Will My Stand Hold Up?

[Pico bam]

Welder here. 2" square tube 1/4" thick? This will hold up a truck full of concrete. Lol this is overbuilt, factor when building a stand 10 pounds per gallon. Water infact is closer to 8pounds per gallon. you will likely need some supports on the bottom rack for your sump. I would do plywood and foam on top for an acrylic tank. Glass tank not needed as long as its level. Everbody keep in mind that Marineland uses not even inch thick pine to build stand for 220's. (Pine) The amount of overbuilt stands ive seen is insane. But.... better safe than sorry have a good one! .... gussets?.... lol reminds me of low paying hot jobs. Make sure to thank your friend.

 

[SaltyCrabs]

How many gussets? Need to be welded?

2 gussets per top corner. Over engineered probably. With 3000+ pounds sitting on it that tank it is not budging. You our good but I like extra security I would do the gussets.

 

[rowdyreefing]

Welder here. 2" square tube 1/4" thick? This will hold up a truck full of concrete. Lol this is overbuilt, factor when building a stand 10 pounds per gallon. Water infact is closer to 8pounds per gallon. you will likely need some supports on the bottom rack for your sump. I would do plywood and foam on top for an acrylic tank. Glass tank not needed as long as its level. Everbody keep in mind that Marineland uses not even inch thick pine to build stand for 220's. (Pine) The amount of overbuilt stands ive seen is insane. But.... better safe than sorry have a good one! .... gussets?.... lol reminds me of low paying hot jobs. Make sure to thank your friend.

The sump is going behind the wall so no worries there . Glass Cages requires 3/4 foam and 3/4 plywood for warranty so I will go that route.

My welder said the same thing as far as strength (could put a semi on it lol) and told me not to worry about the gussets. So I guess I need to find someone else to do them since the gussets seem to be the popular vote.

 

[Soren]

The sump is going behind the wall so no worries there . Glass Cages requires 3/4 foam and 3/4 plywood for warranty so I will go that route.

My welder said the same thing as far as strength (could put a semi on it lol) and told me not to worry about the gussets. So I guess I need to find someone else to do them since the gussets seem to be the popular vote.

Which is the case: your welder does not think gussets are necessary or absolutely refuses to add them? Is there are reason why your welder cannot/will not add gussets?
...other than that additional welding will require paint removal now and will burn some paint off, so an entire new painting will almost surely be necessary.

I think it is possible that gussets are not necessary, but I would personally not put such a large investment at risk for such a simple and cheap insurance. There is engineering software that can calculate whether gussets would be needed or not, but it does not seem worth my time to use it for such a case (maybe I'd take the time if it were for my own setup).

 

[SaltyCrabs]

The tank is going to be a static load. Gussets are more for cyclic action. The gussets are just to add more ridgity to the frame. You can figure it all out but you need to know the type of material (steel) used. Is it a cyclic or static load. Length span of beam carry weight. Safety factor of X. And most importantly figure out how many pounds per square ft is. Then you also have to take in to a fact were full penetraion welds used? Is the welder certified? Was welds mag particle inspected for cracks? The list can go on. But in all seriousness. It is your house and your money.

 

[Rmckoy]

By looking at it it will hold up but as soon as gets sideways push would just sit down like a giraffe...
You need support for the legs to keep their distance on the floor and and support to keep the shape something like this:

I was just going to do this exact same sketch .
With tubing welded at the bottom it will serve double purpose .
support the legs , distribute the weight over the entire area , and give kote
Contact for any optional covering .

im not a welder , or structural engineer .
but machinist , aircraft maintenance engineer …

Sometimes we aren’t allowed second chances

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

Exam the Stand Carefully, with a Bright Light and Magnifying Glass, to make sure there isn’t even the tiniest Pinhole in the welds. If they aren’t sealed, salt will get in and rust from the inside out. If the bottom legs are to be left open, drill a small weep hole as close as possible to the bottom. I recommend spraying the stand with Rattle Can Truck Bed Liner, or 3M Rubberized Undercoating, rated for interior vehicle use. I do not recommend drilling the square tube any where else, as it willing weaken the stand.

 

[rowdyreefing]

Guys, thank you all so much for all the help.

I finally got the gussets added.

 

[attiland]

Guys, thank you all so much for all the help.

I finally got the gussets added.

I think this should work

 

[rowdyreefing]

@Soren thanks for all the input!!!

 

[Soren]

@Soren thanks for all the input!!!

You just made this engineer's day for structural considerations! That looks much better and will be a nice reassurance for supporting your reef.

 

[Sleepydoc]

Agree with @Soren and @SaltyCrabs. As a static, vertical load the stand is just fine. The problem arrises when you have any sort of lateral force. Suddenly you have a different set of forces to reckon with. The gussets are cheap insurance and add a huge amount of stability against racking.

 

[rowdyreefing]

Agree with @Soren and @SaltyCrabs. As a static, vertical load the stand is just fine. The problem arrises when you have any sort of lateral force. Suddenly you have a different set of forces to reckon with. The gussets are cheap insurance and add a huge amount of stability against racking.

thank you for the help as well! Now I can rest easier!