Longest Build Ever

[LongestBuildEver]

Hello Everyone,
So I am really in a sad sad place right now. Maybe its the perfectionist in me...nah, maybe its the high anxiety ridden worrywart in me...most likely, but after 4 DIFFERENT stands (2 built 2 bought ) NONE of them seem safe and the one that kinda seems the safest my tank wont fit evenly into the grooves making it wobble which I know is a nono. I am out of money and ideas and feeling defeated but I wanted to ask if anyone knows If I were to put a piece of plywood and secure it like a top cover to the stand thats only problem is that it is not big enough to allow my tank to set in to the grooves slightly lower then the top of the stand creating what should be a lip around the bottom of my tank, would it hold my tank if previously it held a slightly smaller but still 75 gallon tank? Basically can I bypass the "lip" and make a flat top for the tank to sit on and how could I secure it as good as if there was a lip border? Not sure how to secure it in place but first I guess I need to know will in hold the weight? Thanks guys

 

[lapin]

I will need to know what size your tank is. Gallons.
If its the same gallons or close then yes.
You could even get fancy and get one of these. Cut it to fit.

LILLTRÄSK countertop, white/laminate, 50x11/8" - IKEA

LILLTRÄSK countertop, white/laminate, 50x11/8" Spills and grease are easy to wipe clean and the worktop keeps its beauty over time. Available to take home today. 25-year Limited Warranty. Read about the terms in the Limited Warranty brochure.

www.ikea.com

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

If you mean that the stand has little ruts/trenches in it where the tank's edges are supposed to sit, then yeah, you could probably do that without issues.

If you mean that the stand has a little lip sticking up above the top of the stand and running around it to form a short box/drawer-esque area, then you would want to fill in the box before setting the plywood on top, otherwise all of the weight on the plywood would be concentrated on that thin lip, and the odds of either the lip or the plywood breaking go way up). If you fill in that area, then you could put a piece of plywood on top and it should hold as long as the plywood is appropriately thick and the tank doesn't overhang awkwardly. You would most likely want some sort of padding on top of the plywood, though, to prevent pressure points on the bottom of the tank (anything from a yoga mat/camping pad to a rubber liner to the insulating sheathing foam boards available at your local hardware/home improvement store works here, though the thickness of the pad is dependent on the size of your tank). Depending on who you ask, you either want the pad to have very little give or a moderate amount of give (it should compress slightly under the weight of the tank, but it shouldn't just get smooshed/flattened by it).

If you want to secure it with a lip border, you could always make a lip border at the top - the top just needs to be slightly larger than the tank's dimensions to accommodate it. A rubber liner could help keep it in place too.

Just my two cents there - hopefully some others with more experience will chime in for you too.

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

Pictures of the stand(s) would help!

 

[Duncan62]

Hello Everyone,
So I am really in a sad sad place right now. Maybe its the perfectionist in me...nah, maybe its the high anxiety ridden worrywart in me...most likely, but after 4 DIFFERENT stands (2 built 2 bought ) NONE of them seem safe and the one that kinda seems the safest my tank wont fit evenly into the grooves making it wobble which I know is a nono. I am out of money and ideas and feeling defeated but I wanted to ask if anyone knows If I were to put a piece of plywood and secure it like a top cover to the stand thats only problem is that it is not big enough to allow my tank to set in to the grooves slightly lower then the top of the stand creating what should be a lip around the bottom of my tank, would it hold my tank if previously it held a slightly smaller but still 75 gallon tank? Basically can I bypass the "lip" and make a flat top for the tank to sit on and how could I secure it as good as if there was a lip border? Not sure how to secure it in place but first I guess I need to know will in hold the weight? Thanks guys

Pic of tank with dimensions please.

 

[Spare time]

Dang I was thinking this was gonna be literally the longest (like 20 foot long) build lol

 

[mynd]

If you are out of money already then I suggest you make your life easy and have the tank sit on cinder blocks. Then I would really consider if you can even afford this hobby based on what you intend to do. There is really no information above that enables us to make better suggestions. We have no idea the tank, the stands, there are no photos, we have no idea what your intentions are, how much of the tank hardware you already own, etc..

Please be more specific and take some photos. Thanks

 

[Duncan62]

If you are out of money already then I suggest you make your life easy and have the tank sit on cinder blocks. Then I would really consider if you can even afford this hobby based on what you intend to do. There is really no information above that enables us to make better suggestions. We have no idea the tank, the stands, there are no photos, we have no idea what your intentions are, how much of the tank hardware you already own, etc..

Please be more specific and take some photos. Thanks

Building a structurally sound stand is no big deal. If you want to try and modify or build a stand ill try to help. There's a way to do anything on a budget even without great dyi skills . Good luck. I hope you don't give up.