50 Gallon fish tank stand

[Fire Eyes]

Hello everyone,

I plan to resubmerge myself into the world of fish and I was hoping to receive some advice on a possible fish tank stand. I plan to put the tank in my entry hall so it needs to serve a decorative purpose as well as stability for the tank. I really love the one in the photo I posted from WayFair. Do you all think it would hold a 50-gallon tank? The details say it will hold 250 pounds and I know the tank will be about 500-600lbs. This just seems more sturdy than the stands I see made for tanks. Okay plus I really like it and it would be perfect for my entryway. I already have the plant to go underneath

Thanks!

 

[Uberhoust]

If it says it only handles 250 lbs I wouldn't use it. Looking at it there are a few concerns I would have:
1) It only has small end pieces going into the top board, likely a 1" dowel like projection into the top shelf from the 4 upright columns or something similar. The columns will likely be able to support the weight but a fish tank is a bit of a dynamic load when you maintain them.
2) There is very little lateral stability build into this piece of furniture I could see a bump causing it to rapidly collapse.
3) The top shelf may be hollow and given that the length is longer than a 50 gallon tank that typically would mean it is supported by the top shelf. It could fail either by a direct break or by flexing and not providing the tank with even support over its entire bottom.

I spilled 2.5 gallons on my new laminate floor a year ago, I had to remove all the furniture, area rugs, and wet dry vacuum the floor, crank the house heat up and put fans in the living room for 3 days to attempt to deal with the potential water damage. I would risk 50 gallons, a smashed tanks, substrate, plants, and fish on the floor with the stand.

The fish should be either engineered for the weight of the tank, meaning it needs to at least do the following.
1) Materials chosen to support the weight
2) Have significant lateral stability, ie cross bracing or plywood on the back and ends. The cross bracing doesn't have to cover the whole back and sides but needs something.
3) Provide a level surface for the entire length and width of the tank that will not sag with age
4) Provide surface area on the bottom of the stand to distribute the weight of the tank on the floor. If the tank weighs 600 lbs with 4 little 1" adjustable height feet on the stand you end up with 4 pressure points on your floor taking 150 psi of pressure, depending on the floor you can end up permanently damaging the floor.

Just my thoughts.

 

[Fire Eyes]

If it says it only handles 250 lbs I wouldn't use it. Looking at it there are a few concerns I would have:
1) It only has small end pieces going into the top board, likely a 1" dowel like projection into the top shelf from the 4 upright columns or something similar. The columns will likely be able to support the weight but a fish tank is a bit of a dynamic load when you maintain them.
2) There is very little lateral stability build into this piece of furniture I could see a bump causing it to rapidly collapse.
3) The top shelf may be hollow and given that the length is longer than a 50 gallon tank that typically would mean it is supported by the top shelf. It could fail either by a direct break or by flexing and not providing the tank with even support over its entire bottom.

I spilled 2.5 gallons on my new laminate floor a year ago, I had to remove all the furniture, area rugs, and wet dry vacuum the floor, crank the house heat up and put fans in the living room for 3 days to attempt to deal with the potential water damage. I would risk 50 gallons, a smashed tanks, substrate, plants, and fish on the floor with the stand.

The fish should be either engineered for the weight of the tank, meaning it needs to at least do the following.
1) Materials chosen to support the weight
2) Have significant lateral stability, ie cross bracing or plywood on the back and ends. The cross bracing doesn't have to cover the whole back and sides but needs something.
3) Provide a level surface for the entire length and width of the tank that will not sag with age
4) Provide surface area on the bottom of the stand to distribute the weight of the tank on the floor. If the tank weighs 600 lbs with 4 little 1" adjustable height feet on the stand you end up with 4 pressure points on your floor taking 150 psi of pressure, depending on the floor you can end up permanently damaging the floor.

Just my thoughts.

Thank you for the information and thoughts! Do you think If I had a similar one made that was about 52" long has a thicker top and added two additional columns in the middle so they form a v shape with the two outer columns it would work? This way I could run plants across the front and in between the post to give the allusion that the entire middle is open. There has to be a way for function and beauty to work. I just got new wood floors and I would hate for them to be ruined by water damage not to mention having more fish die.

Thanks!

 

[Uberhoust]

@Fire Eyes I would be very careful about using furniture that is not designed for an aquarium. It is impossible to assess the strength of a stand just from a picture unless it is missing something critical such as the one you posted earlier. The things I look for are lateral stability, ie gusseting on the corners, cross bracing or monolithic type construction. The types of materials used, Rigidity of the top surface so that it doesn't sag. Most of the furniture produced today is not suitable for use with an aquarium, and is designed for ease of manufacturing and expense of materials. If you look at the images from this site, Stand Ideas, you will see the majority of the stands are quite beefy, don't use design #3 it has an design flaw. In my opinion you the stand style displayed will be difficult to make solid enough while maintaining the aesthetic appeal. You can get a stand with an open mid sections but it will have to be heavier.

 

[Fire Eyes]

@Fire Eyes I would be very careful about using furniture that is not designed for an aquarium. It is impossible to assess the strength of a stand just from a picture unless it is missing something critical such as the one you posted earlier. The things I look for are lateral stability, ie gusseting on the corners, cross bracing or monolithic type construction. The types of materials used, Rigidity of the top surface so that it doesn't sag. Most of the furniture produced today is not suitable for use with an aquarium, and is designed for ease of manufacturing and expense of materials. If you look at the images from this site, Stand Ideas, you will see the majority of the stands are quite beefy, don't use design #3 it has an design flaw. In my opinion you the stand style displayed will be difficult to make solid enough while maintaining the aesthetic appeal. You can get a stand with an open mid sections but it will have to be heavier.

Thank you! It seems I have some searching to do before I get rolling with some new fish.

 

[carligraceee]

Thank you! It seems I have some searching to do before I get rolling with some new fish.

Petsmart sells some really good quality tank stands. If you have any old furniture in your house that feels sturdy, that'll work as well. I use a handmade bench from my grandpa and it is extremely tough and strong (I have a 37g).

 

[MammaBearinTN]

Check Craigslist or used furniture stores for old dressers, china cabinets or buffet pieces. Many people are selling their cabinets because they don't have separate, formal dining rooms anymore, and you can get a solid, quality piece for cheap. (For guys who don't realize it, tall china cabinets can generally be separated into two pieces. Ditch the top hutch, and use the bottom cabinet.)

 

[Fire Eyes]

Petsmart sells some really good quality tank stands. If you have any old furniture in your house that feels sturdy, that'll work as well. I use a handmade bench from my grandpa and it is extremely tough and strong (I have a 37g).

I was considering furniture pieces. I was checking furniture stores but the material they are making furniture out of these days is so cheap. I wish I had a piece I didn't need that I could use, that would be great.

 

[Fire Eyes]

Check Craigslist or used furniture stores for old dressers, china cabinets or buffet pieces. Many people are selling their cabinets because they don't have separate, formal dining rooms anymore, and you can get a solid, quality piece for cheap. (For guys who don't realize it, tall china cabinets can generally be separated into two pieces. Ditch the top hutch, and use the bottom cabinet.)

Craigslist is a good idea! If I can't find a piece that I like I might use cinder blocks and wood. I saw someone on YouTube make something decent. She used them on the outer edge and one in the center stacked three high. There was a row of wood in the middle and the top so it made a shelf in the center with four open spaces. I could put some plants in those areas. I can always paint them or cover them with something. Hmmm, I wonder if that would be too much weight for an apartment floor. Well, the quest continues.

 

[MammaBearinTN]

Good luck.

 

[Lajos_Detari]

Usually I prefer stands that are specially made for fish tank.
I think they are more stable or strong to withstand the weight.(just my opinion)

 

[MammaBearinTN]

I was considering furniture pieces. I was checking furniture stores but the material they are making furniture out of these days is so cheap. I wish I had a piece I didn't need that I could use, that would be great.

For sure. That's why I suggested Craigslist. You can find older pieces from the days when furniture was solid and well made. Unless you're paying many thousands of dollars, most of the furniture made today is crap. My cabinet is over 30 years old. Poor quality furnture has always been around, but today even a lot of mid-range furniture is shoddily made.

 

[Fire Eyes]

For sure. That's why I suggested Craigslist. You can find older pieces from the days when furniture was solid and well made. Unless you're paying many thousands of dollars, most of the furniture made today is crap. My cabinet is over 30 years old. Poor quality furnture has always been around, but today even a lot of mid-range furniture is shoddily made. Sad but

For sure. That's why I suggested Craigslist. You can find older pieces from the days when furniture was solid and well made. Unless you're paying many thousands of dollars, most of the furniture made today is crap. My cabinet is over 30 years old. Poor quality furnture has always been around, but today even a lot of mid-range furniture is shoddily made.

Sad but true.

 

[Sunnyspots]

If you are handy and looking to make your own stand there is a guy called Joey 'King of DIY' on YouTube who shows how to make excellent ones.

 

[Slaphppy7]

A simple, easy-to make design using 2X4's, 2X6's, stainless screws, and wood glue