125 Gallon Reef Tank Stand Question

[raschafer]

Hello everyone,

I am currently setting up a new 125 gallon reef tank and I am currently in the process of building my stand. The wall the tank will be going on requires the stand to be as narrow as possible & the bottom cabinet has be to able to fit a 12 3/4 wide sump. In these attached pictures you can see that I have 4 2X6's in the back along with 3 1X6's in the front. My questions is whether or not I should be concerned about the 1X6's in the front with supporting the weight. Does anybody have any expertise with this? I would greatly appreciate any information you could provide.

Thanks​

 

[TheKraken]

Yeah,

A stand is the delicate art of stacking wood. The vertical supports should work by compression with fasteners to keep them in place.

This is the inside corner of my workbench tank.

The bottom is made of 2x4 on ends. My preference now is to use several 2x4 sideways as the base with a plywood board on top. I paint to add some water proofing for spills. This detail is hidden in my other stand...

The verticals are stacked and pinned with pocket screws (they are flush) and the corners are "L" shaped with the verticals screwed together. I do not use a "nailing board" here as recommended on most forums.

Please note that his design is great for weight but do little for "racking" or a sideways motion. The plywood you see as the skin is structural and something you should have in your build. You can have a tank with 2x4 alone (with some diagonals) and you can have plywood alone (or even acrylic!) If you build a 2x4 base for weight and plywood for racking you should be golden.

My tanks are 24" wide and the tray is that minus 2x "2 inch" lumber which is closer to 1.5". If you have an 18" wide tank* you would have 18-3" or 15 inches for your sump.

* an acrylic tank needs a solid top and would be 18". A glass tank with frame has ~ and extra 1/8" or so. Measure first.

 

[DonW]

Unfortunately there are some issues with your stand the way it sits. Building an aquarium stand is less about the material being used and more about the joinery and assembly. Material does play a part but material choice is more about dimensional stability. A 72 x 18 stand has the potential interior dimension of about 71.5 x 17.5.
If you can give some additional information as to how you intended to finish off the exterior and door layout I can steer you in the right direction.

 

[Somethings Fishy]

This is the route i went, i i also put plywood on back to try and capture any chance of wiggle(left room fore wiring and plumbing). hope this helps, Good luck!

 

[DonW]

With these stands you really don't need all the overkill especially with a 125. The 2x frame is generally going to be skinned and for the most part only provides a means of Joinery for those that don't have the equipment to join plywood. Plywood alone without a frame is plenty strong enough for a 125 so all your trying to accomplish is a means of joinery.

This type of stand with no framework or face frames is plenty strong enough for a 125. The less framework the more interior room and interior interference for drilling holes.

 

[Peppie]

I wouldnt use that stand as pictured. Do Not rely on mech. fasteners to carry the weight of an aquarium.