# 55gal DIY tank stand



## Sinister-Kisses (Jul 19, 2013)

Hi all. I bought a fish on a whim a few days ago, and he's going to need a much bigger tank than I have available right now. Just a baby right now so I have some time before I need his "final" tank. For now, I've purchased a 55gal tank as his grow-out. Because this was unplanned I'm on a SERIOUS budget, so I'm trying to keep things super cheap. The tank purchased did not come with a stand, so I'm going to build a cement/cinder block stand for it. I've looked up some "designs" online and they all call for three columns of three blocks each (one on each end and one in the middle), 2x4 cut to length as the top, and a piece of plywood between one level of the block columns. My question is - is the plywood necessary for weight distribution, or is it just there to act as a shelf (which is what one site mentioned). I'd like to skip the plywood layer if possible, but don't want to jeopardize the stand integrity.

Thanks!


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

You can skip the plywood bottom shelf, and even the mortar, unless the floor is very unlevel. Then you need the mortar to bring the blocks into level. On a 55 gallon glass tank you will not need the center support. You will not need solids; hollow core cinder blacks are fine. Wood is more compressible than concrete, so a plywood shelf under the tank does more than distribute a little weight, it prevents a single point on the tank and stand supporting all of the weight. You could use construction grade Styrofoam board instead of plywood. It would usually be cheaper. Instead of paint, I would just drape a plastic table cloth or some cheap fabric over the assembled stand. it would cost a lot less and conceal more, including any junk or equipment you tuck under it.


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## hose91 (Mar 5, 2014)

I think you could use a piece of plywood cut to size or you could use the 2x4's you mentioned, cut to length and joined to form a rectangular frame that the tanks edges sit on, assuming your tank has a plastic trim around the bottom. That piece is what is generally taking the weight of the tank, so supporting it all the way around is important. When making that frame, you should consider that the deflection of a support member is in proportion to the cube of it's height. So a frame of 2x4 turned up on the short edges is over 8 times as stiff as a 2x4 frame where the members are laid on their "sides" and the whole frame is just 1.5" tall. I think a 4' 2x4 would support a 55 gal tank when they are laid in either direction, but the frame will be much stiffer if you stand them on edge. Food for thought.

I like the idea of throwing fabric over the assembled stand. Concur that you don't need the middle support, given the wood support frame.


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## Sinister-Kisses (Jul 19, 2013)

Oh yes, there was not going to be any painting lol. Just some black fabric over it to cover it.

Okay so skip the plywood shelf, thanks. But I can also skip the middle column of concrete blocks? So have three stacked at the left end of the tank, and three stacked at the right end, with nothing in the middle but a big gaping hole, and then create a "top" by laying 2x4s cut to length across the two columns?


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

Sinister-Kisses said:


> Oh yes, there was not going to be any painting lol. Just some black fabric over it to cover it.
> 
> Okay so skip the plywood shelf, thanks. But I can also skip the middle column of concrete blocks? So have three stacked at the left end of the tank, and three stacked at the right end, with nothing in the middle but a big gaping hole, and then create a "top" by laying 2x4s cut to length across the two columns?


That will work..... The middle column is more likely to cause a problem than help support the tank. it can cause a tank straddling it to rock. If you have two tanks on top, then it is a good idea.

I like to make my stacks of block more stable by staggering them as you would a block wall. That means the blocks form corners at the back. The L-shape created as you look down at it is more stable.

http://www.oneprojectcloser.com/how-to- ... oundation/

But on a 55 gallon stand, I would instead use nominal 8 by 12 by 16 blocks instead of the 8 by 8 by 16's. Even dry stacked, the 12 inch blocks will go nowhere. Sometimes I use a 4" or 2" thick solid as a cap on the hollow core blocks. It keeps things from falling in if nothing else.


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## Sinister-Kisses (Jul 19, 2013)

This is the stand I was planning to build:

http://pinkaspen.blogspot.ca/2013/04/di ... stand.html

But skipping the plywood shelf. But I can skip the middle column as well, so it looks like this?

viewtopic.php?t=177296

Just want to make absolutely sure...lol looks a bit leery to me missing that middle column.


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

Yes, that would work. If you have a stand that holds multiple tanks, you want vertical support where each tank ends. So if you put two 15 gallon tanks on your stand instead of one 55, then a middle column would do no harm. I know enough from my own and others experiences that I repaired, to be leery of HAVING that middle column. It is very likely to produce a stress crack if it is high enough to support the tank's weight. If it does not support any weight, what does it do? To me that third column in the middle reminds me of a chicken my grandma had. It had a third leg on its back.

If you feel leery about that guy's stand, use 8 by 12 by 16 blocks instead of 8 by 8 by 16. Or build it like a block wall and put blocks all the way across the back for super overkill.


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## Sinister-Kisses (Jul 19, 2013)

LOL. Okay , definitely don't want any three-legged chickens  I just want to do whatever is going to be the least risky of cracking a tank, so if the third column is going to make things worse, I'll go without it. It will only be holding the one 55gal tank. I'm certainly no expert, so I will take the advice of those who know what they're talking about. Thanks!!


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

Now if you are supporting an acrylic tank, it's different. Acrylic needs needs support every square inch so you would line up a solid row of columns.


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## Sinister-Kisses (Jul 19, 2013)

Pretty sure it's glass...bought it used, and they didn't say; don't see the typical sticker on the bottom advising that it is acrylic. Is there an easy way to tell?


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## Sinister-Kisses (Jul 19, 2013)

Never mind, took a look again and see it does have a sticker advising it is indeed tempered glass. Thanks again!


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## speshrugby (Sep 19, 2014)

i was thinking of making the same next week , for my 70 gallon tank , do you think i will need the middle stand then or not ?


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## illy-d (Nov 6, 2005)

The plywood shelf would be an essential element if the stand was built quite high - it basically provides lateral stiffness/support.

However, if you're limiting your design to 3 cinderblocks tall I do not think it's an issue at all to not have the plywood shelf.

Sin, that stand you linked to on this forum is fine. Note that they used the 2x4's on edge though? That's key I think; and it's what hose91 was saying about the 2x4 support member being 8 times as strong when it's on edge.


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

The Pink Aspen stand has 2x8's flat, not 2x4's on edge. You can do 2x4's on edge, but they have to follow the tank footprint, not the block pattern. This would be 12.5" edges, not 15.5". You could miter the 2x4's for a better finish look if you are not going to drape the whole stand.

The shelf can be omitted. It probably adds or subtracts little from stability with or without it. However you can do something that will allow you to add or remove the shelf later if you decide to. Turn the second blocks in the stacks on their side so the holes show from the sides. You can cut tabs on the shelves so they fit in the holes, and thus can be removed or added any time. Or you can put pipes through and set a shelf on the pipes.


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