Please excuse the dirt. Is this dresser big enough to fit 40-55 gallon tank?

[Jaywill07]

Please excuse the dirt. Is this dresser big enough to fit 40-55 gallon tank? Currently have 20 gallon tank with turtle in it. My Room is small. Will this dresser fit the tank or may I have to consider giving turtle away?

I really want to keep this turtle but I don’t have enough room for a tank stand. That’s why I have the 20 gallon on the dresser now. Will a 40-55 gallon fit this dresser or no? Did a Google search and it’s mixed opinions on if that size tank can fit a dresser.

If I do need a tank stand only thing I Can think of is removing the dresser and putting a tank stand in its place.

 

[Aiken Drum]

I wouldnt put anything bigger than 20g on anything not specifically made to carry it. It doesnt look very robust to me.

 

[Jaywill07]

I wouldnt put anything bigger than 20g on anything not specifically made to carry it. It doesnt look very robust to me.

Ok so you saying the dresser is too risky? Is there anything I can do to enchance it to make it hold or do I just need a stand??

 

[Aiken Drum]

A filled 50 gallon aquarium will weigh over 600lbs. That 3 to 4 adult males. Would you be happy with 4 people sat on there and it not collapse given time? I cant really tell how well built that dresser is built structurally, but from an external view it looks really flimsy, and honestly i wouldnt trust it with the 20 gallons already on there. If it got wet (which is likely) it would warp and lose strength. I would just get a purpose cabinet.

 

[Aiken Drum]

If you want to see if a specific size of tank will physically fit on there, heres a link to a site with some standard tank sizes and their dimensions. It also has their filled weights to give you an idea of what you might need to support it.

https://ccaqua.com/products/aquarium-sizes-and-weights/

 

[Jaywill07]

A filled 50 gallon aquarium will weigh over 600lbs. That 3 to 4 adult males. Would you be happy with 4 people sat on there and it not collapse given time? I cant really tell how well built that dresser is built structurally, but from an external view it looks really flimsy, and honestly i wouldnt trust it with the 20 gallons already on there. If it got wet (which is likely) it would warp and lose strength. I would just get a purpose cabinet.

I had the 20 gallon up there for some years. Also had the dresser for some years as well. Good thing I did research cause I was about to buy a 55 gallon tank from someone on OfferUp not knowing it could possibly collapse my dresser. I been seeing mixed opinions online about putting tanks on dressers.

I’m willing to replace the dresser with something else not too expensive. What is a purpose cabinet and where can I get it? I probably just go with that or a stand, whichever one is cheaper but I probably prefer the cabinet.

 

[Aiken Drum]

Where are you located? You are quoting your tank size in gallons, so presume you arent UK based like me. If so you would be better waiting for someone from your location to chip in. Maybe a fish store?

Here in UK our tanks tend to come in sets, so you get a cabinet that goes with the aquarium. If i wanted to just get an off the shelf cabinet to go with a generic size aquarium i wouldn't know where to start looking. I would probably just get something purpose made by my LFS.

Or if you are handy with a set of tools there are plenty of online guides to making your own stand.

 

[Jaywill07]

Where are you located? You are quoting your tank size in gallons, so presume you arent UK based like me. If so you would be better waiting for someone from your location to chip in. Maybe a fish store?

Here in UK our tanks tend to come in sets, so you get a cabinet that goes with the aquarium. If i wanted to just get an off the shelf cabinet to go with a generic size aquarium i wouldn't know where to start looking. I would probably just get something purpose made by my LFS.

Or if you are handy with a set of tools there are plenty of online guides to making your own stand.

I live in the states in New York City. Yea here when you buy tanks it’s just the tank by itself. That’s why I was trying to buy second hand tanks like on Facebook and stuff. I would have to see where I can get a stand being that you the dresser wouldn’t be safe for a 55 gallon tank. I had planned on filling the tank more than halfway.

 

[Joe_D]

IMO.
One would better off in the long run to get something that is either made for that size tank or can easily support it .

The worst case scenario would be that once you got a tank all set up with plants and fish that you suddenly realize that you should have placed it on something more suitable for its weight, etc..
Even the place that you originally placed the tank may not be the best place for it after all..
So, some careful thought about is all is prudent from square one.

 

[Magaratz]

Be really careful in buying tanks from unknown folks. If they didn’t disassemble them properly, it’s likely to leak. You also don’t know the age for the caulk. It’s just risky, especially on a large tank.

 

[ColdKoi]

Definitely wouldn’t risk that big of a tank on a dresser. Like mentioned an aquarium is really heavy for their size and even that 20g is going to hold 160lb in water alone, I wouldn’t risk putting any more weight on it than that!

Like also mentioned, be careful with used tanks. I realize that not everyone has a pile of money to throw around but when you can buy tanks so cheap on sale why risk buying a tank that could be 30 years old and have it blow out on you?