Tank Stand: Ikea Besta

[CodyBeans]

I have been looking all over for the perfect stand for the Nuvo 16 aquarium. Ideally I want it white to match the tank and not too much bigger as I move a lot and may not have extra space for large stand. And of course I don't have too much money to spend.

 

I came across this shelving unit and wanted to know if anyone has any experience using it as a stand for 16 or more gallons. Or if anyone who builds stands has an opinion

 

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00134052/

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S49923883/#/S39917496

 

the dimensions seem perfect! could maybe be just a little taller, but everything else seems great. I know ikea stuff is made of particle board, but it seems like the stands they sell at petsmart are too...

 

Currently I have a 6 gallon nano cube on an ikea night stand and it has been working out fine. But 16 gallons is a lot heavier...

 

There was a tankwide death of corals in last summer's heat wave (I've had this tank for 5 years and it was all filled out!) and since then new corals have been doing meh. I figure its time for an upgrade and to change out the sand

 

any opinions or ideas would be greatly appreciated!

[Steventomas]

I have been looking all over for the perfect stand for the Nuvo 16 aquarium. Ideally I want it white to match the tank and not too much bigger as I move a lot and may not have extra space for large stand. And of course I don't have too much money to spend.

 

I came across this shelving unit and wanted to know if anyone has any experience using it as a stand for 16 or more gallons. Or if anyone who builds stands has an opinion

 

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00134052/

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S49923883/#/S39917496

 

the dimensions seem perfect! could maybe be just a little taller, but everything else seems great. I know ikea stuff is made of particle board, but it seems like the stands they sell at petsmart are too...

 

Currently I have a 6 gallon nano cube on an ikea night stand and it has been working out fine. But 16 gallons is a lot heavier...

 

There was a tankwide death of corals in last summer's heat wave (I've had this tank for 5 years and it was all filled out!) and since then new corals have been doing meh. I figure its time for an upgrade and to change out the sand

 

any opinions or ideas would be greatly appreciated!

 

In my opinion 16gallon is going to be about 175 pounds after you ad rock, sand and water. So think about it in terms of people, if you weight about 175-180 would you feel comfortable sitting on it?

 

I build my own stands out of poplar and have never had any problems up to 50gallons. Without seeing this in person im not sure, it depends on the thickness of the wood and the way its put together.

 

It looks like it is made of thicker material and being as it is in the television section and some televisions are monstrosities i think you are okay.

[Ed-N]

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/ultimate-factories/videos/ikeas-honeycomb-construction/

[seabass]

I'm wondering if a base cabinet would be more sturdy. I think you'd still need a top, but you could get something that's water proof (I think the legs are extra too).

[TeflonTomDosh]

I have been looking all over for the perfect stand for the Nuvo 16 aquarium. Ideally I want it white to match the tank and not too much bigger as I move a lot and may not have extra space for large stand. And of course I don't have too much money to spend.

 

I came across this shelving unit and wanted to know if anyone has any experience using it as a stand for 16 or more gallons. Or if anyone who builds stands has an opinion

 

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00134052/

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S49923883/#/S39917496

 

the dimensions seem perfect! could maybe be just a little taller, but everything else seems great. I know ikea stuff is made of particle board, but it seems like the stands they sell at petsmart are too...

 

Currently I have a 6 gallon nano cube on an ikea night stand and it has been working out fine. But 16 gallons is a lot heavier...

 

There was a tankwide death of corals in last summer's heat wave (I've had this tank for 5 years and it was all filled out!) and since then new corals have been doing meh. I figure its time for an upgrade and to change out the sand

 

any opinions or ideas would be greatly appreciated!

The first one (without the front on it) says its rated to hold 66 lbs. I don't know if you have any experience with ikea furniture but I personally wouldn't trust a gallon of milk resting on ANYTHING of theirs much less a reef tank.

[CodyBeans]

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/ultimate-factories/videos/ikeas-honeycomb-construction/

Alas the computer I am on does not have sound! I'll watch it tonight when I get home

[seabass]

The honeycomb core makes it so that it will not collapse if you stand on it (while it's on a solid surface), but I assume that it doesn't assist as much when the board is being held by two ends. Structurally I think the process is suitable for their designed purposes (and probably less likely to warp), but it doesn't make them super strong for holding lots of weight that isn't directly supported by the frame. I believe this process was developed to make it cheaper and lighter (to produce and ship).

[neverrain]

I literally just went through this a couple weeks ago with my Nuvo 16. Every stand I tried (I don't have the ability to build my own at this time) was flimsy and seemed crappy. I ended up buying a dresser from IKEA that matched my living room furniture (mostly IKEA as well). You can see what I bought on my tank thread in the first post http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/323698-neverrains-first-tank-journal-nuvo-16/ . I'll see if I can find you a link to exactly what I bought at IKEA.

 

EDIT - This is what I bought. I liked it because it was solid wood on *most* parts (basically all the support structure) which I liked. I'm tall too, like 6'5" 200 and I got onto it and moved around like crazy and the thing doesn't move. If you end up with this make sure you nail the back on, it helps a ton with side to side movement.

 

Oh yea, it fits the tank with about 9 inches on each side and about 4 inches front and back, but if you want something more flush it probably won't work. It's also much taller than most "stands" which only seem to go up 30-36" which is retarded short for someone my height.

 

I can snap a pic for you if you want.

[Deleted User 4]

I have the same besta vara stand supporting the weight of my ada 45p (8g). Very sturdy and stable, couldn't ask for more on a $80-90 stand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mandarin_goby]

I wonder if an Expedit (4 or 8 cube) would work. I've seen a pic where someone had a 12 gallon long tank on the 8 cube Expedit, and I had a 13.3 gallon tank on mine. You can also find lots of Ikea furniture on Craigslist (thats where i get a lot of my Ikea stuff). The bonus is that they're assembled too.

[Mstefa1]

My concern would be with anything not solid wood. We are talking water here which may cause any composite material to expand. At the very least the veneer will peel. Even being careful I always end up with saltwater or salt creep on my stand at some point.

[neverrain]

I wonder if an Expedit (4 or 8 cube) would work. I've seen a pic where someone had a 12 gallon long tank on the 8 cube Expedit, and I had a 13.3 gallon tank on mine. You can also find lots of Ikea furniture on Craigslist (thats where i get a lot of my Ikea stuff). The bonus is that they're assembled too.

 

I would be worried about front to back movement on those. If the vertical sections are one piece it's probably not bad, but they are very shallow.

[malady]

my ikea stand started sinking in the middle :/ my tank is currently uneven I have some foam underneath hopefully it will be fine until I pick up my new one

[Deleted User 4]

my ikea stand started sinking in the middle :/ my tank is currently uneven I have some foam underneath hopefully it will be fine until I pick up my new one

 

What stand do you have?

[malady]

What stand do you have?

ahh I forgot the swedish name for it

 

it was the 3 drawer model with modern looking formica

 

I gutted the inside and added support and a sump but the material is just to cheap I think

oh well it will make a good drawer for my clothes again haha

[CodyBeans]

Thanks for all the input. I've also asked the people at innovative marine what they thought and they replied with "The NUVO 16g with water, rock, and sand should average out around 150 - 200 lbs of weight. The IKEA stand does look sturdy enough, but it [wouldn't] hurt add L-Brackets to each of the corners (top & bottom) to reinforce for your peace of mind."

 

I emailed Ikea to see if i could get an answer as to how much weight their product can support but have yet to hear back from them (and frankly i might never hear from them).

 

The reason I'm so interested in this stand is because it's the perfect fit. I have furniture from the Hemnes series Neverrain used and I've had good results using the nightstand for my 6 gal. They're nice b/c the top is solid wood.

 

I may go visit Ikea this weekend, but as I'm only 120 lbs I can't test this stand very well...If all looks good I may proceed with this stand, add the L-Brackets and this underframe:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20134188/

The added height would also be a plus.

 

Also looked into this: http://www.framexpert.com/solutions/racks_and_cabinets/fish_tank_aquarium_stand/

but the download isn't working for me

 

It may be another month or so before I commit and buy (1. Because I move at a glacial pace when it comes to tanks, 2. because my dad got upset when he overheard about the upgrade...I'm hoping in his old age he'll forget that he got upset)

 

I'll keep checking for new input and let you guys know how it works.

 

One last question and one I hope never to experience....IF the stand is not holding, will I see buckling and curving? It's not going to suddenly collapse....is it? IS IT?!

[seabass]

One last question and one I hope never to experience....IF the stand is not holding, will I see buckling and curving? It's not going to suddenly collapse....is it?

It might start sagging, which could put uneven pressure on the tank. So yeah, it actually could break the tank (even it the stand doesn't suddenly collapse).

 

L brackets might help if it were made of solid wood, but I don't see that working on hollow core materials.

[nibor]

We've got a couple of those units in the bottom of the wardrobe for putting shoes in. (Exactly like the first link with no door and just the included plastic feet).

 

It will easily support my weight without deflecting or making any creaks or groans (170lbs, standing in the middle of the top). The tank you are looking at will spread the load more evenly, especially as it is the same length as the unit and the ends of the tank will be above the side pieces.

 

What I would be more concerned with is racking. The top is supported by the two side pieces which fix with two of those round cam lock things and a couple of wooden pegs only. The same fixings are used to fasten the sides to the base. The back is just a floating hardboard panel and offers no structural support. If you try, you can wobble the unit from side to side a bit. I wouldn't want to try this with me standing on top as I reckon it would collapse.

 

Don't expect a response from Ikea beyond 30kg per shelf as it says on the website (and that is for the internal shelves).

[Nitepflyer]

I used an IKEA Lack side table to support my 24g NC for over 5 years. I consider myself lucky that I did not have any issues considering I was on a second floor. Later to prevent pressing my luck I upgraded to a nano cube stand designed for the 24g and it provided an improved sense of security. I would think if the small Lack could hold my tank, that a larger higher quality IKEA furniture table could hold the 16g, but I would side on caution and look for something solid or designed for an aquarium.

[Deleted User 3]

I have a particle board corner TV stand proping up my 20 gallon for 7 months now, no bowing at all and it even has been spilled on quite a few times. I think it's where the vertical boards have been placed that makes it more sturdy.

[Gooburz]

Ikea furniture is total garbage first off. Second, why would you invest $100's into a reef tank only to get a cheap crappy stand that is clearly rated for something less than half the tank??? Lets think logic here, spend anywhere between $400 up to $1,000 on my reef tank and put it on this crappy stand that will prolly fail and send my tank crashing.

 

It is SO easy to build a basic simple stand to the specs you want and size you want for very cheap. 2x4's and plywood, finish up with some type of stain or paint and you are done. And if you don't have the tools you can rent them from Lowes and Home Depot. Just would hate too see you fail due to Paper filled Ikea furniture but you seem to like the idea of paper supporting your tank.

[im1dermike]

Just adding my $0.02 as I was looking for a glossy tank stand and just came across the IKEA Besta line (and then this thread)... There's no stopping you from using the Besta and fortifying it with 2x4s within the cabinet.