# Please post your Ikea, Target, or other big box store stands and give some info



## Psycofc1 (Feb 28, 2013)

I use this for my 40B. Gives about 3 inches on both sides for extra space. Have to cut a hole in the back for cords and hoses to run through. Its where I store all my fish supplies.
http://www.justcabinets.com/ic280frm.asp?prodno=JCSIDEBOARD&COMBO1=500-504-CHES


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## crice8 (Aug 2, 2012)

Psycofc1 said:


> I use this for my 40B. Gives about 3 inches on both sides for extra space. Have to cut a hole in the back for cords and hoses to run through. Its where I store all my fish supplies.
> http://www.justcabinets.com/ic280frm.asp?prodno=JCSIDEBOARD&COMBO1=500-504-CHES


I would be nervous using something not made for aquarium use such as this because a 40 gallon can easily weigh 600+ lbs. I would rather know I wont come home to a destroyed home...


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

1g of water is ~ 8.3 lb

v3


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## Psycofc1 (Feb 28, 2013)

crice8 said:


> I would be nervous using something not made for aquarium use such as this because a 40 gallon can easily weigh 600+ lbs. I would rather know I wont come home to a destroyed home...


Stand is made from solid pine and can easily support that kind of weight. It is solid panels all the way around not some cheaply made MDF.


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## crice8 (Aug 2, 2012)

OVT said:


> 1g of water is ~ 8.3 lb
> 
> v3


+ substrate which with a 2"ish layer in my 40 gallon is almost 90lbs.. then the tank itself weighs 58 lbs... then any equipment, decorations, hardscapes, plants,light fixtures, glass tops, etc... 

There is a reason why stands made for aquarium use come with a weight rating... For this OP's 5 gallon there may be no problem at all... But I don't ant someone else here on the forum with a larger tank to purchase something like this for a large tank trusting advice of the forum and destroying an apartment or house... especially those of us who are not the actual owner of the property and rent.


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## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

You could always strengthen it from within.


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## Bettafins (Apr 9, 2013)

Most pieces of furniture I see are much more solid than a lot of fish tank stands I've seen. I have been looking at thrift stores for a nice piece of furniture. I found a few furniture stands that are much sturdier than a budget aquarium stand. Most pieces are under $150. Anyway, I am going to pic up a nice stand for my Mr. Aqua 48g at the thrift shop. Probably cost at least $500 new. Has a few superficial scratches that I will need to fix but nothing major and matches my furniture.
Not sure how to upload pic.


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## frrok (May 22, 2011)

Ikea Josef metal cabinet. But mine is in white. Here is more info on it. http://m.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/art/00168990/
IME, it works ok... It is a little wobbly though. It shakes a little when I clean the tank. I've thought about re enforcing it to make it more stable. Otherwise, aesthetically it looks great and is a nice dimension for the Mini-M.


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

Bettafins said:


> Most pieces of furniture I see are much more solid than a lot of fish tank stands I've seen. I have been looking at thrift stores for a nice piece of furniture. I found a few furniture stands that are much sturdier than a budget aquarium stand. Most pieces are under $150. Anyway, I am going to pic up a nice stand for my Mr. Aqua 48g at the thrift shop. Probably cost at least $500 new. Has a few superficial scratches that I will need to fix but nothing major and matches my furniture.
> Not sure how to upload pic.



I agree. I always laugh when people get so concerned about using regular furniture for a tank stand. I have no problem standing on almost any furniture I own. The one exception would be the aquarium stand I purchased that should hold far more weight than myself. Most MDF stands I have seen are built more poorly than just about all but the lowest quality "furniture" available. I put that in quotes because most people would not care to put the furniture I am talking about in their homes. Also, a few 2x4's can go a long way without being intrusive or ruining the look of the furniture. 

Would I be hesitant on using furniture for a 100+ gallon, probably, but I would also be hesitant on using anything but a solid wood stand as well.


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

frrok said:


> Ikea Josef metal cabinet. But mine is in white. Here is more info on it. http://m.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/art/00168990/
> IME, it works ok... It is a little wobbly though. It shakes a little when I clean the tank. I've thought about re enforcing it to make it more stable. Otherwise, aesthetically it looks great and is a nice dimension for the Mini-M.


frrok,
Thanks for your example. Can you do a favor and measure the top? It turns out my 6 gallon is 15 3/4 on the dot. Just want to make sure it isn't slightly too small as this would be the perfect stand for what I am trying to do.


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## crice8 (Aug 2, 2012)

talontsiawd said:


> I agree. I always laugh when people get so concerned about using regular furniture for a tank stand. I have no problem standing on almost any furniture I own. The one exception would be the aquarium stand I purchased that should hold far more weight than myself. Most MDF stands I have seen are built more poorly than just about all but the lowest quality "furniture" available. I put that in quotes because most people would not care to put the furniture I am talking about in their homes. Also, a few 2x4's can go a long way without being intrusive or ruining the look of the furniture.
> 
> Would I be hesitant on using furniture for a 100+ gallon, probably, but I would also be hesitant on using anything but a solid wood stand as well.


That is not what i'm saying... the cheap particle board furiture is exactly the furniture that the OP refereed to when he said IKEA, Target, or any other store like that..


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## BeastMaster (Dec 17, 2012)

ClosetMaid. Four of the five tanks in my apartment are supported on ClosetMaid storage units (the ADA 60P is on a nite stand). I believe they can be viewed on my You Tube site. Works cause most of my furniture is ClosetMaid. Sad but true. Fits the decor of my MAN CAVE. lol


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

crice8 said:


> That is not what i'm saying... the cheap particle board furiture is exactly the furniture that the OP refereed to when he said IKEA, Target, or any other store like that..


I am the original poster haha. I have about 1000 records in my Ikea EXPEDIT's, more or less. Never weighed them and different records weigh different amounts but that's about 400-700lbs of records on Ikea furnature. That's not on top where the strength is, it's on the shelves. Never had an issue. Vinyl records are far less forgiving than water as they only want to move side to side. Just an example of a lot of weight on cheap particle board furniture.


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## lochaber (Jan 23, 2012)

Granted, I'm usually one of the ones warning against furniture as aquarium stands, but I think it can be safely done.

Just make sure that the stand is close to the size of the tank, and that there is direct vertical support from the floor to directly under where the corners of the tank will be.

A lot of the problems from furniture come from people using a large dresser or something similar that doesn't fit the tank, so that the top shelf/support sags, and this will end up putting uneven stresses on the tank, possibly causing the tank to fail.


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## FlyingHellFish (Nov 5, 2011)

Ikea something.... middle support beam, white glass cover on top, one side shelf. 









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## CatFishStryk (Sep 3, 2013)

Love the setup FlyingHellFish. So organized and classy. I like the choice of doors with the red/clear glass.


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## Ameisen (Sep 8, 2013)

For an acrylic tank, any furniture/stand you use will have to have something in the center supporting it as well; a simple shelf of wood with no central support will deform, causing possible failure of the tank. You will want to have either joists and/or braces to transfer the weight to the corner support columns, and/or you will want to add central support columns.


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

crice8 said:


> + substrate which with a 2"ish layer in my 40 gallon is almost 90lbs.. then the tank itself weighs 58 lbs... then any equipment, decorations, hardscapes, plants,light fixtures, glass tops, etc...
> 
> There is a reason why stands made for aquarium use come with a weight rating... For this OP's 5 gallon there may be no problem at all... But I don't ant someone else here on the forum with a larger tank to purchase something like this for a large tank trusting advice of the forum and destroying an apartment or house... especially those of us who are not the actual owner of the property and rent.


- my comment was not advise, but a fact
- nothing to do with rent vs own
- forum's advise is for thinking people; cannot fix stupid
- physics before emotions

Anyways, valid points on warp, which is a function of distances to weight-bearing supports.

The total weight of the tank is not sufficient information for choosing a stand: it is the weight (pressure) per area that really counts, in conjunction with weight distribution. In other words, a piece of furniture with a "strip" base can safely support more weight then one of the same footprint but with 4 legs.
Structural Engineering at work.

v3


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## FlyingHellFish (Nov 5, 2011)

^ Ok, now I'm a bit worried. I have a middle support beam on this desk, think I'm good? It's a 17 gallon ish tank.


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## Bettafins (Apr 9, 2013)

FlyingHellFish sweet setup. Nice tank too!


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

FlyingHellFish said:


> ^ Ok, now I'm a bit worried. I have a middle support beam on this desk, think I'm good? It's a 17 gallon ish tank.


Your stand looks way more supportive/well made than my actual aquarium stand that advertizes up to a 37 that I have kept a 29 on for years. Very similar design, just looks more substantial in where it is supported both on sides, middle and top.


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

Too add...I know people have opinions on this but I am not asking opinions on the difference between a solid wood stand, a DIY stand or the like.


Like many, I have a stand that is already made out of MDF that was made for aquarium use. It is lower grade MDF than most Ikea stuff. It has a simple middle support, much like many Ikea stuff. Ikea MDF is not all that bad when you compare it to MDF stands you find at Petco/Petsmart. Ikea furniture often has 1in or more on side panels but I never see anything less than 1/2 in, what my stand has. Most Ikea stuff I have has threaded inserts and bolts. My stands have the small screw setup with the little circle locking ring. Not that Ikea lamaite is great but it looks good, doesn't hold up as well as it should. My stand looks worse to start, holds up worse than Ikea. Don't get me wrong, Ikea and others have some really awful furniture that should ever be used to hold any weight but that isn't all of their furniture.


My cliff notes/main point is that I am not trying to find Ikea/other furniture that compares to an expensive, solid stand that doesn't fit my home decor. I am trying to find something that compares to my particle board stands that kind of fit my decor that are built as bad as most other furnature I have ever owned. My stand would be considered really crappy by Ikea standards but has been going well for 4-5 years without a problem. If we need to make comparisons, compare a $100 MDF stand with a center panel type brace to other furniture and stop there. Lets be real as to what we are comparing to what. I, and others, wouldn't be looking for $100-200 furnature in lieu of a $400 stand, it's not to save money, it's to expand options.

Sorry for the rant, just saying that the few who have posted have inspired me, the original poster, while others nay say without really understanding how similar it all is.


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## tarsman013 (Aug 26, 2013)

talontsiawd said:


> Too add...I know people have opinions on this but I am not asking opinions on the difference between a solid wood stand, a DIY stand or the like.
> 
> 
> Like many, I have a stand that is already made out of MDF that was made for aquarium use. It is lower grade MDF than most Ikea stuff. It has a simple middle support, much like many Ikea stuff. Ikea MDF is not all that bad when you compare it to MDF stands you find at Petco/Petsmart. Ikea furniture often has 1in or more on side panels but I never see anything less than 1/2 in, what my stand has. Most Ikea stuff I have has threaded inserts and bolts. My stands have the small screw setup with the little circle locking ring. Not that Ikea lamaite is great but it looks good, doesn't hold up as well as it should. My stand looks worse to start, holds up worse than Ikea. Don't get me wrong, Ikea and others have some really awful furniture that should ever be used to hold any weight but that isn't all of their furniture.
> ...


Any thought of building it yourself and then skinning it? Alternatively, you could also start with more expensive woods and some really amazing things can be made for MUCH less than it looks.

If DIY is not on the table, if you go furniture shopping, bring along enough friends to weigh the same as the tank  that is what I did the first time when IKEA was considered (the Expedit tables are DAMN strong for what they are, took easily 700lbs of bouncing weight)


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

tarsman013 said:


> Any thought of building it yourself and then skinning it? Alternatively, you could also start with more expensive woods and some really amazing things can be made for MUCH less than it looks.
> 
> If DIY is not on the table, if you go furniture shopping, bring along enough friends to weigh the same as the tank  that is what I did the first time when IKEA was considered (the Expedit tables are DAMN strong for what they are, took easily 700lbs of bouncing weight)


DIY is not on the table right now as I don't know how to use a table saw or miter saw. I am a very DIY sort of person however and I figured making an ADA style stand would be a great way for me to get familiar with the tools and bond with my pops. I actually really need to learn these tools as I want to redo a lot of the trim in my home as some is old, some is new so they don't match. It's also hard for me to pick up any sizable amount of wood in my 2 door Honda, haha. For now I have to buy.


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## infamouz23 (Dec 28, 2008)

I'm interested in this also as I'm looking for an alternate stand for my 10"cube instead of my nightstand.


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## Seedreemer (Sep 28, 2008)

I don't have a picture yet, but my stand for my 20g is going to be decorative cinder blocks for supports, painted white, with a top of pickled wood. This tank is going next to the couch so I want a combination tank stand and side table. Something like this coffee table except using the blocks in pic below it, painted white and set up to support tank. I'll post pics when it's completed next week.

The Hubby has reluctantly agreed. I'm the one who'd have cinder block furniture everywhere and he's the one who prefers more traditional things.


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

I guess I should update my side of this since I started the thread. Here is my Ikea Besta stand for a 60P. Stand is dark and camera doesn't pick it up well but I think it came out nice.


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## peachii (Jun 1, 2013)

I'd really like to see pictures of this when it's done.



Seedreemer said:


> I don't have a picture yet, but my stand for my 20g is going to be decorative cinder blocks for supports, painted white, with a top of pickled wood. This tank is going next to the couch so I want a combination tank stand and side table. Something like this coffee table except using the blocks in pic below it, painted white and set up to support tank. I'll post pics when it's completed next week.
> 
> The Hubby has reluctantly agreed. I'm the one who'd have cinder block furniture everywhere and he's the one who prefers more traditional things.


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

peachii said:


> I'd really like to see pictures of this when it's done.


I would as well. My father is really into using stuff like this and thought I was a fool for not using cinder blocks for a stand when I got my first tank. 

That is an absolutely beautiful home as well.


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## Mike00726 (May 23, 2011)

This what I use for my 12 long and it works great. Sturdy, inexpensive, plenty of storage.
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S59927135/


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## Seedreemer (Sep 28, 2008)

Actually I ended up finding an awesome deal for a stand at a garage sale so I won't be doing the cinderblock table. However, I may set up a tank outside and will use the idea there so I'll share pics if I do. 

Well, actually I still need a table in the same location so if I use the blocks I'll post a pic in this thread.


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## raven_wilde (Jul 12, 2006)

I used this lovely IKEA cabinet as a stand for my Fluval Edge:










I would NOT recommend it for any tank larger than this. It has a support beam in the center directly under where you see my tank positioned, but other than that the top is just a sheet of metal (think like a gym locker) stretched over the cabinet frame. I personally would not trust it with more than about 5-6 gallons of water.

That said, it made a really pretty stand for my Edge while I had it up


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## Seedreemer (Sep 28, 2008)

Very pretty, Raven!


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

raven_wilde said:


> I used this lovely IKEA cabinet as a stand for my Fluval Edge:


That looks pretty cool. Doesn't fit my dated carpet in my home that I am dying to replace but looks kind of vintage and contemporary at the same time.


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

Mike00726 said:


> This what I use for my 12 long and it works great. Sturdy, inexpensive, plenty of storage.
> http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S59927135/


Another Besta user. I was really surprised how sturdy mine is, It's half that size with no center brace. Arguably super overkill for a 12 long.


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## raven_wilde (Jul 12, 2006)

talontsiawd said:


> That looks pretty cool. Doesn't fit my dated carpet in my home that I am dying to replace but looks kind of vintage and contemporary at the same time.


Yeah, I'd had my eye on this cabinet for a while before I even bought my Edge, so it was a nice excuse to buy it. Now that I've taken the Edge down I can still enjoy having the cabinet in my office. It was a good purchase


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