Tanks stand pros and cons?

[MODreefer]

I am ready to obtain/build two stands to support a 120g and 180g tank.  Should I build it with wood, build it with aluminum, or have one built with steel? It's also possible to build one stand to support both tanks in an L shape with the space between the two to house the electronics. PS, if anyone knows the costs associated with each type of material, that would be helpful as well. Thank you

[bues0022]

Wood will likely be the cheapest, aluminum next, and steel the most expensive - also the same order for ease of workability of the materials. 

 

[DFR]

Wood stands are usually the first choice because parts can be easily sourced, are pretty cheap, versatile, and pretty forgiving to work with.  The only downside is that it takes up a decent amount of real estate.  Wood stands can also be built on-site.  Aluminum can also be easily assembled on-site providing you order all the pieces pre-cut.  Because the aluminum is so modular, it is easy to add or retrofit various components to the stand, as well as reuse in different configurations if you were to ever break down the tank.  Steel stands are extremely strong for its size and can last a lifetime.  One issue (unless you are able to weld) is that it must be fabricated off-site then moved into desired location.  This can be an issue for some larger systems as it will need to be transported and can be cumbersome to move around corners.

I can not speak for cost of steel stands, but I can give you some numbers for wood and 80/20 Al extrusion.  For a regular 24”x24”x30” stand frame (not including enclosure), a wood stand will cost sub $50, whereas the aluminum would be around $350.  I do not know of any local shops where you can source the aluminum, but if there are any that could possibly reduce the cost.