# basic / simple racking system for 2 maybe 3 125 gallon tanks



## xeno2000 (Mar 21, 2010)

Thinking about a basic / simple racking system for 2 maybe 3 125 gallon tanks. Would like them over each other. Any ideas on materials and or plans? These would be fully decorated with sand and rocks. Concerned about weight. Thoughts and opinions appreciated.


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## The King Crabb (Jun 28, 2011)

That would be a crazy stand, you sure you want to embark on that?


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## papasmurf (May 21, 2003)

as simplicity goes. Check Home Depot or Lowes as they carry some forms of shelving that "may" be capable of the weight of two or three 125's (they always list the load ratings).


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## xeno2000 (Mar 21, 2010)

Ok thanks.. was just serching and see a lot of comments about the racks at the hardware stores. 3 high my be to much , but 2 sounds good.


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## QHgal (May 18, 2006)

As fish tanks? man, that would have to be a monster stand... 10 gals of water weighs 100 pounds... Thats 2500 pounds, plus the tank itself. You'd need a stand that would hold at least 3500 pounds to be safe.


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## Rick_Lindsey (Aug 26, 2002)

Building a stand to hold 3500 pounds is probably not a big issue, it's the unsupported 6' span on the upper tank that's going to make it interesting! What size is a typical floor joist?

-Rick (the armchair aquarist, who notes that water is actually closer to 8 pounds a gallon, but sand and rocks add up in a hurry too)


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## Charlutz (Mar 13, 2006)

There's an article in the forum library written by forum member McDaphnia that covers it.

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/diy_stand2.php

I used his ideas to build a stand for my 125. The niche in the wall is tight, so tight in fact that I could not fit another 125 under it. I was planning to go with the 75 anyway, but you can build it 2" wider and get a second 125 under there.


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## verbal (Aug 16, 2011)

I think you can do under/over with 2. If you can go side by side I would do that with more than 2. If you go 3 high, you probably want short narrower tanks on top(1-33 or 2-20Ls).

Another option would be 2 125s side by side and 4 foot tanks sideways on the bottom.


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## The King Crabb (Jun 28, 2011)

Rick_Lindsey said:


> Building a stand to hold 3500 pounds is probably not a big issue, it's the unsupported 6' span on the upper tank that's going to make it interesting!
> 
> -Rick (the armchair aquarist, who notes that water is actually closer to 8 pounds a gallon, but sand and rocks add up in a hurry too)


I agree with that completely. I wouldn't trust nails and screws to hold up 1,600 pounds of water, which if it failed would smash the tank beneath and sent 250 gallons of water spilling throughout my home. I assume you could do it with some horizontal braces, but that's above my word working skill and knowledge.


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## frank1rizzo (Mar 14, 2005)

Metal stand would be the way to go.


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## The King Crabb (Jun 28, 2011)

frank1rizzo said:


> Metal stand would be the way to go.


It would definitely be easier, yes. But not necessarily prettier or cheaper. If he has welding experience, access to a shop, access to metals, and can successfully check that the stand will hold the weight; why not?


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## Lanaka (May 18, 2011)

*** seen a triple 125 wooden stand at a lfs. Lemme get pics and post it tmorrow.


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## The King Crabb (Jun 28, 2011)

Lanaka said:


> I've seen a triple 125 wooden stand at a lfs. Lemme get pics and post it tmorrow.


I didn't say it wasn't possible, I said it was more difficult and would require more wood skill. I don't imagine that when building that your LFS just did it off inspiration, they almost assuredly hired someone or paid someone who knew what that were doing and had worked with wood that would carry several thousands of pounds before.


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## Rick_Lindsey (Aug 26, 2002)

The King Crabb said:


> Rick_Lindsey said:
> 
> 
> > Building a stand to hold 3500 pounds is probably not a big issue, it's the unsupported 6' span on the upper tank that's going to make it interesting!
> ...


Neither would I, which is why I would design a stand that doesn't rely on nails or screws to support the weight. In a properly designed stand, the nails/screws can be used strictly to hold the stand together, not to hold the tank up.

-Rick (the armchair aquarist)


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## The King Crabb (Jun 28, 2011)

Rick_Lindsey said:


> Neither would I, which is why I would design a stand that doesn't rely on nails or screws to support the weight. In a properly designed stand, the nails/screws can be used strictly to hold the stand together, not to hold the tank up.
> 
> -Rick (the armchair aquarist)


On a stand of this magnitude I definitely wouldn't. But on something smaller like a 10 gallon, I might consider it.


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## DrgRcr (Jun 23, 2009)

It's a serious undertaking either way. Welding out of tubular steel sounds like a simple plan, until you try to clamp the whole piece to keep it from warping and twisting while it's being welded. And even then it's no guarantee. There's a better chance it will twist than not.


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## The King Crabb (Jun 28, 2011)

Wouldn't that be easily solved by using a different sort of material? It's not a law to use tubular steel when building fish tanks :wink: I saw a thread where a guy had a neighbor weld a stand for his 700G tank, looked nice.


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## DrgRcr (Jun 23, 2009)

If you're talking metal, it all moves. It's how it's handled during the fabrication and welding that will determine how much grinding and leveling you have to do. This applies to the top surface which likely won't be perfectly flat, and the legs. I can whip one up in a day and make it look nice, doesn't mean it will be perfect. Stainless steel would look awesome, but try welding something like the stand mentioned. You can literally feel it pulling as it's welded!


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## jason_nj (Feb 24, 2010)

One of the big warehouse club stores that starts with the letter C has a metal shelf that can hold 3 or 4 125 gallon tanks. Each shelf is rated for 2000 pounds. The website doesn't show it but I stare at it every single time I'm there dreaming about having 3 or 4 tanks on it. Only costs about $150.


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## The King Crabb (Jun 28, 2011)

Are you referring to Costco? Posting about Costco is allowing, it's not a place that would otherwise have to pay for advertisement on this site.


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## jason_nj (Feb 24, 2010)

Yes Costco. Wasn't sure which places we are allowed to post about.

The shelf in my local Costco in NJ is near the hardware and automobile accessories section.


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## The King Crabb (Jun 28, 2011)

The shelves may be rated 2,000 pounds, but are they big enough? And would you be able to fit the 24" tall tank in there after putting on lights and lids?


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## Lanaka (May 18, 2011)

The King Crabb said:


> Lanaka said:
> 
> 
> > I've seen a triple 125 wooden stand at a lfs. Lemme get pics and post it tmorrow.
> ...


Yup, they hired a guy who did most of the other lfs's racks too. So this guy does have experience and I know of several old lfs who still uses the original stuff he built, some of these are almost a decade old! Figured I'd try get a pic and hopefully it'd give the OPster an idea of what he/she may be getting oneself into. Unfortunately, I got called into work last minute yesterday so couldn't get to the said lfs before they closed.

Sooo... this is from my memory of the build design. I was actually looking at it myself with the possibility of duplicating the construction ...until I saw how much it'd cost to buy all that wood and stuff. Remember, I'm in Hawaii so everything's at a premium, unfortunately.

The uprights are made of 4x6, while the tank supports made of 4x4s. All the cross bracing and support diagonals are made of 2x4.

The uprights have square holes cut into the wide side that allows the 4x4 to slide into them. The weight is supported by the center of the 4x6. The 4x4 are locked into place with huge 5/8 bolts with washers on both end. Needless to say, all of the hardware are made of stainless.

The short sides of the tanks are supported by 2x4 that are bolted into 4x4 using similar stainless hardware, looks like the same size head bolt, but I suspect it's wood screws as I seriously doubt they drilled the entire length of the support's center and used bolts that are nearly 2' long. I suspect that these supports are intended more to stabilize the 4x4 than to provide any actual load support of the tank. There's another one in middle of the span.

There are diagonally cut 2x4s that are bolted into the structure's side and back, looks like their purpose is to make the overall structure more rigid and not flex like a crappy ladder. There are typically just one diagonal per rectangle in the sides and back, so 3 diagonals per level. The middle level has the diagonals going the other way.

Overall, it's a massive construct. If nothing else, the materials probably would cost over $500 (Hawaii prices). At that point I pretty much dropped the idea myself. I'm not a carpenter by trade and nor do I have the necessary tools to do the job right. I then started looking at those metal industrial racks as found in the two membership super stores, Costco and Sam's Club. I think the ones found in Costco seems better built and supported.

They both appears to be long enough to support a 55" tank. Maybe even a 6' long tank, but that may be a tight squeeze, don't quote me as I've forgotten the length and cannot remember whether they were 48" or 72", I'm leaning more towards 6'. In any case, I'd recommend getting a sheet of plywood (NOT particle board, which dissolves when it get wet) to better distribute the load, especially on the Sam's Club version, which has only metal wires as shelf floor. The shelf height is adjustable and there's 3 or 4 shelves available, can't remember exactly but think it's 4. Remember, nobody said you have to use all of the shelves, but I'd recommend using at least 3. One close to bottom and one at the top. The middle one(s) should be adjusted for best viewing of the tank(s).

Honestly, I think they are not tall enough for 3 layers of tanks. At best only 2, even the standard 55gal tanks might be a tight fit, especially if you also need allow for support equipment. I personally wouldn't plan on using more than 1 level as I prefer to mount all of my tank support equipment (pumps, filters, etc.) above the tanks, with the lights mounted to the underside of this level. If I am to use all 4 levels, I probably would use 2 shallow levels below the tank for supplies, then the tank level, then the top level that holds the equipment.

For the price (about $200-250, if memory serves me right), it's probably competitive with the specially made-for-fishtank stands that can hold the same size tanks, albeit in a much more larger and more massive package of Industrial style. A table cover probably would help make it a bit more presentable, and maybe a coat of paint.

I don't mind the industrial look as I already am using the 4' adjustable metal wire shelving that has a 600# capacity per shelf. Dunno if they really can hold that much weight, but probably only if it's evenly distributed over the whole shelf. Plywood layer,  I have a 30G tall on one and 2 more that has a 25G tall each. The heaviest I ever loaded them was 10 10G set sideways so that you can see only the ends when standing in front of the shelf. No sagging!

I have used or am using 4', 3', and 18" square wire shelvings and have as yet to have a failure yet. These guys are convenient as they can be disassembled and reconfigured as needed. Also when moving, they can be broken down into their component pieces, easily moved to the new location and then reassembled to fit the new location. To spread the load on the floor, I use planks of wood under the shelving feet.

In the years I've fishkeeping, I have as yet to buy an actual made-for-fishtank stands. I've either made my own or adapted other furnitures and things for the purpose. Of late, I've really come to love using these wire shelving for their convenience and price.

Again, this is just my opinion, so you can take it or leave it as you like. Hope this helps ye decide.

-Lance


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## Lanaka (May 18, 2011)

Btw, I don't know where to look for them, but probably you could ask the folks at Sam's and Costco where they get those REAL industrial shelvings they use for their product's display and storage. Those things are rated in the tons range. Plus they are available in higher heights than the 'tiny' ones displayed for sale new IN those racks. Occasionally I see them up for sale in Craigslist, so you may wanna keep an eye out for those. I know a lot of industrial places use them and, due to wear and tear, are constantly buying new racks. Sometimes the old racks are thrown away or sold for scrap, while the portions that are still useable for lighter duty may be sold as used racks. These guys are designed to use those square wooden pallets as shelf floors, so that's at least 3' or 4' of depth, front to back. That's another thing you may want to consider, as long as you don't mind the Industrial look...

-Lance


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## garryism (Sep 4, 2011)

Here in Canada, Home Depot sells Industrial Strength Welded Racks for $168.

They're 77" long by 24" deep. Each shelf holds 2000lbs each.

I'm seriously considering them once I get my fishroom built.

Here's the link (not sure if link will re-direct if you're not in the region):

http://www.homedepot.ca/product/industr ... RRWidgetID


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## The King Crabb (Jun 28, 2011)

Wow, if I had a fishroom (or any plans for one :lol: ) I'd definitely look into some of these racks!


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