diy stand question

coralreefer · Mar 15, 2009

ok,
i am doing a 75 build and i dont want to spend however many hundred $$$$ on a stand. i want to build one to save some money.
here is my plan:
one 4x4 on each corner of the tank for main support
one 2x4 on the front and back of the stand for extra support and seperator for doors
4 2x4 resting on the ground holding the main supports together
i will post some diagrams of it when i get home
btw, it will have a 55 sump under it so it needs to be a little longer than 4 feet

coralreefer · Mar 15, 2009

bump,
sorry, my question is if that would be enough to support the tank?

canareef · Mar 16, 2009

I built my stand for a 230G and it sounds identical to yours except I ran 4x4's in the middle as well. I went to the LFS and looked at the $800 stand they had and just copied the idea but with the middle 4x4's they only used 2x4 in the center.

I think you should have more than enough to hold up your tank. Did you run the 4x4's down to the floor or are they on top of the 2x4's?

coralreefer · Mar 16, 2009

im planning on running the 4x4's to the floor and then screwing them to the 2x4's which will be resting on the floor. the small ones are 2x4 and the big ones are 4x4, like this:

small triggers · Mar 16, 2009

kinda like this?? it cost me about $250 for everything for my base including the molding and the paint. If you are good with a table saw and compiund miter saw you can make it look great.granted mine is a 150g. The only thing i did that i would change is leave the back open or one of the sides because of the humidity.

coralreefer · Mar 16, 2009

i already have lots of 2x4's and all i have to buy is 4x4's and a flat board of wood for the top of it. as for paint, i have some already, so this is going to be a budget friendly project

small triggers · Mar 16, 2009

your doin good then. Really easy to put together, Im sure if youve built things before you know to use screws and not nails. Other than that,, good luck and have fun. Just dont make it look like everyone elses

spanko · Mar 16, 2009

Here is a good picture of the correct way to build a stand. Frame for the top and bottom, full length legs on the inside of those frames and support legs sistered to them for the outside supporting the top.

small triggers · Mar 16, 2009

OH YEAH, i didnt show a pic of the top of the stand before i put the ply on it,,,You def. need to have support in the middle. And also, when building anything structural you should be using a 3 or 5 splay pattern for your screws.

coralreefer · Mar 16, 2009

thanks spanko, thats probably how im going to do it

coralreefer · Mar 16, 2009

Originally Posted by small triggers
http:///forum/post/2988288
OH YEAH, i didnt show a pic of the top of the stand before i put the ply on it,,,You def. need to have support in the middle. And also, when building anything structural you should be using a 3 or 5 splay pattern for your screws.
sorry what is a 3 or 5 pattern?

veni vidi vici · Mar 16, 2009

Originally Posted by coralreefer
http:///forum/post/2988293
sorry what is a 3 or 5 pattern?
Think of a 3 and 5 on dice. The reason to use these pattere is so you can use more nails without splitting or weakening the wood.

coralreefer · Mar 16, 2009

is spanko's design more reliable than what i was thinking (4x4's on each corner)?
the reason i am asking is because it would be cheaper for me to do it that way because i wouldnt have to buy any wood

dragonboy · Mar 16, 2009

Well geez a 4x4 is more than enough to support it my tank is 150 gallon and its using 2x4's. How many gallon is your tank? It should be strong enough.

jimmy 4 · Mar 16, 2009

spako's design the best way to build your stand imo. The only thing that I would change is that I would add another 2x4 to the corners to better support the tank. 2x4's have little to no strenth when they are put on their sides (or flat).

windlasher · Mar 16, 2009

Originally Posted by Jimmy 4
http:///forum/post/2988789
spako's design the best way to build your stand imo. The only thing that I would change is that I would add another 2x4 to the corners to better support the tank. 2x4's have little to no strenth when they are put on their sides (or flat).
+1
not just screws, laminate your 2 x 4s together with glue.

coralreefer · Mar 16, 2009

ah i forgot one thing!
my sump is a 55 standard (4 feet) which is the same length as my dt which is 75 gallons (4 feet)

so could i just rest the 55 on the outside boards of the bottom and do a little plywood extention up to the top of the stand to cover it up at the sides of the stand?

coralreefer · Mar 16, 2009

Originally Posted by Jimmy 4
http:///forum/post/2988789
spako's design the best way to build your stand imo. The only thing that I would change is that I would add another 2x4 to the corners to better support the tank. 2x4's have little to no strenth when they are put on their sides (or flat).
i dont understand?

coralreefer · Mar 17, 2009

i just calculated the stand and sump dimensions and the sump is too big on each side only by 1/8 in.

could i cut notches in the wood 1/8 in. deep to make the sump fit?

scopus tang · Mar 17, 2009

Problem with using a sump with the same length as your DT is that if something ever goes wrong with the sump; the only way to get it out is to bust it into pieces with a hammer. Then, you can never get another one back in there. You're better off to go with a smaller sump

diy stand question

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