Will A Wooden Chest Of Draws Support A 3Ft Tank?

[fishfan91]

im just thinking to save space will my place where i put my clothes etc support this nicely on top of it? just it will look so nice and its the right size?

 

[Realtree]

depends how solid the chest of drawers are
If made out of solid wood I would say yeah no problem but if MDF flatpack stuff you may have problems with it moving and/or collapsing if it get sleant on at on end or pushed.
Also another factor is the dimensions of your tank and its consequental weight.
The chest of drawers will also need to have some sort of central strut / leg so the top doesn't bow under the weight of the tank.

 

[jmkgreen]

I would not advise it. Tanks are heavy by themselves, add the water and the weight born by the cabinet/stand over time is immense. Remember, just because it might hold the water for 24 hours doesn't mean it'll hold it for 24 weeks...

 

[fishfan91]

its got 6 draws, solid pine wood?

its roughly about 3-4 inchs bigger on each side for a 3fter to sit there still?

 

[jmiller]

Go ahead and make or buy a stand. I've got a 10 & 5 1/2 on a 6 drawer solid wood dresser and it's starting to bow in the center. Not to the point that I have to act right away but more of I have to take care of this fairly soon. The 10 gallon has been on there about 6 months. I just added the 5 1/2 two weeks ago.

 

[raptorrex]

its got 6 draws, solid pine wood?

its roughly about 3-4 inchs bigger on each side for a 3fter to sit there still?

It'll be fine. things like this are a lot stronger than, most, tank stands are. my tank weighs in at over 200kgs. but stands on 4 bits of 3/4 inch chip board. safe as houses. even though my little girl (special needs) runs into it regularly. she also leans on it, bumps it and, generally messes it about. a, reasonably, well made pine chest of draws, will be way stronger. as i say "safe as houses".

 

[llamalord305]

It's not as simple as "I'm a 200 pound guy, and my tank is 150 pounds so if I can stand on [insert item here]then my tank will be fine."
Read up on this great article. Not really about stands, but about flooring.
http/www.african-cichlid.com/Structure.htm

 

[Tolak]

A 3 foot tank tells nothing about the weight. It could be a 30 gallon, it could be a 90 gallon, or something in between. Big difference in weight there.

Without actually seeing the furniture in question it is nearly impossible to tell. Some furniture works fine, others it's an accident waiting to happen.

Get someone experienced with carpentry to get a hands on look at it, and determine the actual weight of the tank first.

 

[jmkgreen]

And if you're still seriously considering the chest as a table, consider options for treating it to protect against inevitable water spills.

And as others have hinted at, make sure what the chest stands on can take the weight too - more important upstairs of course.

 

[raptorrex]

It's not as simple as "I'm a 200 pound guy, and my tank is 150 pounds so if I can stand on [insert item here]then my tank will be fine."
Read up on this great article. Not really about stands, but about flooring.
http/www.african-c...m/Structure.htm

honestly, i would say it is that simple. indeed a 200lb guy, would exert way more lb1/2inches than a 150lb tank. the lateral forces would be considerable too, especially as they get on. if i stood on my tank stand, it would collapse, the same would be true of most (if not all), 180-400l "mass" market stands.

take a look at a stand from Juwel. even 400+kg tanks are sat on chipboard, usually 6 bits of it.(4x vertical 1/2-3/4 inch and two horizontal of, perhaps, 1 inch). not the strongest, even when designed as they are, of materials. and the only, real, lateral stiffener, is the thin fibre board that fits on the back.

but a, solid pine chest that is three inches wider than the tank, all round. is going to be stronger, than the same sized item, in chipboard. and, if the chest is any age, way stronger. as the joiners, and manufacturers of old, deigned these things with the same cube sectioning, as we use for tank stands.

I'm not for one moment saying the thoughts, of others, proffered here are not valid. and as the tanks, lengthen, a whole new set of problems, arise. but we, as a hobby, can be prone to "over analyse". and this, to me, is one of those cases.

 

[vinylman]

My stock reply to this question is never to put a tank on something that isn't made for the job. If you do and it should collapse, see what your insurer says when you try to claim for the carpets and everything else that's been damaged/lost and you tell them it was on a chest of drawers you thought looked strong enough. It doesn't matter how much someone weighs when they test furniture; a tank will be CONSTANT weight, 24/7. If the support starts to weaken and bow, only one thing will happen.

 

[bae1994]

My stock reply to this question is never to put a tank on something that isn't made for the job. If you do and it should collapse, see what your insurer says when you try to claim for the carpets and everything else that's been damaged/lost and you tell them it was on a chest of drawers you thought looked strong enough. It doesn't matter how much someone weighs when they test furniture; a tank will be CONSTANT weight, 24/7. If the support starts to weaken and bow, only one thing will happen.

but that would mean you should get a stand made or buy one for a 5 gallon XD

but i think the same a i had a 3ft tank on a solid pine chest of draws for a few year and never bowed at all

howwever it does depend on dimentions as it maybe really tall

but if its standard then id say go for it

 

[fishfan91]

the chest of draws is similiar to these : http/www.ikeafans.com/galleries/images/107528/large/1_ikea_6_drawer_chest.jpg

it will also be on a ground floor flat, no upstairs and it will be 3 by 2 by 2

 

[cybergibbons]

The image you linked to looks like a particle board veneered chest of draws. The only lateral stiffening is the bar at the bottom and the tacked on hardboard back. Without the drawers in it, it will have very little strength!

I've got my 10g tank on a set of shelves made of 30mm rubber wood all around. I think if I was going any bigger I'd buy a stand. Yes, they are made of particle board like the chest of drawers you pictured, but it's the design that makes all the difference.

 

[fishfan84]

im just thinking to save space will my place where i put my clothes etc support this nicely on top of it? just it will look so nice and its the right size?

im just thinking to save space will my place where i put my clothes etc support this nicely on top of it? just it will look so nice and its the right size?