[japbart]

So I bought this stand at petco for my 20g long tank but I have the tank away cause I’m upgrading. I was left with this stand and wanted to put a piece of plywood on top so I can put two of my top fin retreats on it.

If I go to Home Depot do I have to buy a whole sheet of wood to get it cut to size or can I buy just for the size I need? If Home Depot wont is there another place I can get it done?

The top fin retreats are only 5g and at most only have 4g of water in it. I’m also open to other suggestions to secure the tanks on this stand.

I’m located in Los Angeles if it helps

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[minorhero]

So I bought this stand at petco for my 20g long tank but I have the tank away cause I’m upgrading. I was left with this stand and wanted to put a piece of plywood on top so I can put two of my top fin retreats on it.

If I go to Home Depot do I have to buy a whole sheet of wood to get it cut to size or can I buy just for the size I need? If Home Depot wont is there another place I can get it done?

The top fin retreats are only 5g and at most only have 4g of water in it. I’m also open to other suggestions to secure the tanks on this stand.

I’m located in Los Angeles if it helps

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How diy friendly are you?

I bought the 40 gallon version of this stand for my high tech newt tank, made a form, and cast a concrete top for it. That works a treat. But its significantly more work then you might be interested in.

Alternatively you could buy a small piece of butcherblock countertop and cut that to size using a circular saw and a straight edge. That would be a bit better for sturdiness sake.

HOWEVER, if your DIY skills are fairly limited, or you just want to do this the super easy way, you could buy a quarter sheet of plywood (2'x4') at home depot, have them cut it to fit for you (they have a big panel saw and can cut it to whatever dimension you want). The edges will be a bit rough so you will want to buy some 120 grit sandpaper and sand them smooth. Then you will want to seal it in some way so it does not literally fall apart on you when its exposed to water. Paint is the easiest way. Any glossy or semi-gloss paint will work, including spray cans. Just make sure you get the whole thing, including the edges and the underside. I would use at least 3/4 inch plywood or OSB for this.

What you could not do with plywood is have your tanks stick over the edges of the stand. You will want them on the edges of the stand as much as possible. Hopefully that makes sense, good luck!

 

[japbart]

How diy friendly are you?

I bought the 40 gallon version of this stand for my high tech newt tank, made a form, and cast a concrete top for it. That works a treat. But its significantly more work then you might be interested in.

Alternatively you could buy a small piece of butcherblock countertop and cut that to size using a circular saw and a straight edge. That would be a bit better for sturdiness sake.

HOWEVER, if your DIY skills are fairly limited, or you just want to do this the super easy way, you could buy a quarter sheet of plywood (2'x4') at home depot, have them cut it to fit for you (they have a big panel saw and can cut it to whatever dimension you want). The edges will be a bit rough so you will want to buy some 120 grit sandpaper and sand them smooth. Then you will want to seal it in some way so it does not literally fall apart on you when its exposed to water. Paint is the easiest way. Any glossy or semi-gloss paint will work, including spray cans. Just make sure you get the whole thing, including the edges and the underside. I would use at least 3/4 inch plywood or OSB for this.

What you could not do with plywood is have your tanks stick over the edges of the stand. You will want them on the edges of the stand as much as possible. Hopefully that makes sense, good luck!

Thank you! My DIY skills are definitely beginner. I really like the butcher block idea and I think I would do that instead. I really don’t wanna buy the whole sheet of plywood at Home Depot just to use a little 30”x12” area.

If I’m able to get the butcher block how will I be able to secure it on the stand?

Edit:

Do you think there’s a place that can cut just the piece of wood I need and charge me for that? Is that even a thing? You can probably tell that I don’t do much DIY


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[minorhero]

Thank you! My DIY skills are definitely beginner. I really like the butcher block idea and I think I would do that instead. I really don’t wanna buy the whole sheet of plywood at Home Depot just to use a little 30”x12” area.

If I’m able to get the butcher block how will I be able to secure it on the stand?

Edit:

Do you think there’s a place that can cut just the piece of wood I need and charge me for that? Is that even a thing? You can probably tell that I don’t do much DIY


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No matter what you do, whether it be butcher block, or something else, you will end up paying for the whole unit (whatever that unit is). Some home depots or lowes sell butcherblock in relatively small sections, but you will still be buying a bigger piece then you need and having to cut it down to size.

Regarding how to attach it. You have some options, but the easiest would be to drill through the metal of the stand (either all the way and use a screw to the underside of the butcherblock, or part way and attach a clip or bracket that can attach to both the stand and the butcherblock). You won't need more then 2 attachment points though, the whole thing will weight enough that it won't be moving much on it's own.

 

[japbart]

No matter what you do, whether it be butcher block, or something else, you will end up paying for the whole unit (whatever that unit is). Some home depots or lowes sell butcherblock in relatively small sections, but you will still be buying a bigger piece then you need and having to cut it down to size.

Regarding how to attach it. You have some options, but the easiest would be to drill through the metal of the stand (either all the way and use a screw to the underside of the butcherblock, or part way and attach a clip or bracket that can attach to both the stand and the butcherblock). You won't need more then 2 attachment points though, the whole thing will weight enough that it won't be moving much on it's own.

Got it. Thank you so much for all your help. I really appreciate it


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[ElvishDuck]

If you want to go the plywood route but don't want to have a lot of extra you could get a 2x4 half inch sheet and have it cut down to two 30x12 pieces. Then just layer them for extra strength. As mentioned above, you will won't to seal it somehow to avoid warping from water exposure.