new aquarium question

[lorissag]

I recently purchased a new 55 gal aquarium and i want to put it on an antique buffet i have also purchased. i was wondering what i could do to prevent water from getting between the tank and the buffet. can you put a piece of glass? do i need to put holes in the top of the buffet? or a sheet of plastic? i really dont want to destroy the buffet unless i have to.
thank you so much for any advise!!

 

[Mr. Green]

First, you are looking at around 500 pounds of water plus gravel, filter, rocks, plants, etc. in you aquarium. Make sure what you are putting it on can hold it for a long time. You do run the risk of water getting under the aquarium. Say you drip some down the side during a water change, it may seep under the tank. To prevent this you will need to put something under it, I would!! Just make sure you account for the weight and a piece of glass could shatter under that stress. Just be careful.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

A large piece of styrofoam between the bottom of the tank and the buffet. It will protect the glass and protect the buffet from scratches and cracks but not water. A plastic sheet might work but will have to be larger then the bottom of the tank to catch any drips. As said above, make sure it can hold the weight of the tank. If it was to give way it would be a huge mess and a waste of money. Proper aquarium stands are worth the extra money for the peace of mind IMO.

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/artic...-to-Starting-a-Freshwater-Aquarium/Page1.html

 

[LizzyBeth]

I'd like to echo what others have said about aquariums being heavy. That being said, as for protecting your furniture's surface; my family has a rather large tank on top of an old scrap of linoleum that was left-over from our kitchen floor. It keeps the water off the wood surface nicely.