Safe to put tank here?

[ownedbycats]

I'm getting a tank (20g long) soon and I was planning to put it on an old dresser. Then I read a thread about someone's tank collapsing a dresser they put their tank on and I started second guessing my placement idea. I know other people place tanks on things not originally intended to be aquarium stands. What do you look for in deciding if something is sturdy enough to hold a tank?

 

[Scouser]

You can find out the weight of a 20gal tank online I think.

Make sure the stand you choose is sturdy and doesn't wobble if you sit/push on it.

 

[jlk]

20gals weighs about 160pds plus the weight of your tank, gravel etc (another 30-40pds). If you have a solid, wood (not fiberboard or something else) dresser that can support 200pds, you should be fine!

 

[Scouser]

20gals weighs about 160pds plus the weight of your tank, gravel etc (another 30-40pds). If you have a solid, wood (not fiberboard or something else) dresser that can support 200pds, you should be fine!

Thanks! Couldn't remember the weights lol.

 

[LyndaB]

If it's new furniture, there should be something on the tag that would indicate how much weight it can withstand. Look for a dresser with great cross support brackets.

 

[ownedbycats]

The problem is it isn't new it's old so no tags handily telling me how much weight is safe. It used to belong to my mom and now belongs to me. The wood on the top of the dresser seems fairly thick and looks to be real, not press board. I pulled out the top drawers and there are two pieces of board running along the underside of the dresser top between each drawer. Would that help with the weight of the tank?

 

[meegosh]

A gallon of water weighs roughly 8.3 pounds. The tank itself weighs probably 25lbs. Add your substrate and decor.... you're looking at 300+lbs of weight. I wouldn't risk it but that is just me.

 

[LyndaB]

Is it flat board or more like a 2x4?

You know how in larger tanks there's a cross support piece running from back to front about mid-way on the width of the tank? That's what you want in your dresser.

 

[ownedbycats]

The top is a flat piece and then there are two boards about a foot and a half apart running underneath that from front to back. Not as thick as a 2x4 LOL but that shape. That sounds like what your describing, Lynda.

 

[TheCrazyFishLady]

I would not encourage this. Tanks should be kept on either an aquarium stand or furniture that is meant to hold large amounts of weight. If you don't know the rating on the dresser, I wouldn't risk it. Twenty gallons of water on your floor can do some damage and the loss of fish.

 

[ocean]

WalMart has cheap stands, I have my 20 gal long on this stand now for over six years now. Nothing fancy but serves the purpose.

 

[Mlani]

Check your corners on the dresser. Are they tongue and grooved? Is the top over hung from the sides with brackets? Or do they come to a 45? I had a 30gal on a dresser once and it cracked because the weight of the tank wasn't distributed evenly. In my opinion if you're not sure, don't tempt it. You can pick up a inexpensive stand that was built specifically for the tank, and save yourself peace of mind and money in the long run

 

[absolutangel04]

Personally, I test my potential stands by sitting on them and if I don't weigh enough, I help a friend to sit on it too. The method has worked out for me so far. If there is no creaking, then I go for it. If it seems questionable, then I don't do it.

 

[LyndaB]

That is definitely a good tester.