Building Coop-style fish racks.

[JcsFish]

I love the minimalist style the Coop's racks.  So I set out to do a similar setup, and it's coming together well.  I planned on doing a couple 55 gallon tanks mixed with 20 gallon ones since they are the same width.  Now that the $1 sale has started, I looked at my local Petco, and they have no 55s right now, but there were 75s.  So now I'm thinking about the added width/weight.  Cory has said the weight with glass tanks are carried on the corners.  I think if I use thicker or two bolts at each corner it'd be alright.  An alternative would be to double up the vertical 2x4s.  Thoughts?

 

[Patrick M. Bodega Aquatics]

Looks great!

[Andrew Puhr]

Are you bolting them to the floor joists? It kind of looks that way but it might just be the angle. Overall really love the design. It should hold great. I think the 55s might suit you better for your overall design but I think if you have to doubling up on the wood should work for width. Definitely keep the pictures coming!

[JcsFish]

No, they aren't bolted up top.  They don't quite line up with the joists.  I have two support beams running across the back, one is in this photo along the bottom row of tanks.  Another has been put along the top row since then.

The 55/75s will go in a second rack on the other side of the room.  A set of like two 55s and 4 20Hs.  But then I got to thinking of the 75s and maybe doing a few 40 breeders beside them.  I've got the month to think about which style, while the $1 sale is going.

[Gbiaggi]

Hello friends.

Im thinking of implementing the same style of racks for 20 gallon tall and 10 gallon rimless tanks but me and my other nerm friends are arguing a lot.

I think it could work since Cory uses tons of 20 gallon tall tanks in the CoOp store and to what I know nothing has happened... but I have two variants to the overall layout:

1) I´m using 20 gallon tall tanks, rimless I've made myself (no leaks when placed on a conventional aquarium rack or table), they dont sell those ones with black upper and lower borders they sale in the US or I see in the AC store tours. Im making it out of 6mm or 1/4 inch glass.

2) Im placing inside each tank  about 20 Kg (44.09 lbs) of gravel, sand, nutrient rich and /or dirt for a 5 inch aprox. layer, maybe a bit more.

 

We are arguing because the AC tanks on that the corner suported only racks dont have substrate or incredibly supercial amounts. So my friends have a point thinking that all that hard weight might make the base come apart, crumble, brake or straight up cave in or out. 

 

So can you help me out to research or just explain to me if the rimless tanks on the corner supported Coop style racks will work or not? Maybe someone has tried it out under similar conditions? Please :)?

 

Thank you for your time and cheers!

Edited September 10, 2022 by Gbiaggi

[JcsFish]

Though I don't have any rimless tanks, I'd wager they would be fine.  20 gallons of water, even with the substrate, isn't all that much weight for a glass pane to bear.  You could do an experiment to put your mind at ease, building a small stand just a few inches off the ground.  Fill it and leave it for a week or more.  If it's still standing, then you'll be more confident in it.