Sal 45 Posted February 12 Share Posted February 12 Show me a picture of your alternative tank stand, or DIY tank stand? Is there anything you can do to convert a solid wood piece of furniture (like a hutch bottom, or an old vintage dresser) into a good tank stand for a larger (90gal, 120 gal) tank, or don't even attempt? 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tetra Guy 112 Posted February 12 Share Posted February 12 It depends on the furniture. Its difficult to advise over the web, without inspecting what you have, but if you have a solid piece of furniture, it may be sturdy enough on its own, or can be braced inside / behind with additional framing. Basically you want a flat surface to distribute the aquarium's weight evenly, and solid vertical framing to transfer the weight directly to the floor evenly. No overhang, no spindly legs, no wobble or bowing. 2 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sal 45 Posted February 12 Author Share Posted February 12 17 minutes ago, team fishes and shrimps said: i haven't tried, but I am pretty sure old dressers shouldn't hold that much weight. the weight of a 75 gallon is 750 pounds. Oh yes, perfectly expect that we will need to stress test it (I've got a big family and fully intend to have them all stand/jump on it! hahaha!) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Daniel 3,864 Posted February 12 Share Posted February 12 I keep mine mostly on tools chests. 10 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sal 45 Posted February 12 Author Share Posted February 12 5 minutes ago, Tetra Guy said: It depends on the furniture. Its difficult to advise over the web, without inspecting what you have, but if you have a solid piece of furniture, it may be sturdy enough on its own, or can be braced inside / behind with additional framing. Basically you want a flat surface to distribute the aquarium's weight evenly, and solid vertical framing to transfer the weight directly to the floor evenly. No overhang, no spindly legs, no wobble or bowing. Thanks Tetra Guy! I am only looking for pieces that sit directly on the floor (no legs, or minimal legs) and are made with solid hardwood. I do expect we will need to reinforce. The tank stand I have currently is made of particle board and I just can't fathom that it's more sturdy than an actual piece of wood furniture... But maybe I am wrong? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sal 45 Posted February 12 Author Share Posted February 12 2 minutes ago, Daniel said: I keep mine mostly on tools chests. That's such a cool idea!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sal 45 Posted February 12 Author Share Posted February 12 Would something like the legs on this be a no-go for you veterans, so long as it is solid wood? I'm shopping around on FB marketplace, and after a refinishing this would be gorgeous!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tetra Guy 112 Posted February 12 Share Posted February 12 I have a similar dresser which i intend to use as an aquarium stand for a 75g. But i’m going to remove the drawers and put cabinet doors on the front. The reason for that is so I can fit a sump inside and brace all around, including behind the legs. I’m concerned that it may bow in front where the openings for drawers is a structural weakness. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fish Folk 818 Posted February 12 Share Posted February 12 11 minutes ago, Sal said: Would something like the legs on this be a no-go for you veterans, so long as it is solid wood? So... not a veteran here . . . but honestly, the risk of fracture and tank disaster outweighs all other considerations. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sal 45 Posted February 12 Author Share Posted February 12 3 minutes ago, Fish Folk said: So... not a veteran here . . . but honestly, the risk of fracture and tank disaster outweighs all other considerations. Definitely taking time to consider everything, including building something from scratch. But, the tank stands that you can buy (for THOUSANDS of dollars) are just really ugly... I'm not convinced I can't create something better! I love a challenge. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fish Folk 818 Posted February 12 Share Posted February 12 We've made a lot of DIY stands. No great carpentry craftsmanship here . . . just functional. We put a few tanks on furniture. But I think the largest we've tried it with is a 20 gal. One 10 gal on a dresser, a 5.5. on a bookshelf, one 20 gal on a side-stand, and bunch on DIY racks. For security, we tend to prefer 4x4s. But 2x4s can work -- especially pressure treated wood. Here's some photos. 6 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andy's Fish Den 543 Posted February 12 Share Posted February 12 I've built all my stands and racks I've ever had except the one for my 93 cube tank, and that is only because I won the tank and stand in a raffle and the stand was a nice solid one already. I just use 2x4 for all them, if the tank is longer than 4 feet, I put a vertical brace in the center. Even stands that I have built that went in my living room, not in my fish room, I just made a frame out of 2x4 and the wrapped in 1/4" plywood, and used stock moldings from Menard's to dress up corners and edges. This is an older pic of a double 40 breeder rack I built 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JettsPapa 369 Posted February 12 Share Posted February 12 If the furniture is well made, and the footprint of the tank is slightly smaller than the top of the furniture so the weight isn't concentrated in the middle of the furniture, causing stress, it works fine. I don't have any pictures handy, but I have a 20 long on a file cabinet and a 10 and a 5 gallon tank on dressers, and my daughter-in-law has a 55 on a sideboard. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
s1_ 173 Posted February 12 Share Posted February 12 I saw a pretty cool stand someone made out of half a table screwed to the wall. 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sal 45 Posted February 12 Author Share Posted February 12 3 minutes ago, s1_ said: I saw a pretty cool stand someone made out of half a table screwed to the wall. Oh wow, that's really cool. That would make me a little nervous I think! hahaha! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sal 45 Posted February 12 Author Share Posted February 12 What abut something like this? 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JettsPapa 369 Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 2 hours ago, Sal said: What abut something like this? Assuming it's made of solid lumber and not particle board or something similar it should be fine. Also assuming the tank fits well on it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tetra Guy 112 Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 2 hours ago, Sal said: What abut something like this? Looks solid, flat bottom will distribute the weight. I like the big cabinet it the middle because you can put some nice chunky vertical frames in the center section, to transfer weight to floor and prevent any sagging. If the dresser top isn’t perfectly level, adding the additional frame in the middle will solve this. Just based on photo, I’m thinking it would work. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hobbit 592 Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 3 hours ago, Sal said: What abut something like this? If you can, open that cabinet and pull out all the drawers, then fit some vertical 2x4s on the inside edges to support the weight of the top. If you can add those 2x4s so they span all the way from the top piece to the floor, I think you’d be in good shape. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Casual aquatics 62 Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 Oak dressers 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
madmark285 14 Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 22 hours ago, Sal said: Show me a picture of your alternative tank stand, or DIY tank stand? Is there anything you can do to convert a solid wood piece of furniture (like a hutch bottom, or an old vintage dresser) into a good tank stand for a larger (90gal, 120 gal) tank, or don't even attempt? My setup. I used maple plywood from Lowes, it was cheaper than oak. I had the doors and as my dear wife like to tell me, the colors do not match 🙂 Furniture grade plywood is the best option as it is dimensionally stable. I have a 50 year old solid wood Ethan Allen dining room table, one of the leaves split open. Personally I hate solid wood. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
madmark285 14 Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 15 hours ago, Sal said: What abut something like this? As a general rule, if you can disassemble the dresser (think IKEA) , it might not be strong enough. Now the good news, old beat up dressers found at Goodwill tend to be very solid and cheap. As you say, refinish them and it may be beautiful! Is the top it level? If not level, you could use a pad or buy some Bondo and level off where the tank will sit (can offer more help on this). If concerned that the top is not strong enough, I suggest buying a pocket hole jig (Kreg or Harbor Freight) and attach strips of plywood under the top piece. This would mean you can no longer use the top drawers, just remove the drawer part and glue the front panel to the face. What is good about this dresser, no legs and the weight will be distributed . However if your floor is not level, you will have to use shims under the dresser. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sal 45 Posted February 15 Author Share Posted February 15 We did drive out and purchase this dresser! Stress test, level check, and refinishing to follow! Stay tuned. So far it appears really solid & sturdy!! slow and steady. Thanks for all of your thoughts & input! 5 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
KaitieG 106 Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 We repurposed an antique buffet for our 95 gallon. My husband is a farmer and has some woodworking skills, and he said it would be "fine." So... It's been fine! It has about a 1 1/2 inch solid wood top, and he did reinforce the bottom with a couple 2X4s. He also had to make a substantial custom shim for it that went all the way across the front. (photo 1) Then 2 for the sides and 1 for the back as well. That was by far the most challenging part of the project. We made sure the weight could be distributed throughout the piece of furniture. The neighbor we got it from used to use it as a tool chest, so pretty sure that weighed about as much as the tank 🙂 What I like about it-- -We paid $10 for it 12 years ago, used it to store dishes, and now have a tank stand! -It fits the tank PERFECTLY--about 2 inches on each side and a quarter inch front and back (plus the rounded part in front) -It matches our other furniture and our old house. -There's tons of storage (but it wouldn't work for a sump). (Photo 2) -My husband plumbed permanent hot and cold water lines with spigots and a drain pipe into the side cabinets for easy water changes (note...cheap big box spigots are leaky...that still needs to be fixed!) (photo 3) One last thing--I did learn the hard way with a couple smaller tanks...you NEED to put vinyl or something like that on top of the wood. It doesn't matter how neat you think your water changes will be. You WILL ruin your furniture. Don't tell my grandma who gave us the Ethan Allen end tables with our 10 and 20 gallon tanks on them! Shhhhh! 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sal 45 Posted February 16 Author Share Posted February 16 19 hours ago, KaitieG said: We repurposed an antique buffet for our 95 gallon. My husband is a farmer and has some woodworking skills, and he said it would be "fine." So... It's been fine! It has about a 1 1/2 inch solid wood top, and he did reinforce the bottom with a couple 2X4s. He also had to make a substantial custom shim for it that went all the way across the front. (photo 1) Then 2 for the sides and 1 for the back as well. That was by far the most challenging part of the project. We made sure the weight could be distributed throughout the piece of furniture. The neighbor we got it from used to use it as a tool chest, so pretty sure that weighed about as much as the tank 🙂 What I like about it-- -We paid $10 for it 12 years ago, used it to store dishes, and now have a tank stand! -It fits the tank PERFECTLY--about 2 inches on each side and a quarter inch front and back (plus the rounded part in front) -It matches our other furniture and our old house. -There's tons of storage (but it wouldn't work for a sump). (Photo 2) -My husband plumbed permanent hot and cold water lines with spigots and a drain pipe into the side cabinets for easy water changes (note...cheap big box spigots are leaky...that still needs to be fixed!) (photo 3) One last thing--I did learn the hard way with a couple smaller tanks...you NEED to put vinyl or something like that on top of the wood. It doesn't matter how neat you think your water changes will be. You WILL ruin your furniture. Don't tell my grandma who gave us the Ethan Allen end tables with our 10 and 20 gallon tanks on them! Shhhhh! This is SO COOL! I love how custom it is, and that it matches with your home. That's ultimately what I want to accomplish too! Thank you for sharing! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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