What is the optimal height of the stand and depth of member to clear span

dandi · Dec 19, 2023

I researched and didn't find any posts about this. Given a tank 24" high....
Part one: Wondering if anyone has input on the optimal height.
Having the most height under the tank is what I am trying to achieve while still yielding an optimal viewing height. I plan on building a custom stand.

Part two: any engineers out there ???????
what depth of a horizontal member be in order to clear span a six foot long tank? would sistered 2 x 6s work?

DCR · Dec 19, 2023

I think it depends a lot on how you expect to view your tank. I personally do most of my viewing standing and I like the stand to be about 42 inches tall for a 24" tank which gives a lot of room under the stand for equipment. Downside is I need a step ladder for maintenance, and you have to do something to hide the lights if you are sitting since you will be looking up into them. If you expect to view it from a sitting position, it should be reduced accordingly but I find that most commercial stands at 30-32" are really too tall for a sitting position and you end up looking up into the lights. To make them the right height for sitting the stand really needs to be more like 20-24" which is great for maintenance but does not allow for much of any kind of sump or skimmer under the tank.

dandi · Dec 21, 2023

Bumping this up...
I would like to have a stand 8' in length without a center brace. Would a 2 x 6 support the weight across the span or do I need to go to 2 x 8?

DCR · Dec 21, 2023

According to Rocket Engineers design, you need 2x8.

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

dandi · Dec 21, 2023

DCR thanks so much for the research!

DCR · Dec 21, 2023

That is a widely copied design that he put out about 15 years ago. I would be nervous about finding framing lumber that is perfectly straight over that distance and would plan on some type of leveling to support the tank