Super easy aquarium stand

[jimmyree]

Having a problem finding a stand for your aquarium? Don't want to spend an arm and a leg on a pre-made stand or don't have the time, tools, or skill to do a complete DIY stand? Premade freestanding bathroom vanities readily available at Home Depot (and many other hardware stores i'm sure) might be an easy solution. There are hundreds of these things available in many price ranges, with or without sink tops. Here's one link:

 

http://www.homedepot.com/b/Bath-Bathroom-Vanities-Cabinets-Bathroom-Vanities/N-5yc1vZbza0

 

I personally went with one that came with a sink top (a completely flat one is very important), that big heavy piece of porcelain and counter-top adds alot of stability to the structure as it gets glued down into the vanity (have to do this yourself on many). I picked a stand with a flat top surface (no faucet needed).

 

 

Then I cut a piece of 3/4" plywood a little bigger than the top and stained it to match and It looks pretty nice. Alot of these are made with MDF, as are many more expensive fish tank stands so I reinforced with a simple 2x3 frame and it is rock solid. Excuse the mess, need to build shelves under there.

 

 

I didn't take a lot of pics of the process because I wasn't planning on starting a thread at the time. But if anyone wants more detailed shots let me know and I will get them.

 

 

So there you have it, if your agonizing over a stand for your tank like I was take a quick trip down to your local hardware store and look at bathroom vanities, you might be surprised at what you find. You will need to make some modifications but you certainly don't need to be a woodworking expert or need a garage full of equipment to make something pretty nice.

[ajmckay]

Interesting idea - depending on the tank you may be able to just skip covering it with plywood if the frame sits outside the sink.

 

A similar alternative would be to purchase a pre-made kitchen cabinet (I believe you can get them finished on all sides) or a bathroom vanity without a top and purchase a granite remnant. My neighbor did something similar (made a basement "bar") and actually got the stuff for free. Found the remnant for free and found a cabinet base too.

 

Cool idea on the reinforcements too - could probably get away with something much smaller, like 1x2" pieces but this was probably cheaper since 2x stock is dirt cheap.

 

It looks like you have a lot of room in there too - which is a plus.

[jimmyree]

Interesting idea - depending on the tank you may be able to just skip covering it with plywood if the frame sits outside the sink.

 

A similar alternative would be to purchase a pre-made kitchen cabinet (I believe you can get them finished on all sides) or a bathroom vanity without a top and purchase a granite remnant. My neighbor did something similar (made a basement "bar") and actually got the stuff for free. Found the remnant for free and found a cabinet base too.

 

Cool idea on the reinforcements too - could probably get away with something much smaller, like 1x2" pieces but this was probably cheaper since 2x stock is dirt cheap.

 

It looks like you have a lot of room in there too - which is a plus.

Totally agree, there are alot of options out there and many ways you could do it. Just want to get the word out there that we are not trapped in a market where are only options are a premade aquarium stand, a custom built to order ($$$), or a full blown DIY stand. I personally have a garage full of tools and the know how to build a very nice stand from scratch but I lack the time and desire to get that deeply involved. After I bought the vanity I spent about 4 hours total on this stand and I kinda went full retard on finishing the top. I also know there are alot of people out there without the tools, space, time, or know how to do some of these kind of things. So if us "handy" people can help them along a little that is great. Thanks for stopping by and giving some more ideas!

[abhishek@1985]

I really love the idea !!! Am planning for a stand for my custom 36x24x16 tank and the only option I thought was either full blown DIY or order one which costs $$$ .

 

Could you please share more pics ? How did you attach the plywood to the top ? What about coating it with water resistant paint ?

 

Sorry too many questions !!

 

Regards,

ABHISHEK

[Marc.The.Shark]

I really love the idea !!! Am planning for a stand for my custom 36x24x16 tank and the only option I thought was either full blown DIY or order one which costs $$$ .

 

Could you please share more pics ? How did you attach the plywood to the top ? What about coating it with water resistant paint ?

 

Sorry too many questions !!

 

Regards,

ABHISHEK

 

Don't forget Craigslist. This is what $15 bucks got me, plus another $40 for hardware, stain & paint for interior. Solid oak buffet for my 36" long tank build. Makes a nice stand & people sell them cheap cause they're not popular anymore. Super heavy & solid as a rock.

 

 

[righttirefire]

 

My stand is a craigslist stand as well. Just make sure it's solid wood. I know plenty of stands are particleboard, but I prefer solid wood. Mine is Ethan Allen and matchs the hutch we have in the hallway. So once it's done being a tank stand it'll remain as a piece if our furniture... unless I can talk her on the idea of "disposing" of a family heirloom

[Ameetaf]

I am looking at a 40 gallon breeder tank on a kitchen cabinet that is a perfect size for the tank. The top is 36 1/2 by 18 3/4 whereas tank is slightly smaller. Lowe’s has a beautiful one on sale for 50% off. A couple questions. 1. Does the aquarium glass actually rest on the top. In which case I would imagine shimming to support the sink portion would be required. Or not?? 2: would 2X4s on the corners suffice? 0r would complete perimeter reinforcing be called for?  I’m very excited about the project. I’m not a great wood worker but think I could pull it off. The sale ends soon so any quick advice is most appreciated. 

[Ameetaf]

Oh I meant bathroom cabinet

[Ameetaf]

Well, I got it do whew. I bought a vanity with a 36.5 by 18,75 top. The top was flat. The 40 breeder had the dimensions of 30 3/16 by 18.5 so it looked like it was a perfect match. Lowe’s has this vanity at 50% off at $249. Not a cheap build but I waned a nice cabinet and didn’t want to be cabinet maker. The cabinet had two slide out drawers on one side, a feature I dint want to lose. 

 

Long story ore short I used 3/4 inch hardwood (oak) plywood to line the inside of you will. I obtained a half of sheet fo $20. Essentially tmr plywood goes from top to bottom uninterrupted. It just fit between the sliders and the cabinet wall. Plywood is stronger then would which is not dimensionally stable compared to plywood. After all, beams in houses, LVLs, are used for houses because they are so strong. 

 

Anyway, I believe this technique could be used for any cabinet for high load service. Cut pieces the height of the cabinet as needed to attach to the sides of the cabinet. Can be a tad long but not short. 1 by 2 lumber is used. A eight foot piece is gobs.   

 

Only a drill, edging saw, keyhole saw, circular saw and power planer is needed. circuit saw is needed besides tape measure and a couple size and three size screws. All available at harbor freight cheap and pliers. 

 

The first picture shown are the stapled plastic fixers. Only remove the ones yo need to as you go. Twisting with pliers make these things easy to remove. If your cabinet has some othe joinery some will undoubtably need to be removed. 

 

The second picture is the flush cutting saw, keyhole saw and spade bit for starting the needed slot for the plywood. 

 

The next picture is the power planer which is used at the end and a very useful tool around the house. You could use a manual planer but it makes the work go quick. 

 

Working from the  bottom make your slot, insert the plywood piece flush with the bottom of the cabinet. Attach it using screws. The 1 by 2s come in handy to use as spacers to minimize number of screw lengths required. 

 

The last picture is a finished panel. It fit just giving clearance for the slide mechanism. I didn’t take a picture of the slot but simply cut the slot oversized to fit panel. 

 

The last thing is to put a horizontal piece as a header above the front serving as a reinforced header. Wherever, there exists verticals, put in verticals as well. Finally, from the top, attach and plane the verticals to match the cabinet height. 

 

My sink top was flat and had flats on the bottom so I could use it. Aqueou’s glass is a 1/4 inch thick and does not bow. If your top doesn’t sit as normal, you’ll have to make one. 

 

Where my stand will sit, the floor joists run perpendicular to the stand. I plan to use 2 by lumber to attach it to studs for safety. I’ll leave room for air and wiring on one or both sides. The distance will permit filter placement too. 

 

Im going to make this a cichlids tank, any pointers here is appreciated and if anything is confusing. I’ll take a picture of the slots and be a resource. This is my first aquarium in 40 years. Regards, Andy

 

[Zane W]

For anyone veiwing this, heres an updated home depot link for vanities, as the current one does not work.

https://www.homedepot.com/b/Bath-Bathroom-Vanities/N-5yc1vZcfv3