Are bathroom/kitchen cabinets strong enough? - Aquarium Advice

MSU Fan · 07-12-2006, 12:38 PM

I currently have a 75gal on a bathroom style cabinet (the front bottom is recessed). In this tank I have about 10 gals of water and turtles, so weight is not too much of a concern. However, I will be turning this tank into a fish tank, and now I am concerned with the amount of weight 65+ gals of water will have with that front bottom recessed (see attached pic).

There is pretty much no chance that I am going to buy a new stand, so I will build a new one if the group here feels that the stand in question will not support the full tank weight (calc'ed: ~630lbs with 1" of sand substrate - however, I think that adding 10% weight just to be safe - so 700lbs).

TIA

JDogg · 07-12-2006, 12:44 PM

i do not think it will support the weight! someone correct me if i'm wrong

JRagg · 07-12-2006, 12:46 PM

I would be very very nervous putting that much weight on a countertop. The construction of those things is sketchy at best. They just aren't built for that much weight.

davidtcb1 · 07-12-2006, 12:58 PM

Agreed.....scary thought.

jsoong · 07-12-2006, 01:27 PM

Agreed .... These cabinets will not support more that a couple hundred pounds .... when we put in a build in wall oven, the installer had to brace the cabinets. These euro-style cabinets has no support in the front and will collapse with any kind of weight on top.

I would build a new stand, or possibly brace the cabinet from the inside.

dskidmore · 07-12-2006, 01:37 PM

I think you could brace the existing cabinet. Make sure it has a strong back, front and cross members supporting the top surface. Might turn the existing front into a false front, and have a second structural upright above where that recessed foot is.

MSU Fan · 07-12-2006, 01:45 PM

Thanks all for the help...as the wife says: "Yeah, apparently we will be building a stand...."

I love DIY projects!

Ky'smommy · 07-12-2006, 03:53 PM

hmm. well with 75g i would not.
i have a 30 on my main counter. and across on the other side i have 12.5 gallons on the toher side. no problems yet.

i know my bil had a 55g on his for a few months no problems.
and i had my 10g on a diaper change table at one point no problems. but still with the weight of 75 i would not.

JRagg · 07-12-2006, 04:16 PM

If you do some digging someone posted some very good plans for a 75g tank with some replies as of a few weeks ago. Let me know if you can't find it, I've got it bookmarked on my home computer.

SCFatz · 07-12-2006, 04:49 PM

http://www.garf.org/index.html

Scroll down to DIY pages on the left.

07-12-2006, 12:38 PM	#1
MSU Fan Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Appleton, WI Posts: 547 Images: 2	Are bathroom/kitchen cabinets strong enough? I currently have a 75gal on a bathroom style cabinet (the front bottom is recessed). In this tank I have about 10 gals of water and turtles, so weight is not too much of a concern. However, I will be turning this tank into a fish tank, and now I am concerned with the amount of weight 65+ gals of water will have with that front bottom recessed (see attached pic). There is pretty much no chance that I am going to buy a new stand, so I will build a new one if the group here feels that the stand in question will not support the full tank weight (calc'ed: ~630lbs with 1" of sand substrate - however, I think that adding 10% weight just to be safe - so 700lbs). TIA

07-12-2006, 12:44 PM	#2
JDogg Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Northfield, MN Posts: 2,222 Images: 12	i do not think it will support the weight! someone correct me if i'm wrong __________________ Follow my adventures into the land of Nano Reefs HERE http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n...f/DSC01648.jpg

07-12-2006, 12:46 PM	#3
JRagg Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: May 2006 Location: Olathe, KS Posts: 847 Images: 3	I would be very very nervous putting that much weight on a countertop. The construction of those things is sketchy at best. They just aren't built for that much weight. __________________ 10g Heavily planted - 1 mating pair of Apistogramma Cacatuoides "Orangeflash" and a whole lot of MTS

07-12-2006, 12:58 PM	#4
davidtcb1 Aquarium Advice Activist Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 136	Agreed.....scary thought. __________________ Be the person your dog THINKS you are. 125 Gal. African Cichlid Mixed, 75 Gal. Fresh Community, 60 Gal. Fresh Community, 29 Gal. Fresh Community

07-12-2006, 01:27 PM	#5
jsoong Aquarium Advice Addict Community Mentor Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Edmonton, Canada Posts: 1,890	Agreed .... These cabinets will not support more that a couple hundred pounds .... when we put in a build in wall oven, the installer had to brace the cabinets. These euro-style cabinets has no support in the front and will collapse with any kind of weight on top. I would build a new stand, or possibly brace the cabinet from the inside. __________________ 75 gal FW with 30 gal DIY wet/dry/sump. 9 fancy golds, 1 hillstream loaches, 1 rubber-lip pleco (C. thomasi), 3 SAEs, planted.

07-12-2006, 01:37 PM	#6
dskidmore Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Genesee Valley Posts: 2,292 Images: 1	I think you could brace the existing cabinet. Make sure it has a strong back, front and cross members supporting the top surface. Might turn the existing front into a false front, and have a second structural upright above where that recessed foot is. __________________ 75 gallon freshwater Baby shrimp sighted! 2.5 Gallon unpowered freshwater now with high light 0.25 gallon palmtop doomed to an unlit end?

07-12-2006, 01:45 PM	#7
MSU Fan Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Appleton, WI Posts: 547 Images: 2	Thanks all for the help...as the wife says: "Yeah, apparently we will be building a stand...." I love DIY projects! __________________ 75g FW Planted Community; 55g African Cichlid 29g Biocube SW Reef;12g AP Mantis Shrimp/Brittle Star 2 Cats, 2 Dogs, 5 Turtles

07-12-2006, 03:53 PM	#8
Ky'smommy Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: red deer, alberta, canada Posts: 550 Images: 7	hmm. well with 75g i would not. i have a 30 on my main counter. and across on the other side i have 12.5 gallons on the toher side. no problems yet. i know my bil had a 55g on his for a few months no problems. and i had my 10g on a diaper change table at one point no problems. but still with the weight of 75 i would not.

07-12-2006, 04:16 PM	#9
JRagg Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: May 2006 Location: Olathe, KS Posts: 847 Images: 3	If you do some digging someone posted some very good plans for a 75g tank with some replies as of a few weeks ago. Let me know if you can't find it, I've got it bookmarked on my home computer. __________________ 10g Heavily planted - 1 mating pair of Apistogramma Cacatuoides "Orangeflash" and a whole lot of MTS

07-12-2006, 04:49 PM	#10
SCFatz Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 814	http://www.garf.org/index.html Scroll down to DIY pages on the left. __________________ Fatz 90g SW FOWLR 50g tall fw planted at .6wpg 29g fw planted at 1.2 wpg 10g fw planted at 3 wpg cf

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