Habitat - Indoor :: 65 gallon tank stand

[rsour24]

ok, so i need to build a stand for my 65 gallon tank that is 36x18. i am coming to u guys for ideas and wondering if u knwo who i can tell how much weight the stand will be able to support

[theartbook35]

Well, first think about how many gallons are in your tank on average, and the weight of the canopy you have. The stand should have even support throughout the entire bottom of the tank or at least around all of the edges. Metal stands (like what I have) are best for supporting tanks, but, you should probably go with the heavier woods, in my opinion.

[VeipaCray]

Stands are easy enough to build. There are plans available online as well as pictures and step by step builds on other forums. Most stands are built from 2x4 or 2x6 framing then skinned with wood for finishing.

Here's an example:
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/diy-aquarium-projects/56215-diy-aquarium-stand-lots-photos-first.html

[meltedspork]

http://www.fishandtips.com/index.php

That site lets you put in your tank dimensions and how high you want the stand to be and generates plans for you including all the parts you will need. I used it to make (ok, watch my boyfriend make) a stand for my 120 g tank.

[rsour24]

thank you for your suggestions. im very handy with this stuff but since i havent build a stand before i thought id get other opinions first. i hope to build it next week but if i dont it will have to wait till december... sigh

[VeipaCray]

The best advice I can give is take your time during the build. You'll be anxious to get your new setup going, but taking your time and making sure everything is square and built properly will yield a much better stand than one hastily slapped together.

[rsour24]

im in school for engineering and have built many things so i know what im doing. i was simply looking for ideas.

[VeipaCray]

I wasn't suggesting that you didn't know what you were doing. Post some pics of your build on here when you get time o work on it... we'd all love to see (and maybe borrow an idea or two).

[steve]

I think morebloodwine built a stand/cabinet, the posts and pictures should be easy to find if you look at his post history.

[elwray]

If you're looking to get something done on a tight budget, you can consider using cinder/cement blocks.

Make a base with the blocks, and place a nice plank of wood on top of them that is at *least* as large as the base of the tank (you want to support the entire perimeter of the tank). Then you can get a cheap tablecloth or curtain and hang around the base to hide the cinderblocks.

[steve]

http://www.fishandtips.com/index.php

That site lets you put in your tank dimensions and how high you want the stand to be and generates plans for you including all the parts you will need. I used it to make (ok, watch my boyfriend make) a stand for my 120 g tank.

That's a pretty cool site, how is the stand working out for you?

[meltedspork]

http://www.fishandtips.com/index.php

That site lets you put in your tank dimensions and how high you want the stand to be and generates plans for you including all the parts you will need. I used it to make (ok, watch my boyfriend make) a stand for my 120 g tank.

That's a pretty cool site, how is the stand working out for you?

Working out very well... it's held up for over a year now. We didn't do the final steps of the plans with the molding and all that, we just did doors for it and my boyfriend used a router to make the edges look nice. And it cost way less to buy all the parts for it than to buy a stand.

[Joao]

For those who don't want to build a stand and need one with these dimensions... PetSolutions has one for a 55/65 gallon. I believe I got it for about $105 with free shipping and a 5 dollar coupon.

Just wanted to throw that out there for anyone who comes across this thread, while looking for a stand.