sebek18 Posted December 16, 2012 Report Share Posted December 16, 2012 I just bought a 90 gallon used with one of those wooden stands I guess everyone buys. It is the particle board one actually. It seems REALLY flimsy. Are all stands like that? My mom is scared it will tip over and flood our basement. I am thinking of supporting it with my dad tomorrow because it does shake when the tank is wiggled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayba Posted December 16, 2012 Report Share Posted December 16, 2012 Wouldn't hurt to brace it up. Better safe than sorry when it comes to 1000 pounds of water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JORG Posted December 16, 2012 Report Share Posted December 16, 2012 I hate those particle board stands ... I always toss em into the burning pit and use a proper stand. I know they are designed to hold the tanks, but with spilt water swelling the particle board and braces and joints loosening up over time I am not comfortable around them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beautylovetruth Posted December 16, 2012 Report Share Posted December 16, 2012 I agree, bracing it or building your own that you know will support it are your best options Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sebek18 Posted December 16, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2012 Thanks guys. I do not have any experience with building stands or bracing them. What would be the best way and what should I use to go about doing so? I don't have enough money to buy one of those heavy wood stands or metal ones. I am just trying to make this one better and use it until I get enough to buy a nice one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cainechow Posted December 16, 2012 Report Share Posted December 16, 2012 The most minimalistic stand you could do could be just a bunch of 2x4's and 3" screws. Some recent examples of stands from our memebers: http://albertaaquatica.com/index.php?showtopic=37361 http://albertaaquatica.com/index.php?showtopic=38006 Instead of doing the fancy corner shape, you can simply do a rectangular shape and ignore putting sides on it. Pick 2x4s from the middle of the pile. They are usually straighter than the ones on the top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sicklid Posted December 16, 2012 Report Share Posted December 16, 2012 Exactly! With a few 2x4's , some carpenters glue and some 3 " screws you can build a stand very quickly and very strong. I have the tools if you need help. It's the dressing up that adds to the cost. But if you keep it simple the cost is really low. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JORG Posted December 16, 2012 Report Share Posted December 16, 2012 Cheap easy stand for a 90 is 8 cinder blocks ( 2 in each corner stood on the ends... one on top of the other ) and a 18" x 48" piece of plywood. You can get 2 pieces of plywood and put a shelf in the middle between the cinder blocks if you want. The blocks can be easily painted any colour if you don't like the grey.If you are really tight with cash you could use the two 18 x 30 pieces of particle board from the crappy stand instead of buying plywood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sebek18 Posted December 16, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2012 My dad and I are planning to just put 2x4 supports in the stand and basically somehow make it sturdier. Honestly it looks like it will topple over like a deck of cards any day haha. I took all the water out into big buckets and ill get on it tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sicklid Posted December 17, 2012 Report Share Posted December 17, 2012 Why put makeup on the pig? You would be further ahead to build a proper stand and have the peace of mind knowing it won't collapse. I estimate you would need about 5- 8' 2x4's , a couple 8' 2x2's , 4'x4' piece of plywood, some glue and about 30 3" screws. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Znaika Posted December 17, 2012 Report Share Posted December 17, 2012 I bought a stand for my 75 G tank in Petsmart half a year ago. The same stand actually fits 90 G too as 75 G and 90 G have the same base - 48'x18'. This indeed is a particle board stand, and I was skeptical about it too and planned to frame it from inside with 2x4. However after assembling it and trying to stand and jump on it (I am about 190 pounds), I realized it is not necessary. So far it holds and it is not flimsy at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisher Posted December 17, 2012 Report Share Posted December 17, 2012 (edited) I am thinking of supporting it with my dad tomorrow because it does shake when the tank is wiggled. It's no fun worrying about a flimsy stand collapsing, especially when mom isn't convinced it will hold. dad's can shake when they're wiggled too... and they can also wiggle when they're shaken So they might know a think or two about support eh? Obviously, particle board stands are prone to problems, but they are functional. As long as the fasteners haven't stripped out of the particle board: you can stiffen particle board stands by simply tightening the joinery hardware... They can loosen in transit. You can use carpenters' glue on the joints. And add bracing where it can help the best. Here's one example of bracing enginuity: http://albertaaquati...showtopic=37018 2nd photo down, as long as the photo is still available. It sounds like a great project to work on with your dad. Good luck to both of you sebek18! Edited December 17, 2012 by Fisher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sebek18 Posted December 17, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2012 I bought a stand for my 75 G tank in Petsmart half a year ago. The same stand actually fits 90 G too as 75 G and 90 G have the same base - 48'x18'. This indeed is a particle board stand, and I was skeptical about it too and planned to frame it from inside with 2x4. However after assembling it and trying to stand and jump on it (I am about 190 pounds), I realized it is not necessary. So far it holds and it is not flimsy at all. I bought the tank used and I would rather brace it than let everything topple down onto a hardwood floor. Better be safe than sorry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckmullin Posted December 17, 2012 Report Share Posted December 17, 2012 (edited) My dad and I are planning to just put 2x4 supports in the stand and basically somehow make it sturdier. Honestly it looks like it will topple over like a deck of cards any day haha. I took all the water out into big buckets and ill get on it tomorrow. I bought the tank used and I would rather brace it than let everything topple down onto a hardwood floor. Better be safe than sorry Best bang for your $ and to let you sleep @ night is use 2x4 some screws AND a construction adhesive such as PL. Do that and your fine. Dunno the working inner dimensions but build an upper and lower rectangle and then measure the middle supports. PL the sucker tight, new wood to old and all joints. One thing you should also consider (since I don't have pictures of the stand in question) is the base. You might need to turn the existing frame upside down and brace the bottom few/couple inches again with the PL, screws and 2x4. ...again I have no idea what your stand looks like but from history some stands would have been helped by this. I have construction experience, so if you are unsure and wanted specific advice shoot me pictures of the underside of the cabinet and inside the cabinet. Edited December 17, 2012 by ckmullin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ean Posted December 17, 2012 Report Share Posted December 17, 2012 Could you post a picture of it? this would help in figuring out the best way to brace it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.