Antiguan February 24, 2008 Share February 24, 2008 I am planning to build a stand for a 60"Lx30"Wx25"H in-wall glass tank. I have found a few good threads on stand construction, including the monster under Dave's 300 gallon beauty, but none addressing the structural soundness and maximum span allowed for vertical posts supporting the stand. I want to fit a 75 gallon AGA tank (48 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highland Reefer February 24, 2008 Share February 24, 2008 (edited) The old rule of thumb is 1" per foot, so for a 6' span, you would need to use 2"x6"x6' boards to not have any center support. I would use at least 4"x4" support posts. I would run (3) 2"x6"x6' boards under the aqaurium since the distance is going to be more than 16" on center. Edited February 24, 2008 by Highland Reefer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antiguan February 24, 2008 Author Share February 24, 2008 The old rule of thumb is 1" per foot, so for a 6' span, you would need to use 2"x6"x6' boards to not have any center support. I would use at least 4"x4" support posts. I would run (3) 2"x6"x6' boards under the aqaurium since the distance is going to be more than 16" on center. That Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowardofNOVA February 24, 2008 Share February 24, 2008 FWIW, Go high! I love my tank at 42" off the floor for my 90g at 3'x2'x2'! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highland Reefer February 24, 2008 Share February 24, 2008 That's an interesting point. So using three 2"x6" joists running parallel on the 5' span, would be stronger and also provide adequate support for the 30" width. In that scenario, I suppose I would have to run 2x8 beams on the posts covering the width and use joist hangers to support the 2"x6." Thanks for the feedback. Trevor Sounds good to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antiguan February 24, 2008 Author Share February 24, 2008 FWIW, Go high! I love my tank at 42" off the floor for my 90g at 3'x2'x2'! Hey Howard. Your beautiful tank and stand were one of the first I saw after joining WAMAS and they obviously made a lasting impression. That may account for the fact that my current in-wall stand (viewable from two rooms) is 48" off floor on one side and 54" on the other side. There is a 6" step down into one of the rooms. I had to use a ladder to clean my old 90 gallon so I may have to make my new stand a little lower - 42" max height sounds good to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite February 24, 2008 Share February 24, 2008 someone built a stand with an open end to be able to take things in and out - can't remember... either Dave or Bob? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Relad February 27, 2008 Share February 27, 2008 Antiguan I have the same tank.... If you would like to come see the stand I built you are welcome to come over. I have no center brace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highland Reefer February 27, 2008 Share February 27, 2008 The water weight in your two tanks is 2,400 lbs. + maybe 200 lbs in rock and another 200 lbs in sand + 200 lbs in Aquariums brings your total to about 3,000 lbs. I would not want to under build a unit with that much weight in it. If all this weight is on a concrete slab you are alright, but if it is over a basement, you may want to double up on your floor joists beneath this area. All this weight is confined to a small area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antiguan February 27, 2008 Author Share February 27, 2008 Antiguan I have the same tank.... If you would like to come see the stand I built you are welcome to come over. I have no center brace. That would be great, thank you. Sending PM. The water weight in your two tanks is 2,400 lbs. + maybe 200 lbs in rock and another 200 lbs in sand + 200 lbs in Aquariums brings your total to about 3,000 lbs. I would not want to under build a unit with that much weight in it. If all this weight is on a concrete slab you are alright, but if it is over a basement, you may want to double up on your floor joists beneath this area. All this weight is confined to a small area. It's in my basement on a concrete slab. By the way, I saw your stand in another thread and you have some serious woodworking skills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antiguan February 27, 2008 Author Share February 27, 2008 someone built a stand with an open end to be able to take things in and out - can't remember... either Dave or Bob? Thanks, I read both threads. One appears to have side access for sump and the other has none. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YBeNormal February 27, 2008 Share February 27, 2008 The stand I built for Mohsin has doors on both ends for access. FWIW, I would not recommend using 4x4's anywhere in a stand. They will twist and bow and there is nothing you can do to prevent this. You are better off using two 2x4's glued and nail or screwed together, maybe even a section on 3/4" plywood sandwiched between them if you are looking for for extra strength. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now