New to the Hobby; Building a Stand

[EmtJared]

I am getting into the hobby with a purchase of a Waterbox Peninsula Mini 25. The included cabinet is pretty expensive and I decided to build my own instead. I've I have done a fair amount of research (including scrolling through the forums here) on what to expect, but frankly the amount of information is pretty daunting and there are a lot of opinions out there. I've been pretty happy with how welcoming people in this hobby appear to be and how open everyone is to share their regrets and failures.

So with all that having been said, I am going to put my questions/ thoughts out there in what hopefully doesn't end up being a confused ramble on what to do.
Does anyone have an opinion on the ideal aquarium stand dimensions in relation to the tank/ features that I should build in? I like the seamless look of the Waterbox stand (it sits flush with the tank and the dimensions seem to match down to the mm, but that certainly doesn't leave any room for error and I don't want to put undue stress on the tank if it is off. I've read a lot concerning aquariums breaking due to uneven pressure over time/ stressing the seams because things are perfect in terms distribution of pressure. My uncle built all of the furniture in his home and will be helping me in the construction of the tank, but given my personal lack of experience I am worried about trying to make the stand too close to the dimensions of the tank.

I've read the forums here about features for a custom stand and the consensus appears to be leave room underneath and lots of access from the sides. Is there anything else I should consider in the construction of the stand like the addition of leveling feet? And are there any other considerations that I should have like planning for moisture expansion of the wood? I plan on probably using wood instead of pressed board for structural integrity purposes, but I am not sure if that brings its own complications.

TLDR:

Should I add an inch to the dimensions of the aquarium stand in relation to the tank? Or am I safe to match dimensions?

Are there any important features to build into a stand outside of lots of access panels? Should I bother with shelves?

Any other things I should be considering when building this thing? It is going to be holding up a tank that represents a pretty significant financial investment and I kind of want to get this right.




First post and thanks for the help!

 

[Adrift]

Welcome to R2R glad you joined us. My 96x24x21 planet aquarium tank stand matches the dimension of my tank for seamless look. I don't think it matters given you have structural integrity. Shelves depends what do you have in store for the bottom of the cabinet. I wish I had built in a shelf to house some product, then I ran out of room with all the components and wiring. So I just bought an external shelf. That shelf is now full need to buy another lol.

 

[RocketEngineer]

Given that this is an AIO, you won’t need space for equipment but probably want to hide your electrical connections down there. To me, I would want just a slight overlap so the stand doesn’t have to be perfect but not much more than a 1/4” lip all around would be needed to fit my preference.

The stand itself can be plywood or boards, depending on your style. I tend to over build for safety so exact details would depend on tools and style.

 

[ffmurray]

Here’s what I built for a 15gal cube. I think the same design would work. I used 3/4 plywood for everything but the door. Plywood is more stable, stronger and the right size. I filled & smoothed the exposed cut ends. I chose a height that put it in a good spot for when I’m in the recliner. There’s about 1/4 extra all around the tank.