48" long Tank Support Points...

[Oldsalt]

Hello everybody,

The cabinet we are being offered for a 75g, 48" long tank has no support on the front, center section (only the thickness of the top panel, which is 3/4" thick).

I feel this will not support the center of the tank sufficiently.
Or am I wrong?

 

[Awol]

Pictures would help.

Depends on how the rest of the stand is put together. They may have designed it with some really heavy-duty materials.

 

[Oldsalt]

This is the best I can do for pics...Hope it helps.

 

[Hornet]

From the pic it looks like the tank/stand was used as a terrarium. A 75 gal saltwater aquarium can easily weigh over 700 pounds and that stand does not look like it can support the weight. The set-up was probably designed for just keeping reptiles and not a water filled tank. From the pics you posted I would not chance it.

 

[yote]

+1 Hornet
I doubt that stand would support the weight of 75 gallons of water.

 

[ndepratt]

a standard glass 75g tank filled with just water will weight 850lbs (http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/tipsandtables/l/bltanksize.htm)

imagine then all the rock and sand (heavier than water of course) as well the small amount of added weight in equipment and a canopy. If you are in doubt, don't do it. I would only feel comfortable if all four corners, as well as the entire base of the tank rested firmly on a solid base.

The last LFS i worked for had six 180 tanks above 12 90g cubes. One of the support columns holding a corner of one of the 180g tanks settled over 2 or 3 years, causing the front seam to break loose from the tank one busy saturday morning. Three days later, the tank sharing the same support column busted. Cracked clear across the back.

If you are unsure about how your tank sits, then you are inviting disaster. Constant uneven pressure on the glass or the seams will cause you problems down the road, and end up costing you a lot more money.

 

[Oldsalt]

Ach du scheise (English: @#!!!)...Your opinions matter more to me than you can imagine and I thank you all very much...The options of different LFS's is very limited in this country...I will have to either design & build my own, or get one made...I am learning patience before I can even order something...Oldsalt's gonna go nuts and flip-out if he ever sees fish this year.

 

[ndepratt]

I like the look of this easy to do stand: http://www.reeftime.com/diy-reef-projects/diy-aquarium-stands/build-diy-aquarium-stand/7.htm

Very well lined out... easy for a guy like me who has to outsource his stand building :P

 

[wontonflip]

You can also refer to garf's site for some specs, as well.

http://www.garf.org/Calculators/BuildStand_2.asp

We have a 6' 125g stand that we are going to build a stand for. We built one for the 45g, and it's pretty sturdy.

 

[Oldsalt]

I just made some nice drawings based on these cool websites you guys referred me to, and I just sent out a quote request to several cabinet makers (No tools or shop here)...I now have a much better feeling now about this new direction...Thanks everybody...