What size wood for stand?

[Cooper23]

Hey all, i am wanting to builf an aquarium stand that holds 4 80 litre tanks (20 gallons) on 2 tiers. I am pretty sure i will be using pine for the stand, just wondering what thickness i will need the wood to be. I live in australia so any bunnings links, will be appreciated thanks.

 

[Flyfisha]

Let’s get one thing out of the way first Cooper23 .
The concrete ( Cement) blocks used by many Americans are a lot different to Australian 190 mm blocks.

However if you intend to use pine timber as legs you will have less issues?

Can you be more specific about the dimensions please.
Are you putting the two rows of two tank sideways or end on .

Will it be two 300 mm wide tanks end on ?
Or two 600 mm long tanks side on ?

Although the weight is the same the span is different.

I have not made my own stands is I used racks from Bunnings. I was a carpenter in my working life.

 

[betchern0t]

I have used standard stud timber bolted together. 70x35 is probably sufficient or going chunkier- 35 x 90. The thing is not so much the timber as the design. I would make a rectangle using 35x90. either make the rectangle so that the outside the tank is flush with the edge or rebate at least 50% of the top and make it so the rebate matches the size of the tank. This will allow the tank to sit into the rectangle. You need to put one to two cross pieces at the same level that the tank sits. You need to make a second rectangle to the same design. You put a leg in each corner.These could be the same 90x35 or you could glue two together to give you a square. The top of the legs should be flush with the bottom of the tank when installed. The other rectangle put about a third of the way up the legs from the ground. You can finish the bottom rectangle with slats to give you a storage shelf or a location for a sump filter or canister. Most of this you should screw together either with coach style screws or long and reasonable gauge wood screws. There is also a place for coach bolts.

Anyway the key is to think about how he weight force is transmitted to the ground - via the legs that the tank is sitting on. The rectangles and the cross pieces stop the legs splaying out of vertical. They also stop the glass bending under the weight and cracking. Some people would also put some padding between the glass and the wood.

 

[Cooper23]

Let’s get one thing out of the way first Cooper23 .
The concrete ( Cement) blocks used by many Americans are a lot different to Australian 190 mm blocks.

However if you intend to use pine timber as legs you will have less issues?

Can you be more specific about the dimensions please.
Are you putting the two rows of two tank sideways or end on .

Will it be two 300 mm wide tanks end on ?
Or two 600 mm long tanks side on ?

Although the weight is the same the span is different.

I have not made my own stands is I used racks from Bunnings. I was a carpenter in my working life.

Ok, so the stand is going to be 125wx 40 or 50 d x90cm high. Two tanks on each level. Facing width wise. As for the depth of the stand, i think i am going to make it 50cm deep, and add ply, so smaller tanks can fit on it. Smaller in depth that is. The reason i have to do that, is where i live its get what you get with tanks, not all are going to be the same sizes, unless you want to be paying $200 for each tank. As for the concrete blocks, is that the structure of the house? Or something for the stand?

I have used standard stud timber bolted together. 70x35 is probably sufficient or going chunkier- 35 x 90. The thing is not so much the timber as the design. I would make a rectangle using 35x90. either make the rectangle so that the outside the tank is flush with the edge or rebate at least 50% of the top and make it so the rebate matches the size of the tank. This will allow the tank to sit into the rectangle. You need to put one to two cross pieces at the same level that the tank sits. You need to make a second rectangle to the same design. You put a leg in each corner.These could be the same 90x35 or you could glue two together to give you a square. The top of the legs should be flush with the bottom of the tank when installed. The other rectangle put about a third of the way up the legs from the ground. You can finish the bottom rectangle with slats to give you a storage shelf or a location for a sump filter or canister. Most of this you should screw together either with coach style screws or long and reasonable gauge wood screws. There is also a place for coach bolts.

Anyway the key is to think about how he weight force is transmitted to the ground - via the legs that the tank is sitting on. The rectangles and the cross pieces stop the legs splaying out of vertical. They also stop the glass bending under the weight and cracking. Some people would also put some padding between the glass and the wood.

Yeah that is a great idea. I will look at some timber tomorrow at bunnings, the attached photo is the type of design that will be good, right? If i lay some plywood on top of the rectangles that hold the tank, and put more cross sections below, would it be alright for me to put a smaller tank in depth (where the wood isnt going vertical) on?

 

[Flyfisha]

If you have no intention of using concrete blocks forget I even mentioned them.

90mm x45 mm. Porta 90 x 45mm 2.4m DAR Pine Standard & Better
Or what we call 4 by 2 ( inches) the Americans can call it 2 by 4 if they what to ?

That would be the choice for up to 1200 mm /4 feet wide.

The bottom tank will need at least 200 mm off the floor to help with siphoning. You need a minimum of 200 between the top of the tank and the bottom of the next shelf.

Plywood is ok but you will still need a foam mat under the tank or polystyrene/ yoga mat.

 

[Cooper23]

If you have no intention of using concrete blocks forget I even mentioned them.

90mm x45 mm. Porta 90 x 45mm 2.4m DAR Pine Standard & Better
Or what we call 4 by 2 ( inches) the Americans can call it 2 by 4 if they what to ?

That would be the choice for up to 1200 mm /4 feet wide. With that wood, could i use

The bottom tank will need at least 200 mm off the floor to help with siphoning. You need a minimum of 200 between the top of the tank and the bottom of the next shelf.

Plywood is ok but you will still need a foam mat under the tank or polystyrene/ yoga mat.

Ok, will do. If i make the stand 20cm off the ground, ill make the stand 100cm tall. Should give me around 30cm of access room. Yep, always use styrofoam under the tanks.with that wood, could i use this instead? 90 x 45mm Framing F5 Untreated Pine L/M its the same size, but just heaps cheaper and untreated. Will be painting the wood after aswell.

 

[Flyfisha]

Yes that timber is great.
I was just confirming 90 x 45 because there is always some confusion about the actual size. You will likely get 88 mm x 43 mm give or take it’s basically called 4 x2

 

[FishDin]

That frame in the picture would work fine. It's built like a fort. If you look into the typical stand from the fish store you'll see much less structual support and often they rely on partical board to take the load.

 

[Cooper23]

Alright i will use that design then, thanks.

Yes that timber is great.
I was just confirming 90 x 45 because there is always some confusion about the actual size. You will likely get 88 mm x 43 mm give or take it’s basically called 4 x2

Ok, will get myself some of that then, does it matter if its untreated? Or since im painting it it wouldnt.

 

[Flyfisha]

Untreated will be ok indoors.

 

[HitzBlack]

Alright i will use that design then, thanks.

Ok, will get myself some of that then, does it matter if its untreated? Or since im painting it it wouldnt.

That is the same design that I used on my 75 gallon tank, just added another support in the middle. 1/8 inch Oak to cover 2x4’s. Plan was to make doors as well, but I have been lazy