Hoping Someone Can Help...

[guppyluvr]

Okay, so i have a question...I'm sorry if this has been answered before....I have a huge entertainment center that is built into my wall and was wondering if i could put a fish tank on one of the shelves? Would it hurt the wood? I'm asking because i have had diffrent non fish people tell me yes and others say no, so i thought i'd ask the experts or at least the fish hobbyists. I have a picture of the entertainment center below to give you an idea of what i'm talking about....

Sorry if its the wrong size...i don't know how to resize it. Thanks for all the help because i don't want to ruin my entertainment center but think a fish tank would be gorgeous there. Edited to add.....that on the very top shelf isn't a fish tank its a candle holder.

 

[rdd1952]

Most likely, the shelves won't hold the weight of a tank nor will they be deep enough. A standard 29 gallon tank is 30" long, 12" deep, 18" high and will weigh about 320 to 350 lbs when full. You will also need enoough open space above the top for a hood and light and to do maintanence and do water changes (probably would need a minimum of 36" above the shelf, 18" for the tank and another 18" to work). On top of that, it isn't wise to have that much water near electronic equipment. One slip while making a water change, and your TV, DVD player, etc will be ruined.

 

[guppyluvr]

LOL i'm glad you pointed that out...obviously i wasn't thinking clearly, your totally right, i think i will just stick with buying a stand or using my entrance table. Now i'm embarrased .......lmao.

 

[billy0510]

if there is a will theres a way. Anythings possible but is it practical. Yes i think a fish tank would look great right above the tank, but once again water does have a tendancy to find its way in some tight spaces. You could always beef up the entertainment center to hold the weight just remember figure about ten ponds a gallon(looks like the sides r pretty sturdy), and retro fit the shelf to turn up for acces to the tank below. Or u could just go get a tank and stand and put it next to the entertainment stand.

Gotta admit tank in the top middle and one on each side would look pretty sweet.

 

[guppyluvr]

LOL..yea thats what i was thinking. Int he exact spots you mentioned...weird. I guess i could talk with hubby and see what kind of modifications need to be done and whether we could do it...I thought it would be sweet too..

 

[rdd1952]

Don't be embarrassed. I learned part of that from experience. I have a 5 gallon tank with a betta in it sitting on the stand above my DirecTV receiver. I let a few drops of water from a WC get on it about a year ago and it didn't work for over a week. Fortunately, I had another receiver on another TV in another room that I switched out when it quit working. And I was also fortunate that the parts (what ever they were) dried out and it started working again. I still have the tank over the receiver (yes, I'm that dumb) but I put a plastic trash bag over the receiver when I do water changes now.

 

[guppyluvr]

Thats what is at the top my receivers..LOL. But i was thinking more like in the middle on both sides in between the shelves....This is a brand new house i just wanna decorate it a bit...it looks so bare...Edited to add: All my wires run through the middle due to modifications no electrical stuff on the sides....maybe a small tank on each sidee with shelves being modified to lift up for cleaning?

 

[rdd1952]

You could maybe put a small 10 gallon with small schools of tetras or something like that in them. Even a 10 gallon will weight about 115 lbs and is 12" high though. Still a lot of weight unless the shelves have good reinforcing.

 

[guppyluvr]

what would make a good reinforcer, the entertainment center is new as is the house so its sturdy....but i dunno...also the shelves have more room than it looks they are wider and deeper...i guess i could take measurements of the shelves versus the 10 gallon i have..

 

[vinylman]

I really don't think it's worth taking the chance; when it comes to tanks and their weight, if in doubt - don't.

 

[BelleAmour]

Hi! I am by no means an expert, but I actually have an entertainment center quite similar to yours, and I have put a fish tank in it! It is a 20 gallon fish tank, that I put on the lowest shelf, the one above the cabinets, as it would seem logical that that would be the strongest one I guess. But anyway, it's been working just fine! And I store all of the supplies in the cabinet underneath. It looks quite good in there. I also have a smaller 10 gallon one on the bottom shelf at the other end. That holds up just fine as well. So, there's my 2 cents I take no responsibility if yours doesnt hold lol. Like somebody else said, if in doubt, don't do it.

 

[guppyluvr]

LOL well thanks for your input...Is your's a built in too?

 

[BelleAmour]

Nope, it's not built in. Nor are my shelves nearly as thick as yours. Yours looks very well built. However, I still wouldn't put a very large tank in there, even if it would fit in, just in case. Good Luck on your decision

 

[Griz]

Remember, water weighs about 10 pounds/US gallon. So even a 10 gallon tank works out to 100 pounds plus the tank itself and substrate. Water changes might be a PITA too.

That said, I think a tank would look great in there and with some ingenuity it certainly can be done.

 

[guppyluvr]

Thanks guys!