Tank Stand ?

[hefer]

Tanks are heavy, I know. Can I safely place a 29g tank on an entertainment center where a large TV goes? Or must I use a stand made for this tank?
THANKS!

 

[Regen311]

It depensd on the entertainment center. I had my (either 29 or 20) gallon a coffee table for a long time with no problems, but it was VERY sturdy, and very old. It was probably about 4 feet long, with like 3 thick support things and shelves all the way down. I had the tank centered on the center support. If the entertainment is made of something like particle board, I'd say not. Also, a lot of entertainment centers are only for up to like 70-80 pounds, and a 29 gallon will weigh 300 easily all set up. IF it's for a bigger tv, it might be able to hold more weight. The way to look at it, would you trust 2 of you to be standing on the shelf constantly for however long? Because that's how I estimated weights... It really depends on the way the thing is built though.

 

[David14259]

Can 3 adults stand on wherever you want to put the aquarium?

If they can then you're probably ok. Grab some friends and test it out.

 

[redswi]

I could get into the whole furniture construction thing again but davids way saves my alot of typing

 

[rich311k]

A 29 ways about 300 pounds. Most TV stands will give the weight they are meant to support. Be sure with what you put it on you don't want 29 gallons of water all over your home.

 

[severum mama]

I wouldn't try it. I've had tanks on some older dressers before, but even that made me uncomfortable after a while so I ended up getting stands for them. A lot of TV stands aren't really built that well anymore, I guess since TVs are getting lighter. And if it's particle board, forget it.
A stand for a 29 gallon doesn't cost too much, especially if you buy a metal one. I prefer the wooden cabinets just for aesthetics, but I use a couple of metal stands too.

 

[shayfish]

This is the kind of thing that keeps me up at night. it took me forever to find something suitable to put my 33 gallon on. I err WAY on the side of caution with this issue. 29 gallons is not a huge amount of weight, but it would certainly be a huge amount of water on the floor. I can't think of a tv that weighs 300 lbs, but I would check to see if you can find a maximum weight anywhere for it.

 

[kansei]

A friend put a 20 on his dresser and after a couple of days - he couldn't open the top drawer.

 

[gu2high]

I put a 55gal tank on a long dresser for about 2 years until I sold both the tank and the dresser. The dresser is sturdy by itself but its four short legs are not. I removed the short legs (just screw off) and the tank's weight is evenly supported by all sides of the dresser directly on floor. Never worry about it.

 

[Aquarium Freak]

I agree with everyone. Another cheap method is to go out and buy some cinderblocks and a peice of plywood or whatever to put on top of the bricks to even the weight out. You can get a strong sturdy stand this way. You can decorate the blocks up to make them look better.

 

[cassie]

I can tell you what TV weighs 300 lbs. A 12 year old 36" CRT. Literally. I can also testify to the fact that I really had to shop to find a TV stand that was rated to hold that amount of weight. I'd err on the side of caution on this one and go with an aquarium stand.

 

[severum mama]

I can tell you what TV weighs 300 lbs. A 12 year old 36" CRT. Literally. I can also testify to the fact that I really had to shop to find a TV stand that was rated to hold that amount of weight. I'd err on the side of caution on this one and go with an aquarium stand.

Tell me about it! Mine is 37 inches and weighs at least 300 lbs. My BF and I cannot move it together, I can't even lift half the weight! If we didn't have the Sony stand that was manufactured for that model, it would probably be sitting on the floor. My newer TV stand is only rated to 240 lbs.

 

[JRagg]

I'm going to give different advice that everyone else. I'd say build your own. If you've got a good saw (or can borrow one) and a drill, you can put a very sturdy stand together for $20-30. I built a "dual 10g stand" for $22 in materials.

 

[Idealconcepts]

I agree with JRagg. I built a oversize 55gal stand that I have a 80gal on, and currently building a stand for a 180gal.