Stand / Racking

[rifty]

Hi im looking for some advice around building some stands for my new fish room
the internal sizes are just under 8ft x 10ft and im hoping to put 2 6x2x2 feet tanks in the back as a focal point my question is building a stand for them? my initial idea is th use breeze blocks and wood
sorry for the naff drawing on paint!!!lol and ignore the fact the bottom tank is smaller as i intended it to be a 4 footer 1st!
so my question is would wood hold? if so how thick should it be? is there something elso i could use and obtain/cut to size easily?

the clock is ticking as i have the 1st 6 footer and another is on hold!

 

[OldMan47]

My first inclination is to suggest that you check to make sure the place you intend to put this stand can hold the weight of such large tanks. A 6x2x2 tank is going to hold about 180 gallons weighing 1500 pounds plus the glass and substrate, call it 3/4 tons each.
A simple stand of 2x6 lumber is strong enough to hold the tank itself but the vertical supports will need to be substantial. I would suggest they be at least 4x4 lumber and be positioned to ensure the weight is carried under compression of the legs and not by any fasteners. By that I mean using a 4x4 where I used a 2x2 in this thread. http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/314127-my-tank-stand-build/page__gopid__2605673&#entry2605673

 

[rifty]

The link is very helpful many thanks

the verticle supports will be breeze blocks so should be ok

my main concern is the stand will bow in the middle? i was/am considering using something like this sandwiched between 2 sheets of 1" ply or hardboard

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/Steel-Box-Section-25mm-x-25mm-2-5mm-x-1metre-3-off-/300543926670?pt=UK_BOI_Metalworking_Milling_Welding_Metalworking_Supplies_ET&hash=item45f9d0618e

instead of wood but again not sure of size vs strength?

 

[Tizer]

You could look into Pallet Racking, built to hold a lot of weight. Would need decent footings though.

 

[micko]

I would actually make a steel frame, not flimsy box iron but a more rigid steel. Its sounds ugly but I'd actually use rsj's or h-beams as they're also known as. Get a steel fabricator if you haven't the equipment yourself. I'd then face it with stone, a shist or quartz. Could put shelves in it too. Wouldn't be as hard a job as you'd think. If you didn't want the stone you could face it with wood.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

 

[rifty]

ugly isnt an issue thanks for the idea as its for the fish room plus i can clad it
how much would an 8 foot rsj or = cost? as price is a massive factor

 

[rifty]

would 3 or 4 of these do laid between the blocks and again sandwiched between 2 sheet of 1 inch ply or hardboard? hold the weight
http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/4x4-Fence-Posts-/170615519600?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Garden_Structures_Fencing_CV&var=&hash=item6d6f9bb1c5

 

[Tolak]

I'd build a 2x6 box, with a third 2x6 running the 6' length down the center. 4x4 legs, and it should be plenty strong. The largest I have built so far is a 3'x10' sort of deck/rack, above a couple of 150 gallon tubs. This hold five 40 gallon tanks & three 20 gallon tanks; http/img401.imageshack.us/img401/6541/dsc017621iv4.jpg

The stringers are 2x4's, 18" on center, as the 40 gallon tanks have a 36"x18" footprint. The perimeter is 2x6's. The back legs are lag bolted at the top into the joists of the house, don't want 260 gallons of water, tanks & fish landing on me when I'm working on the tubs. I put 3/4" plywood for decking, as I had a bunch of used plywood from an old trailer deck, may as well put it to use; http/img185.imageshack.us/img185/6190/dsc018491sp1.jpg

 

[micko]

Oh I see, its for a fish room. That's a bit different then. The steel would be quite expensive (I think) unless you can go to a building site that's near finished and speak to them. Farmers usually use them too and always have some left over. If price is an issue then you could just build the 4 corners up on blocks and lay timber over the top of them. Simple as that. if it were me I'd really want a cental support too as that's a good bit of weight.

If your anything like me though you will wish at a later date that you made it more pleasing to the eye. Steel is usually more expensive but a better job in my opinion

 

[GraphicGr8s]

I'd build a 2x6 box, with a third 2x6 running the 6' length down the center. 4x4 legs, and it should be plenty strong. The largest I have built so far is a 3'x10' sort of deck/rack, above a couple of 150 gallon tubs. This hold five 40 gallon tanks & three 20 gallon tanks; http/img401.imageshack.us/img401/6541/dsc017621iv4.jpg

The stringers are 2x4's, 18" on center, as the 40 gallon tanks have a 36"x18" footprint. The perimeter is 2x6's. The back legs are lag bolted at the top into the joists of the house, don't want 260 gallons of water, tanks & fish landing on me when I'm working on the tubs. I put 3/4" plywood for decking, as I had a bunch of used plywood from an old trailer deck, may as well put it to use; http/img185.imageshack.us/img185/6190/dsc018491sp1.jpg

Decent setup but the fallacy with many of these designs is you are soley depending on the fastner to hold the weight of the tank(s). Instead of that they should be lapped into the legs so the leg is holding the weight of the tank, not the fastener. Most of the support for the tank will come from the 2X's on the outside with some support from your girders.

 

[Tolak]

I realize the fasteners hold the weight, that is why I use hefty fasteners.

Seeing as this is something like fishroom version 4.3, with routing & dovetailing 4x4's would quickly become 2x4's, 2x6's would more closely resemble 1x6's, and so on. Carriage bolts, lag bolts, and so on enable me to continue using the same lumber, though a bit swiss cheesy with the holes, well into version 14.6, me being 93 years old, and at that point ready for hundreds of gallons of water to send me to the great beyond.

 

[OldMan47]

It seems that this is a place where Tolak and I will disagree. That seldom happens since we are both experienced DIY folks who have well designed surviving support systems.
I view the strength of a support member under compression as far superior to any fastener, regardless of its strength. He is willing to rely on the strength of a fastener. This is more a question of perspective than true strength criteria. I am morally certain that any member under compression will almost never fail while Tolak is willing to rely on the shear strength of fasteners. I am not as willing as he is to rely on the strength of those fasteners, hence my focus on always using compressive strength in my designs.
A typical engineered stand may well be found that relies on one or the other approach, but each of us has our own reasons for preferring our own approaches. I am afraid that this comes down to a question of taste for each of us. I have great respect for Tolak and his abilities but simply have my own perspective here that does not match his. Either of our approaches would probably work fine in the real world.

 

[GraphicGr8s]

It seems that this is a place where Tolak and I will disagree. That seldom happens since we are both experienced DIY folks who have well designed surviving support systems.
I view the strength of a support member under compression as far superior to any fastener, regardless of its strength. He is wiling to rely on the strength of a fastener. This is more a question of perspective than true strength criteria. I am morally certain that any member under compression will almost never fail while Tolak is willing to rely on the shear strength of fasteners. I am not as willing as he is to rely on the strength of those fasteners, hence my focus on always using compressive strength in my designs.
A typical engineered stand may well be found that relies on one or the other approach, but each of us has our own reasons for preferring our own approaches. I am afraid that this comes down to a question of taste for each of us. I have great respect for Tolak and his abilities but simply have my own perspective here that does not match his. Either of our approaches would probably work fine in the real world.

You never want the fastener to hold the weight of anything. It's bad design and a disaster waiting to happen.

 

[OldMan47]

It seems that you and I have the same prejudice on that GraphicGr8s, but many a home has been built using nothing but joist hangers to support the floor joists and they are all still standing. I am afraid that I must repeat that, when properly designed, a system relying on hardware under shear stress can be plenty strong enough.