Will this table hold the tank…

Just picked up a little 55 litre tank. Wandering whether it will be okay on this bedside table?
There is a tiny overhang which I’ve tried to show in the picture… thanks

Okay , here is what you should do . Look at the internal construction of the table . The aquarium goes all the way to each side and the corner legs of the table appear to be stout posts . If such is so then I think you are fine . Do this one test - get up on it yourself and stand on it . You will be able to judge if it feels wobbly or solid . If my math is right that’s about a fifteen gallon aquarium and should weigh about 150 to 200 pounds all set up with water , sand / gravel and accessories .

It is a tiny bit wobbly but would definitely hold my weight. Would putting a drinks coaster under one of the legs be risky, or okay if it stabilises the table?

Oli said:

It is a tiny bit wobbly but would definitely hold my weight. Would putting a drinks coaster under one of the legs be risky, or okay if it stabilises the table?

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If you have to shim the legs to give it a bit more stability that’s perfectly fine and is something you should do .

Beautiful. I posted this in another page and am getting a lot of people saying it needs mdf as well as some foam underneath it? The tank does have a kind of built in foam on the bottom? Do you really think it’s needs additional foam or Mdf to balance it?

Oli said:

Beautiful. I posted this in another page and am getting a lot of people saying it needs mdf as well as some foam underneath it? The tank does have a kind of built in foam on the bottom? Do you really think it’s needs additional foam or Mdf to balance it?

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I get what people are advising . You shouldn’t have any gaps between the aquarium bottom and the table surface . That’s to avoid any strain points that could crack the bottom glass when you “load” the aquarium with gravel and water . Eyeball it really close and even check by shining a flashlight through the gap . If there is even any tiny gap you can fix that by setting the aquarium on a a few pieces of thick cardboard . Any really major gaps and you should cover it with a solid board of MDF or plywood . Only you can tell because you are the one seeing it .

You know what ? I went back and looked at your pictures again and I think you have a nice solid looking situation there . With the foam under the aquarium, as you mentioned , and after shimming up the legs you should be bombproof .

I’m hoping it’s fine, the only bit that isn’t completely flat is this gap which runs parallel on both sides of the cabinet…from the front to the back of the aquarium

Provided it’s all good… let’s move onto stocking! I’ve only had 3/4/5ft aquariums in the past really. I’ve moved from the uk to Australia and currently in a 6 month rental, hence why I’ve refrained from a big purchase. Hoping this will scratch the itch for the time begin.

It will be pretty heavily planted and aquascaped as most of my tanks have been. I’m definitely thinking some cardinal tetras, maybe 10ish. Maybe some rams for the bottom, but unsure whether I could do a little group or whether they are aggressive like other cichlids and best in pairs or solo. Failing that maybe some corys? Then some kind of centrepiece. Maybe a gourami. Something that gets 3/4 inches…

Oli said:

I’m hoping it’s fine, the only bit that isn’t completely flat is this gap which runs parallel on both sides of the cabinet…from the front to the back of the aquarium

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I wouldn't be the slightest bit worried about that little gap . When you fill it do it slowly and cast a sharp eye on things . If something isn’t right you will know . Since you’ve had other and bigger aquariums you know what to look for.

No part of the bottom glass should hang out over the edge of whatever is supporting it. Look at how the tanks is designed.

The bottom glass is the full footprint of the tank. All of the vertical glass sits atop the outer edge of the bottom glass. Most of my tanks sit on stands which support only the perimeter of the tank.. Almost none of the bottom glass is supported beyond the outer edges of the bottom glass. And the weight of the tank is thus supported by the perimeter and not the full bottom glass.

If the outer edges of the bottom glass is allowed to hang unsupported, it changes all of the stress support of the tank and may very well cause the glass to crack. Foam under the bottom does not help with this sort of issue. I actually use a form of foam insulation thich sits only under the bottom frame. The pupose of this is to allow the tank to selve level as 2x4s are not the most perfectly finished wood. There weight of the tank on the foam causes it to level out the dips and small bumps on the wood.

So what should you do? Get a piece of plywood that is at least the same size as the tank right out to the edges of the bottom glass Wextening a tad beuond it is OKm wshorter is not. Either paint it on both sides and the edges with exterior enamel paint or stain it to waterproof it. This will insure when it gets wet, and it will, that the water does not work it's way into the wood. I would think 1/2 inch plywood would do the trick. But if you are nervous, go thicker. You may want to use black paint for the edges of the plywood as this will make it blend into the frame color.

The weight of the tank will hold the wood in place and will support the most important part of any tank that needs supporting. I build a lot of my stands using plywood and pressure treated 2x4 and some 4x4 for the legs. I have frame only support on my 150 and 125 gallon tanks (both older and bought used) and have had them this way for a number of years. The tanks sit on the frame's perimter which is made from 2x4s one edge. The tanks sits on the narrow side of the 2x4s which are way sturdier in this configuration. 2x4s laid flat often bow, on edge they do not.

Agree with @TwoTankAmin on this. Although the tank is only 55L, the points about how it's the outer perimeter footprint that needs full support, and having it overhang the edge is right. You might feel more comfortable since it isn't a huge tank, but if it breaks, that's still a lot of water causing damage, and still a crisis and a risk for losing all the fish you've stocked it with.

Oli said:

Just picked up a little 55 litre tank. Wandering whether it will be okay on this bedside table?
There is a tiny overhang which I’ve tried to show in the picture… thanks

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I have 60 litre tanks, and they're not large tanks. That's not quite 15 gallons, for our US friends.

You need to start thinking about the stocking in terms of this being a nano tank. Since you're an experienced fish keeper, you should be able to do more with it and still maintain water quality, you just have to mentally make the switch to size down the stock, as well as the tank. Small tank means less swimming space, so smaller fish will suit it beautifully.

Oli said:

It will be pretty heavily planted and aquascaped as most of my tanks have been. I’m definitely thinking some cardinal tetras, maybe 10ish. Maybe some rams for the bottom, but unsure whether I could do a little group or whether they are aggressive like other cichlids and best in pairs or solo. Failing that maybe some corys? Then some kind of centrepiece. Maybe a gourami. Something that gets 3/4 inches…

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I don't love the stocking ideas here, I'm sorry. Cardinal tetra need more horizontal swimming space than a 55L can provide, IMO. especially for a group of 10-12, which are a decent sized group. In a tank this size for schooling fish think of nano type tetra/rasbora. Their smaller size means the shorter swimming space and larger group numbers can work much better in a nano tank, and they'll look beautiful and thrive in a well planted and scaped 55L. Think fish like ember tetra, chili rasbora, emerald or galaxy rasbora, Sundadanio axelrodi. kubotai (one of my favourites on my list of fish I want to own!) you know, fish of that sort of size that you can keep in a good number, and will suit the tank size and still look just as stunning as cardinals. But bear in mind that they're peaceful fish and couldn't live with anything aggressive, like a larger gourami, or a mating pair of rams.

Some rams, or apistos, might work, but yes they're still territorial and would need seriously careful thought about what else, if anything, could be in the tank. I don't know apistos or cichlids well, but @GaryE and others would have better advice there!

A larger gourami would be cramped in a 55L, the only ones that might work would be dwarf or honeys I think. Honeys are lovely and generally peaceful, and I think are okay in this size tank, but dwarf gourami are really riddled with disease right now, and often seem to be a problem, I can't remember the disease name, @Essjay can hopefully help here!

The main reason I responded is for the question of cories! I love my cories to bits. My 60L has a thriving colony of pygmy cories breeding merrily away, and one of the dwarf cory species like pygmies/hasbrosus/hastatus would work well. These little ones need larger group numbers than the larger commonly kept species, really needing a group size of ten or more to be happy, they're so social. But you can keep that amount in your size tank, if the other stocking is carefully considered. They are shy and peaceful, so wouldn't do well with anything that might attack them or much larger fish.

Larger commonly kept cories like pandas, bronzes, sterbai, paleatus etc need to be in groups of at least six, and a 55L is too small for these guys in that number. Also being social fish that live in massive groups in the wild, most suggest at least six is needed for them to show their best, and that's just too much for a 55L, especially with other stocking, and definitely not with territorial fish like rams/apistos, since cories have no concept of territory, and will constantly annoy and be attacked by territorial ground dwelling fish. Not a good combo.

I have larger tanks for my bronzes/sterbai etc, and being able to see them enjoy their larger group number and using all of the space in a large tank, I can just tell visually that six of them cramped into the same size tank as my pygmy cories wouldn't be fun for them. So think dwarf fish for nano tank, and think about compatability between the species in a smaller space. You don't always need a centrepiece fish, a schooling group and some ground dwellers. A large group of the tetra or rasbora, plus a decent sized group of one of the three dwarf cory species I mentioned would get along fine together, suit the tank size, and provide both the flashy display of beautiful colour in the top/middle, and the active bumbling busyness in the lower/mid areas that people love with corys. But then I wouldn't add anything else to that, personally.

Or you could go the other way and keep a breeding trio of apistos alone, but you'd have to carefully consider and get advice about other stocking with them.

Or maybe a single honey gourami with some nano tetra/rasbora could work.

If you make a separate thread asking for stocking advice, you'll get more suggestions and info that way when it comes to stocking. Keeping it in this thread means less people will see it, since they'll think it's about fish stands and not stocking.

AdoraBelle Dearheart said:

dwarf gourami are really riddled with disease right now, and often seem to be a problem, I can't remember the disease name, @Essjay can hopefully help here!

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Dwarf gourami iridovirus. Most dwarf gouramis coming out of far east fish farms seem to be infected with this at the farm.

Thanks for the responses guys! In the end I just went for it Time will tell how sensible this decision was I guess… either way I am in a short term rental at the moment, hence why I only have a 60 litre. In 5 months time I will be in a new house and likely have some sort of 4ft+ tank to transfer everything to!