Right now our tank is on top of the tv cabinet sitting over a cross piece where it is the most stable. But is not a good permanent solution as if it gets knocked over or breaks we will lost not only tank but tv and playstation and stereo
So how does this sound?
I got two bookshelves with a third to come tomorow, each is 48 inches tall, 29.5 inches wide and 13 inches deep. They are a serious pain in the booty to put together~!
They will all sit flush with one another so we can have a wall of shelving with no gaps. My dad is cutting a ginormous piece of of plywood or MDF, whichever will work better, to go across the back of all the three of them and we will actually bolt the sides together as well.
I picked out some trim to go along the top and possibly the sides as well to make it look more finished, and add that much more stability. It's small crown molding but in the same shape as our actual original crown molding that is almost 100 yrs old.
I figure we can screw a brace going along the back into the plywood to help give the shelves with tanks on them more support and even run braces on the sides to make a u shape if need be.
Each shelf is rated for 200 lbs but I dont trust it when it comes to glass and fishies!
I may also end up making a false top for them because they have a lip rather than being totally flush on the top, which bothers me and will limit what can be on the top.
The trim should hide any weirdness. and a solid lightweight piece of mdf or plywood going all the way across would add even more stability.
It's gonna be fun to move this whole thing when we eventually move! It will end up weighing a ton!
Im thinking that bolting them to a stud in the wall would be a good idea too, just in case a cat gets crazy or dog paws find their way onto the top of it. 7 yr old boys don't always have the best judgment either..i dont want a ton of wood and glass to come crashing down on anyone.