ideas on building a multiple tank stand. updated 5/2009

[customdrumfinishes]

Im thinking of something like I see alot of breeders have where 2 10g are side by side and they have 2-3 levels so they can house 4-6 tanks.
I have a 20 long and 2 10g that I want to put on the same stand as breed out tanks.
Not sure if i should use 2x6 or 2x4 to build it. also want to have some type of storage on the bottom or top.
Anyone have pics of multi tank stands? or any simple cheap ways to build it? it doesnt have to be pretty and like to make it cheap as possible but still look good and be stirdy.


heres kinda what im thinking of, drew in on paint just now.
not sure if 2x4 is the cheapest way out or not.

[redman88]

how about this way

[wkndracer]

even 2x4's are overkill with regard to the weight involved. 1/2 and 3/4" plywood is more then strong enough if the joining method is sound. Rabbit and glue the frame or if ease of fastening is preferred 2x4 at most is required.

[sick lid]

Originally Posted by customdrumfinishes

any simple cheap ways to build it? it doesnt have to be pretty and like to make it cheap as possible but still look good and be stirdy.

Well which is it? Not pretty, or good looking? 2x4's are cheap. So are concrete cinder blocks. Not pretty. Probably as cheap as possible, unless you have some old 5 gallon buckets- I've seen guys use those for the uprights too. Definitely the ugliest, cheapest breeder rack I'd ever seen.

[customdrumfinishes]

1/2 plywood is strong but to expensive for me. Im thinkng the osb board 6.00 a sheet on shelves and i can paint it and ill put rubber slip pads under the tanks to hide some more ugly . osb is not the particle board stuff that swells when wet.
Im a painter so I know how to paint it to look good, 3 coats by hand lol.
figure the 2x4 should be strong enough but dont think i need to get smaller than that;
I may want to add more 10g on top later on want to be sure its strong as hell lol.

[customdrumfinishes]

well cinder blocks and buckets are cheap but to ugly. this is going inside the house not the garage lol.
i should have said pretty good looking and cheap

[kid creole]

OSB is not stiff enough, IMO, if it is not supported on the edges. Compared to plywood, OSB will wave in the wind. If the bracing for the tank is in the frame, OSB is fine, load wise. With that said, OSB is not particularly flat.

[susankat]

OSB isn't particle board, but it is made with chips of wood pressed together with glue. I use to work at Home Depot selling that stuff and wouldn't use it for a shelf for a fish tank. If it gets wet it can and will start falling apart.

[Trallen44]

Check out my photo album for my 6 tank stand.

[Cactus Bastard]

With three coats of paint on OSB, you wouldn't have to worry about any incidental water splashes.
Also, this setup is definitely stronger than your original idea

[dbosman@msu.edu]

Um, a 20L is 30 inches wide. Ten gallon tanks are 10 by 20 inches.
On a 32 inch wide stand you can put three tens side by side or a 20L.
Clear 2x2s would work for that span.

For anything larger, do you have a table saw? If so, do the math and perhaps split 2x6s down the middle. Otherwise use 2x4s. 48" ninety gallon tanks will stack on well constructed 2x4 frames.

While I accept that as a painter you think three coats of paint will protect OSB, as a guy who has experience with water and wood - long term, they won't. Water will find a hole eventually. It's in the book. Page 387, paragraph 2, sub section c, clause ii.

[malaybiswas]

Originally Posted by Trallen44

Check out my photo album for my 6 tank stand.

I like this idea specially because it is a metal stand not wood. For a DIY multi tank stand I would rely more on metal than wood.

Potentially one of my future projects

[customdrumfinishes]

i would brace each shelf with 2-3 braces as i like stands stronger than needed.
plywood is stronger for sure, if its cheap enough ill get it but think its about 3x what osb is.
since i have painted osb and put it outside for 10 years and its not rotten i think im fine.
you have to use oil primer, bonding primer or zinsser sealzall on anything outside and its good to go, the osb will need several thick hand painted coats but holds up fine. there is a smooth side and rough side to osb.

i have every tool and more so no worry of cutting anything.

i agree water is the worst thing for wood, thats why you should prime the entire piece of wood not just the front of anything. and caulking works great on primed wood, wont work on bare wood you have leaks.

[snafu]

wish you would have started this thread last week. i just started building one of these almost identical to the design above this week, except i wanted to hold two 20g longs. i've used clear 2x2 d.fir for most of the structural members. the 2x2 are held together using 1/4 bolts and t-nuts. i used a forstner bit so the bolts are inset and do not protrude beyond the wood.

since i had a bunch of good quality 1/2" baltic birch ply, i've used that for the cabinet portion below and the shelf area for the tanks. the bb ply was leftover from building guitar amp speaker baffles. additionally, i used 1x3 d.fir frame bracing to support the ply and is attached underneath using pocket holes. i was thinking about using 2x3 for the main structural members but it made it seem to big and bulky. plus, all i could find was knotty and warped pine 2x3. the 2x4s seemed way overkill. i don't have a lot of woodworking experience or tools, so i tried to keep it simple. i was shooting for under a $100 for everything. surprisingly, the fasteners ended up costing me a pretty penny, around $30 (bolts, washers, t-nuts) from McMaster-Carr.

[customdrumfinishes]

hi snafu post pic if you can!
bolts are only cheap certian places, lowes and home depot there expensive.

ill be using deck screws and glue since the deck screws wont break off like drywall screws will.
i will easily put 40-50 in this im sure