# Making a tall stand?!?



## dgts (Jan 28, 2007)

Hi, i want to make my own tank that would messure in cm 130Lx60Wx40H in feets thats about 4.3Lx2Wx1.1H and then comes the stand i want it to raise the tank of the floor by 4-5feet, like so 








I would use six 4x4 and a bunch of 2x4 for stability. for the sides, back, top and bottom would be a 1/2 in pice of "plywood"(dont know the english word for the wood that i am going to get.)
Is this dooable or would the posts(the 4x4Â´s) bend under the weight?


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## JWerner2 (Jul 7, 2008)

The image dont show but I am interested. I hate bending over to take a look into my aquarium and then the wife thinks Im nuts cause I like to pull a chair up instead.


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

I think it is interesting to look down into a "tide pool" shaped tank whether it's freshwater or saltwater. I built a few tanks with almost exactly those dimensions, holding about 65 gallons US. They were made with left over pieces from other plywood tanks and some other plywood.


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## JWerner2 (Jul 7, 2008)

Those open top ones like that are cool. I almost got one from PetCo when they did a remodel near where I live. It had one square shaped tank elevated from another with a sump on the bottom pumping up to the elevated tank and the water overflowed the tank and cascaded to the next and then the intake of course.

It was the plant tank, and when they removed it one of the jerk contractors thought it would be cool to hoist it up on a fork lift and drop it in the over sized dumpster.


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## mithesaint (Oct 31, 2006)

Hmmm...currently in a food coma, so I might be wrong here..

So you're looking at around 60-70 gallons or so? Not sure what that would be in Liters, maybe <300? That really isn't that much weight. 4x4 would be completely over kill. You'd be just fine with 2x4 lumber as the support, and using plywood as the outer covering would add a lot of stability. Just for reference, I have a 135 gallon (72"x18"x24") that the support beams are doubled up 2x3's. I would have used 2x4's, but already had the 2x3's.

Or maybe I misunderstood :thumb: :lol:


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## dgts (Jan 28, 2007)

Im thinking of making it a bit smaller, like 40"x24"x16"(H) that is 240 liters / 64 gallons aprox.
I want to make some shelfs underneath.So 6 2x4Â´s should be enough, thats one under each corner and 2 in the middle? 
I am just a little concerned that having the support so long/high, 51", that the timber would sway from the weight. Guess i could fix that by just adding enough braces all over the place. 
Just gonna make it and see what happens. opcorn: 
Thx.


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## mithesaint (Oct 31, 2006)

What kind of tank are you making? Glass? Acrylic? Plywood? The type of tank will determine the support you need, and where you need it. If you go glass, you really only need corner posts. I only have corner posts on my 135, using a 2x6 to span 6 feet unsupported. A

Acrylic or plywood tank construction would be a different story entirely. Can't give much advice on either of those, sorry.

How much maint will this tank need? Something that tall will be a pain to work with, and will feel very top heavy. If you don't mind doing all your tank maintenance on a step ladder, you'll be fine.


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## ilikebeer1985 (Dec 21, 2007)

.xcvb


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## ilikebeer1985 (Dec 21, 2007)

hi my 150 gallon 6 footer stand is at 44 inches. my tank adds another 28" and if you add the cannopy it adds to about 90 inches
I am 5'7, this way when i look at my tank, my eyes are right in the middle of the tank.

I definately recomend this. bending over to see your fish sucks! lol

i built it with 4x4 frame all reinforced.


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## dgts (Jan 28, 2007)

I am making a glass tank. I am thinking about making the corners 4x4 and in the middle a 2x4 front and back, with a bunch of 2x2 or 2x4 for support. I want the tanks middle to be at my eye level. I bought a ladder so i can work with the tank (now i just need the tank to use the ladder ).


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## mithesaint (Oct 31, 2006)

ilikebeer1985 said:


> hi my 150 gallon 6 footer stand is at 44 inches. my tank adds another 28" and if you add the cannopy it adds to about 90 inches
> I am 5'7, this way when i look at my tank, my eyes are right in the middle of the tank.
> 
> I definately recomend this. bending over to see your fish sucks! lol
> ...


WOW! I hope you have tall ceilings in whatever room that tank is in. I'm just trying to imagine that in my house with 8 foot ceilings. Wouldn't leave much room for maneuvering!

I have a 90 gallon that stands about 71 inches tall including canopy, and thought that was too tall.

Pics please. opcorn:


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## ilikebeer1985 (Dec 21, 2007)

lolol i have about 10" of room from canopy to ceiling.
This is not tooo tall at all. i love it. 
my friend has it this way, so i decided to copy it.
i wish i took pics of the building process, (but i was too lazy)
give me your email and i will send you pics, bc i dont know how to post them on here.
that goes for anyone that wants to see the setup.
its only tank and stand as of now, its not setup yet.


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

4 by 4's are not as beefy as some assume. They are more prone to twist and bend than other dimensions of lumber. They are almost all treated which makes them suitable only for exterior use. Two 2 by 4's with a half inch plywood sandwich to bring them up to the same dimensions are stronger than a 4 by 4 in the direction parallel to the laminations, and are much more stable, staying straighter.

I visited a few fish rooms on a fish club tour. Several people had those vaulted ceilings that went up to the roof (no attic). One guy's fish tanks were on an inside wall that must have been 15 feet tall, and there were tanks almost all the way up it, with a ladder to access them like you see in old libraries.


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## ilikebeer1985 (Dec 21, 2007)

ya you can use 2x4s too. i just decided to go with 4x4 myself. I use treated wood. it is not for exterior use only. remember it is a fish tank, so it will get wet. it smelled my room for a week, but id rather use the treated wood rather than not treated.


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## dgts (Jan 28, 2007)

http://www.fishfiles.net/up/0902/tn2ruy ... 0_ofan.jpg
http://www.fishfiles.net/up/0902/qjs2gc ... r_5x10.jpg
just a ruff sketch, wanted to put some pictures of what i am going to do, think i have finally settled on the frame/tank. Loads of 2x4's and half an in. plywood. Dubble doors. Tank: 140Lx60Wx40H / 55"Lx23.5W"x15.5"H Stand: 140Lx60Wx130H / 55"Lx23.5"x51"H


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## madmax666 (Sep 11, 2008)

i think this is a very good idea and i would like to follow your steps. (watching not doing) i can get any of the images though...is it me being stupid or something??


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## TheBanker (Jun 14, 2008)

i personally went with a tall diy stand myself. I can view my tank while standing, and its not so bad when im sitting. My stand is 40" tall for a 75 gallon.


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## nick a (Apr 9, 2004)

:thumb: what Mcd said. 4x4s are MUCH less desirous. Using treated lumber indoors is not wise. The 'treatment' is to make them poisonous to wood eating termites & such--not great for respiring creatures either! Not sure what the current treatment is--used to be CCA (something like Copper Chromium Arsenic ) Also, unless you can find 100% kiln dried treated lumber, as the treated wood dries--dimensions change =:x for aquarium stands.

dgts
Better design may be to rotate the top horizontal such that the lumber is oriented on the long axis (on the 3.5" instead of the 1.5") =much less deflection. Also make the top horizontals sit on TOP of the middle and the two inside verticals=a load bearing beam vs them carrying NO load to the floor in current sketch.

HTHs


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## dgts (Jan 28, 2007)

I have been to check the cost for the stand, a bit more expencive then i thought, gotta wait a bit before i have the cash to make it. 
Wich aint that bad cause i have time to practise making a tank in the meen time. The stand will be made out of 2x4Â´s and a bit wider then half an in. wood plates. like so 








The practice tank i am going to make is a smaller tank to see how that goes, then move to the tank that i want. This is the practice tank








I cant seem to get some questions answered though, 
that is when i am measuring the glass that i want to be cut, do i need to account for the silicon? 
Like make the sides that will go in between the front and back plates, do they need to be a little thinner/shorter? More like how much space does the silicon take?
This is the tank and stand and the grey things are the plates and 2x4Â´s that will go in the stand.








I aint quite shure how to post picÂ´s.
















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