# Aquarium stands



## kaldurak (May 2, 2010)

I use an Ikea T.V. stand thing as my 20g tank stand. Its sweet because it has 2 drawers, a glass bypass door, is center braced, and despite how long it is - the metal legs actually run all the way across the bottom. I'll see if I can find the name/picture.


Edit: could not find the name with my Google-fu, they don't make it anymore. I had to scroll to August to find a pic that included the stand as a whole.


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## Jaybo (Apr 10, 2018)

If you own some basic tools you could make one that will be far superior then anything you could buy

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## JJ09 (Sep 11, 2014)

My 10g is on a nightstand, but anything larger I am leery of regular household furniture not being able to hold the weight. I had two small tanks on a living room cupboard once, which looks plenty strong enough but gradually it started to bow in the middle- I tested it with a level- so I found a new site for them. It's about how the weight is distributed. My 20H is on a stand I made myself, my 33 Long is on a steel frame stand that could hold a 55g (I like this one the best and it is super strong, altho I can't store stuff under it, but looks nice in my living room), and my 45 is on the manufacturer's stand it came with. I wasn't going to mess around with that one!


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## Cardoc (May 21, 2011)

I have a six gallon on a cheap dresser and it’s starting to sag, but if it’s made of real wood you should be alright as long as it’s level on the top


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## nbr1rodeoclown (Feb 6, 2015)

TLDR: skip the mdf, anything else is good.

A 20 gallon will be fine on solid wood. heck it would be fine on plywood.

I just wouldn't trust anything on mdf, as it will come apart when wet.

i had a 65 gallon rimless on doubled up birch plywood with biscuit joints.

https://www.plantedtank.net/forums/12-tank-journals/922937-65-gallon-se-asian-nine.html

first few post show the stand.

It was diesel, got wet plenty and never faltered.

right now i have a two 20 gallons on 3/4" cedar and galvanized pipe legs. same thing. diesel, no problems.

(i should note, most of the strength is going to come from whether or not you have a back panel that is firmly fixed, or whether its just cardboard. if the back panel is wood and screwed or nailed in, you're golden)


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## TheUnseenHand (May 14, 2017)

I always make my own stands based on RocketEngineer's basic design and "skin" them:

DIY Stands Template and Calculator - Reef Central Online Community

If you check my thread, you can see my way of skinning the stand that has worked wonders for me. That design will hold a tank. Like, an M1 Abrams tank.

As for furniture, it's really going to depend. 20 gallons of water is about 167 lbs. If you would, in any way, feel nervous sitting on it, it's a no go. If it's particle board, no go. Solid wood? That should be fine, but it depends on the design and how it will distribute the weight. It's not worth the risk if you doubt it at all, but a well made, solid wood piece of furniture will likely support a 20 gallon with no worries.


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## Fisherking (Feb 27, 2012)

My 6 gallon Edge is on my bathroom counter which is a solid wood built-in. My Fluval Spec lll will go on another built-in counter.

My 75 gallon is on the stand that came with the kit from Petsmart and it sort of scares me. 

The 22 gallon I'm building is on a pretty sturdy metal and formica desk/table from Office Depot. I can sit on it, but I am 110lbs.


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## blackpearl (Jun 8, 2018)

kaldurak said:


> I use an Ikea T.V. stand thing as my 20g tank stand. Its sweet because it has 2 drawers, a glass bypass door, is center braced, and despite how long it is - the metal legs actually run all the way across the bottom. I'll see if I can find the name/picture.


Thank you for digging up the picture! Seeing it really helps give me a sense of what furniture might hold up to a 20 gallon. I thought TV stands might be a good option since they should be able to support a heavy TV.



Jaybo said:


> If you own some basic tools you could make one that will be far superior then anything you could buy


I would love to be able to. I might consider it after seeing the simple design TheUnssenHand posted.



nbr1rodeoclown said:


> TLDR: skip the mdf, anything else is good.
> 
> A 20 gallon will be fine on solid wood. heck it would be fine on plywood.
> 
> ...


That is a sharp looking stand! I'm really impressed with it. Good to know about the backing, I could at least check for that.

Also glad to know solid wood should be good enough in most cases. I think I'll start by visiting some thrift shops for old solid wood tables.

Bump:


TheUnssenHand said:


> I always make my own stands based on RocketEngineer's basic design and "skin" them:
> 
> DIY Stands Template and Calculator - Reef Central Online Community
> 
> ...


Thanks! I'm warming up to the idea of building a stand. I would have to borrow some space and tools from someone. I'm going to see what old second-hand wood furniture I can get locally then weigh the options. Hopefully can find something low and stable.



Fisherking said:


> My 75 gallon is on the stand that came with the kit from Petsmart and it sort of scares me.
> =


I'm wondering if the ones on Amazon are similar material and quality to those at Petsmart. They look very similar.


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## Sarlindescent (May 14, 2015)

Over may time keeping tanks, I have changed my process of doing this. I started with tanks on ikea furniture. I then progressed to adding a 3/4 plywood board between the cheap furniture and tank, this prevents sag. I then upgraded to nicer furniture and covered the top of the furniture with plywood to protect it from water damage. I have now moved to Framing Tech aluminum stands for tanks over 100 gallons and am building my own stands for ones under.

Attached is a picture of both new stands.


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## Jaybo (Apr 10, 2018)

I made this from recycled pallets with a 2x4 frane










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## blackpearl (Jun 8, 2018)

I really like the look of the home built stands!


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## JJ09 (Sep 11, 2014)

this is the one I built- before and after I put the doors on. It's not the prettiest, but as I'm not super handy I was pleased how it turned out. I used kiln-fired pine 2x2's and plywood, with a piece of orientated strand board for the back panel. Finished w/wood stain and polyurethane to seal it.


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## Cichlid-140 (Sep 28, 2018)

Here's the tank and stand from Waterbox. The stand is ply with camlock style construction. I don't have a pic from inside but they doubled up the end panels to supply the needed support for the top. Sturdy and solid.

20180911_142955 by pat w1, on Flickr

There's a full length header that supports the top at the front. It's supported at both ends and by the divider between the sump compartment and the equipment bay to the left. This allows for the full access to the sump. If I were to DIY a stand I'd definitely include that as a feature. It just makes working in and around the sump so much less of a hassle. Just keep the unsupported span to an absolute minimum. Here it's ~ 40". 

The tank is 60"Lx26"Wx24"H 141 Gal - sump volume 49 Gal.

20180911_143302 by pat w1, on Flickr


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## LadyWonkyMcJankeypants (Nov 7, 2018)

My 10-gallon is on a baker's rack type shelf with adjustable feet for leveling, but I wouldn't trust it for any tank much bigger. I bought a 20 gallon high during the $1/gallon sale and wanted a stand to house both tanks so I decided to go with concrete cinder blocks and ply wood. I just couldn't find any pre-made stands that I liked and were within my budget. It is a bit overkill for my current tanks, but I can customize the exact dimensions that I want and it was affordable and easy to put together considering my available tools and skills. I had Home Depot cut the plywood sheets to the right length and I cut the rest of the lumber for the bottom. I made custom length curtains from cheap, pre-made curtains for Wal-Mart using iron-on hem tape and attached a cheap curtain rod using screw in hooks. It'll be a bear to move but everything comes apart easy.


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## chayos00 (Sep 22, 2013)

Certainly don't do what I did and take 3 years to build mine! LOL I've got pictures of mine in my tank journal. I second the RocketEngineer version which is what I first learned from seeing Joey "King of DIY" do. I built a rack for my garage using his method and it's super easy if you have some basic tools and a decent saw to get square cuts from.

This took less than a days work to build. It's a 100g on the top, but easy enough to scale down to the size you need and skin it if you want to make it a pretty stand. 









Here's my 3 year project stand for my 125g.


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## blackpearl (Jun 8, 2018)

@chayos00 That turned out really nice! The molding really makes it look finished.

@LadyWonkyMcJankeypants I started to look into those metal racks as an option. Some of the larger wire shelving units are rated to support up to 350 lbs per shelf. I think the smallest one was only rated for 150 lbs though (maybe the kind you have). 

Then I fell down the rabbit hole and starting looking into food prep tables, utility tables, and kitchen island type tables.

This one was 24" x 24" and 34" tall which would fit the tank. Not sure if it'd look silly in a living room, but the top shelf is rated for 400 lbs. I found another brand that makes basically the same tables in 24" x 18" which would fit the tank even better, but they didn't give a weight rating. My main hesitation is I'm not sure how stable they are; the legs are set pretty close together.










Then there are these tables meant for shop equipment. This one was is 24" x 18" and rated for 1500 lbs... Totally utilitarian looking but the perfect size. Not sure if there could be a way to cover up the legs with something more aesthetically pleasing.










I also found this. I think it would look really nice with the wheels left off. It's 36" x 24", a little too big for the 24" x 14" tank I have, but rated for 500 lb and would be a great investment if I might step up tank size in the future. It would fit a a UNS rimless 44 and 69 gallon.


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## ced281 (Jul 6, 2012)

Jaybo said:


> If you own some basic tools you could make one that will be far superior then anything you could buy
> 
> Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk


Wish it were that easy.. I started getting into building my own stands. I built the stand for my 120P and a new two layer stand to hold a 60P and 2 30C tanks.

Maybe I'm being too much of a perfectionist, but I needed a router to get things flush. My miter saw, random orbit sander, power tools w/ countersink drill bits, clamps, etc. have all been indispensible to me.

Also, quality wood can get really pricey if you can't or don't want to buy directly from a lumber supplier.

Here are some photos on my first major/semi-successful attempt for my 120P, my two level stand which is still a wip, and a really basic "junk/backup" stand I made in case the 2nd level of the previous stand failed.


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## Mike A. (Jan 6, 2018)

blackpearl said:


> ...Then I fell down the rabbit hole and starting looking into food prep tables...


I've looked a lot at those too and have the same reservation as far as the smaller ones being tippy.

For open metal stands, the "Brooklyn" stands at Petco are very solid and relatively inexpensive: 










https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/imagitarium-brooklyn-metal-tank-stand-29-gallons

Unfortunately, I don't think that they have one for a regular 20. A 20 long would fit the 29 stand. I have a 37 on one of those that I 'skinned' with a 36" kitchen base cabinet which happens to fit around it just about perfect (after some work and trimmed out anyway).

Drsfostersmith.com has some of the woodgrain IM Nuvo aluminum channel stands on clearance. They're very nice stands and a good deal at that price. Dimensions on the closest match aren't quite right for a standard 20 though. Just a hair short and wider @ 23.81 x 15.12. A piece of plywood on top might fix that. I have one of their 30L tanks and enclosed stand made the same way and like it a lot. Keep thinking that I should pick up another smaller one to put my Fluval Spec V on while they have them cheap. 










https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=36332&cmpid=sc


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## KeroRocks (Jan 8, 2019)

I am setting up a 20 gallon long and I'm currently looking into a stand for it. I have two old 55 gallon stands in my basement and my other 20 long is on a 55 gallon stand but for this one I want something a little more streamlined. 

I have it (Empty) on a wire shelving unit right now but I don't know what it's rated for.

Here's the shelving unit. I only have three shelves and have removed the top tier of poles so it's only 3 feet or so high.

It looks like it's rated for 350 pounds per shelf so It should work.


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## Jaybo (Apr 10, 2018)

KeroRocks said:


> I am setting up a 20 gallon long and I'm currently looking into a stand for it. I have two old 55 gallon stands in my basement and my other 20 long is on a 55 gallon stand but for this one I want something a little more streamlined.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I have this same shelve. Your going to need to put wood strips from one side to the other or else the thinner metal braces will bend from the weight

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## KeroRocks (Jan 8, 2019)

Jaybo said:


> I have this same shelve. Your going to need to put wood strips from one side to the other or else the thinner metal braces will bend from the weight
> 
> Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk


Excellent!
I was thinking that I would do something like that. I'm glad to hear that works for you.


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## Vallisneria (Mar 15, 2018)

Drsfostersmith.com has some of the woodgrain IM Nuvo aluminum channel stands on clearance. They're very nice stands and a good deal at that price. Dimensions on the closest match aren't quite right for a standard 20 though. Just a hair short and wider @ 23.81 x 15.12. A piece of plywood on top might fix that. I have one of their 30L tanks and enclosed stand made the same way and like it a lot. Keep thinking that I should pick up another smaller one to put my Fluval Spec V on while they have them cheap. 










https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=36332&cmpid=sc[/QUOTE]
@Mike A. The included PVC top with that stand doesn't look that strong. It would be a nice stand for a Spec V though. Would I have to put a fitted wood top on for support since the Spec is narrower than the stand? (7.5 in vs 12 in.) Thanks.


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## chayos00 (Sep 22, 2013)

PetCo announced that Dr Foster Smith is going to be shut down soon, so keep an eye out for a possible sale from there.


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## Mike A. (Jan 6, 2018)

Vallisneria said:


> @Mike A. The included PVC top with that stand doesn't look that strong. It would be a nice stand for a Spec V though. Would I have to put a fitted wood top on for support since the Spec is narrower than the stand? (7.5 in vs 12 in.) Thanks.


Yes, you'd need to make a top. The PVC isn't strong at all. It's just intended as a mat to provide a level surface.

There are screws which secure it to the stand. You could use it as a pattern and to mark those holes. Then on top of yours.

There's another smaller 14 gallon version which might be better for the Spec. Depending on how you measure the Spec it's about .25" short in length. But that's using the outside measure of the bottom frame of the tank. I haven't actually tried it to know how that works out.


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## sick1166 (May 8, 2017)

closing retail side of foster smith


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## Mike A. (Jan 6, 2018)

chayos00 said:


> PetCo announced that Dr Foster Smith is going to be shut down soon, so keep an eye out for a possible sale from there.


Thanks. I hadn't seen that. That's too bad. They had a much better site and selection than Petco and some great deals on aquarium stuff. Just undercutting Petco's own site though I suppose. A related news article:



> Petco announces closure of Drs. Foster and Smith Rhinelander facility	Submitted: 01/09/2019
> 
> RHINELANDER -
> 
> ...


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## evil8 (Aug 7, 2018)

You can see both my stands here from a photo I took yesterday. The one on the left is a 10 gallon - the stand was made from the metal bones a plant stand we found at a junk shop. My gf put a new top on it with cedar reclaimed from our old porch skirt. The tank on the right is a 29 gallon - my sister made the stand from 2"x4" framing and skinned it with some cheap decorative plywood and trimming.


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## TheUnseenHand (May 14, 2017)

Glad I got to DFS in Rhinelander a couple times. Though the store itself isn't much. Live Aquaria is why you go there. I wonder if they will still do tours through LA?

Anyway, I started thinking about my stand. This was about 100$ worth of material. I used a table saw, Miter saw, router and clamps. Stuff that should be available in pretty much any woodworkers shop. That said, it definitely does require tools that aren't necessarily easy to access if you don't own them.

The upside is you get exactly what you want, with fully removable panels!


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## Greggz (May 19, 2008)

Lots of ways to build stands. I used all dimensional lumber, no 2 x4's or plywood. Face frame construction with pocket hole jig. Here is it is before the doors are on so you can see the construction.


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## kaldurak (May 2, 2010)

Wow, so many people losing their jobs 😞 that really sucks.


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## blackpearl (Jun 8, 2018)

TheUnseenHand said:


> I always make my own stands based on RocketEngineer's basic design and "skin" them:
> 
> DIY Stands Template and Calculator - Reef Central Online Community
> 
> ...





Fisherking said:


> My 6 gallon Edge is on my bathroom counter which is a solid wood built-in. My Fluval Spec lll will go on another built-in counter.
> 
> My 75 gallon is on the stand that came with the kit from Petsmart and it sort of scares me.
> 
> The 22 gallon I'm building is on a pretty sturdy metal and formica desk/table from Office Depot. I can sit on it, but I am 110lbs.





Mike A. said:


> I've looked a lot at those too and have the same reservation as far as the smaller ones being tippy.
> 
> For open metal stands, the "Brooklyn" stands at Petco are very solid and relatively inexpensive:
> 
> ...


Yeah, I may be overthinking things and might end up going with one of these. I think Imagitarium makes a wooden version of the Brooklyn with a shelf underneath (not sure why they left that off the aluminum one).


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## Mike A. (Jan 6, 2018)

blackpearl said:


> Yeah, I may be overthinking things and might end up going with one of these. I think Imagitarium makes a wooden version of the Brooklyn with a shelf underneath (not sure why they left that off the aluminum one).


Pretty easy to make a shelf for it. For mine I basically made a box about 12" high with stops to keep it from being able to push forward or back off of the frame. Better to raise it up some so that it's easier to get a siphon going. 

The Petco one is steel not aluminum. The IM Nuvo stands use an aluminum channel frame. The small wooden Petco stand isn't as good. It would probably hold a 10 or 20 fine but not nearly as solid. If you've ever seen the cheap shelf units with the dowels that you screw together, that's about what it is.


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## KeroRocks (Jan 8, 2019)

I found some 36 inch deck pieces that fit my DYI metal stand perfectly. It feels very stable.

Pics


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