A slight problem... anyone have ideas?

Hello my fishkeeping friends. I just took some measurements to see if a plan I've got can be done and... well it's close.
I've got a custom wood stand my 50 gallon sits on and I'm planning on getting three 10 gallon tanks that I want to put under the 50 gallon. Thing is when I looked up the dimensions of the tanks they're 20.25" long by 10.5" wide while I have about 17" by 44" within the stand.

It's been a while since I tried estimating the weight of my tank but IIRC the tank alone is over a quarter of a (US) ton and the stand isn't light either so moving it... well I'd rather not. The other idea I had was to cut into the wall but I'm pretty sure my housemates wouldn't let me climb under my tank and cut into the wall.

Simply having the tanks somewhere else isn't really an option. It isn't a dedicated fish room and I want to make use of this brilliant pipe system John58ford showed me which works on gravity and so needs a top tank and then lower tanks.

Reducing the tank size... well that might be an option but it'd make me squirm a bit to do. The tanks are intended to me two Daphnia tanks and a quarantine tank.
I think since the 50 gallon display tank is just intended to have guppies and Ammano Shrimp it could be reduced but I've already had one Daphnia colony crash on me and want to have the extra space to protect against that.

So any ideas for what I could do? Maybe 10 gallon talls if those exist...

 

How about 10 gallon cube tanks?

 

How about 10 gallon cube tanks?

Cubes fit in the space I need them to, thank you very much...
though am I just looking in the wrong places or are cubes ten times the price of rectangles?

 

You could have two 5 gallon tanks and a 10. Two 5s for the daphnia, put in so the short sides face out instead of long sides; the 10 for quarantine.

 

Yikes I didnt even look at the prices. This place has a 10 tall for $50. Their cheaper but still wow.

 

I support the 2×5+1×10 idea

 

You could have two 5 gallon tanks and a 10. Two 5s for the daphnia, put in so the short sides face out instead of long sides; the 10 for quarantine.

I wanted to do that for the three of them short side facing forward so I could use 1-2 LED displays for all three and to use a single pump and a T connector for bubble/airation on the Daphnia tanks.

 

Update:
Just had the idea of checking the dimensions & pricing of a 30 gallon tank and converting it into 3 combined 10 gallon tanks. The dimensions work and it's not bank breaking. I'd just need to be able to seal the dividers such that water can't pass from one tank to another.

 

Why could you not do four 10 gallon tanks? If you have 44 inches between stand columns you can have 4 of them with the long sides in and the ends facing out. Sponge filters in each, so no concern for HOB filters. You will have four 10.5 inch windows facing out. Only about 1.5 inches of tank extending beyond the frame on the front and the back. A board on the bottom shelf cut to the proper width might give you more piece of mind.

Barry Simon

 

Why could you not do four 10 gallon tanks? If you have 44 inches between stand columns you can have 4 of them with the long sides in and the ends facing out. Sponge filters in each, so no concern for HOB filters. You will have four 10.5 inch windows facing out. Only about 1.5 inches of tank extending beyond the frame on the front and the back. A board on the bottom shelf cut to the proper width might give you more piece of mind.

Barry Simon

The stand is built like a wardrobe except no back. It has doors on the front and solid walls on the sides. 44" is the approximate usable space between the walls. Arranging 10 gallon tanks so their short side faces outward the tank could be pressed against the back wall and would stick forward far enough I wouldn't be able to close the doors.
Removing the doors is an option but I'm not sure how much that'd interfere with people walking near the tank. I don't want someone kneeing my quarantine tank.

 

The stand is built like a wardrobe except no back. It has doors on the front and solid walls on the sides. 44" is the approximate usable space between the walls. Arranging 10 gallon tanks so their short side faces outward the tank could be pressed against the back wall and would stick forward far enough I wouldn't be able to close the doors.
Removing the doors is an option but I'm not sure how much that'd interfere with people walking near the tank. I don't want someone kneeing my quarantine tank.

You could just add a block under each hinge to space the doors from the base...
Wouldn't look good but...
If you wanted it to look better, add a frame around the whole front panel of the stand to hide the blocks...

The 30 gallon might fit with a 5 gallon on the end, not sure if the dimensions of those two.

 

You could just add a block under each hinge to space the doors from the base...
Wouldn't look good but...
If you wanted it to look better, add a frame around the whole front panel of the stand to hide the blocks...

The 30 gallon might fit with a 5 gallon on the end, not sure if the dimensions of those two.

You know, I can see that working. With a frame it'd just about look nice if I can get the frame looking like the stained wood the stand itself is made of.

 

You know, I can see that working. With a frame it'd just about look nice if I can get the frame looking like the stained wood the stand itself is made of.

It might even work if you painted it black. Sometimes matching a stain is... interesting.