For a reef aquarium, it is definitely the viewing height. The amount of work required to maintain a reef aquarium (from my limited experience) seems to be a lot less than a planted aquarium. You're going to spend more time viewing it than maintaining it, so you should make it easier to do so!

2. When deciding how tall or short your stand is do you consider the maintenance or equipment aspect of the tank?
Yes, it sucks having to get out the step ladder to target feed my coral... but I have to do it. Having the tank high enough for us to use it as a room divider was more important.

3. Do you wish your tank stand was taller or shorter?
I wish our couch were shorter so our tank stand could also be shorter.
 

Idoc

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42" stand for viewing while standing... excellent height for viewing, a lot of room in the sump. But, I do need a small step stool when working in the tank to reach the bottom
 

Desperado Lucky

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I built mine to be 35" high, holding a 20" high tank. I'm 5'10" and went by viewing height primarily, but it also had the additional benefits of more room underneath for mounted equipment, and high enough to where my two kids (3 and 5) couldn't put their hands all over it.
 

badgus

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My stand is 44” tall and I absolutely love all the room underneath. I would never go back to a standard stand ever again!
My tank is 40”x30”x22”
 

Calm Blue Ocean

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I wish my stand was shorter. It's probably the perfect height for viewing straight on while standing but that's not how I'm usually looking at it. Also as a lagoon tank, I feel like the view from the top is particularly interesting and I definitely need to stand on something to appreciate that view. As far as maintenance, I have a step stool for when I need to go shoulder deep into the back chambers. ;Hilarious
 

Dania

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Do’t know exact height but when I’m standing my current tank is chest high and when I’m on my bed eye level. I still need to get a stand for my 20 gallon long. Both are fresh so matniance is easier than for you all.
 

Mr Mumblez

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My answer is easy 36 inches the same height as my kitchen counter. My dream tank will be along side the peninsula kitchen countertop that separates it from living room. I am only about $800 away from pulling the trigger. Can’t wait. 72”x24”x24” with ai hydra lighting. I’m thinking Mabye I should go to sca aquariums.
 

Ef4life

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i voted other

As someone with probably the 2 tallest stands on the forum I say there is definitely a balance between height and maintenance, and the location you are placing it.

a nice tall stand is great to not have to bend down to look, but you do lose some of the beauty since your looking at the sides and bottoms of a lot of coral, which are dead skeleton and ugly brown a lot of times.

My stands were extremely tall out of convenience for me and because I used existing furniture, I absolutely love waking up on weekends to a beautiful reef I can see from my bed laying down. The flip is side 100% of maintenance is performed on a ladder and sucks.

old picture, but a view of my bedroom setup, and yes that’s a gun safe with a 40b on top, and my clothing in the dresser below the other 40b. The height and placement worked well for me here.
DF0B7C19-5633-4EAC-A284-0D123D1EB0DD.jpeg


Now I have a little 5 g pico reef on my desk next to my bed, as stands go desks are pretty low. Maintenance is a breeze and you can get that top down view every day. But it’s still a perfect height for viewing while working at the desk, just glancing as you walk by, or I roll over in bed and look at it instead of my 40b

B9025228-E67C-4008-AA3A-BECA123C5BC8.jpeg
 

chaoticreefer

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I voted "other". Whatever maximum height that allows you get it through the doorway. Some people go with wide (front to back) tanks, if the tank has to be set on it's side to get it through the door way, so will the stand, that's your height limitation.
 

Salty Jays Reef

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My stand was DIY. It was built to be 36.5 from the floor to the surface where the tank rests. The tank is 5'x2'x2'. This stand height makes it great for viewing but also allowed for plenty of room under the tank in the sump area to work/clean.
 

1fishkeeper

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I love having a talker stand. It makes viewing so much enjoyable without having to bend over to see. Yeah I have to use a step ladder for working it but I’m willing to do that for the ease of looking at it.
 

exalectric

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our 40g is "low". But its located in the bedroom, so I enjoy that its the perfect height to see as I fall asleep, as opposed to standing by it or viewing from across a room. I sit on the end of the bed and I'm only 2ft from the front of the tank. Also, I sometimes just sit on the floor.

Edit - just measured and the stand is only 26" tall.
 
Last edited:

doughboy

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I researched this very thoroughly before I built my stand. I went to LFS, took measurements of tanks that look aesthetically pleasing. And determined that those that looked great pretty much follow the "Golden Ratio" rule.

The "Golden Ratio" is the ratio of the sum of the two values to the larger value. It will give you the most aesthetically accurate/pleasing look.

the ratio is 1.618. If your tank height is 20", the stand should be 32" high (closest whole number).

The Mona Lisa and the Vitruvian Man by Leonardo da Vinci use the Golden Ratio.
smile.gif

Great Pyramids use the Golden Ratio. Many things in nature follow the Golden Ratio.

if you look at Red Sea Reefer or ELOS setups, they are close to golden ratio.
Red Sea 20" high tank uses 34" stand.
I ended up using 33" to get the clearance inside the stand to fit my skimmer and a drawer.

To use the Golden Ratio, measure your tank height, and he stand height should be approximately
tank height x 1.618.
 
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Fish man

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I have a 90 gallon tank and I'm 6' tall. When I built my stand I took all these things into consideration. I wanted it high enough that you could view it standing up without bending over and a straight on view from sitting down. Not so high I had to stand on something to reach the bottom. All equipment could fit underneath and be easy to removed for cleaning. I ended up measuring to my arm pit and that I made top of tank.

Tank stand.jpg Sump.png
 
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arussellnsg

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I'm glad to have what I can afford and the space that I do have, so I had to get what fit. I'm okay with that.
Is it perfect? No.
But I don't have an unlimited budget so it is what it is, and I'm still happy
 

bmeily

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These are dependent on each other but ultimately by what is going under the tank. A stand can only be so short if you have stuff underneath it. If your ideal viewing height is from sitting down. Your prolly going to need a fish room behide the tank or run HOB stuff. You stand can only be so short if your running a skimmer.
1. What do you think is the ideal height for a reef aquarium?
I’m figuring 36ish.
2. When deciding how tall or short your stand is do you consider the maintenance or equipment aspect of the tank?
I started designing the stand and realized I had to go taller to accommodate skimmers and reactors in a DIY sump which tend to be a little taller than of the shelf sumps. Not to mention to get those things out.
3. Do you wish your tank stand was taller or shorter?
I don’t remember how tall my last stand was. Prolly 36 and I don’t remember having a height problem underneath but wasn’t a height good if your sitting right next to it. Great for standing or sitting across the room.
 

Ludders

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Here's and interesting question for you all, when considering viewing height, do you consider this stood up or sat down when looking at your tanks?
 

Aardvark1134

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Rule #1 unless you want to remove a window the stand must come through the door.
Rule #2 unless you want to tear apart the tank if your skimmer dies the stand must be tall enough to get the skimmer out of the sump/stand
 
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