Tank stand construction

[Outzen]

Have been away from the aqua world for abt 40 years, but planning to re-enter with a Juwel Rio 240 (black) tank. Im living in a wonderfull apartment on the top floor with sloping walls, and the standard tank tables ive seen are simply to high. Have just contacted a blacksmith in order to design my own metal tank stand, but thinking it is best to seek som practical advices before I proceed with the current venture
Design wise I would opt for as slim/simple setup as possible. Idea is something like this:

However placing top metal girders (like the current) on each side so it will match the frame of the Juwel Rio 240 (and possibly also a girder on the back side for support of the construction). I will probably also need some kind of height adjustment under neath, if my floor is not "in level". Questions;

1. Can I place the tank directly on the metal girders or do I need som solid wood between the tank and the metal stand
2. If I went for not having the top girder, but only a smaller girder on the "backside" of the construction, holding the metal feet together, would that work with a solid wooden plate on top (thinking a 4 cm oak plate)
3. Adjustable table feet - couldnt find any photos but considering placing 4 adjustable "table feet" like the below to counter any issues with floor levelling
4. other things I need to consider (pros/cons)

 

[Little-Nipper]

Have been away from the aqua world for abt 40 years, but planning to re-enter with a Juwel Rio 240 (black) tank. Im living in a wonderfull apartment on the top floor with sloping walls, and the standard tank tables ive seen are simply to high. Have just contacted a blacksmith in order to design my own metal tank stand, but thinking it is best to seek som practical advices before I proceed with the current venture
Design wise I would opt for as slim/simple setup as possible. Idea is something like this:
View attachment 315392
However placing top metal girders (like the current) on each side so it will match the frame of the Juwel Rio 240 (and possibly also a girder on the back side for support of the construction). I will probably also need some kind of height adjustment under neath, if my floor is not "in level". Questions;

1. Can I place the tank directly on the metal girders or do I need som solid wood between the tank and the metal stand
2. If I went for not having the top girder, but only a smaller girder on the "backside" of the construction, holding the metal feet together, would that work with a solid wooden plate on top (thinking a 4 cm oak plate)
3. Adjustable table feet - couldnt find any photos but considering placing 4 adjustable "table feet" like the below to counter any issues with floor levelling
4. other things I need to consider (pros/cons)

View attachment 315393

OK so I like your thinking I do love a bit of diy myself
So I would definitely not 100 percent never put a 240 directly on top of that I'd suggest cutting a piece of 1" thick ply to fit on top and then putting foam or something between the tank and wood.
I like your feet idea and the contemporary design but personally I'd make some adjustments, let me know what you think of this

Centre leg with adjustable foot,
Front and rear rails,
Middle strap to stop it from bowing.

 

[Essjay]

Juwel tanks have floating bases - all four sides project below the base and the weight of the tank rests on the side glass. Juwel go as far as to say that using foam etc between the stand and the base glass invalidates the warranty. But I would make sure that all the tank walls - front, back and sides - are supported.

 

[Outzen]

OK so I like your thinking I do love a bit of diy myself
So I would definitely not 100 percent never put a 240 directly on top of that I'd suggest cutting a piece of 1" thick ply to fit on top and then putting foam or something between the tank and wood.
I like your feet idea and the contemporary design but personally I'd make some adjustments, let me know what you think of thisView attachment 315436
Centre leg with adjustable foot,
Front and rear rails,
Middle strap to stop it from bowing.

Thks - its probably a good idea with the middle strap, but a center leg kind of ruin my plan to place a small dresser underneath / in between the construction ... maybe a centre leg on the back side

 

[Outzen]

Juwel tanks have floating bases - all four sides project below the base and the weight of the tank rests on the side glass. Juwel go as far as to say that using foam etc between the stand and the base glass invalidates the warranty. But I would make sure that all the tank walls - front, back and sides - are supported.

My thinking was that a solid wooden plate would distribute the weight, however guess youre both saying that I will need to support the construction im contemplating with legs in the middle - one in the centre, or 2 (front and back).

 

[Outzen]

Update
The blacksmith im about to hire says the legs in the middle are not necessary, as the weight of the tank is held by the corners of the aquarium. Will ask him to make the legs - sake good order, however admit - have been tempted not to
Another thing is that im still not sure what to put between the tank and the steel construction.
- 1" plywood - yes - as I wrote im contemplating on using oak, because it matches the furniture in the room - guess the type of wood is not important
- Foam - unsure what kind, how to apply it and what it will look like.
Is the foam meant to even out/levelling variations in the wood structure?
Would think that the wood itself will give way for the heavy tank, so that the surface will naturally be adjusted

Are most of the tantks used these day bought with a standard tank table? ... there must be many examples of people placing tanks on other types of constructions - would be nice with some real world examples of what has actually worked (with or without foam etc) ... or is it the wrong type of tank im aiming at?

 

[Essjay]

Tanks come in 2 types - flat bottomed and floating base.
Flat bottomed tanks have the entire bottom pane of glass in contact with the stand. These need something between the stand and the tank (foam, polystyrene sheets) as even a grain of sand trapped between the tank and stand can stress the glass enough to crack it. And the foam etc evens out any uneven-ness in the top of the stand.
Floating base tanks have sides which project below the bottom pane so the bottom pane is not in contact with the stand. This type does not need foam etc between the bottom glass and the stand. However, if the stand is likely to be uneven, a strip of foam beneath the side panes of glass could be useful. Juwel tanks are this type.


I realise that you do not intend using a Juwel stand, but please be aware of what Juwel say in the tank manual for use with a Juwel stand -
"The aquarium should be placed directly onto the cabinet. DO NOT place any additional support, e.g. polystyrene, under the aquarium since this is not necessary with our aquariums".

 

[TwoTankAmin]

If you do not support the bottom frame of the tank completely, you risk having the glass crack. If you have a frameless tank, then I would support the entire bottom.

I have a number of stands that only support the bottom perimeter of the tank. Some are metal pre-made stands and some I made myself using wood. I use 2x4 in lumber on end for the perimeter support. Because this wood is not milled complete smooth on the edges, I use weatherstripping between the frame and the stand. The weight of the tank, especially when filled, compresses the material and it creates a fairly level support under the entire perimeter as it fills any depressions and is squeeze out of any bumps.

I do not do tanks without lids. I have 20 or more in the house and they would turn the place into a humid moldy mess if there were no lids. The there are the fish that will jump. I prefer not to decorate my floors and carpets with crispy fish.

With framed tanks the bottom glass is unsupported, the frame carries the entire load. So I do not use styro under the glass. As for leveling, I use wooden shims. I start by making the tank level before I begin to add water. I do put in the substrate and most of the woods and rock work. Then I begin to fill the tank. I have a large level and I chek wht level as i fill. Usually I need to add another shim or hammer the wedge further under a leg to raise the tank a bit more at that corner. Since there are 4 legs I can move them independently of each other.

 

[Ichthys]

My thoughts…

It’s very true that a tank only needs supported at the corners (assuming the base glass is thick enough for the size of the tank). The base glass can’t move because it’s glued to the verticals. I’ve seen big tanks, 6,7,8 foot long, on wood frame stands where the wood bows 2” away from the base in the middle. It’s perfectly fine.

You should never put a base glass directly on metal.

I would use a wooden board on top (not sure if it’s necessary), with a polystyrene sheet on top of that, to even out any unevenness. I would even use polystyrene under a Juwel tank that told me not to. It literally can’t do any harm, and manufacturing processes aren’t perfect.

Adjustable feet are a good idea as long as they’ll withstand the weight. More than four feet might help, depending on their weight capacity (that’s a thought from someone who has never used them).

As long as the stand is strong enough and the four tank corners are all in the same plane, it’ll be fine.