A question about fish tanks and cabinets..

[Nness]

I'm about to start a new job soon which will give me the opportunity to save up for a nice tank upgrade, as I want to add another 1 or 2 to my tank I'm thinking something big. I wanted to know whether I'd save money by buying a cabinet separately that's not listed as a fish tank cabinet or whether it'd just be better to buy the tank and cabinet together. I have seen a few cabinets on amazon but I'm worried they won't be strong enough to carry a big tank (at LEAST 150 litres which then I'd only have no more than 2 goldfish in) has anyone got some recommendations on some strong but nice looking cabinets, or any good ways to find a good deal on a tank and cabinet? And has anyone bought a cabinet from IKEA or amazon and successfully set up a large tank on them without breaking it?

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Congratulations on the new job! Wales is a part of the world I haven't seen yet, but I hear it's very beautiful.

I have purchased cabinets from Amazon; some are good and some are bad. Read the reviews.

Non-purpose build cabinets can work and can save you some money, but you want to make sure they'll hold your aquarium. By the time you add gravel, equipment, and all that, a filled aquarium will weigh around 10 pounds per gallon of water, sometimes a bit more. If my math is right (and it might not be), that translates to around 1-1.5 kg per liter. So, figure out how much your tank will weigh, and make sure your cabinet is rated to hold that much. If the ad doesn't say, you can usually contact the manufacturer and ask. Doing so will help avoid unpleasant surprises.

 

[Guyb93]

As above I always work water weight out as 1kg per litre , I’d also look for lateral movement nobody wants a wobbly tank lol
Unfortunately for you Welsh I’m one of those brummies that raid your beautiful coast like every year ahahah actually taking the kids to Prestatyn for a few days at the end of the month

 

[PheonixKingZ]

You can make a pretty cheap one, out of 2x4’s. They don’t look that pretty, but they are super sturdy, and effective.

 

[Nness]

Congratulations on the new job! Wales is a part of the world I haven't seen yet, but I hear it's very beautiful.

I have purchased cabinets from Amazon; some are good and some are bad. Read the reviews.

Non-purpose build cabinets can work and can save you some money, but you want to make sure they'll hold your aquarium. By the time you add gravel, equipment, and all that, a filled aquarium will weigh around 10 pounds per gallon of water, sometimes a bit more. If my math is right (and it might not be), that translates to around 1-1.5 kg per liter. So, figure out how much your tank will weigh, and make sure your cabinet is rated to hold that much. If the ad doesn't say, you can usually contact the manufacturer and ask. Doing so will help avoid unpleasant surprises.

There's loads of pretty places in Wales, I hope you can visit someday! many thanks! I'll take a look into all of those options

 

[Nness]

As above I always work water weight out as 1kg per litre , I’d also look for lateral movement nobody wants a wobbly tank lol
Unfortunately for you Welsh I’m one of those brummies that raid your beautiful coast like every year ahahah actually taking the kids to Prestatyn for a few days at the end of the month

I get so worried about using the wrong stand hahaha I'd die if I ever came home to a stand that couldn't handle the tank. Aww I hope you have a wonderful time!!!

 

[Nness]

You can make a pretty cheap one, out of 2x4’s. They don’t look that pretty, but they are super sturdy, and effective.

Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[Avel1896]

Tank furniture is dedicated to tank.
Cabinet is an option but make sure it has same mesurements as tank, or you'll lead to up tray collapse.

 

[Utar]

Not sure what kind of material you have available in your area but you can build cheap sturdy stands without spending tons of money. This way you can save the money for more important stuff, like lighting, etc. Use cinder blocks and boards, with a little study looking at how other people have done this, you can create a nice looking stand.