kristonenicolas Posted January 9, 2019 Share Posted January 9, 2019 I'm pretty conflicted right now. I was hoping the tank and stand would come together after being painted but in the end I'm not very happy with it. I feel the proportions are just way off and that I need to go bigger. So I was hoping I can get some peace of mind with your guys' help. The stand's footprint is 4'x2' and the current tank is 36"x12"x12" and 21 gallons. I'm now looking at a tank that is 36x18x18" and is double the volume at 44 gallons. I feel will definitely look a lot better.. what do you guys think? Here's my other question... Is this stand strong enough to support this upgrade? The stand is made of aluminum and has a 1/2" plywood top. This was made specifically for a tank with a 4x2' footprint but that is a little too big for me. The previous owner of this stand had a 60 gallon frag tank andits footprint was also 4'x2'. I look forward to your responses! thanks in advance! Quote Link to comment
Clown79 Posted January 10, 2019 Share Posted January 10, 2019 It's really about individual preference. I like the shallow long tanks, some others will too while others won't. Its about what you like. Quote Link to comment
Oldsalt01 Posted January 10, 2019 Share Posted January 10, 2019 Figure 10lbs/gallon of saltwater (give ‘r take). That’s ballpark, but close enough for those of us without OCD. So your tank water will weigh 440lbs, plus the weight of the tank, sand, rock. So conservatively, figure a total weight somewhere in the neighborhood of 600lbs. I personally think this stand will handle the weight. But then I don’t have to clean up the mess if it doesn’t. The issue with weight is: how close it comes to the outside dimensions of the base. The further from the edges the weight is, the less support the base can provide. Having said that, the top is 1/2” ply with what appears in the pics as a formica cover, and the base appears to have adequate cross-bracing. My concern would be the 4’ open front with no bracing, which becomes the weak point. I’m not sure this opinion has helped you, but then I have always over-designed my bases to avoid catastrophic failure. Just $.02 1 Quote Link to comment
seabass Posted January 11, 2019 Share Posted January 11, 2019 The open front doesn't really bother me. However, most tanks should be supported under their side walls (otherwise the 1/2" plywood is supporting the edges). Can you move the supports so that they are just under the tank sides? If not, I'd beef up the top; maybe put a slab of scrap granite on top of the stand. Quote Link to comment
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