# Would this wire shelving unit be strong enough?



## fluff34567 (Nov 15, 2005)

you will have a wet floor in about an hour.....


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

fluff34567 said:


> you will have a wet floor in about an hour.....


I disagree

It claims to have a 350 lb shelf capacity. That is per shelf. A 20g tank should weigh less than 200 lbs, full. 

That being said..... There are better shelving units out there. Why such a tall one? I would tie it into the wall, if you can. 

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Whitmor-Supreme-5-Tier-Shelving-System/4433073#ProductDetail

The whole rack weighs 40 lbs... so it isn't flimsy. I have kept a few 10g tanks on a similar, but shorter rack.


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## fluff34567 (Nov 15, 2005)

i had a similar shelf unit with very similar specs - the capacity is with weight on the outside frame of the shelf. if the tank or anything else is supported jst by the wire it bends and the glass will crack but hey its upto the OP i guees.

Personally I would look for a nicer shelf unit - they are out there.


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## Powchekny (Jan 25, 2010)

I'd be afraid of one of those wire shelves flexing under the weight as well. And this one's from Walmart, to boot.

You can get stronger modular shelving.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000WEMI7M/boingboing

For something like this though, I'd probably want to put a coat of urethane over the (probably) fiberboard shelves


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## Burks (May 21, 2006)

Those Gorilla racks are very well built. Uncle uses them in his shop. 

Why couldn't one just get one of the wire units and cut a piece of plywood (or whatever wood you like, I've always used ply) and put it on there? Should better evenly distribute the weight to the outside wires.


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## accordztech (Dec 6, 2004)

id say sit on the metal stand and give it a good jump, if it holds it will hold a fish tank.

I usually like to sit on it and move my butt side to side like a kid to test the structural stability. its not rocket science, but I am a heavey guy =)


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## DarkCobra (Jun 22, 2004)

The frame is only strong in one direction - with the weight pushing straight down. The frame will withstand significantly less sideways force. If the frame leans or twists, for example while you're leaning on the shelf or tank while scrubbing the tank walls and the water is sloshing around, it may collapse.

To use this shelf with the best safety margin, you would need to:

1) Use thick plywood to distribute the weight evenly on the entire shelf, as Burks suggested.
2) Attach the shelf rigidly to the wall, as Over_stocked suggested.
3) Shim the feet of the frame if needed so it distributes weight evenly on the floor.


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## londonloco (Aug 25, 2005)

I'd go with a sturdier shelving unit. If you get bit by the "bug" and start keeping multiple tanks on it, you might be sorry. Home Depot has some heavy duty racks that I've used. In this hobby, do it right the first time, or you'll end up doing it twice.


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

I use the Gorilla rack sort of product, purchased at Home Depot. Yes, it came with particle board shelves, unpainted. I replaced those with painted exterior grade plywood, same thickness. I assembled them in 2 halves, each is 3' tall and has 2 shelves. The upper shelf of each set up has either a 20 or a 29 gallon tank (figure pretty close to 300 lbs) and the rim of these tanks is not positioned directly over the rims of the shelving. I have also kept a smaller tank (10-15 gallons) on the lower shelf, but I do not like doing water changes that close to the floor. 
The feet on these shelve are pieces of wood, such as 2 x 4 that I stick under there, because the shelves do not actually come with feet of any sort. The ends of the angle iron would cut into any flooring material, except concrete. 
There is the possibility of the rack twisting if I hold it and deliberately push and pull at it, but I have never felt there was any safety issue in leaning against the stands during a water change, and one of my dogs bumps into them fairly often. He is still a puppy, but is a gangly big fellow, and can be pretty clumsy.

I would not trust the item in the first link with anything larger than perhaps 5 gallons, and then only with the modifications suggested in several posts above. It just looks too flimsy to do the job safely.


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## paneubert (Nov 4, 2009)

Cinder blocks and 1 X whatever inch wide wood planks from Home Depot. Strong and stable. Ugly though


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## desolatefox (Mar 6, 2008)

Yeah, I kinda figured it'd be too good to be true.  Worth a shot, though. I was hoping to find something at a decent price that didn't require modifications, but I guess that's a pipe dream.


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## papajoe (Feb 14, 2010)

*Craigs*

Absolutely amazing what you can find on Craigslist if you're patient.

Joe roud:


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## macclellan (Dec 22, 2006)

desolatefox said:


> http://www.walmart.com/ip/Whitmor-Supreme-5-Tier-Shelving-System/4433073


I've kept three 20L on one without issue for over a year. I've also kept a 10g, but it does bow a bit in the middle. I would not advise a 20H, 29g, or 30L. It was well-anchored at 4 points into the wall with U-brackets. Using plywood wouldn't be necessary with the 10g and wouldn't really help with the 20L, due to the way these are welded together. I did use 1"x4"s underneath the four legs to distrubute the weight better across my floor joists. This wouldn't be necessary on a concrete floor.


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## F22 (Sep 21, 2008)

paneubert said:


> Cinder blocks and 1 X whatever inch wide wood planks from Home Depot. Strong and stable. Ugly though


+1

you could always paint the cinder blocks and stain the wood... give it modern industrial kinda look..

haha


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## macclellan (Dec 22, 2006)

I still use the 10g on the "target microwave stand" on the left there. I took down the 3x20Ls when I moved.


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