stand for soon to be nano

[wilson]

am planning on getting a 15 gallon nano. i want to build a stand for it but i want to make it so it will hold a 20 gallon, just in case i ever want to upgrade(but i doubt it for now) and for more room underneath. what would i ahve to do. i was thinking of just two doors that opne and close and that have shelving inside to hold stuff. would i just use 2x4s in each corner and then put maybe on in the back center. andy diagrams would be great. iwas also thinking of having shelves on each side and then a door in the middle with shelving inside that.(wat would i do for this one). what type of wood would i use.

tia

im hoping to make it easy and cheaper then a stand at an lfs if possible.

 

[BillyZ]

cheaper than a stand from the LFS is certain. For a 20 gallon stand 2x4's at the corners (and around the top and bottom) are just fine. For what to skin it wil depends on how you want it to look and how much you want to spend. You can probably get away with a finished piece of 1/4" plywood or even MDF if you want.

You can always check out the gard site, http://www.garf.org/tank/BuildStand.asp for quick instructions. I'm not real fond of their design, but lots of folks have used it.

 

[yaksplat]

make it out of 3/4" veneered plywood. It'll be stong enough to hold up 50 gallons and it's much nicer looking that normal ply.

Jim

 

[wilson]

k thank u
so 2x4s in each corner then like a box of 2x4s around the top and bottom should put wood on bottom or leave it woodless and just have the floor there. would it be alrgiht if it was about 30 inches high or so

 

[yaksplat]

Try to keep it at 30" high max. it's your choice on the bottom.

Jim

 

[BillyZ]

putting wood on the bottom is kinda up to you. It will add a little more stability to it if you put a floor in it, but it's a small enough piece it won't make a great deal of a difference i dont think. I could be wrong. after you build it, if its not stiff enough, add a bottom 30 inches high shouldn't be a problem for a 20 gallon stand. You may want to make it a little bigger than a 20 gallon tank though, just to make it more stable. I can't recall the dimension of a 20 gallon off hand though...

 

[wilson]

i think it is like 24x13. so i would prolly make mine 25lX15wX30h would that be ok