Attempt At Making A Tank Stand

Hi, after being dissapointed by the selection of 29 gallon tank stands I decided to try my hand at making my own stand. So I found several builds for different sizes of tanks and meshed them together to fit my needs. I have 2 questions : is it necessary to waterproof the wood (it's just regular 2X3s and plywood) and secondly since the top of the stand weighs the same as the bottom should I add weight (in the form of cinder blocks or other things) to make the bottom heavier so the tank on top will be more stable? I'll put up a couple pictures, sorry I didn't get more of the building process.

 

It looks good,a little overkill but that`s OK.I have built stands very similar in design and they work.Make sure it is square and level all the way around. Most likely your floor won`t be exactly level so shI'm it at the bottom.

 

Definitely overkill but that's certainly not a bad thing. No need to waterproof imo,

If you want weight at the bottom, why not add some lower shelves to store aquarium things? Plus then you could stick a 10 gallon tank at the bottom!! I made a somewhat similar stand and actually screwed it directly to the wall studs to give me peace of mind, so no worries about it falling over on me.

 

It looks good,a little overkill but that`s OK.I have built stands very similar in design and they work.Make sure it is square and level all the way around. Most likely your floor won`t be exactly level so shI'm it at the bottom.

Thanks, I figured but I like to be sure lol. I checked it and it's almost perfectly level

 

Definitely overkill but that's certainly not a bad thing. No need to waterproof imo,

If you want weight at the bottom, why not add some lower shelves to store aquarium things? Plus then you could stick a 10 gallon tank at the bottom!! I made a somewhat similar stand and actually screwed it directly to the wall studs to give me peace of mind, so no worries about it falling over on me.

I was thinking about the tank idea, I plan to get a more aquascapable (doubt that's a real word..)tank in a year or so and this one should fit right under there as a grow out/fry tank

 

I always recommended waterproofing stands, mainly because I heard of people getting their's wet and it warping.

 

I always recommended waterproofing stands, mainly because I heard of people getting their's wet and it warping.

Would waterproof the entire stand or just the exposed areas?

 

Would waterproof the entire stand or just the exposed areas?

I would waterproof wherever you think splashes are most likely to occur.

 

OK, thank you

 

I can't argue with that. Personally I didn't waterproof mine, but there's no downside to it, and if you ever have an accident, you're covered.

 

Wow, awesome DIY stand! I built one for my 75gal following this guide . I didn't waterproof/stain mine. Didn't put a skin on it either. A black curtain wrapped around it and voila.

I was thinking of skinning and adding doors, but because my SunSun 304B canister filter is bigger than a 5gal bucket, I would never get it out to service it. Too big and too heavy. I just move the curtain aside, pin it up and I have all the room to just slide it out easy peasy.

 

Wow, awesome DIY stand! I built one for my 75gal following this guide . I didn't waterproof/stain mine. Didn't put a skin on it either. A black curtain wrapped around it and voila.

I was thinking of skinning and adding doors, but because my SunSun 304B canister filter is bigger than a 5gal bucket, I would never get it out to service it. Too big and too heavy. I just move the curtain aside, pin it up and I have all the room to just slide it out easy peasy.

Thanks , whatever works for your needs is best

 

You could get a piece of laminated counter top and glue it to the top. No need to waterproof.

 

Staining is a good option, IMO. You can get water repellent stains, I think they are generally referred to as marine oil stain. Looks great, keeps water out.
My build was totally different, but you can see how the stain really upped the quality of the final result. In my most humble opinion.
I used a couple coats of a walnut colored stain, and marine oil to finish it. You can see some pics of the wood before and after staining here: Bitseriously's Upgrade Build, With Pics
Are you going to put a deck on top?

 

I stain and polyurethane all of my stands.In fact I also use boot tray in front of my tanks to prevent getting the carpet wet when doing maintenance.This stand supports a 29 gallon and a 10 gallon QT underneath.

 

View attachment 472554 I stain and polyurethane all of my stands.In fact I also use boot tray in front of my tanks to prevent getting the carpet wet when doing maintenance.This stand supports a 29 gallon and a 10 gallon QT underneath.View attachment 472554

That looks really nice , I was originally just going to paint it but maybe stain would be the better option

 

Either way is OK just as long you are able to wipe it off and keep it clean.I don`t have a clue why that showed up twice.

 

I know it's a smaller tank, I would probably throw a piece of 1/4 ply on the top that way the whole bottom rI'm of the tank is supported.

 

I know it's a smaller tank, I would probably throw a piece of 1/4 ply on the top that way the whole bottom rI'm of the tank is supported.

I did just haven't posted a pic of that yet lol

 

Sorry about that, I just got done converting a 72x18" stand to take tanks ranging from 60 x 18" to 72 x 24".

 

Sorry about that, I just got done converting a 72x18" stand to take tanks ranging from 60 x 18" to 72 x 24".

You're fine I've just been busy and trying to find time to build it was a pain so I'm having to post about it after the fact but before I have pictures

 

You're fine I've just been busy and trying to find time to build it was a pain so I'm having to post about it after the fact but before I have pictures

I would hate to see anyone damage a tank is all, not matter what size it is.

 

I would slap some board on the sides maybe a cute door with little handle on the front and stain or paint it black.
Heres my DIY stand that holds two 10 gallons with doors and storage.

 

I would hate to see anyone damage a tank is all, not matter what size it is.

You and me both

 

Nice stand! I didnt like selection of stands either. I like your color choice. My stand is for a 55 gal 48x14. As you see I did place planking on top. I used six legs to support. Not stand was spot on level - sadly floor was not so I used beer coasters as a shI'm and cut around legs. I stained all wood and polyurethaned all outside wood. Good luck.

 

Nice stand! I didnt like selection of stands either. I like your color choice. My stand is for a 55 gal 48x14. As you see I did place planking on top. I used six legs to support. Not stand was spot on level - sadly floor was not so I used beer coasters as a shI'm and cut around legs. I stained all wood and polyurethaned all outside wood. Good luck.

Looks amazing

 

Mines a semI store bought, got it used for $25 I originally was for a 72 X 18" tank, my buddy from the Navy has all the cool wood working tools so we made a few adjustments. It will now take a tank from 60 x18" to 72 x 24".

 

I built a couple stands for a 40 gallon breeder aquarium I’m putting together for my young son. I say a couple because the first one I built I got the dimensions for the tank online and after building the stand the tank didn’t fit on it! Ha!

So round two did the trick. They’re building a ton of houses in my area right now so after some dumpster diving I built this one.

Yours is over kill but you could always upgrade the tank later if you wanted. Or, have some glass cut and build the tank to fit the stand.