DIY 75 Gallon Stand (Help)

[Golden_Pygo]

Hey everyone, I’ve acquired an old 75 gallon that I’m going to reseal and buff so that it looks nice. There was no cross brace on the top center so I removed the rim for a rimless look.

I built a cinder block stand which I like the look of, but I’m not sure what kind of wood I should have in between the tank and the cinder blocks.

Right now I just put some 2x4’s lengthwise to support the corners, but it doesn’t sit 100% flat and there is overhang.

I’ve seen other people do it like this but it feels sketchy and I’m looking for advice from someone who has actually done this before!

Here are some photos:

 

[Andy Sager]

I suggest you either move the block so that the tank is sitting fully on the block or, if you change the direction of the 2 x 4s so that the tank is sitting on the 4" side vs the 2" side, the wood part of the stand will be that much stronger ( See in pic) and you won't need as many bricks in the stand, you can open up the center of the stand for storage or another tank and the little overhang over the brick won't be as much of a concern. ( Make sure the wood is sitting 100% on the block. You can also see in pic #1 how the tanks are hanging over the block . These are only 25 gallon tanks but the principle stands. The grey vats are 75 gallons in pic #2. )By doing this and just screwing in a piece to keep the front and back pieces from moving, you can eliminate that center piece of wood in pic 3786 as well as some of the block. You can see in this pic that a 4' long tank can just be supported on the ends. This is a 40 gallon long.
If you want the rimless look, I do suggest you do a Euro style bracing and add a center brace that is at least 8"-10" wide of the same thickness glass as the tank's walls. Depending on the thickness of the glass, you may be able to get away with just bracing the corners and the center or you may need do a full top bracing.

As for the type of wood, you want to use a white wood vs pressure treated. In my place, I just added a coating of clear polyurethane to help keep the wood looking clean but in my home tank ( years ago) I burned the wood then polyurethaned it and it really looked sharp.

Hope this helps.

 

[Golden_Pygo]

I suggest you either move the block so that the tank is sitting fully on the block or, if you change the direction of the 2 x 4s so that the tank is sitting on the 4" side vs the 2" side, the wood part of the stand will be that much stronger ( See in pic) and you won't need as many bricks in the stand, you can open up the center of the stand for storage or another tank and the little overhang over the brick won't be as much of a concern. ( Make sure the wood is sitting 100% on the block. You can also see in pic #1 how the tanks are hanging over the block . These are only 25 gallon tanks but the principle stands. The grey vats are 75 gallons in pic #2. )View attachment 392506View attachment 392507By doing this and just screwing in a piece to keep the front and back pieces from moving, you can eliminate that center piece of wood in pic 3786 as well as some of the block. You can see in this pic that a 4' long tank can just be supported on the ends. This is a 40 gallon long. View attachment 392508
If you want the rimless look, I do suggest you do a Euro style bracing and add a center brace that is at least 8"-10" wide of the same thickness glass as the tank's walls. Depending on the thickness of the glass, you may be able to get away with just bracing the corners and the center or you may need do a full top bracing.

As for the type of wood, you want to use a white wood vs pressure treated. In my place, I just added a coating of clear polyurethane to help keep the wood looking clean but in my home tank ( years ago) I burned the wood then polyurethaned it and it really looked sharp.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for all that amazing feedback! I had no idea you could have the aquarium edges hanging over the support bars like that—I seriously thought all four corners needed solid wood support. Mind blown!

Anyway, I swapped the 2x4s out for some beefier 2x8s, so there's way more contact with the stand now. I don't think I'll hang the aquarium over the edge of the wood like in your photo, but I'll also make sure to reposition those blocks so the ends of the tank are properly sitting on wood.

I'm sticking with the full cinderblock base though (I just think it looks cool, plus it's in my business space and I'm not putting another tank underneath!).

One last question before I fill it up: I spotted multiple little cracks in the corner of the plastic rim on the bottom. One corner is completely detached. Can I just grab some metal L-brackets and epoxy-weld them on using JB Weld or something similar?

 

[Andy Sager]

Thanks for all that amazing feedback! I had no idea you could have the aquarium edges hanging over the support bars like that—I seriously thought all four corners needed solid wood support. Mind blown!

Here's the deal on that: The corners can be the most important part of the tank but when there is any pressure on the corner from say, an uneven stand or even a piece of gravel getting under the tank before the water was put in, the tank cracks from the corner inward. On the other hand, the glass panes of the tank are not going to crack from the middle if the corners are suspended off the stand. ( Unless of course they were made poorly in which case they probably would have broken from the water pressure. ) So you can see in my pics how the tanks are sitting on the wood inside of the corners instead of on the corners which is why it works.

Anyway, I swapped the 2x4s out for some beefier 2x8s, so there's way more contact with the stand now. I don't think I'll hang the aquarium over the edge of the wood like in your photo, but I'll also make sure to reposition those blocks so the ends of the tank are properly sitting on wood.

Your choice. That's really overkill tho IMO.

I'm sticking with the full cinderblock base though (I just think it looks cool, plus it's in my business space and I'm not putting another tank underneath!).

It was definitely an interesting pattern. You can just pull the bricks in the front a couple inches forward and leave some space between the front row and the back row so that the tank is fully supported along the glass.

One last question before I fill it up: I spotted multiple little cracks in the corner of the plastic rim on the bottom. One corner is completely detached. Can I just grab some metal L-brackets and epoxy-weld them on using JB Weld or something similar?

The plastic rims are there to absorb some bending or stretching of the silicone so I would not use anything metal to bond them. If you are concerned, cover the cracks with a layer of silicone so that the rim can stretch but not crack further. I also use styrofoam under all of my tanks ( even my 10 gals) so that if there is any unevenness in the stand or wood, the tank levels itself out by compressing the styro. ( You can see this in my pics. It's the white stuff under the tanks. ) I know there are tank manufacturers who do not recommend doing this when there is a plastic rim made for this on their tanks but I can't recall any tank I have ever had in over 60 years of fish keeping that cracked when on styro. With or without the rim. I've only had tanks crack when they weren't on the styro. Just sayin'.

Hope this helps.

 

[Golden_Pygo]

It was definitely an interesting pattern. You can just pull the bricks in the front a couple inches forward and leave some space between the front row and the back row so that the tank is fully supported along the glass.

Thanks for your insights!

The concrete blocks are 16" wide, but the aquarium is 18" wide, so there is about 1" of overhang on the front and back, which I was hoping the wood would support. (I have seen this in many DIY concrete stand setups).

There is only one row of cinderblocks so I won't be able to pull them apart a few inches to cover the full base of the aquarium. You can see in one photo of the backside of the stand. It's made from 3x columns of cinderblocks and then 2x rows in between on the front side only for decoration. I don't want to be able to see into the stand and see the filters, etc.



Here are the 2x8's I purchased at home depot to swap in. Unfortunately you can see they are slightly bent and the aquarium doesn't sit level on the wood. I can stick a pair of scissors in the middle and both corners are raised. Is it safe for the weight of the aquarium to press the wood flat or will this create issues?







And here is the cracked corner.



I have also had styrofoam underneath larger aquariums and can definitely pick some up. It would go in between the wood and the plastic rim?

I will admit I'm definitely a bit nervous about this and overthinking

Again, thanks for the insight!

 

[Andy Sager]

Thanks for your insights!

The concrete blocks are 16" wide, but the aquarium is 18" wide, so there is about 1" of overhang on the front and back, which I was hoping the wood would support. (I have seen this in many DIY concrete stand setups).

There is only one row of cinderblocks so I won't be able to pull them apart a few inches to cover the full base of the aquarium. You can see in one photo of the backside of the stand. It's made from 3x columns of cinderblocks and then 2x rows in between on the front side only for decoration. I don't want to be able to see into the stand and see the filters, etc.

I see now what you are talking about. If this was done with 1/2 blocks, you could have pulled them apart ( front to back) but with this the way it is, I see your point.

View attachment 392512

Here are the 2x8's I purchased at home depot to swap in. Unfortunately you can see they are slightly bent and the aquarium doesn't sit level on the wood. I can stick a pair of scissors in the middle and both corners are raised. Is it safe for the weight of the aquarium to press the wood flat or will this create issues?

View attachment 392513

In the picture above, it looks like the blocks don't make an even surface. I suggest you make sure the stand is level when you have the wood on it. If it is level, I suggest using a shim or shims so that the wood doesn't have the opportunity to bend at the corners under the weight. If the warp in the wood is also in the middle, the weight of the water will flatten that out so keep that in mind as you shim.

View attachment 392516
View attachment 392517

View attachment 392514View attachment 392515

And here is the cracked corner.

View attachment 392518

The side being cracked isn't as important as if the bottom of the plastic rim is still intact. If it is intact, I'd just run some silicone over it to keep it from breaking more. If the bottom is missing or broken, that's going to be an issue.

I have also had styrofoam underneath larger aquariums and can definitely pick some up. It would go in between the wood and the plastic rim?

Taking everything above into consideration, I would definitely be using at least 1" of Styro under this tank. Stands can be cockeyed slanted or tilted but if they are flat on top, it doesn't matter other than appearance wise. The tank however, needs to be on something flat to be set on to keep any pressure off the glass.

I will admit I'm definitely a bit nervous about this and overthinking

I don't blame you. It's a lot of water to have to clean up if you are wrong. :^0
I'll toss this in for consideration: Instead of having a 1" overhang front and back, push the tank and wood flush with the brick in the front and take the 2x4s and double them up to make a 4x4 and cut them to make legs behind the stand for the 2x8 to rest on. This way, there is no pressure on the glass in between the corners and the setup will look cleaner. Even tho the overhang is 2", a single 2x4 can bend but a 4x4 will make it less likely of bending. Just screw them together.

Again, thanks for the insight!

 

[Golden_Pygo]

I see now what you are talking about. If this was done with 1/2 blocks, you could have pulled them apart ( front to back) but with this the way it is, I see your point.

In the picture above, it looks like the blocks don't make an even surface. I suggest you make sure the stand is level when you have the wood on it. If it is level, I suggest using a shim or shims so that the wood doesn't have the opportunity to bend at the corners under the weight. If the warp in the wood is also in the middle, the weight of the water will flatten that out so keep that in mind as you shim.

The side being cracked isn't as important as if the bottom of the plastic rim is still intact. If it is intact, I'd just run some silicone over it to keep it from breaking more. If the bottom is missing or broken, that's going to be an issue.

Taking everything above into consideration, I would definitely be using at least 1" of Styro under this tank. Stands can be cockeyed slanted or tilted but if they are flat on top, it doesn't matter other than appearance wise. The tank however, needs to be on something flat to be set on to keep any pressure off the glass.

I don't blame you. It's a lot of water to have to clean up if you are wrong. :^0
I'll toss this in for consideration: Instead of having a 1" overhang front and back, push the tank and wood flush with the brick in the front and take the 2x4s and double them up to make a 4x4 and cut them to make legs behind the stand for the 2x8 to rest on. This way, there is no pressure on the glass in between the corners and the setup will look cleaner. Even tho the overhang is 2", a single 2x4 can bend but a 4x4 will make it less likely of bending. Just screw them together.

If I get the cinderblock stand level, and then place the 2x8's on top, followed by a 1" piece of styrofoam, will that be enough?

 

[Andy Sager]

If I get the cinderblock stand level, and then place the 2x8's on top, followed by a 1" piece of styrofoam, will that be enough?

It should be. ( Nothing is guaranteed with a used tank tho. )

 

[SimoneFestugato]

Hey Golden!
Anything new about your aquarium? I would like to see how you solved the problem of a flat surface beneath the aquarium

 

[Golden_Pygo]

Hey Golden!
Anything new about your aquarium? I would like to see how you solved the problem of a flat surface beneath the aquarium

I actually ended up buying a bigger aquarium, 120gal, and will be replacing the 75 with this. So I have to start over with the stand but I plan to do something similar and put it on some styrofoam as recommended!

With the 75 I just didn't want to risk the seals leaking if I re-do them, or issues from the cracked frame. Figured it would be better just to avoid the hassle and get something in better condition. Bonus the 120 is a lot bigger too!

 

[V227]

I think if I were to use a cinder block stand, I would top it with a sheet of 1/4 inch plywood.
If it needed a leveling pad, I'd use a gym quality rubber mat.

I also have a 120 gal. tank and really like the options it affords.
Good luck with your project.

 

[Andy Sager]

I actually ended up buying a bigger aquarium, 120gal, and will be replacing the 75 with this. So I have to start over with the stand but I plan to do something similar and put it on some styrofoam as recommended!

With the 75 I just didn't want to risk the seals leaking if I re-do them, or issues from the cracked frame. Figured it would be better just to avoid the hassle and get something in better condition. Bonus the 120 is a lot bigger too!

There is always a risk with used tanks. At least with a new tank, it comes with a warranty should it leak. thumb: And just think how many more fish or other fish you can put in a 120 than you can in a 75.