Equipment Review and Discussion :: Aquarium stand?

[sQuirtle]

Right now, sQuirtle's tank is still on the floor. i don't have any spare table in the house that wud actually hold the tank since its heavy. i'm really on a budget and i was wondering if any of you guys can give me any cheap & neat ideas to build him or buy him an aquarium stand. i feel bad that he's still on the foor after a week lol

thanks!

[missibsu]

Stands are expensive. I'm not sure if anyone has built their own, or posted their directions on this site or not. Just be very careful, because as you have mentioned, they are heavy, and you don't want something collapsing...

[Jessica313]

you could try looking on craigslist... people are selling/giving away that sorta stuff all the time, although if u take the stand, they may want u to take the tank too

[missibsu]

Taking the tank too isn't always a bad thing

I forgot about craigslist...there is also www.freecycle.com

[sQuirtle]

thanks guys!
so far everything i find is over my current budget
however, i was at wal-mart the other day and there was a nice aquarium stand for 70$ i think? so that's pretty cheap compared to the other ones i been finding. perhaps i'll get it in a month. what do u guys think?
is he okay on the floor for now? i mean i don't have any other pets so he's safe there right?

i don't know why i always use "he", i mean sQuirtle could be a girl after all. lol

[marisa]

I have seen some nice metal aquarium stands at the Salvation Army. I actually bought one (I think it's for about a 40-gallon tank) put a board on it and use it to put plants on. It was $15. Don't know if I'll ever use it with a tank, but it looks really nice with the plants on it.

If you still have him on the bare floor when the weather gets cooler (or if it's cool where you are), put something on the floor under the tank (a rug, for example) for padding. It will help keep the water warmer.

[sQuirtle]

Salvation Army really? Wow, i'll check it out this week then, thanks!!

Right now Squirtle is on the floor in the basement, but the floor is carpeted so it's not like he's on bare floor. Right now it's summer here so it's VERY hot so i think it's good he's in the basement for now because it keeps his water constant at about 78-79 degrees without the water heater

[BullDog]

I've also been looking at stands. You can build one easy with 2x4's that will hold it (I'm not sure what size your tank is). I've got a lot of 2x4s around, so it would be nearly free for me (besides the time) but I don't know what you've got. Also, you could just use cinder blocks with some 2x4's and a piece of sturdy plywood on top.

I found this site in my surfing:
http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/diystandscabinets/

[steve]

I was fortunate that my brother built me one (and the tank too). He knows how to weld steel and its probably the most inexpensive DIY solution, provided you can handle a torch

I've seen a lot of nice home made stands... though I would be very cautious about making one for a large tank (75+ gallons).

Also search DIY and reef, you'll find plenty of sites.

[sQuirtle]

My tank is only a 15 gallon.
I wish I knew a welder... lol
Thanks for suggestions guys, and that website is really helpful, I might just build one before school starts (if I have time hehe) since it seems very easy and the list of materials is short & sweet!

[Spookster]

My tank is only a 15 gallon.
I wish I knew a welder... lol
Thanks for suggestions guys, and that website is really helpful, I might just build one before school starts (if I have time hehe) since it seems very easy and the list of materials is short & sweet!

Your tank is not going to be that heavy. 1 gallon of water is equal to about 8.345lbs. So even if you had your tank filled to the top with 15 gallons of water which you won't it would only weigh about 125lbs plus the weight of the tank itself.

So find someone that is at least that heavy and have them sit on the piece of furniture or stand. If it can hold their weight then it can hold the weight of your tank.

[ZooKeeper]

I know you are in Canada and I am in the deep south of the USA , but I saw a wrought iron stand at Wal Mart (that would hold a tank up to 29 gallons) and it was (I think) around $30.

[sQuirtle]

Really? Was it in the pet section? Because the only aquarium stand I saw in the pet section was like 70$... maybe they were out of stock. Unless you saw the stand at another section of Wal Mart. Maybe I'll look again, or go check out another Wal-Mart in my area

[ZooKeeper]

Yes, it was in the pet section...I could be a little off on the price but I remember thinking it was a good deal.

I was just looking at petsmart.com and saw wrought iron stands. 10-20 gallon-$34.99 and 20-29 gallon-$44.99.

It seems to me that other than home-made, wrought iron is the cheapest way to go.

[missibsu]

You can shop at walmart online too. You would end up with shipping costs, but I know some store drop the shipping costs if you pick it up at the store. Something to check into.