Does This Look Safe? Diy Stand

The cinder blocks have been moved away from the edge of the tank because the middle of the tank was bowing down when I started to fill it. The wood is a bit warped, apparently, and the third row of cinderblocks that was supposed to be in the middle ended up being too tall somehow! Is this a safe design?

 

cannot see the pics - did you upload them to your album and then link to them directly in the post?

 

 

They are still tiny and hard to see for me but I wouldn't trust that.
It's not that hard to make a true wooden stand that is 100xs safer

 

does the tank have a metal frame at the bottom?
If not, then no - this is not good. If the tank is a pure glass tank, then the surface that it sits on needs to be flat. Otherwise the glass at the bottom of the tank will crack.... unless it is veeeeeeery thick and reinforced glass.

I would put a flat 1/2 inch hard plywood surface between the tank and the two wooden planks, so that the bottom of the tank is in full contact with the hard plywood.

 

The glass IS very thick, it's an older style of tank. It has a plastic trim around it.

 

How big a tank is that? 400 litres or so?
A 400 litre tank fully loaded will weigh about 1/2 a ton (500kgs), so the bottom surface needs to have as much contact with the top of the table/stand as possible to ensure it doesn't crack.
I would feel unconfortable.

My 450 litre tank has 1cm glass and still requires a flat stand top as it weights nearly 700kgs fully loaded.

btw, if this is a used tank, you may want to turn it around 180 degrees. The rear glass maybe less scratched then the from glass

 

Personally I wouldn't trust that at all, its extremely unstable, there is no real reinforcement especially for a fairly large tank.

Fill that up and I can guarantee the wood will start to bow eventually, if the cinder blocks don't give way before that happens!

Think about where the weight is displaced, or have a research about it! there is a reason all fish tank stands have a completely flat top and purposefully positioned supports underneath, keep us updated how you get on!

 

I don’t think it’s worth the risk. The thing you need to think about is that if it were to collapse you’ll have a wet floor but also damage to floors, possible mold, damage to property (rentals or neighbors) and the paper work for insurance.

Is all that headache worth it?

 

The cinderblocks are not that uncommon-I know they are a viable material. Here's some links to references that I used when making the stand for my 40 gallon breeder.




I had my 40 breeder on these exact cinderblocks and I had a flat piece of wood supporting the tank, plus a rubber mat for balance. This was very stable.

This is a 55 gallon (208 liter?). I have apparently messed up on this one. I was trying to build it like the first link, but the materials available to me were poor. Ugh looks like I wasted some money on this

Mainly I was trying to ask if moving the base supports away from the tank corners is a bad idea.

 

The cinderblocks are not that uncommon-I know they are a viable material. Here's some links to references that I used when making the stand for my 40 gallon breeder.




I had my 40 breeder on these exact cinderblocks and I had a flat piece of wood supporting the tank, plus a rubber mat for balance. This was very stable.

This is a 55 gallon (208 liter?). I have apparently messed up on this one. I was trying to build it like the first link, but the materials available to me were poor. Ugh looks like I wasted some money on this

Mainly I was trying to ask if moving the base supports away from the tank corners is a bad idea.

The supports are fine and it looks stable enough.

But what is not fine is the huge gap between the middle of the tank and the wood. The tank needs to be completely flat on top of the stand.

I would put a large piece of plywood on top to keep the tank completely level and flat on the stand. That huge space between the wood is just dangerous and no matter how long it holds up for it will always be a weak point on the tank.

But yes the overall tank stand looks fine. You definitely don't need a third column of cinder blocks in the middle. The tank is not long enough to require it.

 

So I needed more room for some tanks. I made a quick stand out of cinder blocks. But I'm.. um... unsure, if it looks safe, or if it's just a total disaster waiting to happen?
I kind of did it post 2nd dose COVID vaccine, so I don't think my brain was all there lol.

Please ignore the mess in my fish area. I can never seem to keep it clean...

My hermit crab tote on top of cinder blocks, right side by side of my 6 gallon cube. I literally ran out of places to put it after I upgraded by 29 to a 40 breeder.




The smaller cinder blocks aren't too% on the larger ones, they hang over a bit...




On both sides, but they're on the plexi glass, which is very string IMO.

 

IDK to me the skinnier blocks under the tote look kind of sketchy. Are they solid? They just look like they may tip easy.

 

IDK to me the skinnier blocks under the tote look kind of sketchy. Are they solid? They just look like they may tip easy.

They have those 3 holes like the one on the left in the picture.

 

They just look tippy being on end and being so much skinnier than the bottom ones. If it feels solid it will probably be ok?

 

Looks fine since you don't live in an earthquake zone.

 

To me the glass holding the smallest tank on the bottom looks too thin. It looks like it might break

It's the kind of setup that would make me nervous in general but that’s just me.

 

DIY stands often require some compromises. Props for creativity...and bravery, lol.

1. Are the bottom cinder blocks (16" x 8", 2 core) 1 deep or 2 deep? It appears to be 1 deep. The 2nd row of cinder blocks (16" x 4", 3 core) appear to be placed against the wall. They are definitely offset from the visible 2 core cinder blocks. What is supporting the back @6" of the 3 core cinder blocks from below?

2. Have you considered adding a cross brace connecting the 2 wood legs (2-2x4s forming the legs of the other stand)? It doesn't have to be anything fancy -- you could probably use wire wrapped around the 2 wood legs. I noticed a small globe aquarium on the bottom shelf. If the 3 core cinder block somehow moves too much and falls, that globe (and possibly the tank next to it) is in trouble.

3. The green translucent sheet -- is it made of glass, plastic, acrylic or something else?

4. How heavy is the hermit crab tote?

5. Be careful when you move the bottled water.

 

The green is plexiglass. I’ve used it before for aquarium shelves without issues.
I redid the stand.


I put the crab tote back on the old magazine rack that I’ve had it in forever and then the 6 gallon in front of it. I’m probably going to put the smaller winder blocks on the floor and the magazine rack stand on top of it to give it some more height.

It looks awful, but at least I’m not afraid it will fall over now. I can also move the cinder blocks closer for the cube so it’s supported on all edges.

 

I made a stand out of 2x4s for less than $30

 

I made a stand out of 2x4s for less than $30

My brother has made me a bunch of stands like that. I just don’t want one like that anymore. This isn’t meant to be permanent.

 

the redo looks much safer imo. moving the blocks more in may also help even more

 

The green is plexiglass. I’ve used it before for aquarium shelves without issues.
I redid the stand.
View attachment 779117
I put the crab tote back on the old magazine rack that I’ve had it in forever and then the 6 gallon in front of it. I’m probably going to put the smaller winder blocks on the floor and the magazine rack stand on top of it to give it some more height.

It looks awful, but at least I’m not afraid it will fall over now. I can also move the cinder blocks closer for the cube so it’s supported on all edges.

I think it's a more safe arrangement than the initial one. Don't be too concerned about aesthetics -- you mentioned it's not permanent. Perhaps you can take over another room, lol.

 

I think it's a more safe arrangement than the initial one. Don't be too concerned about aesthetics -- you mentioned it's not permanent. Perhaps you can take over another room, lol.

LOL NO way!