Would You Use A Tv Stand To Hold Your Fish Tank?

[wendywc]

...Hmmmm, my first poll; hope I set it up right.

Anyway, I ask this because I'm shopping for fish tank stand for the 55 gallon tank I picked up. It's 48"X12"X20". There's just a lot more styles to choose from with TV stands. But of course a fish tank weighs much more than most TVs. At least it would be better than the put-it-together-yourself-composite Walmart stand.

If it depends on the stand, what should I look for?

 

[Nevergone815]

...Hmmmm, my first poll; hope I set it up right.

Anyway, I ask this because I'm shopping for fish tank stand for the 55 gallon tank I picked up. It's 48"X12"X20". There's just a lot more styles to choose from with TV stands. But of course a fish tank weighs much more than most TVs. At least it would be better than the put-it-together-yourself-composite Walmart stand.

If it depends on the stand, what should I look for?

personally i would say that if you get a really solid one peice tv stand made of a very hard wood (i.e. oak) you could adjust weight accordingly. don't get a pine stand (the most common you will probably find). pine wood is very soft and probably wood eventually crack under the pressure *no pun intended*. if you get a 2 peice stand it can be disastrous if somehow the stand bent at the connecting spot. you would have a huge clean up to do and many dead fish. my suggestion is if you can get a solid oak stand or a solid iron/steel. or any other strong metal stand, you would be alright with a 55 gallon. if you can't then you will need to resort back to the "traditional" fish tank stands (even these may or may not hold the weight). just do the reseach and the best way to find out is to sit on the stand and bounce up and down. if the stand gives a little with you one there then it won't hold the weight of a heavy tank.

 

[Alex_]

It really depends, just today i was look for

a stand and have notices that all fishtank

stand at fishshop are

really ugly and overpriced $$$$.I went

to Ikea a furniter store and alll the tv stand

have max. loads which was around 300lbs

for the nicect one and To find your weight it

is 8lbs a gallon and your substance so i was

looking for a a stand for my 75g that weight 955lbs.

-Alex

 

[wendywc]

personally i would say that if you get a really solid one peice tv stand made of a very hard wood (i.e. oak) you could adjust weight accordingly. don't get a pine stand (the most common you will probably find). pine wood is very soft and probably wood eventually crack under the pressure *no pun intended*. if you get a 2 peice stand it can be disastrous if somehow the stand bent at the connecting spot. you would have a huge clean up to do and many dead fish. my suggestion is if you can get a solid oak stand or a solid iron/steel. or any other strong metal stand, you would be alright with a 55 gallon. if you can't then you will need to resort back to the "traditional" fish tank stands (even these may or may not hold the weight). just do the reseach and the best way to find out is to sit on the stand and bounce up and down. if the stand gives a little with you one there then it won't hold the weight of a heavy tank.

haha. I would love to jump up and down on them at the store. Are all metals strong enough or are some metals too soft? Are there any other woods possible for a fish tank stand besides oak?

Alex, I really agree that the aquariums stands at LFSs are ugly and expensive. But I also notice some are pretty low quality and I just can't believe that they're actually strong enough. Which is why I'm looking into alternatives.

Hmmm, maybe I can buy a nice cabinet and reinforce it.

 

[Tolak]

I might try it if I got the stand for free, and only in the basement. I'd rather spend the money on some lumber to build my own, and know that it would hold.

Any other finished area, no way. I don't even trust the way commercially made tank stands are made.

 

[wendywc]

Might go that route because fish tank stands look horrible to me. Build-wise and in looks.

 

[SkydiveSonic]

If it was metal and sturdy enough why not? I might be tempted to add some cross bracing just to be sure though ....

 

[Fire_an_Ice]

Hmmmm All depends on the design, and has been said to death, the load bearing capacity of the thing...I'd think about it, cos you can get TV stands with excellent alcoves/recesses/draws for tucking air pumps/canisters etc into and that can look much nicer then a comercial fish tank stand. Any joiners out there with time on their hands?? Theres probably a neich (Neesh? Neish? Who cares?) market for tank stands....

F&I B)

 

[Wanda hornsey]

Depends on what sort of stand and what sort of household...big dogs and kids are a nightmare when combined with anything but the most sturdy stand

either that or you get a pool room complete with fish and a carpet substrata

 

[guppymonkey]

I would never get a tv stand for a tank. Most tv stand I have seen are not sturdy at all. The weight of a good size tank like a 55 gallon is around a quarter of a ton! Thats a lot of weight for a stand and even if it held the tank up there is no guarantee it won't break under pressure eventually. If someone (or some pet or kid) bumps into the stand it could all come splashing down. If you don't have a stand actually built for an aquarium and it breaks and does water damage no insurance will cover it because it wasn't properly cared for. And besides that aquarium stand are designed to hold aquariums, if you shop around you can find a good looking stand somewhere, or even order one directly from the manufacturer.

 

[valleyrich]

I did but it was a solid stand and a 10g tank. Even with that though after about 3 years it started to bow in the middle and had to be supported.

 

[Nevergone815]

personally i would say that if you get a really solid one peice tv stand made of a very hard wood (i.e. oak) you could adjust weight accordingly. don't get a pine stand (the most common you will probably find). pine wood is very soft and probably wood eventually crack under the pressure *no pun intended*. if you get a 2 peice stand it can be disastrous if somehow the stand bent at the connecting spot. you would have a huge clean up to do and many dead fish. my suggestion is if you can get a solid oak stand or a solid iron/steel. or any other strong metal stand, you would be alright with a 55 gallon. if you can't then you will need to resort back to the "traditional" fish tank stands (even these may or may not hold the weight). just do the reseach and the best way to find out is to sit on the stand and bounce up and down. if the stand gives a little with you one there then it won't hold the weight of a heavy tank.

haha. I would love to jump up and down on them at the store. Are all metals strong enough or are some metals too soft? Are there any other woods possible for a fish tank stand besides oak?

Alex, I really agree that the aquariums stands at LFSs are ugly and expensive. But I also notice some are pretty low quality and I just can't believe that they're actually strong enough. Which is why I'm looking into alternatives.

Hmmm, maybe I can buy a nice cabinet and reinforce it.

most metals are but i would stay away from tin and alluminum stands. metals like that would crumple easy under the weight. also pretty much any stand that isn't made of pine or any other soft wood is good. ideally i might say red/rosewood. its very strong and looks really pretty too. but it could get pricey . the best bet would be (once you found one) is to buy some additional lumber (i.e oak, maple etc) and reinforce it. a good cabinet would be ideal with a little reinforcement. this way you have drawers to put you're fish food/supplies and air pumps etc in there so that it doesn't look as sloppy. at home i have had a 55 gal hex on a home built custom wooden stand with a big opening in the middle (on the bottom) so that the supplies can go there. no problems ever. and i too agree with you with the overpriced fish stands. some don't even look like they could hold a desktop computer let a lone a heavy tank. the rule of 8 lbs per gallon sounds good to me too so just shop around to 450 + lbs and you should be ok.

*note* go based off of personal opinions due mainly to the fact that sales associates will sell you anything, whether or not its good for your situation or not. i am sure you have experienced that from a lfs (live fish shop) once or twice before *

 

[dreworz5]

i almost did this, before purchasing a stand.

 

[SamUK]

i used a book case for my 80G tank.


its made from 1" thick wood to begin with and what i did is laid it on its side with the back facing out.

left all the shelves in and added four 4"x 4" fence posts the same length as the shelves to the inside to help take some weight and then used a piece of wood the same size as the base of the tank for the tank so sit on.

thats 1.5" thick i think.


hopefully a pic will make that clearer.

this is one from when i was settin it up b4 xmas but its the best ive got that shows the stand.

 

[Nevergone815]

i used a book case for my 80G tank.


its made from 1" thick wood to begin with and what i did is laid it on its side with the back facing out.

left all the shelves in and added four 4"x 4" fence posts the same length as the shelves to the inside to help take some weight and then used a piece of wood the same size as the base of the tank for the tank so sit on.

thats 1.5" thick i think.


hopefully a pic will make that clearer.

this is one from when i was settin it up b4 xmas but its the best ive got that shows the stand.

that would be perfect for you wendywc just use that as an example and an 80 gal tank is much more heavier than your 55 gal!

just do something like that!