Custom Stand

[Zomp]

I am trying to design a custom stand at the moment.
I see a lot of people here with the standard 2x6 top frame and 2x4 brace/side/bottom.
Looks like a very solid design, but I was wondering at what point people put in a center support. Has anybody had issues with sagging in the center at 4'/5' after a few years?

Also have people put some sort of plastic topping for water protection or is poly stain been good enough for the inevitable salt water splash?

Does anybody have any interesting examples of how they finished it? Looking for some inspiration on a modern type of look.
Thanks!

 

[gsepanik]

What size is your tank? There's a great thread on reefcentral here:http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1169964
I also think that the OP for that thread, "RocketEngineer", has a similar thread on R2R as well

 

[Zomp]

Thanks! That thread is incredible useful! Found that weight is displaced onto the corners so bowing at 4' shouldnt be an issue.

 

[RocketEngineer]

Whether it sags or not depends on the tank, size of the spans, and frame material.

An acrylic tank needs a lot more support while I’ve seen short glass tanks just supported at the corners with no issues (see Tidal Garden’s systems). The longer the span, the more likely it is to sag which is why that guy scaled the size of the top frame as spans increased. And if you’re building the stand out of oak instead of pine it will be much stiffer so less material would be needed for the same result.

Yeah, there isn’t a thread on R2R yet, but the author is still around

 

[Zomp]

Whether it sags or not depends on the tank, size of the spans, and frame material.

An acrylic tank needs a lot more support while I’ve seen short glass tanks just supported at the corners with no issues (see Tidal Garden’s systems). The longer the span, the more likely it is to sag which is why that guy scaled the size of the top frame as spans increased. And if you’re building the stand out of oak instead of pine it will be much stiffer so less material would be needed for the same result.

Yeah, there isn’t a thread on R2R yet, but the author is still around

Thanks! Im probably going with 4x2x2 glass. So think it should be ok, but ill do a 2x6 hard wood just to feel better. Do you tend to fill the gaps with wood paste and do a poly stain to seal it up?

 

[redfishbluefish]

I used @RocketEngineer plans for my five foot tank.

To put it simply, up to four foot long, all dimensional lumber is 2x4, over four foot, the top frame is 2x6. Here's my raw stand:

I topped the stand with 3/4 plywood and skinned the stand with (I think) 1/2 inch plywood. I am a woodworker but believe the stand should be simple appearance so the eye goes to the tank and not the fancy woodworking.

And it has some history....I think this was first put together in 2008. No sag or any sign of failure.

 

[Zomp]

For a rimless glass aquarium do we need to add center support? Or do rimless glass' bottom still sit slightly off the base?