Tank stand tipping over

[Tennyson]

Hey all,
My two 40 gallon tanks are on a metal edsal stand for the last 4 years. They are not bolted to the wall and I'd prefer to keep it that way.

I noticed these tanks have been a little wobbly and have noticeably started leaning forward.

How long can I continue like this? I was thinking of using a car jack to prevent any disasters.

 

[Big G]

Sounds like the metal is fatiguing from the load. Best to move them before it sags enough to crack the glass due to uneven pressure points on the tank(s).

 

[vetteguy53081]

Honestly, ASAP you need to aquire at minimum a wrought iron stand. This is a utility shelf you have and it is not designed for its' current use and is destined to collapse

 

[CWR24]

Not to be a jerk, but not quite sure how that lasted 4 weeks/months.

Heed the advice of the 2 prior comments in the near immediate future before you have a real mess on your hands.

Good luck!!

 

[Tennyson]

Thanks for the responses everyone. The Edsal racks have been used by a number of aquarists on various forums which is why I went with them. They fit a 40 breeder perfectly and each shelf supports 800 lb. I actually have two sets of Edsals and trust their weight bearing ability.

The problem my right setup is having may be due to having my hands in that tank more often and leaning my arms on the frame, causing an uneven amount of pressure on the front end of the stand.

Either way I will start considering a major move of the right set up, which is difficult because its also holding my sump. Suggestions are still welcome!

 

[bluprntguy]

I find it unlikely that the metal is failing due to fatigue from the weight alone due to compression. It's more likely that they frames and connections are getting loosened due to racking. IMO, those should have a diagonal cross brace on the side like the below picture:

 

[Quietman]

So wobbly is one thing and fixed with shims or tightening connections.

Gradually leaning forward is a much bigger concern and that does indicate metal fatigue somewhere (connectors, braces, posts). Problem is that I doubt it's fixable, you maybe able to straighten it back up and eliminate the symptoms, but the lean likely led to more internal stress fatigue on the metal and once that occurs it's permanently degraded. So I doubt the original weight capacity is still there, but it may be strong enough for now...or for years. But you're not going to know for sure.

 

[sharpimage]

You said you didn't want to bolt them to the wall, but thats the course I would look at.

Also a diagonal brace could be added to the stand

 

[Tennyson]

I think I'll disassemble everything and replace the stand with another Edsal, this time with diagonal braces. I'm only living here for another year so when I move I'll do a proper stand upgrade. The left Edsal hasn't shown any signs of failure, so I'll use that side to hold livestock during the switch.

I love the Edsals for their minimalist appeal but wouldn't recommend long term without bolting. Who knows, maybe the diagonal braces will make these foolproof. Thanks everyone!

 

[Silver14SS]

I don't know the price of those stands, but you could probably build something really sturdy out of 2x4" and plywood for significantly less and that won't rack.

 

[siggy]

Really? 4 years plus saltwater. I have the same things in the basement, and they are wobbly and there is no adjusting for the uneven basement floor. Man I'm surprised the tanks seams are good. Grab a bunch of 2x4;s and build a bench with a lower shelf for your sump and a work space
PS if you decide on the floor jack route do a YouTube video

 

[motortrendz]

Looks like theres alot of rust. That can cause the metal to weaken and eventually fail.

 

[siggy]

Hey sorry if I came across the wrong way, I am just amazed these will handle a load like that.
I see you have a lot of going on in those tanks not to mention the hard work, and you have a ton of hardware, live rock and corals. Why not upgrade to a large tank?
You could build it without disturbing those systems then transfer and make repairs on the old stuff. Best of luck

 

[Amaroq]

I use the same brand stand for my 40B stacked system as a display/sump combo, though I beefed mine up slightly by opting to have a shorter stand without the vertical joiners on the posts and by using the rest of the provided braces to make it reinforced enough for it to not budge before I put the display on top. Even with that I'm currently planning to buy a larger 48x18 wrought iron stand to hide all my reef stuff inside the stand as I just don't trust the longevity of my edsal stand. Personally I would ASAP drain that top display at minimum, then use the braces from that upper half to reinforce that lower stand. I'd even wager the lower sump stand could have more life left in it once that top tank is off if you enjoy living on the edge haha In my experience with these shelves when properly set up they can safely hold a FW system a long time, but with SW just being so harsh on metals, they just don't offer me as much peace of mind. Even the sturdier LFS wrought iron stands rust out eventually if you aren't careful, though they do feel safer still somehow IMO.