Urgent request for advice - temporary stand for a 75g

[Scoot]

I need to setup a 75 gallon tank temporarily, to move everything to while we get new carpet. It'll be in use until August when we move.

I dont' want to buy a new stand, so I'm looking around the house. I have a very very strong cedar chest that could easily support the weight (it weights about 100 pounds by itself and is all hardwood), but its about 5" shorter than the tank.

Is it a problem to have 2 1/2" inches or so sticking out over the ends of the stand? Doesn't seem like on a 48" wide tank 4 or 5 inches would be a big deal... maybe it would be.

Also - I could set a piece of hardwood over the top of this that would be as big as the footprint of the tank...

[tecwzrd]

I wouldn't do it without 1/2" plywood underneath just to be on the safe side. Chests aren't designed to hold up 800+ lbs so that would be risky also IMO. See if you can find a used stand or build a proper stand fairly cheaply.

[Scoot]

This "chest" is about 1.5 feet tall, and made of solid 3/4" x4" cedar planks, vertically placed, all around, with a half inch layer of pine on the outside. I have no doubt whatsoever it could support the weight.

But.

Not sure I'm going to use it though, my 100 pound estimate was low. Its over a hundred, and I can't lift it by myself

This is temporary, I dont' want to buy a stand, and can't find a used one readily - I've got 3 days to complete this move. Might hit up home depot and see if they have any storage boxes that look up to spec.

[Marc118]

If its just while your carpet is being put down why not just put it on the floor somewhere? Kids?

[Scoot]

I thought about setting it on the floor, but I don't have a drilled setup, so that would make water flow to the sump/fuge tricky at best.

It's going into a basement corner (steady temps, yeah!) until we move in July. So it needs to be somewhat servicable for the next 4 months.

I don't plan on moving it back. First, too much work, and stress on the fish. Second, it's new carpet. I don't want to sink the carpet in where the stand is.

Really, the stand only needs to be a foot or two high. Enough to have it higher than the sump. A couple strong boxes would work. I just don't have time to build anything.

[MT79]

I would not use it b/c it doesn't support the ends of the aquarium.That may cause stress in the middle. Not using a stand that supports all the edges of the tank would most likely also void any warranty you may have on it.

[Scoot]

I added 1" of plywood across the top of the chest. Only an inch of the plywood is sticking out on each side of the chest, I'm confident that it's supported pretty well.

I'll let you know if I'm wrong

[MT79]

I'll let you know if I'm wrong

The good 'ol school of hard knocks method lol. Good luck

[Scoot]

I added 1" of plywood across the top of the chest. Only an inch of the plywood is sticking out on each side of the chest, and the tank is entirely on that. I'm confident that it's supported pretty well.

I'll let you know if it turns out I'm wrong

[ellisz]

When I do my 180, I am planning on having the carpet cut to go around the tank. If I ever move it, I will just have a piece patched in the spot the tank was. I did this at my last house and it worked great. When we moved, you could not tell a tank was ever there.

[Ziggy953]

Wow....I would be very worried about putting a tank that size on anything other then something designed to hold it. I was going to suggest some cinder blocks and some 4X4s but I hope your idea works out!

[chase33]

Everything I've read said to support the tank on all sides. That's a lot of money to risk.

[nicksgirl]

I agree with the rest. I would not want any edge bits of the tank unsupported or un-equally supported. I use concrete blocks and pressure treated boards with one inch of styrofoam between the glass and the boards.

(the boards are 2" x 6", cut to the length of the tanks. The tanks are only 12" wide so two boards support the entire tank.)

[Scoot]

Regarding the tank being oversized a few inches, I ended up adding an inch-thick layer of wood across the entire tank to support the ends. I'm pretty confident,after inspecting the construction of the All-Glass brand stand I've been using, that this is far superior.

[Ziggy953]

I hope all works out!