Hibi Posted October 19, 2020 Share Posted October 19, 2020 Hey y'all I'm starting to plan to build an aquarium rack system. My idea was to build a 3 tiered rack with reinforced bases my questions: 1. what type of wood (I thought i would just use regular pine 2x4 but im not sure if thats good long term) 2. what have been your designs? do you have any plans you could share? My ppt is in another computer I will post it later Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Cory Posted October 20, 2020 Administrators Share Posted October 20, 2020 Typically 2x4 pine works well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric W-Farmhouse Fish Room Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 I've got a Gladiator rack from Lowe's I'll be using. Up to 4 shelves, all adjustable, and each shelf holds up to 2,000 lbs. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Gladiator-24-in-D-x-77-in-W-x-72-in-H-4-Tier-Steel-Freestanding-Shelving-Unit-NSF-Safety-Listing/1000003004 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shkote Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 15 minutes ago, Eric W-Farmhouse Fish Room said: I've got a Gladiator rack from Lowe's I'll be using. Up to 4 shelves, all adjustable, and each shelf holds up to 2,000 lbs. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Gladiator-24-in-D-x-77-in-W-x-72-in-H-4-Tier-Steel-Freestanding-Shelving-Unit-NSF-Safety-Listing/1000003004 Ok, that is a sexy rack! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric W-Farmhouse Fish Room Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 @Lynze I think @Cory has a bunch of them in the warehouse for dry goods and plants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Burke Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 Check out @aquachris post in “Photo, video, and journals” section. It’s a really nice rack out of 2x4s. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy's Fish Den Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 Ive built the three racks I have out of 2x4. I've seen a couple YouTube videos of people making them the same way. Dan's fish and Ted's fish room have made them the same way. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickS77 Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 Consider material cost vs buying a metal rack. Lumber prices are through the roof because of covid, could be different per region. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aubrey Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 @HibiscusAquatics I'm going to assume that you will be using this rack for bettas from your other posts. When you say tiered do you mean like stair steps? You might check out Inglorious Bettas youtube channel. She has a metal rack with a tiered wooden rack on top. The metal portion holds tanks for fry grow out and the wooden rack holds jars for growing out individuals after separation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phirefase Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 I'm going to preface this with I have no experience with building aquarium racks, but have done my fair share of woodworking projects. With that out of the way, my gut feeling is to go with the metal racks made for storing stuff. The wood might be cheaper, but its going to require more work to assemble and will take more work to get the wood to look good. The wood rack could also have some personal customizations like net hooks or oddball size constraints. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 You can watch @Cory build one in about 40 minutes with no tools for under $100. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hibi Posted October 22, 2020 Author Share Posted October 22, 2020 On 10/20/2020 at 10:22 AM, MickS77 said: Consider material cost vs buying a metal rack. Lumber prices are through the roof because of covid, could be different per region. I ended up buying a metal rack 🤣 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aquachris Posted October 23, 2020 Share Posted October 23, 2020 (edited) On 10/20/2020 at 11:22 AM, MickS77 said: Consider material cost vs buying a metal rack. Lumber prices are through the roof because of covid, could be different per region. Highly agree. Mine definitely cost more than a standard metal rack would. However, I couldn't get a standard to fit the size I wanted. I really debated though on a metal rack and do the plywood (most come with particle board, and I don't trust myself enough not to spill). So it was a compromise vs cost more than anything. If I was doing a 36" rack, with 40 gallons, or a longer rack (I think they are 66" or 72") with room for a 48" tank, I would go metal rack. 48" racks are out there, but are exactly 48", not enough room for the trim of the tank. Also, for some I'm sure aesthetics would be important (like mine was to get wife approval) LOL. Edited October 23, 2020 by aquachris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandy Pearl Posted October 23, 2020 Share Posted October 23, 2020 For the folks not familiar with building with wood, you want to make sure the there is a post of some form under the cross braces such that if there were not fasteners used the system would still stand up. In the video from @Andy's Fish Den, this is accomplished by the notches cut out in the supports. There is solid wood supporting the shelves. Stonehenge didn't use screws. . . Good Luck with your project! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now