# Brand of tank stand



## pdoyle2 (Sep 17, 2009)

So I've been looking around online for tank stands for my 55 gallon and am not impressed or feel comfortable with the ones i like due to customer reviews. Any brand that you guys think is good and has been proven?


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

over all others i prefer lohachata tank stands...they ain't as pretty ; but they are much much stronger...


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## AquariumTech (Oct 12, 2010)

Thats something I would go to a good LFS for, not just because of shipping, but that way I can inspect it in person. A good 55G stand shouldnt be all that hard to come by at a good LFS.


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## snyderguy (Feb 9, 2010)

Wouldn't it be cheaper building your own stand? Is there a post for how to do this?


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I like iron stands. You get more room to work on the bottom tank with metal than with wood or particle board. If you want pretty, there is usually a cabinet maker or 2 in every area that will make a lovely stand at custom cabinetry prices.


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

I've had almost every type of stand in the past.

Pressed board - Only buy these as a last resort, and ONLY if they are designed for aquariums. Ones designed for aquariums are painted with a water proof paint that will keep the stand from collapsing. Even still, these are very cheap, and aquariums are very heavy.

Wood stands - These look nice and are very strong. The only downside to these is that they are usually very expensive. You can buy these either as an aquarium stand, or from a cabinet maker who designed it to be strong enough for an aquarium. This is what I currently have my 100 gallon tank on.

Iron stands - Very strong, and well built. The downside to these is that they don't really look that good in most homes, and they don't have storage under them. You can also see the cords hang down from behind them. You can find these at almost any pet store, or even Walmart.

Specialty stands - Some aquariums need a stand built for their style. For example, a bowfront, or a BioCube. We have a 29 gallon BioCube, and we bought the BioCube stand. It is made out of painted wood, and it is pretty well designed. The nice thing about these stands is that they will be designed to look very good with the aquarium, since they are designed for a specific aquarium. Be sure to look at the quality of the stand though.

Homemade - One of the cheapest options out there. It's really not hard to build a stand, and there are plans out there for how to make them. The cost will depend on the type of wood you use, and how big the tank is. The nice thing about this is you control everything. The height, look, and strength. You can rest assured that it is strong, because you know exactly how it was built. I built my own stand for a 40 gallon long tank. I built the stand to be exactly as high as my bed. The tank was already the same width of my bed, so I built a 40 gallon headboard for my bedroom. It was one of my favorite tanks.

Pre-existing furniture - A lot of furniture is already strong enough to hold an aquarium. You just have to make sure it is. Sometimes furniture is made with really small nails, not designed to hold a lot of weight. Really good furniture is usually made at a higher quality and will use big solid pieces of wood, and will be able to hold a ton of weight. This is all up to you to investigate.


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## iheartfish:) (Jan 19, 2011)

Haha, with my new 29 I really didn't want to buy a stand, so I found an end table that we had. I decided to test it though, and sat on it. It started creaking, so I got my mom to sit on it with me. There was a fairly loud cracking sound, and I decided that I would just buy that darn stand


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## Kimberly (Jan 22, 2012)

iheartfish:) said:


> Haha, with my new 29 I really didn't want to buy a stand, so I found an end table that we had. I decided to test it though, and sat on it. It started creaking, so I got my mom to sit on it with me. There was a fairly loud cracking sound, and I decided that I would just buy that darn stand


Haha! This is what i did too when i re-set up my 20 gallon for my fry tank. We had a piece of furniture in the living room that I thought would look nice. So I went and sat on it to be sure it would hold the weight of the tank.

Better it break with me on it then my fish tank!


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

i built a stand to fit 2 tanks using 2 2x6's and a few 2x4's...
the lower tank sits on 2x4s and is a 125...the upper tank sits on 2x6s and is a 135...
it is simple , functional and strong...all i need it to be


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

iheartfish:) said:


> Haha, with my new 29 I really didn't want to buy a stand, so I found an end table that we had. I decided to test it though, and sat on it. It started creaking, so I got my mom to sit on it with me. There was a fairly loud cracking sound, and I decided that I would just buy that darn stand


If you buy new furniture, it should have a weight rating on the box. For old furniture, look for a sticker on the bottom side of it to look for weight rating.


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## hXcChic22 (Dec 26, 2009)

I can say from experience that those "cubical" storage systems that you can buy at Target are good for putting fish tanks on them. We have four individuals stacked (2x2) that are holding a 37 gallon with no issues. I would be very surprised if you wouldn't be able to put a 55 on them, if you had enough to fit it on them without hanging over - I'm not certain of a 55's footprint other than that it's 4 feet long. 

We also have one of the 3x3 ones holding a 20 long - it's just a little longer than the tank so you have some room to put stuff on one side. And our 40 breeder is on a solid wooden dresser with no problems.


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## snyderguy (Feb 9, 2010)

Something like this???

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&qe=bWV0YWwgc2hlbHZp&qesig=LX_KUJk3Aw5q8kqFF6ydOQ&pkc=AFgZ2tlPqLy1ohUNRbfGLnt41sKpQ-nfW9Bp7eNQx2UTQoMqC6qje2wLwQPrN48b56mQvZimknAAP6qv1ZbDlWyE2SlmvQALIA&cp=12&gs_id=1a&xhr=t&q=metal+shelving&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=1238&bih=582&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=15875956605145170775&sa=X&ei=1x1ET6LSGYaFsAKg_O3CDw&sqi=2&ved=0CIcBEPICMAA#ps-sellers


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

snyderguy said:


> Something like this???
> 
> http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&qe=bWV0YWwgc2hlbHZp&qesig=LX_KUJk3Aw5q8kqFF6ydOQ&pkc=AFgZ2tlPqLy1ohUNRbfGLnt41sKpQ-nfW9Bp7eNQx2UTQoMqC6qje2wLwQPrN48b56mQvZimknAAP6qv1ZbDlWyE2SlmvQALIA&cp=12&gs_id=1a&xhr=t&q=metal+shelving&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=1238&bih=582&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=15875956605145170775&sa=X&ei=1x1ET6LSGYaFsAKg_O3CDw&sqi=2&ved=0CIcBEPICMAA#ps-sellers


I think she means something more like this.
http://www.amazon.com/Way-Basics-Modular-Organization-Espresso/dp/B002C1AX9S


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## snyderguy (Feb 9, 2010)

hmm.. not sure. Do you think one like I posted would be sturdy enough?


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

snyderguy said:


> hmm.. not sure. Do you think one like I posted would be sturdy enough?


Yes


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## S-hag (Jan 8, 2012)

I bought a wooden stand at my local fish store for my 29 gallon. It was $150, but totally worth it. It's extremely strong and looks great.


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## hXcChic22 (Dec 26, 2009)

bmlbytes said:


> I think she means something more like this.
> http://www.amazon.com/Way-Basics-Modular-Organization-Espresso/dp/B002C1AX9S


Yep. 

http://www.target.com/p/ClosetMaid-9-Cube-Organizer-White/-/A-562700

http://www.target.com/p/ClosetMaid-Cubeicals-2-Cube-Organizer-Espresso/-/A-12193108


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## Mikaila31 (Nov 29, 2009)

I would build a stand, use random furniture, or buy a used stand. Last thing I would do would to by a brand new stand from a shop. A lot of shop stands I see these days look so badly made. There is a lot of press board out there. The stuff works, but with the price tags they put on them its crazy.









This is a 55 gallon stand my dad built around 12 years ago. I still use it to this day. Its been in use since it was built and still looks better then most shop stands I see. My only issue with it is I need to restain it some day to a darker wood color so it matches the rest of my furniture. Its an open top, closed bottom stand. Has no shelves, but I keep saying I will add some one day.....









This is a pressboard stand I use for a 20H. I don't care for these stands as their construction is really cheap. I only got this one because it was used for $20 and cost the same as the glass tank. I still had to put the two custom selves in it. Its a closed top and open bottom stand.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

The pressboard stands are fine until they get wet or hang out in humid area for a long time. I have a few that are 20 years old. Usually the ones in bad shape are the ones someone used with an uncovered sump. But one flood can ruin them if they end up standing in a few inches of water for any length of time. And you can't make them look new with paint like you can wood and iron. For any stand, check for leaks, drips, oozes, etc. frequently and wipe up spillspromptly.


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## S-hag (Jan 8, 2012)

Mikaila31 said:


> Last thing I would do would to by a brand new stand from a shop. A lot of shop stands I see these days look so badly made. There is a lot of press board out there. The stuff works, but with the price tags they put on them its crazy.


Don't just absolutely say don't buy a stand from the store. Go and look first. It sounds like you've purchased store stands before and weren't pleased. But the their experience may be much better than yours. You should consider all your options. Go to your local fish store and look at their stands, if you feel like they're overpriced or poor quality then make your own. Just don't automatically eliminate buying a stand as an option. 










I purchased this stand from my local fish store. It might have been overpriced, but it's extremely strong and looks great with my tank. I'm not saying you should buy one, just go to the store and look what they have.


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## Mikaila31 (Nov 29, 2009)

I'm saying I absolutely would not buy a stand from a pet store. I never have and never plan to. I've never seen a store sell any stand for a decent price. I DIY half my equipment as it is. I could build a nice wooden stand for easily 1/2 the cost of getting a shop stand. The stand I build would also be exactly how I want it. Only premade stands I use are used stands I buy through my local aquarium club. I don't buy much of anything from shops these days only if I have store credit to burn up. Fish and tanks I normally get from my local club auctions for super cheap. Really necessary supplies like dechlor and fertilizers I order online, along with the occasional lightbulbs, CO2 diffusers, and fish. 

Shops are nice, but they are just so over priced or don't carry half the stuff I need. I do a ton of DIY though.... mostly to keep costs down on the tanks. I'd go broke otherwise:-(

One thing I like about my 55 gallons stand is he coated it in urethane so its really water resistant. The pressboard stand just has weak veneer on it. The edges of the door are actually a fake wood plastic.


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