Making a stand for a 4foot tank.

[Dixon1990]

I am going to make a stand for my next tank when i get one and want to know if i could make it from mdf/customwood/ply(dont know the proper name :oops: ) I can get 12mm, 18mm,22mm and 25mm cover sheets for free(i think those are the right thickness) and would like to make a stand out of it.

[Ianab]

I suggest you use plywood. It is a bit more resistant to water spills than MDF.

Simplest / strongest design would be to frame up a box with 4x2s and clad the sides, top and back with the best plywood you can get. Glue and screw the play in place. The ply braces the 4x2s so the box cant fold up under the tanks weight.

Leave the front open and you can build a face frame around the front and make some simple plywood doors for the cabinet.

Ian

[Cheesejawa]

MDF is ok if you paint it well. The hardest bit is making the thing level enough. To stop wobbling give the stand a backing or a plank going diagonaly across the back.

[Dixon1990]

It will be painted well.

[Dixon1990]

Simplest / strongest design would be to frame up a box with 4x2s and clad the sides, top and back with the best plywood you can get. Glue and screw the play in place. The ply braces the 4x2s so the box cant fold up under the tanks weight.

Thats what i did for my 3foot tank stand, And didnt leave me with much room to put stuff in.

I would like to make a stand with a similar layout to this.

[Aquarium Dude]

I built a stand for a 5.5ft tank, it is similar to those pictures above, the whole thing is mdf with 6 cupboards in the front and a beading 85mm wide around the bottom, and around the bottom of the tank. I had it painted professionally buy a guy in christchurch, it was reasonable price wise and looks brilliant.

I wouldnt hang the tank over the edge of the cabinet like those pictures.

[dwalk]

I'd use the thickest MDF you can lay your hands on, as a 5 ft tank would weigh a lot, and make sure that you have plenty of supports downwards to distribute the weight. If i made one like this I'd use a Biscuit joiner (similar to dowels but easier) and a good quality waterproof pva. I have made smaller stands this way, but used pine instead of MDf

[David R]

I suggest you use plywood. It is a bit more resistant to water spills than MDF.

But no where near as much rigidity side-on, so it would only work as a cover on a 4x2 or steel frame, not as the structural material for the cabinet. I think a frame made of 4x2 or steel that is then enclosed with ply or MDF is the way to go. I painted my MDF stand well (like 4 thick coats of undercoat then a couple of layers of satin black sprayed on top) and it still expanded when I overflowed the sump.

[spoon]

there has got to be somewhere in chch that will melamine coat mdf for try a benchtop manufactour

[Olly]

Im a student so I have no money. I have a 5 foot tank, a 4 foot tank and a 3.5 foot tank all on MDF stands.

they are all about 45cm tall. I couldnt afford to paint them so I didnt. they are about 8 months old and showing no signs of water damage at all. they are rock solid strong

this is a photo of my 5ft 450L tank showing the design. on my other stands i put a curtain on it to hide the shelf contents

it looks fine, works great and cost $25

[whetu]

Nice stand, olly. Simple and effective! The stand being low would help with its strength.

I'm all in favour of making your own stand to suit your exact needs. I built my stand so it's exactly the right height to see it over the arm of the sofa (which is rather high). I also have two drawers at the top for putting all the small stuff that I need to access often, and two cupboards at the bottom for bigger stuff. The filters and all electrical gadgetry go in the cupboards to stay tidy.

My tips if designing and building your own stand:

1) The back forms part of the structure. It will help prevent sideways movement (known as 'racking') so attach it well. Cross-braces at the back can achieve a similar effect, although they're not as strong. (Doors do not form part of the structure as trhey cannot help support the weight of the tank and are only attached by hinges.)

2) Use screws wherever possible rather than nails. Drill guide holes first, so the MDF doesn't split when you put the screws in. Ideally glue and screw every joint.

3) Use plenty of full-height vertical dividers to give support to the top of the stand. I would suggest a vertical divider at least every 600mm if using MDF. One every 450mm is even better.

4) Also consider using an extra rail screwed under the front top of the stand. This is a single piece of MDF, running the whole length of the top. It only needs to be about 50mm wide. Turn it on its edge for extra strength.

And remember - it's INFINITELY easier to add extra structural strength when you are building the stand, rather than having to take everything apart later and try to reinforce it! If in doubt, make it stronger than you need. Over-engineer it right from the start for peace of mind.

Have fun!

[whetu]

By the way, my stand is made of pine with a varnished finish, so waterproofing isn't an issue. If I were making it out of MDF I would definitely seal it somehow - either varnish or paint it thoroughly.

Make sure you seal EVERY surface. The cut edges of MDF are especially vulnerable to soaking up water if there is a spill, and water that seeps into joints can be impossible to get out.

You might like to consider cutting all the components out of the MDF, sealing them thoroughly with an undercoat while they are still in bits, then assembling the unit and putting the top coat on.

Also looking at Olly's design, it is worth thinking about the carpet underneath the stand. If you can build your stand with a small air gap between the bottom of the stand and the carpet, you can stop dampness and mould forming under the stand in case of a spillage. But that makes your stand design much more difficult, so flat on the floor is definitely simpler. (I have a wooden floor so don't have to worry so much about that.)

[Olly]

I was thinking about that

If I ever move the tank Im going to put some blocks under the stand that run along structurally important areas like the sides, back and the supporting strut in the middle

That will fix that problem and give it a little more height as well

[David R]

Just wait until you have a leak or a big spill, its only a matter of time. Paint costs ~$20 + a brush for some cheap undercoat, thats a lot cheaper than having to make a new stand when our filter leaks...

I'd be a bit concerned about the unsupported front edge too, especially if it were to get wet.