# 36 " diy stand



## tom g (Jul 8, 2009)

hey there thought id post some pics of the stand i built during the summer its not complete yet . still not sure how to finish off the doors . but its pretty solid tank stand , when tank and sump are in place will add a few extra braces in middle of stand . the stand will have an access door on the side as well as the front for accessing the sump . there is room under the stand for a 30 gal long tank . will keep u updated as i get the equipment , so far the tank i have for a sump , sump in progress.
please feel free to critique but not too much i did work hard on this .
cheers
tom


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## TAL (Aug 12, 2011)

don't bother adding any more bracing. Thats more than strong enough. Wood is stronger than you realize.


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## JayPetro (Feb 8, 2012)

Maybe add a couple small magnets to the to and bottom of the doors to keep em shut. Looks good though, I don't think you need more bracing either...


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## tom g (Jul 8, 2009)

*stand*

yes i know its pretty sturdy stand it would be more jsut for piece of mind , i left it out on purpose till i figured out how to place the sump and stuff.
as for the doors i did see someone build a similar panel with magnets but there feed back on it was that it warped after some time due to the moisure and heat in the confined space . i think im leaning on 2 doors but as of now its gonna be a last thing i do after i fit and finish the tank and sump .
thanks again 
tom


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## Hon123 (Jan 30, 2010)

tom g said:


> yes i know its pretty sturdy stand it would be more jsut for piece of mind , i left it out on purpose till i figured out how to place the sump and stuff.
> as for the doors i did see someone build a similar panel with magnets but there feed back on it was that it warped after some time due to the moisure and heat in the confined space . i think im leaning on 2 doors but as of now its gonna be a last thing i do after i fit and finish the tank and sump .
> thanks again
> tom


for peace of mind you can add couple of 2x4s at the back and use plywood to wrap it up, it would give more support. also dont need any doors, lol, you would need open space for the moist problem.
i build my with 2x4s, its 72x24, holding 135gal and 90gal sump, no door.


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## tom g (Jul 8, 2009)

*stand*

hey there thank you yes i was thinking of that look as well as .i will have a refugium so i could use it as a display as well. thanks again you stand looks awesome as well.
cheers


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## TAL (Aug 12, 2011)

I vote you enclose it, looks so scattered and untidy otherwise. When I was building my stand I was also worried about moisture so I spent $25 and bought 2x computer fans and a Ac/dc adapter to vent the stand. It works perfectly. http://gtaaquaria.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37416


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## kuopan (Sep 6, 2010)

great job! i just finished building my first stand too.. the doors are such a hassle to do!


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## df001 (Nov 13, 2007)

Ambient humidity and any odd drips shouldnt be a huge issue if youve finished the cabinetry with a film type finish ie urethane. Id also suggest once youve urethaned, that you caulk all inside corners to prevent any moisture from getting at the unfinished edgegrain of the ply/wood


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## tom g (Jul 8, 2009)

*tank stand*

will doo ............. thanks for the advice .


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## 50seven (Feb 14, 2010)

df001 said:


> Ambient humidity and any odd drips shouldnt be a huge issue if youve finished the cabinetry with a film type finish ie urethane. Id also suggest once youve urethaned, that you caulk all inside corners to prevent any moisture from getting at the unfinished edgegrain of the ply/wood


+1. What he said. 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


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## gtafragger (Jul 27, 2012)

Looks good. I used almost the same design for the internals but I don't have 'sheet' board around it. I wrapped mine in tongue and groove board. It is definately strong enough. My 40 gallon sits on top of it and it weights anywhere from 150 to 300 pounds. Think about the common chair and how much it holds.(very weak looking) and then think about how strong the stand looks. It could probably hold up to 1000 pounds.


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## Ryan.Wilton (Dec 12, 2012)

lol fragger, brought this back from the dead did we?


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## tom g (Jul 8, 2009)

*???*

What do u mean ryan ,am I missing something


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## 50seven (Feb 14, 2010)

There's just been a few necro posts today...


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## Ryan.Wilton (Dec 12, 2012)

Originally post back is September... It's been resurrected lol


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## Merman (Nov 23, 2009)

*Stuck?*

Just my 5 cents - hope it helps.

Very well made stand, about ten times stronger than anything you'd pick up at Big A's. Good for you for adding vertical support for the horizontal frame that will be carrying the weight of your full tank.

Leave the back open - all the airflow you'll need. If you put two doors on you'e the only one that will know the back is open; not going to see the open back of your stand anyways - it's good for maintenance also..plugging/unplugging power cords, filter maintenance, etc.

Most large hardware stores (Rona, Home D) sell section of pine board about 3/4" thick as doors/panels of varying widths - you'll have to check them out they usually run from 2 to 3 ft. wide - cut them to length/hang with inside hinges (also at Rona), two per cupboard.

Before you get the doors though add another piece of wood in the very center of your stand running vertically (just as you've already done for each corner) and then put an additional piece on top of that so it acts as additional support for your tank (just as you've already done for your other vertical pieces....this last vert piece is then flush with the rest of the front of your stand...if you're worried about not being able to get your sump inside you could create a channel of some type and have a single sliding door..get some simple pine wooden handles.

I just want to suggest something regarding the aesthetics of your stand. Since you're using ply and simple woods I would suggest painting your stand with an interesting coloured flat good quality paint and put your wooden handles on - you could paint those also.

Get a caulking gun and fill in your nail holes and all surface imperfections, do a little sanding before painting

Hope it helps.


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