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Can this support a 30g tank?

800 Views 10 Replies 10 Participants Last post by  Hoppy
It's a bench and currently used as a stand for a 20g L. It's perfect for a 20g L because the distance between the legs is 30" and the width is 12". I'd like to get a 29g tank (the only difference is the height). But I wonder if it can support the additional weight...



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It's probably OK. Does it wobble at all? Can you get a picture of the corner joinery from underneath?
It doesn't wobble at all. It feels like a rock. It's made of maple, I believe.
It looks sold but I'm always cautious by nature. I'd rather spend the $150 than have 55 gallons of water drop and cause a good amount of water damage to my landlord's home... lol.
29 Gallon is roughly 300 lbs.. If it's good wood I suppose.. But usually wooden stands have a header system with at least one cripple stud in the middle to distribute the weight.. But if you don't notice any flexing when the tank is full then hey...
it will probably work, but i personally would not trust it. try putting 300-400 lbs of weight on it for 2 weeks as a test and see how that goes. with the "test weight" on it bump into it a few times as if you axidently bumped into it while cleaning or whatever. run it thru as many "tests" as you can think of because if that thing fails with a tank full of water on it your gona b in big trouble.
It wouldn't hurt to screw in steel "L" brackets anywhere you can find a 90 degree angle. They don't have to be terribly big, and can be hidden, for the most part.

I'd also get 300+ lbs. of friends or family to jump up and down on it for a minute. If it didn't make any funny sounds, and still looked and felt as sturdy afterward, you have a workable stand :)

P.S. you may need to bribe them.
You're only adding about 100 lbs.
If it is stable with no wiggles now, it should be fine. Don't quote me to the insurance salesperson though.
I wouldnt chance it. From the pictures the legs look like there at a angle. If they are thats alot of stress on it to give. I would look for something where the legs are square.
Stand looks ok, looks like it needs some 2 1/2" or 3" screws though.
1 at the end of each piece of wood at the bottom.

Keep the legs from coming apart and keep the stand from any wobbles it may already have.

Recommend pre drilling the holes before installing the screws.
I would find a couple of 150+ pound people to stand on the top of the bench, towards the middle of the bench. Sight along the bottom of the seat, looking for sagging of the wood. If you see noticeable sagging I wouldn't risk it without screwing a 3/4 inch plywood piece to the top, attaching it with screws every 6 inches or so. That should distribute the load more evenly and prevent the sagging. With the two people standing on it, have them sway back and forth together to see if the bench joints move at all. They shouldn't move.

However, I suspect the bench will work fine as is. Most tank stands you buy aren't very strong.
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