Plank Supporting Aquarium Bowing?

I have a stand that is slightly too small for my aquarium, and the guy at my lfs said that putting a plank across it should be fine since it only goes over the edge by an inch on the left and right sides. The problem is, the corners of the stand are slightly raised, so the bottom of the plank has no support directly under it, just on the corners. The wood is bowing under the weight of the aquarium and if I line myself up with the bottom of the aquarium I can see a tiny sliver of light through it. The aquarium is rimless and has a pad under it meant to distribute force. Will this be a problem in the future or is it safe as it is?

 

is that kitchen rack? that stand doesn't look to safe to me. but I'm new and easily paranoid about aquarium issues. personally I would invest in a stand that is large enough to prevent any possible issues in the future. like that plank breaking and the tank faling at a slant and falling off and destroying everything.

 

I mean the stand looks scary to me with the size of tank. But Ill pretend its a proper stand. Many stands are built with a overhanging slab for the tank. Ive heard it works great with it evenly distributed.

 

It's not the overhang that concerns me, it's that the wood is bowing in the middle and clearly more weight is being put on the corners of the aquarium because the mat is significantly compressed on the edges, and not at all compressed in the center. I am willing to replace the stand but it supports 200 pounds, it looks rickety but isn't.

 

It's not the overhang that concerns me, it's that the wood is bowing in the middle and clearly more weight is being put on the corners of the aquarium because the mat is significantly compressed on the edges, and not at all compressed in the center. I am willing to replace the stand but it supports 200 pounds, it looks rickety but isn't.

Ah I see. I had the same issue with my 10 gallons on a 20 gallon stand. I did put a board under the tank to support it.

 

So a second board to support the first board?

 

Is the board resting on the "top" of the legs that go past the top of the stand? That's what it looks like to me. If so, and it doesn't push the weight limit over the 200lbs, it looks like you just need a board (or 2, depending on how thick they are) that fits between the top of the legs for the top board to rest on. I def wouldn't trust as is. Stress can cause it to pop those seals! It makes me nervous just looking at the pic!!!

 

I think I'm just going to buy a new stand. Is this acceptable? My aquarium would fit between the legs and each shelf supports 350 pounds.

 

I don't think that would be a good idea, even in that item's comments (search "fish") think its a bad idea. it looks like it can easily tip over. I would go for something more sturdy looking like this or something that doesn't look like it has any posibility of tipping over. and not having any raised parts on the top is a plus

 

I don't see the comments you are referring to, the only comments mentioning fish was one person saying he had 20 gallons on them for years without issue and one person asking if they are suitable for aquariums. Again, just because it looks flimsy doesn't mean it is. If the version I have now wasn't too small, I would be fully confident in putting my aquarium on it. I could stand in the middle of the top shelf and felt secure. It's not in a position it could be tipped over anyway, it's against the wall, next to my nightstand on one side, and next to a closet thing on the other side.

 

I don't see the comments you are referring to, the only comments mentioning fish was one person saying he had 20 gallons on them for years without issue and one person asking if they are suitable for aquariums. Again, just because it looks flimsy doesn't mean it is. If the version I have now wasn't too small, I would be fully confident in putting my aquarium on it. I could stand in the middle of the top shelf and felt secure. It's not in a position it could be tipped over anyway, it's against the wall, next to my nightstand on one side, and next to a closet thing on the other side.

scroll down to customer questions and answers(sorry I should have said that instead of comments) and in the search type "fish" shoudl see 3 questions and a few answers. also, I'm easily paranoid about things like this or ocd I dunno. but it could just be a personal issue. if you are confident it will work. it should be fine

 

I built this myself out of some pressure treated 2×4s and plywood. Its supporting a 60 gallon glass tank and there is an intentional gap underneath. The wood isn't bowing tho.

 

It looks like that tank has a rI'm though. I've never used a rimless tank and it's so expensive I really don't want to make a mistake. There's no fish in yet at least

 

Ahhh. Well doing a 2x4 or something like that to the center from bottom to top on the front and back sides will stop the bow. Just make sure it's a really tight fit.