Aluminum stand

Justin_Reef · Jan 20, 2021

Anyone have any examples of aluminum stands for medium sized aquariums?

I am having an acrylic tank built at 84"x 30" x 18" which is roughly 190G. I want to keep the weight down so thinking aluminum stand. I know a place that can build and they do great work but they don't build stands and I want to see if I can find some examples to show them.

If it makes any difference, the stand will be about 36" tall. I want to go shorter for better couch viewing but I made this mistake in the past and it led to plumbing issues.

Thanks!

CMMorgan · Jan 20, 2021

Justin_Reef said:
Anyone have any examples of aluminum stands for medium sized aquariums?

I am having an acrylic tank built at 84"x 30" x 18" which is roughly 190G. I want to keep the weight down so thinking aluminum stand. I know a place that can build and they do great work but they don't build stands and I want to see if I can find some examples to show them.

If it makes any difference, the stand will be about 36" tall. I want to go shorter for better couch viewing but I made this mistake in the past and it led to plumbing issues.

Thanks!

What you are referring to is 80/20 extruded aluminum. It is light, strong and versatile. I am on the fence right now myself. I have done my research and reached out for quotes. My stand will be 72 x 24 for a 120 gallon. My quote from Frametech was just under $800 before shipping. This is very basic, no doors, no shelves, just a frame to which I will install leveling casters and add a top and bottom shelf myself.
Others have tricked them out and they are stunning! They can get into the thousands depending on what you want.
Reach out to Anthony at Frametech. He is very responsive and he will do the engineering to make sure it can support the weight you need.
Keep in mind for height... you need to add the solid top support (HDPE or plywood 3/4") and on top of that, you need a foam layer of another 3/4". That will take you to 36" before the foam squishes. That is the recommendation directly from my acrylic tank manufacturer. That puts you at 36" overall.
I hope that helps.

Crustaceon · Jan 20, 2021

Justin_Reef said:
Anyone have any examples of aluminum stands for medium sized aquariums?

I am having an acrylic tank built at 84"x 30" x 18" which is roughly 190G. I want to keep the weight down so thinking aluminum stand. I know a place that can build and they do great work but they don't build stands and I want to see if I can find some examples to show them.

If it makes any difference, the stand will be about 36" tall. I want to go shorter for better couch viewing but I made this mistake in the past and it led to plumbing issues.

Thanks!

It’s probably not going to be a massive weight savings as an aluminum stand will have to use thicker tubing to get the equivalent strength of a steel stand. It’s like comparing aluminum to steel car rims. Very often the steel rims are lighter than the aluminum ones due to the inherent difference in strength and required metal thickness.

Reefer Reboot · Feb 4, 2021

Just saw your thread, still looking for examples? Here's the backside of mine during the build up. 36"x31"x36" DT with a 36"x36"x24" sump. Stands made of this material are considerably lighter than steel. Before retirement, I used to build a lot of test stands using this stuff. It's very versatile and easy to work with.

RobB'z Reef · Feb 4, 2021

Justin_Reef said:
Anyone have any examples of aluminum stands for medium sized aquariums?

I am having an acrylic tank built at 84"x 30" x 18" which is roughly 190G. I want to keep the weight down so thinking aluminum stand. I know a place that can build and they do great work but they don't build stands and I want to see if I can find some examples to show them.

If it makes any difference, the stand will be about 36" tall. I want to go shorter for better couch viewing but I made this mistake in the past and it led to plumbing issues.

Thanks!

I designed a 36" high stand that I bought from framingtech.com for my 180gal. they were great to work with.

Tenecor Aquariums · Feb 4, 2021

Crustaceon said:
It’s probably not going to be a massive weight savings as an aluminum stand will have to use thicker tubing to get the equivalent strength of a steel stand. It’s like comparing aluminum to steel car rims. Very often the steel rims are lighter than the aluminum ones due to the inherent difference in strength and required metal thickness.

Aluminum profiles are are inherently a better choice than steel in this application. The stand is not made from tubing but rather extruded profile. Big difference. The comparison to car wheels is not valid. Then there is the question of assembly. Author, go with FrameTech. They are our competitors but are very capable and an excellent source. You will not be disappointed. Absolutely opt in for the leveling feet.

Tenecor Aquariums · Feb 4, 2021

CMMorgan said:
What you are referring to is 80/20 extruded aluminum. It is light, strong and versatile. I am on the fence right now myself. I have done my research and reached out for quotes. My stand will be 72 x 24 for a 120 gallon. My quote from Frametech was just under $800 before shipping. This is very basic, no doors, no shelves, just a frame to which I will install leveling casters and add a top and bottom shelf myself.
Others have tricked them out and they are stunning! They can get into the thousands depending on what you want.
Reach out to Anthony at Frametech. He is very responsive and he will do the engineering to make sure it can support the weight you need.
Keep in mind for height... you need to add the solid top support (HDPE or plywood 3/4") and on top of that, you need a foam layer of another 3/4". That will take you to 36" before the foam squishes. That is the recommendation directly from my acrylic tank manufacturer. That puts you at 36" overall.
I hope that helps.

Tenecor Aquariums · Feb 4, 2021

Reefer Reboot said:
Just saw your thread, still looking for examples? Here's the backside of mine during the build up. 36"x31"x36" DT with a 36"x36"x24" sump. Stands made of this material are considerably lighter than steel. Before retirement, I used to build a lot of test stands using this stuff. It's very versatile and easy to work with.

looks like the pump is in the back yard. By design? This is why I tell my wife we need a bigger garage.

Reefer Reboot · Feb 5, 2021

LOL, backyard? No, wife decided to remodel the Livingroom at the same time so the tank had not yet been put into it's final "resting place". It now sits in that corner at a 45 degree angle. Had the windows redone so the back of the tank is accessible through them. (Didn't have much room to work with.)

czynot · Feb 5, 2021

tnutz.com have the best price. It cost me 5-600.00

Crustaceon · Feb 6, 2021

Tenecor Aquariums said:
Aluminum profiles are are inherently a better choice than steel in this application. The stand is not made from tubing but rather extruded profile. Big difference. The comparison to car wheels is not valid. Then there is the question of assembly. Author, go with FrameTech. They are our competitors but are very capable and an excellent source. You will not be disappointed. Absolutely opt in for the leveling feet.reason why a stand couldn’t be made of non-tubing steel and steel on the identical profile as aluminum will always be stronger on a wall thickness basis.

Tenecor Aquariums said:
Aluminum profiles are are inherently a better choice than steel in this application. The stand is not made from tubing but rather extruded profile. Big difference. The comparison to car wheels is not valid. Then there is the question of assembly. Author, go with FrameTech. They are our competitors but are very capable and an excellent source. You will not be disappointed. Absolutely opt in for the leveling feet.

I think what you’re referring to is a manufacturing advantage rather than a material advantage. Steel is the better choice from a strength to weight perspective IF it can be efficiently and affordably formed. But that’s the trick. It takes an ungodly amount of tons of pressure to form steel. Not so much with aluminum which allows it to be formed into stronger shapes at far less cost than with steel. I think this is why you mentioned tubular steel because most manufacturers don’t have a two-story tall press, so it’s a better option to just weld the steel together to make the desired form. As for car rims, if they were manufactured to the same specifications as a steel rim, they’d deform after hitting the first pothole, hence why they’re made thicker than an equivalent steel rim. It’s just the general nature of the material and in the case of this hobby, space is at a premium, even if it is an eighth of an inch here or there. Not saying aluminum is bad. Just saying it’s just a different animal.