# Lowes Heavy Duty Steel Shelves? Multiple Tank setup?



## MSUDawgs56 (Feb 1, 2005)

I've read through some of the older posts and only found one related to this exact shelving unit..
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=p ... lpage=none

I am interested in putting a 125 gallon on it and then fry tanks under it. Each shelf is rated up to 1500 lbs each. I went to lowes today and they are well built. Heavy duty steel welded. It looked to work if you replaced the composition board with really think plywood.

What do you guys think? I'm looking for a multiple 125 rack or just put one 125 and fry tanks on it.

Your advice is greatly appreciated


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

If it's rated to handle the load, then should be fine. I'd suggest attaching it to a wall or solid structure of some sort.

You shouldn't need to replace the particle board, since that's not what's supporting the weight. If you're thinking along those lines because some smaller tanks may not stretch front to back, then I'd have to recommend not doing that unless you know the board's load bearing capability. Just go with something like a 15 gallon that's 24 inches long and place them with the side facing front so the ends ride the steel rack supports.


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## aussy612 (Jan 31, 2009)

i definitely would not use that for a 125 gallon aquarium for a few reasons. 
1. That shelf can hold 1500 pounds as you said, but i believe a 125 gallon aquarium is 1600 pounds (without rock or substrate).
2. 125 gallons of water is enough to cause extremely severe damage to any area, and if something went wrong, it would be thousands of dollars in damage.

For my 125, I reinforced a wooden countertop (not really a countertop, but thats the best way i can describe it. Two six inch thick supports and i added another two inches on each of them to help distribute the weight properly.
If your going to set up a 125, i would definitely get something that you are sure to work, rather than take the chance. If anything, that would need reinforcement.


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## matthew1884 (Jul 24, 2009)

A bare 125 may work but bare it would weigh almost 1225 if you round up to 9lbs per gallon.
and that is not accounting for the weight of the tank, so you probably could do a bare 125 but with sand and rocks that would be getting close to the weight limit. and most likely go over the limit.


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## redblufffishguy (Jul 16, 2009)

lets assume the 125 gallon tank weighs 150# and that there is a full 125 gallons of water in said tank.... the water weighs 1043.125# that is 1193.125#

add 100# for gravel/sand, and 200# for rock (approx. amounts).....

total: 1493.125# however the substrate and rock will displace some water, let go conservative and remove 20 gallons.... 166.9#

Actual total is: 1326.225#

Now that the math is correct, sure you can use that rack! I wouldnt do it though. the rack is plenty strong up and down, but side to side is a different story. Do you see the diagonal bracing on the sides of the rack? well that is none on the back of the rack. if you or someone else was to trip/fall/stumble and grab onto the rack to prevent going down, it is very possible that you would apply enough force to cause the rack to fail in a sideways direction and then you have a mess. I gaurentee your home owners insurance is going to have some questions regarding the rack if it does fail.

It would be better to either buy a higher rated rack, or build one out of 2 x 4 lumber. *YES*, 2 x 4 lumber is suffecient to hold up a 125 gallon aquarium. check other posts, you can see is has been done many many times in the past. There is no need to go crazy with 4 x 4 lumber!!

hope that helps!

RBFG


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## aussy612 (Jan 31, 2009)

Sorry my little statistic was off, but I'm glad someone corrected it. I agree with the last poster in that it should be something that is tried and true rather than a guessing game. I'm sure it COULD be done successfully, but when taking a chance with thousands of dollars worth in damage and tanks, i think you should have something that your are 100% on.
Look under the DIY section for some cheap stands that, if built properly, with work perfectly for your endeavour.


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## redblufffishguy (Jul 16, 2009)

There are racks out there that will hold 2000# per shelf, they are common and aren't all that expensive. but really with a little labor and a few tools, 2x4 racks are really cheap, and work great.


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## Number6 (Mar 13, 2003)

I have one of these units in my garage with quite a load on it. I've climbed the thing and it does move... I would never put large aquariums on this thing without attaching an x-bracing onthe back so that it didn't budge... 
I've had a 110g tank spring a leak and it wrecked a whole weekend... not fun and that was a slow leak... I couldn't imagine what would have happened with a big leak!


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## rarefaction (Aug 6, 2009)

Let me ask you this:

When is the last time you have seen anything at lowes or depot 'built like it used to be'. 
Holds 1500lbs per shelf my a$$!


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## redblufffishguy (Jul 16, 2009)

Rarefaction, If the shelving has 1500 per shelf listed, I would bet the shelves hold at least 15-20 percent more before failing, but when you read the fine print, they usually say, dry load evenly distributed over entire shelf.

The rating definately does not cover 1200 pound of moving fluid though.

But again, why chance it.


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## rarefaction (Aug 6, 2009)

redblufffishguy said:


> I would bet the shelves hold at least 15-20 percent more before failing.


I completely agree, just as ladders are underrated to account for tools and material loads. My point is I would not trust modern manufacturing from a box chain with a long term load so close to it's full load capacity, especially if that load could flood my house. I should have spelled it out better... I just prefer shorter sentences. :wink:


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## redblufffishguy (Jul 16, 2009)

I got ya... and I agree, however I have a 48" costco rack that is holding a pretty heavy load in use in my office right now. It is substantially better built than the lowes one, and is rated for 600 pounds per shelf (I have about 400# per shelf currently). But this is not a permanent set up. it does work well, but again, I am no where near the load capacity, so its pretty safe.


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## BillD (May 17, 2005)

Having looked at the HD shelves up here nad compared them to the $20 more expensive Costco shelves, which are, if I remember correctly, rated 500lbs higher per shelf, there is no comparison. The Costco shelf is far superior, made of a heavier gauge of metal.


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## Borsig (Nov 21, 2012)

NO. any shelf you put together out of a box from lowes / HD is trash.

I have a large amount of military surplus.... goods that are heavy. 48 to 60 kilos average (by the stamps on the crates) and up to around 100 pd or more. I stacked them about 6-8 on one of these "1200 pound" shelves. The shelf bowed and became impacted within weeks. I had to go buy 3/4" particle board, replace the junk they included for the surfaxce area, and relegated the unit to hjolding bags of rice, cases of MRE's etc.

Id never trust it to aquariums of any kind.

make your own from 2x4s and 3/4 thick sheet material.


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## dledinger (Mar 20, 2013)

I have the 72 x48 edsal shelves along an entire wall in my garage. They're rated at 800 per shelf and I am 110% confident that they would not hold a 20 Long until next weekend. The particle board is SO THIN that every shelf sagged 4" under it's own weight the first month I had them. I LEANED on one one time, and my palm went right through it. I have since replaced every piece of particle board with 3/4" ply because they were not strong enough to store a box of styrofoam peanuts when I got them (slight sarcasm). They're better with the plywood, but racking is still an issue. There's just no way I'd trust anything like this at anywhere near it's stated capacity.


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## sirdavidofdiscus (Dec 8, 2006)

If you could buy the shelves that Lowes, HD, or any other big box store actually uses for their building materials department, I would use those. Anything lighter than that I wouldn't trust. Those racks hold 2x pallets of concrete mix or roofing shingles per level in an 8 foot span. Each pallet weighs a ton or more. I actually worked at one of those places and some of the pallets weighed 2500 lbs that's 5000 per shelve


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## Mschn99 (Dec 24, 2012)

I personally would not risk it. I use commercial warehouse racks and they are MUCH MUCH stronger. It also allows you to put as much 2x4 bracing under the shelf as you want, and as thick of a plywood shelf as you want. I have my two by cross supports at 3" apart, and used 3/4 inch plywood for a nice strong foundation. The shelves on these things are rated for an insane amount of weight, and i can climb up and down on it empty and it does not move. Add the weight of the tanks and its going NOWHERE. You can buy them new at home depot and lowes i believe (special order) and any warehouse supply or actual warehouse should be able to get them for you. My set up is two sections sharing a center support. Here are some pics of mocking it out and then set up.


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## B.Roberson (Nov 6, 2011)

Mschn99 
Can we see the living room? :drooling:


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## Mschn99 (Dec 24, 2012)

B.Roberson said:


> Mschn99
> Can we see the living room? :drooling:


ill have to upload some pics.....give me a few minutes


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## Mschn99 (Dec 24, 2012)

I appologize, but the only pic of the 72 bowfront i can find is when i was using it to grow some fry out, so its not too "showey" in these....


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