Stand Build

yannifish

yannifish

Active Member
Hello everyone.
I'm in the planning stages of building a stand for my 55 gallon tank, so I figured I'd get a thread started. It's a standard 48"x13" 55 gallon, and I'm going to be putting a 20 gallon long underneath it as a sump. The stand will have a softwood frame, with a solid hardwood "skin" on the outside. Instead of going with doors I want the entire front panel to be removable to facilitate easy access to the sump. I have not figured out how I'm going to attach the panel yet, so if anyone have suggestions please throw them out there. I want the stand to be more or less completely enclosed, with openings for plumbing, electrical, and airflow. I've grown tired of the inside of my stand always being a messy of chords and piping, as it is both annoying and rather unsafe. Any organizational tips would be appreciated.
I plan on getting the softwood portion of the lumber this week so I can get started. I'm not in any hurry, as I want to do it right, but I'll post pictures as the build progresses. My end goal is to have a nice piece of furniture that looks great. It will be stained (seeing painted hardwood always makes me rather sad) and probably finished with polyurethane. I haven't decided what kind of wood I'm going with for the exterior, I need to run down to the hardware store and check prices. I'm thinking not oak (everyone does oak). I'd love hickory, but at $40 a stick it would be one expensive stand. So right now I'm thinking probably maple or poplar. I think I remember Acrylic's stand for his big tank being poplar, and it looked quite nice. So we'll see.
Diagrams will follow shortly.
 
yannifish

yannifish

Active Member
Frame:

With hardwood:

With tanks:

With front panel:

Back of front panel:

So, anything you see that looks completely wrong?
And do you think it will support a 55 gallon tank?
Thanks!
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
I wouldn't waste so much money on a frame. Plywood is actually much stronger. You can make a 55g tank stand out of a single sheet of 3/4" plywood for $50+. Then, just trim it with whatever matching wood.
With your current idea, you don't have the width to use a 20g long tank as the sump, since a 20g long is roughly 13" wide... same as the top display tank. You would have to go with a 10g or smaller, due to the footprint.
You could overbuild your stand to compensate for the width, but for a 55g tank you're only talking about 450lbs - which is about twice as much as I weigh. No real reason to go overboard on it. Another option might be to find a custom acrylic sump to fit your stands footprint...
55g tanks are so narrow, that it's really hard to make or use a sump underneath them. You usually don't see a 55g tank with a sump on it due to this reason.
Creating a simple 2x4 frame with four legs and using plywood to strengthen the back and sides and let the 20g sump sit on the 2x4 frame in the middle... Making the whole front of the stand come off will get burdensome over time. You might consider just using extra large cabinet doors on it that fit the frame...
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Just so you can get a little inspiration...
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/395496/55g-stand-and-canopy-build-for-client/20
 
yannifish

yannifish

Active Member
When I was making up the frame design I made sure the area between the bottom 2x4s was wide enough for the 20 gallon. Thanks though.

Are there any real advantages to just going with plywood? I'm going to coat the whole thing in solid hardwood anyway, so I guess I'd prefer to build as little frame as possible. I think with the plywood as a frame it might end up heavier than it is going to be anyway.

I understand what you're saying out the front panel. The problem is if the center piece of hardwood can't be removed I can't get the sump in (or out). I was thinking about ways to make it removable, and the easiest and best looking way I thought of was to make the whole panel removable. Any ideas?
Just for the record I'm not ignoring everything you say.
Thank you very much for your input so far Snake. BTW, very nice stand and canopy. Eventually I'll probably be toying with the idea of a canopy, but that's a completely different topic.
Another thing. I want to make the ******** of the stand water resistant. Maybe not impermeable, but at least protect the wood. The idea is if something leaks it is collected in the bottom of the stand, hopefully allowing me to notice before it gets all over the floor. I was thinking I'd give everything two coats of Kilz, caulk the seams, and then maybe try something called "Epoxy-Seal" I found at Walmart today. It's meant for sealing garage floors, I figure the stuff should work pretty well. Anyone have any experience with it?
 
tthemadd1

tthemadd1

Active Member
A simple exterior house paint would do fine for the ******** surfaces. Once you start getting into kilz and other chemicals you would want to make sure the paint has fully cured before putting any water in the tank. Out gassing can carry into the tank water.
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I made my tank out of 2x4's and plywood as well but only because it is cheaper. If your good with spending the money and you want the aesthetic then go for it. All you need to make sure of is supporting the weight.
55 gallon is going to weight in around 500 lbs with water rock sand etc. If you use a 2x4 horizontal across the top and screw a top surface down it should support the weight.
I am going to make a new stand next time I move. Next year. I will do it out of oak and stain it mahogany.
 
yannifish

yannifish

Active Member
I'm pretty sure my design would support a 55. The top horizontal frame is 2x6, and there are four 2x6s and four 2x4s supporting that. That's a pretty solid structure.
You really think just exterior paint will protect the wood enough? That doesn't really seem like enough of a barrier for me.

I know the solid hardwood will cost me, but in the end it will look nicer that plywood. I plan on completely trimming out the stand, so I want the surface to be nice. I haven't decided what stain I'm going to use yet. Depends on what type of wood I get and if it will look good just natural.
Good luck on your stand build! I'll keep an eye out for a thread in the future.
 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
I like tje stand design and looks pretty similar to thestand thread over on RC. Your deisgn is perfect IMHO. The only thing I don't think is needed is the red upright 2x4's. The design is structurally sound. As far as a removable front panel that is also sound and perfectly acceptable. I did the exact same thing only on a much larger scale.
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
I don't think the extra 2x4's are needed either.
You're talking about $350 in solid hardwood boards to cover a 55g stand, if not more, depending on your trim work. I'm used to doing things on a budget,.. not just for myself, but to make money on building stands and canopies for customers as well.
On a 55g stand, there is absolutely no reason for a center brace in the middle, ESPECIALLY with 2x6 lumber.
 
tthemadd1

tthemadd1

Active Member
The exterior pair on houses is there to protect from water, uv, etc. it would work fine. My concern is that Kilz is fairly strong stuff just make sure it has fully cured before putting water in the tanks. I know most paints dry in a day or two but the out gassing can take more time. That's why newly painted rooms smell like paint and fumes for a few days to weeks.
 
yannifish

yannifish

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by acrylic51 http:///t/395935/stand-build#post_3526389
I like tje stand design and looks pretty similar to thestand thread over on RC. Your deisgn is perfect IMHO. The only thing I don't think is needed is the red upright 2x4's. The design is structurally sound. As far as a removable front panel that is also sound and perfectly acceptable. I did the exact same thing only on a much larger scale.
So if I don't use the red 2x4 I'm guessing that the hardwood is going to contribute more structurally than I originally intended? The red 2x4s aren't intended to support anything, more just to hold everything together. The blue upright 2x6s are going to take all the weight, but they butt up to the top and bottom frame (that way the weight of the tank is transferred to the floor entirely through wood, not the fasteners). So it seems to me I need something in the corner, unless the hardwood is going to do that for me. Thoughts?
Also, any ideas concerning attaching the front panel?
Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/395935/stand-build#post_3526393
I don't think the extra 2x4's are needed either.
You're talking about $350 in solid hardwood boards to cover a 55g stand, if not more, depending on your trim work. I'm used to doing things on a budget,.. not just for myself, but to make money on building stands and canopies for customers as well.
On a 55g stand, there is absolutely no reason for a center brace in the middle, ESPECIALLY with 2x6 lumber.
Well I know where I live an 8' oak 1x6 is $20. That would be around $120 for the entire project. I'm going to stop by my lumber source tomorrow and get some hardwood prices.
By center brace you mean the sky blue pieces in the top frame? I guess my idea with those was more to act as spacers, to help keep the front and back portion of the top frame parallel in case either of the boards were a little warped. Do you feel that this really isn't necessary?
Quote:
Originally Posted by tthemadd1 http:///t/395935/stand-build#post_3526443
The exterior pair on houses is there to protect from water, uv, etc. it would work fine. My concern is that Kilz is fairly strong stuff just make sure it has fully cured before putting water in the tanks. I know most paints dry in a day or two but the out gassing can take more time. That's why newly painted rooms smell like paint and fumes for a few days to weeks.
I know the purpose of exterior paint, but I also know that people repaint their houses periodically. Once all my equipment is in the stand I really won't have the option of repainting. Plus I'm not sure that just exterior paint would protect the wood very much in against standing water, in the case of a leak. What have your experiences been?
 
tthemadd1

tthemadd1

Active Member
I didn't paint mine at all. It's 1" plywood. The amount of water I have had on my stand over the past 5 years I minimal. In addition the fuge hasn't really leaked at all.
I wouldn't worry too much about it honestly. Enamel would do well also. I looked up Kilz MSDS an didn't see anything that stands out. Again just make sure it cures completely.
 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
Kilz is perfectly fine.....it's used all the time.....1" plywood is way overkill for our purposes in the hobby......
As far as attaching the front and side panels that can be done a number of ways as easy or as complex as you want to make it.....In my build thread I showed how I went about using stainless pins to hold the skin to the stand, but even without using the pins I took the extra time to ensure a good snug fit, I don't need the pins at all if you strategically place your framing correctly.....
 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by yannifish http:///t/395935/stand-build#post_3526337
Frame:

The red 2x4's aren't needed at all.....You are correct they are used to hold things together while you tie everything else together, but if you look closely at your drawing the green 2x4's would serve the same purpose, so therefore you wasting material when not needed....Keep in mind that those green or red 2x4's do not extend all the way and touch the floor.
With hardwood:

With tanks:

With front panel:

Back of front panel:

So, anything you see that looks completely wrong?
And do you think it will support a 55 gallon tank?
Thanks!
Quote:
Originally Posted by yannifish http:///t/395935/stand-build#post_3526466
So if I don't use the red 2x4 I'm guessing that the hardwood is going to contribute more structurally than I originally intended? The red 2x4s aren't intended to support anything, more just to hold everything together. The blue upright 2x6s are going to take all the weight, but they butt up to the top and bottom frame (that way the weight of the tank is transferred to the floor entirely through wood, not the fasteners). So it seems to me I need something in the corner, unless the hardwood is going to do that for me. Thoughts?
The purple corners you have listed in your drawing.....They are your corners....That's all that is needed structurally......They are what's carrying or distributing the weight of the tank to the floor.....
Also, any ideas concerning attaching the front panel?
Well I know where I live an 8' oak 1x6 is $20. That would be around $120 for the entire project. I'm going to stop by my lumber source tomorrow and get some hardwood prices.
Personally I'd shop around at different hardwood species....A lot really depends on what type of finish you want to apply but Oak isn't IMHO the greatest to finish.....The open pores of Oak are horrible depending on the finish.
By center brace you mean the sky blue pieces in the top frame? I guess my idea with those was more to act as spacers, to help keep the front and back portion of the top frame parallel in case either of the boards were a little warped. Do you feel that this really isn't necessary?
By center brace Seth meant a vertical support in the middle of the door opening....Meaning it would run vertical.....You don't have 1 shown in your diagram so I'd just disregard as Seth pointed out.....
I know the purpose of exterior paint, but I also know that people repaint their houses periodically. Once all my equipment is in the stand I really won't have the option of repainting. Plus I'm not sure that just exterior paint would protect the wood very much in against standing water, in the case of a leak. What have your experiences been?
 
sweatervest13

sweatervest13

Active Member
I have used exterior house paint (the more coats the better) covered with polyurethane. Works well for the inside of stands. I like the idea of using silicone for the joints and any gaps.
 
yannifish

yannifish

Active Member
Ah, I understand now. If the red corners go the green would stay (or vise versa). Thanks.
I'm not doing oak. What I really want is hickory or maple, but I need to shop around to see if I can find a good price .
 
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