Michigan Cichlid Association
General Category => DIY => Topic started by: AChambers5 on March 12, 2014, 01:39:45 AM
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Needed to upgrade my bedroom tank and my brother had a 55 laying around. I googled stand ideas and ran into one on Google images made with cinder blocks. I for some reason loved this and went for it. I attached a photo of my finished product. I unfortunately didn't take pictures as I went but the stand is pretty self explanatory. I can do a step by step if anyone would like.
I am sharing both cause it was cheap, easy and I think pretty cool, and I have heard a lot of concern about skipping out on a center pile of block. Tank is sitting on common board going the length of the tank, but I didn't do a center pile of block with interest of a book shelf or adding a tank in the future. Do you guys think this will stress the middle of the tank and result in the glass blowing out or tank leaking?
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3/4" ply wood can safely support about 75lbs psf.. tank span on that would be roughly 69lbs psf. That is a little close for my tastes. You could always double up the top piece of plywood and not have to worry about it.
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3/4" ply wood can safely support about 75lbs psf.. tank span on that would be roughly 69lbs psf. That is a little close for my tastes. You could always double up the top piece of plywood and not have to worry about it.
Or use 2x4s under/instead of the plywood, although they're strongest on edge vs. lying flat, so that might raise the tank up a bit too high.
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Thanks for the post! It isn't exactly ply wood I used, not big into wood working so I don't know if it matters. Ply wood to me is the wood chips glued together to form a board. What I used Home Depot had listed as common board. It was a solid piece of wood 1"x8"x8' . Hoping this leaves a little more gap in what it can support per a sq foot and what the tank has. Un sure on this is relevant, but ,y dad is leading the charge on the it has plenty support side, his argument is you can easily slide a playing card in the center of the tank between the board and the tank. Meaning the center isn't being supported at all anyways. That argument relevant or no?
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That Dimensional Lumber is actually much much weaker than what a piece of furniture grade plywood would be.
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Shoot, well I'll have to take the tank down, but I'll put it on 2x4's, should offer plenty of additional support on their sides though shouldn't it?
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I would Imagine 2x4 would be fine. One 24" vertical 2x4 can support 18,000lbs. 600lb on its side should be a walk in the park. I think at 3ft they are rated at like 1200lbs.. but don't quote me on that. Make sure they are nice and straight or even very slightly bowed up to the ceiling.. when you put weight on them the will flatten out.
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Thanks, i am assuming/hoping the tank will make it till this weekend when i have time to do the adjustments, i am not to worried about it, not showing any signs of stress.