Advice On Altering Stand

[angelmouse]

I want to alter my stand so it can take 2x 6 foot tanks, at the moment it's 7ft long and would like to leave length but would it be better to shorten to take the weight on the legs. I need to remove middle legs to get tank in bottom, how is best to support weight in middle, the top boards are marine ply.
this is how it is

and with 6ft tank short of the end

thanks Angel

 

[tyyrlym]

I would really advise against removing the center legs, that would leave you with a six foot span with no support and close to two thousand pounds sitting on it. Toss in another close to two thousand below it and I'm actually going to start to get concerned as to whether or not the main legs will be able to hold. Without knowing how its put together there's just no way I could know.

It is best to get the corners of the tank over the legs. However by the time you were done modifying this current stand you could probably build a second for a similar monetary and time investment and far safer for both you and the fish.

 

[angelmouse]

i am basicly planning to take stand apart and recycle into new stand but can,t have the middle bar between shelves as i can't get tank between, so wondering best way to support top shelf as i can leave support under bottom shelf.
thanks Angel

 

[tyyrlym]

That's the problem, if you don't want a support between the top and middle shelves then that top span is six unsupported feet beneath almost a ton of water. Now if you're willing to build the second tank into the shelving so it can't be removed without demoing the stand its doable. If you want it open all the way... I just can't recommend doing that.

 

[squeakytoy]

Just ask yourself if you could park a full size truck on it. If you think the answer is yes, than try it. Otherwise, that kind of weight will be VERY unforgiving if you make a mistake. Not to say it cant be done, but think it out first. If I were doing it, I would probably get some 3/8 angle iron and brace the structure on the long runs at the least. If one of them gives out, they will all come crashing down. along with 250 or so gallons of water (and fish) on your floor!

 

[tyyrlym]

Yeah, if this was metal I might cautiously say go for it, with wood, no.

 

[angelmouse]

Ok thanks for advice, so my options are build tank in behind middle leg or build another stand the same next to it and expand my fishroom (sounds good )
thanks again Angel

 

[Tolak]

Use 2x8's for the 6' span, 4x4's for the legs. 2x6's will support the weight, but will be prone to warping a little.

I have a rack that is 10'x3' that holds five 40 gallon tanks & three 20 gallon tanks. It does have 4x4 legs in the middle, 2x6's around the perimeter, so the 2x6's do hold the weight of a 5' span.

It doesn't matter if the 2x6's give a little, as there are multiple tanks across the 5' span, not one unit. There are also 2x4's on joist hangers beneath the 3' length of each tank, as well as plywood decking to top it off.

 

[tyyrlym]

I would still not recommend it. Your set up has a load of about 260 lbs/ft across your spans. The proposed moves that up to 300 lbs/ft, a 15% increase in load. Each leg of your stand carries 433 lbs, each of the proposed double stand would be carrying 900lbs, a 208% increase. Also as you pointed out you have multiple tanks which greatly reduces the impact of any bowing in the supports on any individual tank. What's being proposed is a single tank and any sag in the supports will be far more dangerous.

While it is possible to do it's not a set up I'd ever recommend and certainly not one to a random person on the internet who's carpentry skills I'm unsure of. I would forgo the double 6' tank stand with only four legs and instead build two 6' stands with six legs. You can't keep both 6' tanks in one spot but you could put supplies or smaller tanks on a lower shelf you could build into them.