# Dual 55g stand?



## yankz12603 (Mar 2, 2008)

Does anyone know where i can buy one that holds a 55 on top and bottom?? Or has anyone ever made one? Id like to see pictures. Any help would be appreciated. thanks


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## venustus19 (Aug 30, 2007)

not sure where(if anywhere) you could buy one, but i am pretty sure you could make one cheaper... not sure how you are with tools, but i can send you a "plan" that i can draw up on autocad, that you could use as a reference... i came up with a 55 on top, and a 30 on the bottom stand for someone here... i'll attach it at the end of this post... you would just have to modify it a bit to make a 55 work on the bottom. i can draw you up one if you like... i am sure others will chime in also, so just let me know.


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## yankz12603 (Mar 2, 2008)

Wow awesome, I would greatly appreciate that if you could draw it up for me. Im very handy with tools seeing that I work with my father doing carpentry work. *** even took CAD in school but dont have the program or time to figure out all the dimensions and draw something up. This is going to be in my living room of my new apt. Id like it to look decent and was leaning towards building one anyways. Well when you have the time i'd like a blueprint... Thanks soo much :thumb:


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## venustus19 (Aug 30, 2007)

ok... i should be able to work on it today while i am at work... we are a little slow... um, you can do what ever you want with the finishing portions of the stand... what i draw up is just the frame... cover it with whatever/however you want...
i'll see what i can get done today and let you know... i am thinking(and you can give some input on this as well)that the top of the tank is going to have to be much wider than your tank, due to the fact that you have to get a 55 on the bottom... which means that you will have an inside dim of say 50" for the bottom, and if you use 2 2x4's like mine shows, then the top of the tank will be roughly 56", then however you make you top, whether you sit your tank right on the frame, or you make like a table top like i did with mine... either way, i think, and i could be wrong, and please let me know if i am, you are going to need to be much wider for a 55 to fit on bottom... let me know and i'll start up with a draft for you to see


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## yankz12603 (Mar 2, 2008)

well they are 48 1/4 x 12 3/4 x 21. I dont want it to be tall so i would like the bottom tank maybe a couple inches off the ground and then enough space above it to get the hood/light in and out and have space to do maintenance. so maybe 8 - 10 inches of space?? I think like you said it would need to be a little wider to get the bottom tank in. I would be making it out of 2x4's.
Im thinking it would look something like this but the bottom tank close to the floor.


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## yankz12603 (Mar 2, 2008)

there wouldnt be wood along the sides of the top tank either


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## venustus19 (Aug 30, 2007)

right... the tank will just be sitting on whatever you make the top out of... this is my old setup, and kind of a bad picture, but here is what my tank stand with my tank on it looks like.










this is a close up of how the front comes off, but if you look at the stand top, you can see what i mean by table top... i used i beleive 1x8, 3 of them biscuited, and glued together for the top, then painted it black.


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## yankz12603 (Mar 2, 2008)

Nice, yea I like that idea of the table top with the 3 diff size pieces put together. I was thinking of just making it a flat top squared off with the rest of the stand but I like your idea. nice tank BTW!


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## venustus19 (Aug 30, 2007)

the top is just 1x's biscuited and glues together, and then just a routered edge on the front and 2 sides... the back of the table top is flush with the back of the frame... i left my back completely open, for full access, and my whole front comes off for full access to my sump... i used 1/4" ply for the outside, with 1x3's for the trim work... simple and easy, yet nice looking... mine is sitting in the basement family room...

ummm... when i made my frame, i made it so that my tank(90 gallon) could sit right on the frame and not fall in, so my frame is 48.25"x 18.25"... then my table top overlaps the frame by like an 1" on all sides but the back(flush)... yours would be about 56" x 13.25" then... is that ok with you. or do you want more depth(like 15" or so).

then on my tank, i am only using a 20 long for a sump, so size did not matter at all for me... yours does however, so, you want only like an 1" clearance on the sides(making the inside dim 50"), or do you want wider... remember, the wider you go for inside, the wider the top will have to be... i was making it as tight as possible, therefore i choose 50"... for your height, i would go at least 10", if not 12"... is your bottom tank going to be a sump, or a habitat for fish... mine is a sump, and i have 12" clearance for maintainance. might want more if it is going to house fish, just for ease. but all up to you, i am here just to draw up what you want...

are those dimensions you gave me earlier the dim's with or without the trim... if not with trim, can you let me know what it is with the trim...


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## yankz12603 (Mar 2, 2008)

56" x 13.25" would be ok but i guess some extra depth wouldnt hurt so how about 56x15 like you said.

1" clearance on the sides(making the inside dim 50") would be fine. i dont need space on the sides and dont want it too wide.

The bottom tank is not going to be a sump its going to be for fish.
for the height above the bottom tank, 10" if not 12" is ok - doesnt really matter as long as its not toooo high and i have enough room to do maintanence. do what u would do..


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## venustus19 (Aug 30, 2007)

ok... this is what i came up with so far... let me know if you want anything changed...

total height to the top of your top tank will be a little over 5'... i went 2" off the floor for the first 2x4, so your tank will actually sit about 5-6"off the floor(if that is too high, we can just put a 2x4 on end on the floor so your tank will be then about 3.5" off the floor) then i went 12"clearance, so the inside of your stand will be 33" from 2x4, to bottom of the upper 2x4... here is a pic so far... is this all you want or do you want a break down of what each board should be... granted it might fluctuate a bit, so don't just take mine for granted, but just use as a reference... let me know...










i can pretty much do the same thing as this, but it might take a few days, just depends on how busy i get at work... right now, somewhat slow, so i might be able to get it done sooner than later. anyway something like this is what i can do for your stand.




























let me know what you need...


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## yankz12603 (Mar 2, 2008)

wow awesome! thanks alot, i really appreciate it. No rush but a breakdown of the sizes of each piece would be nice and the only thing i would like different would be the bottom 2x4 to be at the base of the floor instead of 2 inches above. I am definitely going to use your design so dont think im wasting your time also. Ill show you how it comes out once i move. my lease is up may31 so once im in the new place ill get it up.


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## venustus19 (Aug 30, 2007)

another question for you... what are you going to be using for your bottom shelf... if it is only going to be like a 1/4" ply or something, then i want to add a couple more 2x4's, if you go with like 3/4" ply, then you probably don't need any more than what i have in the drawing above. i'll throw them in the drawing for now, i can delete them, if you answer me back with no, you don't need them... just let me know.
thanks


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## venustus19 (Aug 30, 2007)

another option is to just add 2 more 2x4's on the front and abck base, that way your 55 will have something to sit on, and then you can just use 1/4" ply... probably the best way IMO. i'll draw it that way for you....


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## yankz12603 (Mar 2, 2008)

cant i just add 2 more 2x4's on the front and back of the base and have the tank sit on them or is it better to have a shelf


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## venustus19 (Aug 30, 2007)

that is what i drew up... i am in the process of posting it all right now... give me a minute and you'll have i think everything you need.


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## venustus19 (Aug 30, 2007)

ok... you ready for this... i have a bunch of jpegs for you to use... hopefully this will get you on your way... let me know if you have any questions or concerns. this is the same setup i have on my 90... this stand can hold a house... very overkill, but i like to side on the catious side of things. here you go:

just the frame









the front part of the frame exploded to see how it goes together









now the frame with letters to differentiate the different pieces









the exploded version again but with letters









now the breakdown of the parts









i did not glue mine together, lots of people here think you do, but IMO you do not... all i did was use 3" coarse drywall screws(the orange box at HD) if the stand would stay together with nothing, i would use nothing... everything is wood on wood, with all the weight of the tank going through the legs of the stand... you can glue if you want, but i wanted the ability to take it apart and move easier if need be... and with you living in an apartment, you might need that... who knows...

anyway, that should be all you need. like i said earlier, ak me any questions you might have, and i'll try my best to answer them...

oh, also, here is a pic of the frame color coated to help if need be...

colors go as followed:
A= blue
B= yellow
C= red
D= aqua
E= green









there you go... good luck, and post some pics. have fun.


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## yankz12603 (Mar 2, 2008)

, greatly appreciated :thumb: I will be sure to post pics. thanks again!


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## yankz12603 (Mar 2, 2008)

Well I began to build it this weekend. Here are some pics so far. I still need to finish trimming it out and then im going to stain it black. More pics to come!


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## venustus19 (Aug 30, 2007)

looking good so far... all my drawings were understandable then, i hope... 

keep the pics coming..


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## yankz12603 (Mar 2, 2008)

yea everything was perfect. I used wood glue and sheet rock screws. This thing can definitely hold a house. Ill post up more pics as i finish it up.


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## yankz12603 (Mar 2, 2008)

Oh yea i have a question. when i trim it out, should i cover the sides of the bottom tank? It would be easier to do but i wouldnt be able to see in the sides of the tank.


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## venustus19 (Aug 30, 2007)

i assume then, that you are using the bottom tank as a tank, and not a sump then... when i posted my stand on here, people said to make sure you put a "skin" on the sides, because if you don't, it will twist or warp... i am no expert, but i don't really see that happening... i "skinned" mine, just because i wanted it to be finished... in your case, i would say you wouldn't have too, but i am not an expert in that area... are you putting a back on it, or are you leaving it open for access. i have sides, but no back on mine... that is a tough call to make... i would think you would be fine if you didn't put sides on it, but i also don't want to be at fault either if something went wrong  as you can see with the stand, i like to side on the cation side of things... sorry, this isn't probably the best post... maybe post a new topic asking what people think... maybe someone else will have more input.


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## yankz12603 (Mar 2, 2008)

its not going to be a sump, and im not going to put a back on it so i guess i could deal with not being able to see in the sides. The more strength the better. :thumb:


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## yankz12603 (Mar 2, 2008)

Here it is with the trim on. I actually decided against covering the sides. I'd like to see in the sides of the bottom tank. 
I used taping compound to fill in the groove where the 2x4's connect for the legs. This makes it smooth and square. Im going to sand and paint it tonight.










This is what im going to use to paint it - Jet Black


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## yankz12603 (Mar 2, 2008)

this is going to be the top tank. 3 electric blue jack dempseys, 2 plecos and some giant danios. Im going to rescape it also.


















The bottom tank im not sure what im going to do with yet...

Ill keep the pics coming as this progresses...


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## venustus19 (Aug 30, 2007)

looking good... i like the openess of the bottom tank... i think it'll look good once both tanks are on the stand... well done, and yes, keep the pics coming.


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## yankz12603 (Mar 2, 2008)

Hey out of curiosity what do you do? You drew up the plans fairly quick and they were perfect. You said you use CAD at work? Are you a architect or engineer?


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## venustus19 (Aug 30, 2007)

my college degree is in engineering(construction eng), but i am a site planner for a developer in NE Ohio... i get a peice of land from one of our guys who goes out and finds land, and i try and develop stuff on it... anywhere from a single parcel of 1 acre, up to 100+ acres... we mainly try and develop like strip centers, malls, outlet malls... that kind of stuff... home depots, lowes, kohls, target, walmarts are our big box stores, and we just try and fit shops, restaurants, ect... around the anchor stores...


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## yankz12603 (Mar 2, 2008)

oh wow thats cool, I always liked design and drawing when i was in school... Anyways cool job! and thanks again for the blueprint!


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## venustus19 (Aug 30, 2007)

no problem... always glad to help out people when i can... especially when i actually DO help. i give my opinion, but most the time, people go with others opinions, and that is fine... but i like it when i actually get to give something to someone and they use it... 
glad you liked it...
brent


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## yankz12603 (Mar 2, 2008)

update: I have a 40" samsung lcd tv that i put on top of the stand for now. 
Heres some pics of the setup in my new place... Finally getting all settled in.


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## venustus19 (Aug 30, 2007)

nice job... i like it... i am trying to think though, do you think it would look better if you wraped the vertical legs with what you wraped the other parts with, that way it all is one depth... not sure how that would look... i do like the different depths, gives is more detail i guess is that word... i also like the idea of it being a TV stand with a tank under it... i also have a flat screen, but mine is on another wall than my tank.
nice job.


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## yankz12603 (Mar 2, 2008)

Well it was getting some nice weight to it so I didnt want to keep adding if I didnt need to. You cant really tell from the pic but for the vertical legs I filled the little gap between the two pieces of 2x4's with drywall spackle. then I sanded it flat so the legs actually look like they are 4x4's. If you can understand that.... Sorry that was hard to explain. The pictures dont do justice of the stand or even the whole living room. I love it. Thanks again!


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## venustus19 (Aug 30, 2007)

ya... i know what you mean... the stand does get heavy, and yes, you explained fine about the spackle... and pictures never do anything justice, so if you are happy, i am happy...
take care and enjoy your fish.


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## AU Chief (Jun 20, 2007)

I have a question about these plans...do you think they could be modified to make a stand for 125 gallon aquarium...of would something that large need some sort of support at the midway point?


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## venustus19 (Aug 30, 2007)

i would say to be on the safe side of things, i would add a center 2x4 flat, in the middle where your doors would close into... i am not sure if you would actually need a support there or not... maybe a structural engineer(if there is one here) can help with that... if you are looking to not have a center support, maybe you can just use 2x6's instead of 2x4's for your horizontal peices...


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## AU Chief (Jun 20, 2007)

What would you say the total cost of this was?


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## booba5 (May 3, 2008)

the only thing i wouldn't like about having a tank on the bottom like that is it could be a lil more challenging to clean\empty it, not much room for a decsent siphon.


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## yankz12603 (Mar 2, 2008)

AU Chief said:



> What would you say the total cost of this was?


id say about 30 - 40 bucks if you were to buy all the supplies. I had everything i needed except the 2x4's... Dads a contractor.


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## yankz12603 (Mar 2, 2008)

booba5 said:


> the only thing i wouldn't like about having a tank on the bottom like that is it could be a lil more challenging to clean\empty it, not much room for a decsent siphon.


there is a foot of space above the top of the tank. not as hectic as you'd think.


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## AU Chief (Jun 20, 2007)

I modified this for a 75 gallon, meaning its just a few inches wider, I'm going to start another thread with pics. All credit goes to you two, *yankz12603* and *venustus19*. This has been a very helpful thread. Thanks!


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## AU Chief (Jun 20, 2007)

I have another couple of questions for you:

Where could one get some of that taping compound?

Did you just use nails to hold the plywood in place of did you use screws on it too?

And that jet black color looks really good, I looked at Home Dumpster today, but couldn't find anything analgous to that, I say where some was supposed to be, but they were all sold out. Is red devil available at wal mart?

Thanks again.


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## yankz12603 (Mar 2, 2008)

Taping compound - Home Depot.

I used 2" and 3" sheetrock screws. no nails. I filled all the screw heads with compound also and then sanded.

The red devil I wouldnt really know where to get I had it laying around... sorry I cant help with that.

I figured this would be a really good thread for anyone wanting a dual stand for any size tank.

Just ask if you have another other questions...


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## CaliRose (Oct 24, 2006)

my husband built the stand for my 55 gal...you could easily put one on the bottom... plus it's out of 2inch angle steel....strong and will last forever!! I love it!!


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## yankz12603 (Mar 2, 2008)

CaliRose said:


> my husband built the stand for my 55 gal...you could easily put one on the bottom... plus it's out of 2inch angle steel....strong and will last forever!! I love it!!


Nice! post a pic! i'd like to see a dual 55 out of steel.


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## venustus19 (Aug 30, 2007)

me too... post a pic if you can.
thanks


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## CaliRose (Oct 24, 2006)

ok here... i don't have two 55's on it but my husbands dad had his set up like that before he gave them to me.


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## CaliRose (Oct 24, 2006)

here's another one...


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## yankz12603 (Mar 2, 2008)

very nice and simple! I like it!


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## yankz12603 (Mar 2, 2008)

now that im looking at it again i dont think u would have room to access the tank. a smaller tank would work though...


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## CaliRose (Oct 24, 2006)

my father in law had one setup with 2 55's...he said it was a tight squeeze but it worked.


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## venustus19 (Aug 30, 2007)

i like it... it looks like it would be a tight squeeze to get a 55 down there.


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