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Calling All Tank Stand Engineers :)

Jason Rhoads

By Jason Rhoads,
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DuffyGeos

DuffyGeos

Wow Duff ! Nothing beats a Cold Beer Engineer ;)

 

I have never had to go back to a job to fix something because it has failed.......over build and life is good :cool:

TrueTricia Starfish

TrueTricia

Ignoring the fact that you've got a tricky balancing situation on your hands with this design, I ran a quick beam deflection calculation for the 9-foot doubled-up 2x6 span using a point load equal to 1780 pounds (a conservative figure for water, rock and tank). The calculation failed, projecting a beam deflection of about 1/6 of an inch. This, coupled with unequal deflection across the sides, would put a large stress on the seams and may lead to premature tank failure. 

 

I'm not even sure what you just said, but man, it sounds smart! lol

DuffyGeos

DuffyGeos

I'm not even sure what you just said, but man, it sounds smart! lol

 

The weight on top of the tank stand, that is made of different sizes of wood, will make it bend and maybe break since it is very long...tank will go BOOM!

TrueTricia Starfish

TrueTricia

The weight on top of the tank stand, that is made of different sizes of wood, will make it bend and maybe break since it is very long...tank will go BOOM!

 

I'm pretty sure you just called me a dumb blonde! lol. :tongue: Thanks for summing it up. I was thinking the tank may go more the way of a CRASH/SHATTER/SPLASH sequence.

DuffyGeos

DuffyGeos

I'm pretty sure you just called me a dumb blonde! lol. :tongue: Thanks for summing it up. I was thinking the tank may go more the way of a CRASH/SHATTER/SPLASH sequence.

 

No dude, I gave it to you very plan and simple. It is like if I talk to a lawyer I will ask...."So what does all 60 pages of this junk really mean"? :tongue:

TrueTricia Starfish

TrueTricia

No dude, I gave it to you very plan and simple. It is like if I talk to a lawyer I will ask...."So what does all 60 pages of this junk really mean"? :tongue:

 

LOL. I had that same thought in my head. "I wonder if this is what lawyers sound like to non-lawyers..."

DuffyGeos

DuffyGeos

LOL. I had that same thought in my head. "I wonder if this is what lawyers sound like to non-lawyers..."

 

Yup...wrong side of the brain for me.

Origami Neptune Reefer

Origami

I'm not even sure what you just said, but man, it sounds smart! lol

:laugh: Yeah, it means that the tank could begin to leak and then open up. And, of course, it'll happen at the worst time - like when you're just about to head out the door on vacation or something like that.

 

It's not the glass that breaks / shatters in most cases. It's the seams which are straight and at right angles that open up and begins to drain the tank. The silicone that's typically used in the joints has some flex and the glass is, well, not quite as flexible. So, when the stand of the surface is not flat, the heavy load in the tank can force the joints and even the glass to flex and put an uneven strain on the seams, and the silicone can begin to pull away from the glass and cause a leak. This can happen if the stand is not flat (by design) or if it flexes to much under a load. It's this latter condition that we're concerned with here.

 

I had a 55 that I used as a frag tank for a little while suffer from a similar problem. I put it on a heavy duty rack that I bought from Costco -  one of those things that could support something like 1500 pounds. But, the rails on it were made of stamped sheet steel. Under the load of a measly 55, the rails flexed just a little bit (twisting towards the middle) causing the middle of the shelf to sag just a little. Within a few weeks, In noticed that I had some salt creep and a wet spot at the base of the tank indicating a leak in that seam. Luckily, I was able to use some all thread to pull the twist out of the rails on the front and back and level the shelf as a result. The tank then came back into level and the leak stopped (presumably because the silicone was now under compression again - not that it had healed miraculously). That ultimately saved me from having to empty the tank and re-seal it, but it wouldn't have happened in the first place had the stand supported the weight the way that I wanted it.

Origami Neptune Reefer

Origami

 

You haven't gotten any love for this post. Here's some. :cheers: Pretty funny incident.

 

OK. Alright already.  :wub:  Who was that he was calling for anyway? His mom? My, my. "Gonna flex my biceps for the camera; post it up for the girls at school... S***! Mama! Help." Funny.

 

What about:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kCecxKAcfM

 

Or

 

DuffyGeos

DuffyGeos

(edited)

You haven't gotten any love for this post. Here's some. :cheers: Pretty funny incident.

 

 

 

 

 

 Funny!  That made me cringe!  thinking about the front side on my tank that is built into out gym! :ohmy:

Edited by DuffyGeos
Origami Neptune Reefer

Origami

I had no sound at work...  Need to watch it later to listen.  Wasn't thinking there were expletives, but not surprised either. haha

Not sure that the mic picked up anything like that. It did sound like he called for his Mom, though. And I think it's her that comes in with the bucket at the end. It's just hilarious because you know he's setting up the camera to capture himself in all his adolescent manliness, only to have this happen to him!

Jason Rhoads

Jason Rhoads

  • Author

For anyone playing along at home; I went with (4) 2x8's.  

 

Two tied together to make the supports spanning the entire distance of the stand.  

 

So, it is now supported by (4) 2x8's and (2) 2x6's and (2) 2x4's; if that doesnt hold it then I don't know what will. :)

 

CAM00819.jpg

Origami Neptune Reefer

Origami

Whoa. That's probably the strongest stand ever. LOL. 

 

Will you attach it to a wall or anything to keep it from racking side-to-side along the long dimension? I see the cross bracing in the short dimension.

Jason Rhoads

Jason Rhoads

  • Author

Whoa. That's probably the strongest stand ever. LOL. 

 

Will you attach it to a wall or anything to keep it from racking side-to-side along the long dimension? I see the cross bracing in the short dimension.

 

It actually cannot move in the long dimension do to where it is in the house.  it fits so snugly that it essentially is attached to the walls on either side of the stand.  :)

Origami Neptune Reefer

Origami

It actually cannot move in the long dimension do to where it is in the house.  it fits so snugly that it essentially is attached to the walls on either side of the stand.   :)

Perfect.

 

So, are you going to toss some plywood across the top? When will you set the tank up and fill it?

YHSublime Neptune Reefer

YHSublime

Jason, I have a 6x2 sheet of birch plywood you can have if you can use it, I've been cutting up a huge board for projects around the stand/house.

DuffyGeos

DuffyGeos

Ok, I feel a little better now. :laugh:

 

The alcove you are going to squeeze it into will give it the left to right support. You say it is a tight fit, have you actually fit the whole stand in the space yet? Unfortunately a lot of construction is not "racked" or square so you might want to make sure it actually fits, and the opening against the back wall is the same as the open across the front.

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