55 Gallon Aquarium On Cabinets

Hey guys, I have a new empty 55 gallon aquarium I got on a half off sale. Waiting to figure out what I want to do with it. But my question for you all is. If I put a piece of plywood over those 2 cabinets to spread the weight will it hold an aquarium of this size?

 

Framed tanks need all four corners touching on something. The stands you see at stores have the four corners on some type of weight bearing wood.

You have two of the four covered. There’s a high risk that these tables won’t be able to hold 400+ lbs of water. Add substrate and rocks and that weight goes up.

I would either buy a aquarium rated stand or build a stand. Sometimes it’s best to do it right vs having a tank fail due to the stand not designed for a large 4 foot tank. It’s a nightmare you don’t want.

 

Yeah I think I will get a stand better safe than sorry. Curious thought I posted a second picture, it looks to me like it’s supported on all four corners or am I missing something.

 

Are there any supports in the centre of the cabinets ( where the doors meet) ?
If not I'm pretty sure that the top of the cabinets will bow under the weight. Don't use plywood as even 1" thick ply will bend readily.
You may be able to get away with 1.5 inch thick particleboard plus a 1" thickness of styrofoam sheet to take up any unevenness.

 

Thanks for the info guys, I’m definitely just going to get the metal 55 gallon stand that’s in my amazon cart

 

Here’s a tip...when I got into fish keeping my first tank was a 55g. The stand I bought was nice at the time but I realized many years later that it didn’t hold squat for a canister filter.

Make sure the stand you get will allow you to have room for a canister if you decide to upgrade later.

 

You need to test how solid these two cabinets are. If they don’t feel flimsy, ask three adults to sit or stand on top. My guess is they can hold the weight without issue.

As mentioned above, framed tank needs four corners to be supported. Specifically two short edges. You might want to find some foam to cut into long rectangular shapes to fully support four edges. This would help with leveling water and distribute the weight.

If the cabinets are shaky, never risk it.

I don’t think future upgrade is a thing to be considered now. Based on his setup, he might use internal filter and sponge filter like me, because our tanks are positioned similarly, tank close to the wall. That’s good for smaller fish because they provide some extra hiding places. Canister is not a must have, especially for a 55 gallon. On amazon, 4 sponge filters costs 15$ ish, and they are overfiltered already.

 

You need to test how solid these two cabinets are. If they don’t feel flimsy, ask three adults to sit or stand on top. My guess is they can hold the weight without issue.

As mentioned above, framed tank needs four corners to be supported. Specifically two short edges. You might want to find some foam to cut into long rectangular shapes to fully support four edges. This would help with leveling water and distribute the weight.

If the cabinets are shaky, never risk it.

I don’t think future upgrade is a thing to be considered now. Based on his setup, he might use internal filter and sponge filter like me, because our tanks are positioned similarly, tank close to the wall. That’s good for smaller fish because they provide some extra hiding places. Canister is not a must have, especially for a 55 gallon. On amazon, 4 sponge filters costs 15$ ish, and they are overfiltered already.

I have a Marineland penguin 350 for it coming in the mail. It’s rated for 50-70 gallon tanks and seems well reviewed. Now just to get it stocked and cycled

 

I have a Marineland penguin 350 for it coming in the mail. It’s rated for 50-70 gallon tanks and seems well reviewed. Now just to get it stocked and cycled

You want to use the HOB, this cabinet thing will be not ideal, unless you hang the filter on side, which I think it might be a bit too large for the tank

 

You want to use the HOB, this cabinet thing will be not ideal, unless you hang the filter on side, which I think it might be a bit too large for the tank

Yeah I agree. I’ve decided to get a dedicated stand. Last thing I want is 55 gallons of water, on my floor to go along with dead fish and busted equipment.

 

Yeah I agree. I’ve decided to get a dedicated stand. Last thing I want is 55 gallons of water, on my floor to go along with dead fish and busted equipment.

I built my stand for the 55 gallon with a friend.
It’s surprisingly easy, not mentioning I’m using my own design instead of common ones online.