Iron Stand Opinions

[SirGoodFish]

Hello all,

I am looking at getting a wrought iron stand that looks like it can hold a 55 on top and a 40 gallon underneath. I haven't used an iron stand before - are they truly strong enough to handle the load? It seems to me to be a perfect space saver for someone who is interested in having multiple tanks.

Opinions, please, plus any practical advice is welcome. Thanks!

Sir Good Fish

 

[fluttermoth]

All my tanks are on metal stands and I've never experienced any problems.

 

[Man of fish]

If the bottom shelf folds up is it a bad idea to put a tank on it?

 

[SirGoodFish]

If the bottom shelf folds up is it a bad idea to put a tank on it?

I would imagine that it's a bad idea for any but the smallest tank. Your bottom shelf folds up?

 

[Man of fish]

Yeah it's what supports the whole stand. I'll see if I can find a pic on photo bucket real quick.......

That pic shows the top of it and some of the shelf at least. It seems really stable though, it clicks into the little hole for the shelf, then it's really hard to get out, fairly hard to get in as well.

 

[OldMan47]

I used nothing but that kind of stand for the first many years of my fish keeping. As long as you install them on a flat and level floor they work great.

 

[delta]

Gosh, I remember having angle iron stands when I was in first in fishkeeping many years ago. I lived in a 2nd floor flat which fortunately, had concrete floors and just about everyone in our block had aquariums. We had 2 x 3ft tanks on the one in the living room and we had a 2nd stand in the hallway also with 2 x 3 ft tanks. It was that or a piece of sturdy furniture back in those days (We're talking end of the 70's/beginning of the 80s). None of this fancy smanchy stuff you young'uns have these days unless you were rich

Also had UGF's and bogwood was something new and innovative that we saw in a show tank in our slightly less local LFS in Muswell Hill (I lived in Edmonton N. London in those days and my very local LFS was just around the corner from my flat).

Ooops, sorry for the ramble there I went all nostalgic for a moment.

 

[Dieses Madchen]

I have an iron stand and its really strong and will hold 2 10g tanks underneath. Great stand. Most of my stands are wood, but only cause i like the look and hte hidden storage, but strengthwise, i dont think they are any different than metal

 

[SirGoodFish]

Man of Fish, looks like your stand is being used for a small tank (is it 5 gallons or so?) Perhaps in that case it might not be so bad to put a second tank below on the folding shelf. But without seeing it I guess it is hard to tell. Another option would be to place something beneath that lower shelf - a couple of concrete blocks, maybe? - to reinforce it.

Always important to be sure that your furniture is rated for the amount of weight you want to put on it. It is less important with smaller tanks, but even a 20-gallon can weigh around 200 lbs with water and gravel considered.

As for me I've gone ahead and purchased the iron stand in question. It is in my basement and seems very steady - right on a flat concrete floor.

Got a 38 to place on top. Perfect fit. Underneath there is a 36.25" x 12.5" footprint (18" high). Trying to decide what I should put down there. I'm not sure that a standard size would fit. But I could probably go smaller - like a 20L - though I imagine I might have to put a shelf down there first so that the 20L is fully supported.

 

[Man of fish]

It's an 8 gallon but I've got a 10 on there now. I found it online and it's rated for a 37 gallon.

 

[OldMan47]

My present iron stands are one in my family room with a 20 gallon on top and a 10 gallon on the bottom, with a bit of plywood to adapt the large stand to the smaller tank. The other iron stand has a 10 gallon on top and bottom supports in my fish room. Both have that curly cue look to them and are wrought iron stands, not the old angle iron ones that I, like every one else, had in the 60s and 70s and that delta already mentioned.

 

[Man of fish]

The one I've got is an angle iron stand. I prefer it to the newer types.