Converting Entertainment Center to 125G stand

IzzysPop · May 17, 2020

Question for all your DIY’ers out there. I am looking to convert this entertainment center (https://www.afw.com/pueblo-7034-tv-stand) into a stand for a 125g. The only solid supports are the corners mad out of 2x4s.
Questions
1 - Can I build a square brace on the inside of the bottom and support it with some short legs to keep the open bottom aesthetic with just a few extra “feet”?
2 - Will two vertical supports along the long side be enough with the reinforcements on the sides?
3 - Any suggestions aside from bracing the heck out of it on the inside?

thanks!

Copingwithpods · May 17, 2020

Depends on the internal structure, think long and hard about weight transfer. Remember you are dealing with 1200lbs+ sitting on a table designed to hold 50lbs. You'll want to transfer the weight of the top plane as evenly as possible downward preferably through 6 points of contact (6 feet) or cut the feet off all together so you have a flat bottom that will transfer the weight to your joist alot better. It's definitely possible if braced properly.

Flippers4pups · May 17, 2020

As long as you can construct this underneath:

It needs those vertical pieces attached to a frame at the top to keep it from racking. Where the tank corners are, need the supports directly under the tank corners. All four corners then need to be coplanar. If not, it will rack the tank and could cause it to fail or leak.

IzzysPop · May 17, 2020

Flippers4pups said:
As long as you can construct this underneath:

It needs those vertical pieces attached to a frame at the top to keep it from racking. Where the tank corners are, need the supports directly under the tank corners. All four corners then need to be coplanar. If not, it will rack the tank and could cause it to fail or leak.

This is great, thank you! I was somewhat thinking I had to basically build a stand like this on the inside. Do you suggest 2x4s are sufficient for the weight?

Copingwithpods · May 17, 2020

IzzysPop said:
This is great, thank you! I was somewhat thinking I had to basically build a stand like this on the inside. Do you suggest 2x4s are sufficient for the weight?

If done correctly yes 2x4s would be sufficient, also remember the weight transfer to your joist which is why I suggested cutting the legs off the stand.

Coolcasino · May 17, 2020

A standard 125g tank is 72" long. This stand is 70".

IzzysPop · May 17, 2020

One I have in the house is 79 long.

Coolcasino · May 17, 2020

IzzysPop said:
One I have in the house is 79 long.

So your good then. I thought you was buying the one you linked. I don't see much room for a sump and equipment with the shelving, were you planning on adding any of that? As far as bracing is concerned if you look at the 3d pic of the DIY stand pictured abouve, I would try to add the pink ones on all for corners. And 1 in the middle front and middle back.

IzzysPop · May 17, 2020

Coolcasino said:
So your good then. I thought you was buying the one you linked. I don't see much room for a sump and equipment with the shelving, were you planning on adding any of that? As far as bracing is concerned if you look at the 3d pic of the DIY stand pictured abouve, I would try to add the pink ones on all for corners. And 1 in the middle front and middle back.

Yeah, sorry about that. I didn’t check the dimensions, just saw the style we had.
I think what I’m going to have to do is basically hollow it out, “Russian nesting doll” that 3D image stand on the inside (with a floor in it to hold sump) and then use the shelves and whatnot that were inside to create shelves for storage, doser, etc
correct me if I’m wrong. But bracing this is well enough to hold the tank will be next to impossible. Better to just use it as a fancy outside shell for aesthetics

Coolcasino · May 17, 2020

It can be done but its not worth it in my opinion. You can do the Russian nesting doll as you said but that will limit the space you have inside for skimmers and other equipment. It will be a pain to do any maintenance. You can built one and paint it in that color and not have to worry if the bracing is secure enough. These tanks don't like to be twisted or unbalanced, they will crack without thinking about it twice. I built my stand for my 125g with that same design as above. I think I can place a car on top of it and it will hold.

IzzysPop · May 19, 2020

Not to say I don't believe you fine folks

- just one more question. I look at RedSea, Waterbox, Cade, etc... Reef systems and their cabinets look like coated particle board flimsy nonsense, yet I never hear about their stand failing. Is this do to the extra thickness of the glass they use not being suseptable to the bowing & twisting that a stand like that might incur, or are we all just over engineering the heck out of a stand, making it strong enough to hold up a tour bus?

Coolcasino · May 19, 2020

Its engineered. They design the stand to withhold the weight of a heavy tank. Its all in the positioning of the boards. That TV entertainment center isn't designed or engineered to hold up a fish tank. That's why you would need to do some reengineering of your own to make it work.

IzzysPop · May 19, 2020

Coolcasino said:
Its engineered. They design the stand to withhold the weight of a heavy tank. Its all in the positioning of the boards. That TV entertainment center isn't designed or engineered to hold up a fish tank. That's why you would need to do some reengineering of your own to make it work.

got it. Thank you!

Silver14SS · May 19, 2020

IzzysPop said:
Not to say I don't believe you fine folks - just one more question. I look at RedSea, Waterbox, Cade, etc... Reef systems and their cabinets look like coated particle board flimsy nonsense, yet I never hear about their stand failing. Is this do to the extra thickness of the glass they use not being suseptable to the bowing & twisting that a stand like that might incur, or are we all just over engineering the heck out of a stand, making it strong enough to hold up a tour bus?

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IzzysPop · May 27, 2020

Coolcasino said:
It can be done but its not worth it in my opinion. You can do the Russian nesting doll as you said but that will limit the space you have inside for skimmers and other equipment. It will be a pain to do any maintenance. You can built one and paint it in that color and not have to worry if the bracing is secure enough. These tanks don't like to be twisted or unbalanced, they will crack without thinking about it twice. I built my stand for my 125g with that same design as above. I think I can place a car on top of it and it will hold.

Thanks for all your help & replies! So I ended up building the stand above (like you said,m it can hold up a car) and then destructed the cabinet and used it to simply wrap the stand from an aesthetics standpoint. I'll update with some pictures, but I ended up trying not to be cute based on your suggestions. Just wanted to say "Thank you"