Aquarium display rack on a budget

[sally666]

My goal is to have a professional aquarium display rack like this but on a budget.

Instead of spending $2000 I will use this wire shelving rack. I will have to enclose it with either wooden panels painted in black or black corrugated plastic panels.

If I decide to use black corrugated plastic sheets will the end result look professional, or will it look tacky? And how would I attach the corrugated plastic sheets to this shelving unit?

 

[Jekyl]

I would think you would need extra support on the racks also. Any sagging is no good.

 

[DED65]

A rack like that would not be able to hold the weight. The shelves are held in place by cheap plastic pieces, the shelves might hold 50-80 pounds and the entire rack will sway. This would be a disaster. If you do want a similar setup, I would get an industrial, bolt together rack with a weight range higher than the actual weight you want to put on it.

 

[cilyjr]

Those racks hold a lot more weight that that. More like 300 to 600 lbs. We have several in our warehouse.

That said, I would not put saltwater tanks on these. They tip easily if top heavy, they will rust and corrode very quickly.

 

[DED65]

Those racks hold a lot more weight that that. More like 300 to 600 lbs. We have several in our warehouse.

That said, I would not put saltwater tanks on these. They tip easily if top heavy, they will rust and corrode very quickly.

Yes they do, that is why I said the shelves hold 50-80 pounds. That would be 250-400 pounds for the rack.

 

[cilyjr]

Yes they do, that is why I said the shelves hold 50-80 pounds. That would be 250-400 pounds for the rack.

No the individual shelves do. I had to call Uline when we redid our cage at work. The number quoted is 800lbs per shelf for the Uline unit.

I know it's hard to believe but think about how the metal fits over that plastic shim. It's not going anywhere even if it cracks.

 

[cilyjr]

I didn't believe it either

 

[Formulator]

Even if they do hold the weight, those shelves will probably be rust buckets in a year or two… Maybe not. If you do use them, going back to your original question - IMO the corrugated plastic will not look great. If this is for a shop you are setting up, remember a fair portion of the reefing community has some wealth and may expect a certain level of refinement in a place they do business. Not saying its right and not passing judgement, but just a thought. I would use wood paneling or plywood and mount to the tubing of the shelf frame with something like the brackets in my photo. Then fill the seams with some wood putty, sand everything smooth, paint and polyurethane.

 

[cilyjr]

probably be rust buckets in a year or two…

Yes.
Do not use these.
Just because they may hold the weight does not make them a good choice.

 

[sally666]

I decided on using wood to hold two 20 gallon long tanks. The shelves are held up with thick lag screws and regular screws. I painted the stand with exterior semi gloss paint.

 

[Ef4life]

I decided on using wood to hold two 20 gallon long tanks. The shelves are held up with thick lag screws and regular screws. I painted the stand with exterior semi gloss paint.

Looks good, but I would definitely secure it to a wall to make sure it won’t tip over being so top heavy

 

[sally666]

Looks good, but I would definitely secure it to a wall to make sure it won’t tip over being so top heavy

Yes definitely! I am going to screw two brackets connected to the stand into the wall stud.