# Tank too big for its stand?



## Couesfanatic (Sep 28, 2009)

yes, get a larger stand


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## TexasCichlid (Jul 12, 2011)

The stand should be just big enough, or bigger than the footprint of the aquarium. If the aquarium is larger than the stand, it is not suitable. I have seen some people use relatively thick plexi as a "base" to the aquarium that had overhang and resulted in an interesting aesthetic, but the entire base of a normal aquarium is designed with the assumption it will be properly supported.


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## Salutational (Feb 24, 2013)

I'll get on finding another base - cheers.


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## CrypticLifeStyle (Jan 16, 2013)

All about supporting those 4 corners


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

You could use a double layer, glued together, of 3/4" plywood, the same size as the tank, screwed and glued to the top of the table. I would worry about a single layer gradually bending down at the ends leaving only the middle supported.


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## Mustang5L5 (Feb 1, 2004)

CrypticLifeStyle said:


> All about supporting those 4 corners


Does a tank only need to be supported by the 4 corners?


Lets just say you had 4 hockey pucks and put one under each corner of a 75gal aquarium on a perfectly level concrete slab. All 4 pucks are perfectly level. Would the tank be fine?


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## CrypticLifeStyle (Jan 16, 2013)

Mustang5L5 said:


> Does a tank only need to be supported by the 4 corners?
> 
> 
> Lets just say you had 4 hockey pucks and put one under each corner of a 75gal aquarium on a perfectly level concrete slab. All 4 pucks are perfectly level. Would the tank be fine?


Is this a serious question?


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## thelub (Jan 4, 2013)

No, the tank needs to be supported 100% everywhere. That is why you see styrofoam used under big tanks to compensate for any surface irregularities. Glass doesn't show stress marks and after time of not being fully supported it will just break one day.


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## CrypticLifeStyle (Jan 16, 2013)

I was merely trying to stress the importance of the 4 corners being supported, though you could support a tank up to let's say a 40b by just its 4 corners. I'd almost be willing to say a 55g or 75g even. Though the weight is significant in comparison to this following example of strength, you can note if you were to put the bottom glass of a 55 or 75 resting each end on cylinder blocks and stood in the middle it won't break.


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## Indychus (Feb 21, 2013)

Being a mechanical engineer, this was an issue that I had some interest in. My tank is sitting on an old cabinet, and only the corners make contact due to the center bowing downwards slightly. After a lot of calculations, I determined that this would be fine, and got a factor of safety of 2.7 with only the corners supported on a 55 gallon. After searching for a while, I found this which confirms to me that only the corners need support:



















The real key is that all corners are level... what I think breaks most tanks is one or more corners being slightly higher or lower than the others which places the glass under torsion. Over time, the added stress of twisting the glass causes a failure. Glass, being very brittle, is not suitable in situations where any bending or twisting is present.

All of the calculation I have done use the material properties of tempered glass, and for a tank with a plastic rim. I'm not sure how a tank with annealed glass would behave with only supported corners.


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## CrypticLifeStyle (Jan 16, 2013)

Thank you lol. I'm a civil engineer, but texting and driving through cambridgr at the moment haha


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## Mustang5L5 (Feb 1, 2004)

CrypticLifeStyle said:


> Serious question or this going to be one if those smart ass pick a argument moments.


Yes, it was a legit question


My reason for asking was purchasing a new tank and noticing the stand supports all 4 corners, but has a CD thick gap on the front edge meaning 3 sides and 4 corners fully supported. Being an ME myself, thoughts of this potentially causing stress have been preventing me from filling the tank. It's been sitting empty in my living room for a while now until i find an acceptable, and eye-appealing stand

The hockey puck example was an extreme example, but i wonder how many 55G tank setups on paticle board stands have a sagging center section?


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## thelub (Jan 4, 2013)

Maybe it helps that there is only water and no substrate, but that is lunacy!


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## TexasCichlid (Jul 12, 2011)

That looks absolutely terrifying to me.


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## Indychus (Feb 21, 2013)

I neglected substrate weight in my calculations, but it doesn't make much of a difference. The weight of water is 62.4 lb/ft^3... Depending on the soil, it could be anywhere from 55-100 lb/ft^3. Most calculations I have seen, say for a 55 gallon, calculate the weight of 55 gallons of water, then the weight of the substrate, and add them together. This is not accurate, since the substrate displaces an equal amount of water. So you would only add the difference in the weight of the water and soil. Say the soil is 100 lbs/ft^3, so you only add 37.6 lbs per cubic foot of soil added. In a 55 gallon tank (4ft x 1ft) with 3 inches of substrate (1 ft^3), you're looking at 462lbs of just water, or 500 lbs with substrate. The extra ~40lbs is negligible.


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## MABJ (Mar 30, 2012)

On the real matter, there was actually a video of someone taking a standard tank and putting it on blocks, stacking stone in the middle then standing on it. It didn't break. Over time though, I doubt that would work. Something to consider.


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## ADJAquariums (Jul 5, 2012)

The thing with the four corners though is over time wont the glass and edging in the middle bow and result in a broken bottom?


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## Couesfanatic (Sep 28, 2009)

I realize that. But bringing up random stuff like that is just asking for arguments.

The issue is with the weight not being supported evenly. Glass is rigid, yet fragile. If torsion is placed on the glass, breaking is an issue. Level out the tank and have it supported evenly throughout, as much as possible.


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## Coltonorr (Mar 12, 2008)

the glass on the bottom of any All Glass or such aquarium is not supported. Only the edges are supported.
I used to manage an aquarium store back in the day. We only supported the long sides of the tanks. And on a few tanks, just the corners. So since I love hockey...the answer to the question of 4 hockey pucks on 4 corners, the answer is yes that would work as long as the 4 corners are level as was mentioned in post #11


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## thelub (Jan 4, 2013)

I stand corrected

Even still, I wouldn't setup a tank that was help up by 4 corners only nor would I suggest that to anybody.


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## Couesfanatic (Sep 28, 2009)

Just because it works, doesn't mean you should. 

You could easily bump the tank, adding pressure at an abnormal angle, when the tank is already under stress. One bump or different pressure could make the difference. Why rest it on the corners when there is an increased chance of breaking it? I don't see any benefit to doing this.


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## evilhorde (Feb 3, 2012)

Hoppy said:


> You could use a double layer, glued together, of 3/4" plywood, the same size as the tank, screwed and glued to the top of the table. I would worry about a single layer gradually bending down at the ends leaving only the middle supported.


I had something spring up that led me to use a small dresser to support a 45 gallon tank in an emrgency sort of scenario. the dresser is around 7 inches shorter than the tank. I used 1/2" plywood with 3 layers, glued and screwed to deal with the 3.5"+ inches of overhang at each end. This emergency temporary tank setup has evolved into my primary tank and has been full of water for a little over 6 months now with no ill effects. Aside from the stress related nausea I get when I look at what I have done, of course.


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## I.m.fateh_99 (Mar 12, 2021)

Salutational said:


> Hey guys - new tank (60x30x40cm) and I'm planning on using a small coffee table (45x30cm). It sits nicely par about 5cm over hang of the aquarium.. Is this something I should be wary of and get a larger table/stand?


Hey friends, I have a query..... My aquarium size is 3ft with base size (36"×10") and my stand size is (38"×8") is it okay to have 2 inces overhang.... Or I should fix 10mm woodply on top of the stand... Help plzz urgent


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