# 75 Gallon stand project



## HiReZ (Jul 19, 2011)

I recently acquired a 75 gallon. it came with a home made 2x4 stand that I will not be using. I have been wanting to build by own for some time, and now i have an excuse. the major flow of the stand that came with is 1. its ugly, 2. the entire tank (~800lb) is held up by 12 wood screws! it consists of 2 frames and 4 legs. The upper frame goes around the outside of the legs and is screwed from the inside.

I have searched these forums and the web for ideas, but i am still in the concept stage. What I am thinking about is I see that most use 2x4s and ply/particle board. This seems WAY overkill and a waste of space and weight. At the pet stores most stands are made very simple with 1/2 or maybe 3/4 inch board.

My current concept is to use these (2X2):
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Unbranded-2- ... k4811NCiuw
http://www.homedepot.com/p/1-x-2-x-Rand ... k49_VNCiuw

Another thing I'd like to know is if anyone sees a problem making a stand 42" to 48" tall? Most stand I find too short for my liking.

My first concept design is this: 









I will continue to search for ideas, and welcome any thoughts here


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## matt duarte (Aug 29, 2013)

this is what I went by... its super strong.. I added braces in the middle front as well


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## nodima (Oct 3, 2002)

I've built several stands for 75 to 180 gallon tanks. On the smaller end, there is no reason not to build it as a "normal" piece of furniture, with 3/4" lumber of your chosen species. Using standard casework with dado's and rabbets - or for bonus points dovetails. I agree that most of the tank designs I've seen on line are way overbuilt. I'd stay away from those ballasters, and just build the tank from dimensional 1x lumber and or plywood.

Even 3/4" pine will support a tank without issue as long as the vertical pieces are in line with the force, and will not allow the horizontal elements to shear - sounds like you are aware of this possibility given your screw comment.


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## HiReZ (Jul 19, 2011)

here is my latest concept. it consists of 1x2s and 2x2. do you think it will work?


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## nodima (Oct 3, 2002)

I'd be very worried about racking and collapsing with that design. If you had a solid back across the whole thing, even 1/4" luan, it would be much more resistant to racking.

One trick you can do to keep the front looking light and airy is increase the size of the vertical members in back. Use 1x4 for instance in the back may help. I had to do this on my stand for a 180 in order to leave enough space in the front of the stand to get the sump in place.


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## HiReZ (Jul 19, 2011)

good point. still in concept... I am trying to figure out the outside and final look. I will enclose the entire lower back with a panel. Then leave the upper center section open. the shelves on the sides will either stay open or bring the back panel in 6-8 inches so their is a shelf in the front and back for hiding equipment and stuff. the front will have three doors, two on either side and one at the bottom center under an open (for smaller tank) upper center shelf.
I think its also a good idea to perhaps use bigger 1x4 boards in the back.

more like this: (the three front door panels are left off to show framing and inside detail.


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## nodima (Oct 3, 2002)

Looks good. What are you planning for the joints for the shelf the lower tank sits on? I'd suggest not notching the vertical elements, as they are on the smaller size - but if you have to, keep the notch between 25 and 30% of the thickness if those are 3/4", use 1/4" max.


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## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

Similar to my 75g stand. I incorporated 2x10g tanks in the bottom along with drawers.
Here's the build thread if you're interested: viewtopic.php?f=30&t=231080


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## HiReZ (Jul 19, 2011)

I like this. thanks for sharing. I might borrow the flaps idea. one thing i was hoping to avoid by using 2x2 framing is hidden space behind panels.
and thanks for pointing out the lower shelf joints, nodima. I had overlooked this. I guess i can either use additional 1x2 adjacent to the 2x2s or metal brackets. i was also thinking about adding metal brackets at all vertical to horizontal joints. The thing I am most unsure about is how to accommodate space in the back for electrical wiring and water tubing. I think I want to create about a 6 inch deep hidden shelf in the back on either side to mount electrical, tubing, and filter equip.


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## HiReZ (Jul 19, 2011)

update:

I used two 1x2 boards and cut them up to make the top and bottom frames 48-1/2 by 18-1/2
I had a hard time finding straight 2x2s and it was cheaper so I split a 12ft and a 10ft 2x4 to make the eight 2x2x40 legs

I got everything as straight, even, and level as possible then glued and tacked everything together to get this:









That's as far as I could get this round. It feels sturdy already, so I had to see the tank on it. The tank sits on it well and is pretty darn level. However, about 1/3 the way across from the right I can see a space under the tank if i shine a light behind it. Do you think thats ok? I could try to fill it or plane the opposite end. its also possible once i get the side panels on and square it all up this will go away.

so far:


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## nodima (Oct 3, 2002)

i'd not worry about minor gaps as you describe. As long as the tank is level, wood will compress a bit when the water weight is added to the tank, and that gap may disappear on its own. I had similar gaps on my 180's stand. If you do decide to worry about it, you can take a hand plane to the top to smooth it out.

Any more progress?


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## HiReZ (Jul 19, 2011)

no progress as yet. I need to get a 4x8 sheet of ply and a free weekend to finish up. Hopefully by next week. I have been thinking of the next steps for this project and came across this little gem at the hardware store:








It has array of holes the perfect size to seat LEDs in. I'm thinking i'll cut it into pieces to make accent lights, night lights etc.


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## HiReZ (Jul 19, 2011)

well, after some delay (things have been quite hectic) I have finally made some significant progress and the stand is near completion. I have had more delay on the doors because my hidden hinges never arrived. I am very happy with the look of the tank and stand in my house! The only thing i would change is its about 3 inches to high and I can't reach in without getting on my toes! Guess I'll have to get a step 
Comments, Criticisms?


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