How do you build a stand for multiple tanks?

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Scottyhorse

Scottyhorse

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My goal is to have multiple breeding tanks for small fish and inverts, a long with a few show tanks. I want to build a stand, or multiple stands, for the tanks because it will be more cost effective.

Here are the tanks I want:

55 Gal African Cichlid
37 Planted Community or 40 Breeder size
20 Gallon Shrimp Breeder
10 Gallon Brackish Bumblebee Gobie
10 Gallon Shrimp and Snail Breeder
5 Gallon Betta
5 Gallon Dwarf Puffer



So I am not sure how many stands. I have a spot where I could put the 55 if I move some stuff and make a spot for my 25 gallon on the stand. My tanks are
In my room which is in the basement, so I don't have to worry about floor strength. All the tanks will have live plants (except for the 55) so I obviously will need room for nice lights. I will also run DIY co2 on all the tanks that have plants so I will need room behind the tanks for the bottles. It would also be nice to have a space on the bottom or top for storage. I've never had to make stands before so I am not positive on all I need/want. I also want to make it as cheap as possible, I'm a teen and I can't have a job yet, so this whole thing will be spread across a couple years I would think but hopefully sooner. Still want to do stuff DIY so it can be cheap. How much do you think this would cost? Thanks! :)
 
sounds like a fun project
I'd prob go with 2x4s building a nice shelf and wrap it around the room , just be sure you reinforce it to hold all your tanks
 
I just posted this in another thread, but I suppose it could be an idea for you?

"I've made a stand out of some blocks and wood stacked up, okay it doesn't look anything special but painted black its quite unobtrusive and is super strong (my boyfriend sat on it to test and it took his 'more to cuddle' weight no problem!). I guess if you were more DIY minded than myself you could make a decorative cover for it?

I used 6 blocks (9" x 9" x 12") and 4 x 3' lengths of I think 1" x 6" wood, which altogether I think cost me around £15 so really quite cheap. I painted everything black first, then after they had dried just arranged the blocks in two 'towers' with two pieces of wood making a shelf on top of the first block for my small tank, then two more blocks before topping it with another two pieces of wood to support my large tank. I also have a piece of polystyrene/styrofoam under each tank. Let me know if you want any pictures of what I've done :)"

A good thing about this kind of stand its pretty easy to customise to whatever your requirements are, and as nothing is stuck with cement, glue or nails its pretty easy to change around or move. It's also super cheap and requires almost no DIY skill at all. Like I said, I'm sure there are plenty of better looking stands out there but it's a fraction of the cost and its really not as bad as I was expecting it to look and you could do as little of as much with the appearance as you like.
 
if you use 2x4 for the uprights, and then run 2x4 bracing between the uprights and place plywood on top of the horizontal braces, the stand can be made multilevel and will easily support all the smaller tanks. I'd stick with a single stand for the 55, although if you build it right you could probably place the 37 underneath on the same stand. None of these tanks are large, so none of them require an elaborate, hugely supported stand. Regardless, if you are using 2X4 and plywood, you can expect to spend at least $200, and the fancier it gets, the more the cost will go up.
 
I think a combination of the two ideas above would be ideal. You cups go with the cinderblocks on some of the tanks to save time and money and build wood stands one at a time as needed. Done this way, each new stand should be better than the last because it wouldn't get rushed.

For the most basic tools you could shop at Harbor Freight for a miter saw (the most useful saw when first starting off), a drill for making pilot holes and installing screws, and some waterproof wood glue like Titebond II or III. If your worried about using power tools you could get a handsaw and miter box set instead of the powered miter saw.
 
I would build some tables or shelves like the ones in the video below. They are very easy and cheap to make, and hold a ton of weight. I have used this design all over my house for various things. You can make them shorter and use the top as a desktop/workbench. These would hold the 20 gallon and smaller tanks easily, they would probably even hold the larger tanks, but I would reinforce them a bit more for the big tanks.

How to Build Garage Shelves - Cheaply - NormalGuyDIY - YouTube
 
I actually found a rack at home depot for $77. It can hold 4,000 pounds, and has the right dimensions for a 40 breeder tank. I think I'll go with that.

Thanks for the ideas though! :)
 
Scottyhorse said:
My goal is to have multiple breeding tanks for small fish and inverts, a long with a few show tanks. I want to build a stand, or multiple stands, for the tanks because it will be more cost effective.

Here are the tanks I want:

55 Gal African Cichlid
37 Planted Community or 40 Breeder size
20 Gallon Shrimp Breeder
10 Gallon Brackish Bumblebee Gobie
10 Gallon Shrimp and Snail Breeder
5 Gallon Betta
5 Gallon Dwarf Puffer

So I am not sure how many stands. I have a spot where I could put the 55 if I move some stuff and make a spot for my 25 gallon on the stand. My tanks are
In my room which is in the basement, so I don't have to worry about floor strength. All the tanks will have live plants (except for the 55) so I obviously will need room for nice lights. I will also run DIY co2 on all the tanks that have plants so I will need room behind the tanks for the bottles. It would also be nice to have a space on the bottom or top for storage. I've never had to make stands before so I am not positive on all I need/want. I also want to make it as cheap as possible, I'm a teen and I can't have a job yet, so this whole thing will be spread across a couple years I would think but hopefully sooner. Still want to do stuff DIY so it can be cheap. How much do you think this would cost? Thanks! :)
Click to expand...

Put the 10,10,5,and 5 all touching next to each other and you could have 1 36in light
 
Oh yeah. But then there wouldn't be alot of viewing room! But I fuss if try are breeders that's ok!
 
jetajockey said:
If you aren't up for building a stand you can buy a rack. I got one from lowes for about $170 that holds 6-40b's.
Click to expand...

Wow, could you send me the link to the beast? That's gotta be strroong!
I found a nice one for $77, but if that one's better I'm up for it. WAAAYYY better than a lfs price!
 
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