Help. Is This Stand Going To Be Strong Enough?

[purple_drazi]

I'm renovating the livingroom and hired a professional designer to help with the plans. I told her I wanted an aquarium and she designed a tank stand. I didn't have the tank at the time but was thinking I'd have a 35g tank & told the designer the stand needed to hold a tank 36" x 18" and that it would weigh around 400 lbs. I've got a 65g tank that weighs around 750 lbs.

They've made the stand out of sheets of 3/4" particle board. It's actually two cabinets that have been put together so the sides are 3/4" and the center "post" is 1 1/2" (two sides together), with a Staron, an acrylic resin, countertop.

Is this going to be strong enough?

 

[Tolak]

Particle board is a poor choice for any support member. When it gets wet it "melts" for lack of a better description. I had a particle board stand that was sold as a stand that did that years ago, filter overflowed, in less than a week the one end was sinking.

As far as strength, it depends on how it was designed, the top being attached to te sides so the top covers the vertical supports gives the most strength. I would reinforce the inside with some 2x4's if you want it to be safe from any water damage.

 

[anvil63]

I 2nd Tolak's advice, reinforce the insides with 2x4's. Particle board makes truly crumby stands. I had one sag on me after getting wet it was quickly replaced with hardwood.

Carl

 

[Scott MacAdam]

I agree with the posts above, with particle board, it's likely to sag or give under the pressure, and if it gets wet without any proper support you may risk losing your tank...... so maybe if possible, replacind the wood that accually does the "supporting" of the tank with some better wood, and if not, make lots of re-enforced crossections along all the areas that will take any stress. hopefully this won't be to hard, but just to check i'd try a weight test if possible just to make sure it won't cave in on the the weight, i know if it were me i'd be ontop of it jumping to make sure! hahahaha! but yes, this may be dangerous so be careful!

GOODLUCK! Keep us up to date

 

[anodized]

particle board is inexpensive. i have a 45G tank with a 30" high stand. all pieces are half inch material and covered by eighth inch black malomine. one on top and bottom and 4 vertical supports. each pair of vertical supports has another running horizontally to act as storage shelves.

it holds the weight fine. its the type made in a factory. the most important part of the strength of these units besides the material are the fasterners and quality of the drilled holes.

it should definitely be covered with malomime or equivalent if you're using it around water, ie, not paint

 

[purple_drazi]

Thought as much.
: (

The stand is a beautiful piece of furniture but it's going to be hard to improve the support, they've gone and put 2 drawers just under the countertop. I think we're going to have to start over from scratch.

It's very disappointing.

 

[Tolak]

You may not have to start from scratch. If you remove the drawers you may be able to reinforce it, then just attach the drawer fronts to make it look good. The drawers won't be functional, I've heard of people doing this with old night stands for smaller tanks, and dressers for larger tanks. You can make a cheap decent looking stand from an old unwanted dresser and a few pieces of lumber & screws. You could apply the same idea to what you have if you like the look.

 

[Lord Zogat]

You may not have to start from scratch. If you remove the drawers you may be able to reinforce it, then just attach the drawer fronts to make it look good. The drawers won't be functional, I've heard of people doing this with old night stands for smaller tanks, and dressers for larger tanks. You can make a cheap decent looking stand from an old unwanted dresser and a few pieces of lumber & screws. You could apply the same idea to what you have if you like the look.

or re-inforce the cabinet and somehow use half of the drawers? I mean it will all be hidden anyways.

 

[anvil63]

particle board is inexpensive. i have a 45G tank with a 30" high stand. all pieces are half inch material and covered by eighth inch black malomine. one on top and bottom and 4 vertical supports. each pair of vertical supports has another running horizontally to act as storage shelves.

it holds the weight fine. its the type made in a factory. the most important part of the strength of these units besides the material are the fasterners and quality of the drilled holes.

it should definitely be covered with malomime or equivalent if you're using it around water, ie, not paint

I Undestand the temptation to use the melanine coated part. board, but I strongly advise against it. The stand I had to replace was a store bought particle board stand w/ a decorative melanine finish. One of the filters sprung a leak and it wasn't noticed right away. The water leached in through the seams where the part. board was cut. One side of the stand ended up sinking about half an inch, which is a scary amount with 1800 lbs sitting on the stand. I will never use particle board again in any stand I have except for non weight bearing applications.


Carl