Building 55 gal stand

[surfnturf]

I'm planning on building a 55 gal stand. I'm going to frame it with 2x4's. Do I need a center brace to support the weight in the middle?




Surfnturf

2 discus
1 german blue ram
9 harlequin rasboras
5 corydoras
20 long
Eheim 2213 and tom aquatics canister filters
Finnex planted plus

 

[Wy Renegade]

No, truth of the matter is you don't even need 2x4s. 3/4 plywood is more than strong enough to support the weight of a 55 gallon tank.

 

[Tobykourtney]

Depending on how good of a carpenter you are. 2x4's would be easier. Look up rocket engineers design on reef central. I used it on my 125 gallon with 2x6's. And yes I would use a center brace.

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[Wy Renegade]

Depending on how good of a carpenter you are. 2x4's would be easier. Look up rocket engineers design on reef central. I used it on my 125 gallon with 2x6's. And yes I would use a center brace.

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Besides making it significantly harder to get anything out from under the stand, what purpose does the center brace serve on a 4' tank? Is your 125 a 6 foot tank or a 4 foot tank? I built a stand for a 4' 120 with no center brace and it has been set-up and running for years without issue.

 

[Tobykourtney]

Besides making it significantly harder to get anything out from under the stand, what purpose does the center brace serve on a 4' tank? Is your 125 a 6 foot tank or a 4 foot tank? I built a stand for a 4' 120 with no center brace and it has been set-up and running for years without issue.

Not any particular reason other then peace of mind. 4 ft for me is alot of room for sag. I typically look at commercially made stands as a base line for what I can get away with because I doubt they would waste money on a center brace if it wasn't Neeeded.

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[Wy Renegade]

Not any particular reason other then peace of mind. 4 ft for me is alot of room for sag. I typically look at commercially made stands as a base line for what I can get away with because I doubt they would waste money on a center brace if it wasn't Neeeded.

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Peace of mind is always a good thing , however with 4' (especially with 2x4 bracing, but even with plywood) you won't get any sag. If you look at commercial stands, none of the four foot stands have an actual center brace. The stands for a 55 gallon are either open in the middle or contain a single door in the center and are built out of 1/2" pressboard. 2x4s alone are way overkill for this size tank.

 

[surfnturf]

I have looked at some commercially available stands and honestly I'm not impressed at what you get for the money. I'm still on the fence about the center brace. 600lbs is just a lot of weight to hold indefinitely and I want to make sure what I make will last.




Surfnturf

5 discus
1 german blue ram
9 harlequin rasboras
5 corydoras
20 long
Eheim 2213 and tom aquatics canister filters
Finnex planted plus