Strong Enough?

[IonaMcCluskey]

hi there,
i've already posted this in my journal but begining to think that's not a great place to ask questions, so sorry to anyone who has already seen this.
i need to come up with a unit/frame to hold a large tank, this is a plan i have come up with.
can anyone advise on whether they think it will be strong enough to hold tank and contents at a slightly overestimated 1500kg please?
 
https/www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1354208144719311&l=faa1f679db
 

 

[pike01]

I had a 6ft tank stand made by a mate using 2 "x2 " wood it was plenty strong .look at  stands you buy just thin chip or mdf  .

 

[IonaMcCluskey]

hi, thanks pike01
yeah i am amazed sometimes when i see how little some tanks have under them, guess it's cause i'm so used to seeing bowed timber that has had no stress, strain or weight on it stored in DIY stores.
it's just this is such a big gamble because there is SO much water involved, if it goes wrong it's not just everything that i'll have put into this tank that will be lost, my other 2 stands will be wrecked aswell.

 

[pike01]

when my stand was built in a garage we put the tank on and filled with water to test. use good wood screws and glue also metal right angle brackets under joints. on top of stand make sure you put some foam or thin polystyrene to cushion the tank as a slight bump could crack tank under the weight. if you put board on top of stand it will make it strong bit like a single divan bed hold it all together lol.

 

[pike01]

just looked at your diagram  the legs in the middle you are joining  with 2 x 12" either side? I would make the leg shorter and have a whole length  across sitting on the legs. and do the same for the bottom.of legs .

 

[IonaMcCluskey]

unfortunately this tank will have to be built in place as it wont fit through the doors, so trying it outside isn't an option

i'm def gona use foam/polystyrene and i was planning to use board top and bottom, about 15mm bottom and 30mm top.
 
so make the middle legs 8" and have a 7ft rail of 2x2 running the length of the unit top and bottom?

 

[pike01]

hi no not 7ft length . reduce the middle legs have the wood be a whole instead your diagram had 2 x 12"  between the legs ,so it will be a t shape from front to back not side to side this will make it strong and tie both sides in .

have a look on you tube loads of stands give you good info just tap in aquarium stand build .

 

[IonaMcCluskey]

ah right, you mean go the other way

so it would be the 4 middle supports reduced to 8" and then 8x a rail of 2x2 @ 26" joining the 3 front to back supports together, one top and one bottom on each set?
 
no sorry, my brain is pickeling here, it wouldn't be 2x2 rail, it would be 2x4 again, laid flat.

 

[pike01]

that's correct iona .

 

[IonaMcCluskey]

ok, thanks
 
i'll have a look on you tube aswell.

 

[pike01]

 Iona when you start the build please do a journal with photos step by step progress . cheers jon

 

[IonaMcCluskey]

i've got a journal running now, it's in the fresh water journals under one for all. i am just covering all my tanks with the one journal so everything will be in there

 

[pike01]

great I will read and enjoy thank's jon

 

[IonaMcCluskey]

your welcome and thank you for all your help

 

[pike01]

me again got this from another web site i'm on for under tank mat get it from here AnyFoam: Discounted sheet foam offers: soft, medium, firm, recon, packaging, closed cell, ethafoam, acoustic, fireseal sheets.  and you need closed cell .cheers jon