# 75g stand (need some advice)



## The-Wu (Jul 2, 2009)

Hello

*** never built a stand for aquarium before. but have been doing lots of research from DIY projects here and have learnt alot.

Basically i want to make a stand with a gap in the middle. (basicaly a table looking shape)

*** read that it's not entirely necessary to use 2x4s to support aquariums as wood has good compression strength and do not need a center pillar since weight is distributed in the 4 corners. *** sketched up a little diagram to show how i want the stand and im asking how i should do the joints and put the thing together? glue + nails through the flat piece into the 'legs'? will this have enough horizontal strength too? (i live in california and there are earthquakes once a while)

Im thinking about 3/4 inch wood for the top and bottom surfaces (and the middle shelf like walls) then 2x4s or 2x3's or whatever is needed to support the weight for the 'legs'

after the skeleton is built, it will be 'skinned' with a thinner plywood or something just for aesthetics.

excuse the blurry image. but it shows the idea.










Thanks in advance.


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## KCLAMBERT (Mar 11, 2007)

You could do screws straight down through the top and bottom into each brace/leg, but I would advise using pocket hole screws (if you have access to a pocket hole jig-good brand would be Kreg if you can use it for others builds-otherwise Home Depot sells a much cheaper one). Pocket hole screws go through the brace/leg at an angle and then into the top piece of wood. The hole is decently asthetic but can be filled with a plug, but since you are covering the whole thing in plywood you may not want to worry about that.

As I said before, a pocket hole jig is a good investment if you like to build things. The Kreg kit runs anywhere from $50 for the bare minimum to $149 for the master kit. I bought the $99 medium kit and am very happy with it. I plan on using it to build a stand for my 50 gallon.

Good luck and upload pictures when you're done.


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## The-Wu (Jul 2, 2009)

Thanks for the suggestion, i'll definitely take a look at pocket holes. But are the joints significantly stronger? or will drilling normally work? (if it's just cosmetic i can just cover up the nailheads with foam between the tank and stand)

my main concern was will this stand work? should i use 2x4s or 2x3s as the support/legs ? do i even need those? should i just use four 3/4 inch sheets ?

thanks!


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

A plywood only stand will work fine. You can cut the edges of the plywood at 45 degrees to make miter joints that hide the edge of the plywood. If the bottom and top extend out as pictured, you'll need some trim to cover the exposed edges there. You can also leave the back of each pedestal open.


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## The-Wu (Jul 2, 2009)

Thats good to know, i preferred to not use big 2x4s or anything. you mentioned leaving the back open, that would be great as it'll reduce the amount of work. but will the stand be stable enough horizontally? (think earthquakes) It seems slightly weak against horizontal swaying, dont want the stand to fold like a card castle.


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## bell (Dec 12, 2005)

check out my 180 thread.....my stand is made of 3/4" plywood only.....


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## Stickzula (Sep 14, 2007)

Check out this thread http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=160446

I would DEFINITELY go for something like this. It is nearly the same as what you sketched except the front is open, but that could be covered if need be. The great thing is that it avoids using any stud material.

Hope this helps and post some pics once you get going on it.


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

The-Wu said:


> Thats good to know, i preferred to not use big 2x4s or anything. you mentioned leaving the back open, that would be great as it'll reduce the amount of work. but will the stand be stable enough horizontally? (think earthquakes) It seems slightly weak against horizontal swaying, dont want the stand to fold like a card castle.


It would be strong enough, but you could add a shelf inside that would make it a bit more solid.

The annual fish show this week in Akron Ohio uses stands that are 100% plywood and hold 500 or more aquariums for a weekend show. The legs are X-shapes, two rectangles with a groove cut halfway down in each one. They slide together to form the X. No screws or glue. Structurally that would work quite well with your stand, but would not have the look your drawings seem to be after.


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## Stickzula (Sep 14, 2007)

> The annual fish show this week in Akron Ohio uses stands that are 100% plywood and hold 500 or more aquariums for a weekend show. The legs are X-shapes, two rectangles with a groove cut halfway down in each one. They slide together to form the X. No screws or glue. Structurally that would work quite well with your stand, but would not have the look your drawings seem to be after


That sounds very similar to a waterbed frame. Those are usually 1/2" osb sheets oriented in a grid patteren. a king size has support around the edges, 2 supports running head to foot, and 3 supports running side to side, all equally spaced and then topped with 1/2" osb. IDK how many gallons it holds, but it is a lot. then add the weight of the individuals on the bed. It is unbelievably strong.

I would not use osb for an aquarium stand though.


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## The-Wu (Jul 2, 2009)

Thanks for all the replies everyone! you guys have helped me tremendously and the links to other threads were great references too!!

*** measured out the dimensions of what i need to get and i was actually planning to pick up the wood today.

i will definitely keep everyone posted of my progress and i guess i should document it and post it on here too!

thanks again!


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## The-Wu (Jul 2, 2009)

Hi all

I've followed through and started building the stand!

Went ahead and got a pocket hole kit, a sheet of 3/4 hard plywood (8 x 4 ft) and it was perfect size to cut my whole stand.

i ended up getting wayyy to much primer, too bad it cost almsot as much as the wood...

cost breakdown:
plywood 8x4 - $34
1 gal primer - $20
2 quarts of paint black/pink - $18
kreg pocket hole jig kit - $40
woodglue - $2
*total - $114*

Going to be picture heavy, but here's a photo log!









raw wood, cut at home depot. just asked the guy, gave him measurements and he was very friendly and helped cut everything along the grain so that its stronger and looks better.









sanded the wood, primed it.









here's the paint i used.

























testing out the pocket holes system. this one allows you to do two holes with one clamp and it gives great support/strength. (hides the screws on exterior too)









im a design guy.. so im adding some funky colors as a lining inside the cabinet. you will only see the pink when the cabinet doors open (little extra flare 8) )









got this far and my drill ran out of batteries.. so i started clearing out my old tank.

























attaching top panel!









I sat on the stand and it didnt even flinch, im more than confident it will hold weight of the tank (i was a little worried at first) It is very solid, in fact feels better than some of the cheap stands out there that wobble a bit when you try to move it.

It's definitely coming together now. im very proud of it and i cant wait to get and set up the new tank!

to do next:
attach cabinet doors.
get tank =)


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## Stickzula (Sep 14, 2007)

looks good! I would add some kind of cross bracing along the back though. I know that it is strong under vertical load, but if you push it from the side, eventually it will flex. I am sure that I could get it to collapse under my own strength by pushing downward and sideways simotaneously from the top side. At a min I would put a sheet of 1/4" ply over the back of those two cubbies. 7/16" ply would be stronger, but not necessary.


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## The-Wu (Jul 2, 2009)

Hello all.

*** added the 1/4" ply wood in the back, wood glue = nails all the way around, now it should be very strong horizontally aswell.

























doors are in!


















However.. now theres another problem apparently the top piece of wood is not level all the way. it dips in the middle so the tank is sitting only on the sides (where most weight is)

Each SIDE (left and right) are flush, so theres no gap at all. however the long side (front and back) is not touching the stand at all. will this be a problem? i can throw some foam in there, but do i need it? i don't like the look with a piece of foam. but if my tank is going to have stress problems then i will look into it.

*** seen tanks that were just supported on the ends and the middle portion is floating. so im wondering will this scenario be ok?

Thanks!


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

If it's the stand top that dips down, and not the tank frame bowing up, you can use leveling compound to flatten out the top, especially on the edges, and then sand and paint it to match the wood.


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