Advice on a 55 gallon tank stand

I just bought a 55 gallon tank and have been having some issues finding a nice tank stand. Some of the ones I saw online were either too expensive or not so great looking or sturdy. I don't have the option of building one either. Is there any other furniture pieces that would to support my tank? I was checking out some console tables and cabinets. I realize some of these might not be the optimal choice, but I still wanted some opinions and suggestions.

 

A 55 gallon is an average size tank and I would suggest getting the actual stand for it since you wouldn't want a collapse. But in your case since your looking for a more affordable and appealing stand I would say maybe the 2nd, 5th, or 6th one. Maybe even the first one. It all really depends on what they're made out of(I can't really tell too well from the pics) and how much it can hold. You can test the weight limit by sitting on it and seeing if it's sturdy enough or not(wobbly or creaking). You want to apply around 625 lbs or more since that's how much it would be holding. Something else to keep in mind is that furniture pieces with legs are more prone to actually collapsing so you might want to look for one that has its whole entire base touching the ground(no legs basically).

 

Also, might be worth looking at amazon or walmart or home improvement store for those utility racks. That can sometimes prove budget friendly and strong. Just make sure to have a rough estimation on minimum weight of the full tank and know your length and widths!

 

I think having that extra support in the middle would be helpful as well. And I agree with BigManAquatics, something with no legs would be better due to how much weight it would have to hold up.

 

Check like Craigslist for furniture like a bedroom dresser, long one. Works great for mine.

 

Thank you so much. These are some great suggestions. I'll take a look at home depot, double check walmart and check out craigslist. Might be back with some further questions once I've dug a little deeper
Oh man. Just started checking out craigs list and I am getting sidetracked with too many things on here lol

 

Thank you so much. These are some great suggestions. I'll take a look at home depot, double check walmart and check out craigslist. Might be back with some further questions once I've dug a little deeper
Oh man. Just started checking out craigs list and I am getting sidetracked with too many things on here lol

 

Given that many of the fish tank stands sold now are made of 100% particle board, anything made of plywood or solid, actual wood with a center vertical section should be sufficient. In my case, I looked on my local Craiglist and found a 42" wide "TV stand" (from back in the days of big, tube-type TVs). Then, I bought a 48x24x1.25" butcherblock countertop and fitted that to the top.

If that's still not enough reassurance, reinforce your stand internally with 2x4s.