Show me your Biocube 29 stands...

[niko5]

I'm trying to decide weather or not to buid a stand for my new Biocube 29 or buy the oceanic one... I'm concerned I'll have a baby around and want a very strong stand, I know if I make it myself it will be strong. If you have a DIY stand let me see please...

 

My idea for making one will basically look like the stock stand with plastic In the doors...I like that look and all the new stands no longer offer that :-(

 

Anyone have problems wit the stock stand?

[niko5]

Here is my idea...

 

Two slide out trays the top one is for electrical equipment the 2nd is for test kits and such... Leaving the bottom for topoff container and dosing stuff and any flow over items.

 

The front of the doors are blacked out acrylic except where ill mount my Apex display behind the acrylic so it can show thru.

 

The back will have a removable 4" cover to hide all the wires and keep the kid out

 

[TheMac86]

sweet!

 

here is mine-- nothing fancy. Stock stand and DIY organizer with Led light on top inside stand.. The wires are tucked and labeled behind the organizer and the organizer slides out perfectly.

 

ATO on the bottom. soon to come

 

Edited January 16, 2012 by TheMac86

[C-Rad]

Lots of commercial and/or DIY stands are "strong" in terms of being able to support the weight. The real problems with small kids and fish tanks are:

1) Tipping over and falling on them. Assume that your kid, or one of his playmates will some day pull or push on the stand has hard as they can, or put a broom handle behind the top of the stand, against the wall and pry it away from the wall until if falls over. With a large tank the broom stick will break or the kid will get tired before the tank moves, but for a small tank, especially one up on a pedestal type stand, it might be possible for a kid to knock it over, and get squished by it. If it's remotely possible that a determined four year old, with or without a broom stick, could make it fall, you need to make it impossible, by bolting it to a stud in the wall, or putting it on a big piece of furniture. The easiest thing to do would be to just put it on a big dresser, table, counter or whatever, not a tall tank stand with a small footprint.

 

2) Kids will try to get into whatever is inside the stand, some of which might be dangerous for them (chemicals, electricity, glass) and most of which can lead to a mess, or dead fish. You should make the stand kid proof so that they can't get into it and mess with supplies, sump, switches, etc. If the top of the tank is within reach, they will want to touch the water, and might drop in their Cherios, juice, copper pennies, battery powered toys, etc.

 

If you're first worry is "strong enough", you must be a first time parent. You're not nearly paranoid enough yet .

[niko5]

C-Rad, I never thought about the broom stick thing... that's crazy but i totally see it being possible....

 

I had planned to strap the stand to the wall with something to keep it from tipping and i'm going to silicone the tank down to the stand to not only keep water out from under it but to keep it from sliding...

 

My thought for "strong" enough was I can see the kid running full speed into the stand and I don't want it to fold over if that were to happen. I also will defiantly use locks on the doors. Right now on my tank doors I have a sensor when its opened to turn on the light...

 

My thoughts on this one were to use the same sensor to turn on the light as well as when the doors open require a switch to be flipped inside the stand within 10 or so seconds otherwise an alarm would go off... this would cover me in-case the childproof lock didn't engage.

 

-Nick

[ALittleSalty]

Heres the stand i built for my aquapod 24 a few years back. I built her 40" tall and 28" x 28"so it would be easier to view/work in and also new a little one was in our future. (He is now 16 mnths old) the stand was built oit of 2x4's and plywood. I skinned her with some 1/4" birch. This pick is before i built the front cover, which i just finished and is ready for stain. This thing wont be tipped over period.

 

 

 

This the mock up of the cover for the front. No door or drawers for a little one to pull out or open. I still need to attach the two handles at the top for easier removal, but all in all it works well.

[tinkerer]

the total cost so far is about $30, it will take me another 30-40 to finish it off with a door, sides, and open back. i jumped on the thing before filling my tank on it. i use 3 2x4 cross members under the 1/2" plywood top. ultimately i will add 1/4" ply to the sides, 1/2" for the door, and stain to spruce it up. half the price and i feel more secure with my kids around it.

 

[Deputy_Pooh]

This stand is made for the BC29 even tho I use it for my BC14. I only bought it initially bc i cudn't find another decent stand.

 

 

This stand may be beneficial to me bc I plan on using the bottom shelf as a reservoir storage for my ATO.

[darkwhitemagic]

i dont have a camera right now but i recently bought and set up a biocube hqi 29g and the stock stand without the windows (they sold it to me at my lfs, the box has the picture of it without windows) and it is amazing

[cdrewferd]

My stand is in my build thread. Link is in my signature.

[superspec]

[mirco]

I get scared the stand is gonna crash when i clean algae too vigorously so I I would recommend against the oceanic stand if you're worried about kids around the tank.

Edited January 27, 2012 by mirco

[FishSticks]

Granite Top

[markt484]

On 1/16/2012 at 12:31 PM, C-Rad said:

Lots of commercial and/or DIY stands are "strong" in terms of being able to support the weight. The real problems with small kids and fish tanks are:

1) Tipping over and falling on them. Assume that your kid, or one of his playmates will some day pull or push on the stand has hard as they can, or put a broom handle behind the top of the stand, against the wall and pry it away from the wall until if falls over. With a large tank the broom stick will break or the kid will get tired before the tank moves, but for a small tank, especially one up on a pedestal type stand, it might be possible for a kid to knock it over, and get squished by it. If it's remotely possible that a determined four year old, with or without a broom stick, could make it fall, you need to make it impossible, by bolting it to a stud in the wall, or putting it on a big piece of furniture. The easiest thing to do would be to just put it on a big dresser, table, counter or whatever, not a tall tank stand with a small footprint.

 

2) Kids will try to get into whatever is inside the stand, some of which might be dangerous for them (chemicals, electricity, glass) and most of which can lead to a mess, or dead fish. You should make the stand kid proof so that they can't get into it and mess with supplies, sump, switches, etc. If the top of the tank is within reach, they will want to touch the water, and might drop in their Cherios, juice, copper pennies, battery powered toys, etc.

 

If you're first worry is "strong enough", you must be a first time parent. You're not nearly paranoid enough yet .

Omg... We just had a baby and I was in the process of moving things over to a biocube 32.  This... is a lot to think about.  Why would a kid try to use a broom to make a tank fall over?  Similar experience?  I'm scared now.  

[markt484]

On 1/16/2012 at 12:31 PM, C-Rad said:

Lots of commercial and/or DIY stands are "strong" in terms of being able to support the weight. The real problems with small kids and fish tanks are:

1) Tipping over and falling on them. Assume that your kid, or one of his playmates will some day pull or push on the stand has hard as they can, or put a broom handle behind the top of the stand, against the wall and pry it away from the wall until if falls over. With a large tank the broom stick will break or the kid will get tired before the tank moves, but for a small tank, especially one up on a pedestal type stand, it might be possible for a kid to knock it over, and get squished by it. If it's remotely possible that a determined four year old, with or without a broom stick, could make it fall, you need to make it impossible, by bolting it to a stud in the wall, or putting it on a big piece of furniture. The easiest thing to do would be to just put it on a big dresser, table, counter or whatever, not a tall tank stand with a small footprint.

 

2) Kids will try to get into whatever is inside the stand, some of which might be dangerous for them (chemicals, electricity, glass) and most of which can lead to a mess, or dead fish. You should make the stand kid proof so that they can't get into it and mess with supplies, sump, switches, etc. If the top of the tank is within reach, they will want to touch the water, and might drop in their Cherios, juice, copper pennies, battery powered toys, etc.

 

If you're first worry is "strong enough", you must be a first time parent. You're not nearly paranoid enough yet .

Omg... We just had a baby and I was in the process of moving things over to a biocube 32.  This... is a lot to think about.  Why would a kid try to use a broom to make a tank fall over?  Similar experience?  I'm scared now.