Aquarium stand - rustic (aka cheap!)

[disquatic]

I'd have to get the carpet and underlay (which is heavily stapled if I remember the carpet fitters correctly) up to get into the trapdoor to the underworld. It's an old house and the floorboards (real wood!) are pretty solid. Not sure where the joists are but there's only one place the tank can go so I think I'm just going to have to suck it and see - it should be fine. Famous last words!

As for polystyrene the manufacturer forbids it -

2. Should I place anything between the Aquarium and cabinet?

NO. The JUWEL aquarium includes a safety base frame which ensures an even distribution of the weight. The use of any support material between the aquarium and cabinet will invalidate your guarantee.

 

[Ransoman]

Looks great. Well done

 

[paulrockliffe]

I'd be more worried about the floor from the weight of all that wood than the water! Looks great!

Wasn't aware that they had clever bases now, so do as the manufacturer tells you. Though if there's a problem, surely they're just going to claim your top wasn't flat enough so it's your fault?

 

[sunnybob]

I'm a newbie with wood, but have professional experience of aquariums.

If the tank has a metal frame, then fine, let the metal frame rest on the wood.
If the glass is to rest on the wood, there is a very serious risk of the glass cracking.
Glass has amazing strength when being stretched, but almost none when being rested on a point.
I have known many tanks crack for either of the following reasons;
no polystyrene underneath, which allows any minute piece of grit to take the entire weight of water and tank. the base will crack disastrously.

A completely flat and level layer of polystyrene, the full length and width of the tank. What happens here is the polystyrene compresses on the edges, but is unable to compress in the middle, causing the base to bow and eventually crack when you place that one last rock in position.

The safest way to support a tank is with strips of polystyrene approx 6" wide, the full width of the tank, but with 1" gaps between each piece.
Its easy to cover the unsightly poly and gaps with edging strip.

 

[disquatic]

Yes, there is a metal frame around the base. Surprised by how "flimsy" it seems really - it's only 15mm wide all round the edge and that's it, no cross supports or anything. But I did a leak test when it was delivered, on my garage table, and it was fine. Bit worried that the surface wont be perfectly flat, but my garage table wasn't either, before I even thought about it, so hopefully there's some leeway in there. If not I'll need to buy a mop!

 

[sunnybob]

Glass aquariums are immensely strong provided the glass is not twisted, or rested on a sharp point like a piece of grit. The metal frame in your case literally just protects the edges from chips.
I have made 6ft x 18" x 18" all glass tanks many times. The biggest I sold was 8 ft long x 2 ft square, made of 1/2" plate glass with no frame at all.

Do your best to get the base level corner to corner. If the base twists while filling, youre likely to have a nasty incident.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

A completely flat and level layer of polystyrene, the full length and width of the tank. What happens here is the polystyrene compresses on the edges, but is unable to compress in the middle, causing the base to bow and eventually crack when you place that one last rock in position.

The safest way to support a tank is with strips of polystyrene approx 6" wide, the full width of the tank, but with 1" gaps between each piece.
Its easy to cover the unsightly poly and gaps with edging strip.

There doesn't seem to be a grain of logic here - why would a six inch strip compress differently to a sheet? The pounds per square inch would be near as a damn the same. Of course the polystyrene would compress differently in places - that's why it's there.

 

[No skills]

Some interesting theory going on here :shock:
As OP has said, If the tank manufacturers say put nothing between the tank and stand then follow suit or loose guarantee.
Other than that make sure your tank stand top is as flat and level as possible with no grit or projections, cover with polystyrene and place the tank. If the tank has much warp to the glass bottom then take it back and get a refund, not fit for purpose.
As for the polystyrene, lots of people (including me sometimes) end up using jablite and similar - this stuff doesn't compress a huge amount as a lot of it is designed to go into concrete floor slabs.
If you want something a little softer then try and get hold of some polystyrene ceiling tiles (do they make them still??), their nice and soft - I used to glue a layer on the tank bottom and a layer on the stand, this also makes for easy tank positioning on the stand.

I spose I best add YMMV etc etc but I've had more tanks of various shapes and sizes than I can shake my privates at and never had a failure. No money for any tanks these days

 

[sunnybob]

A completely flat and level layer of polystyrene, the full length and width of the tank. What happens here is the polystyrene compresses on the edges, but is unable to compress in the middle, causing the base to bow and eventually crack when you place that one last rock in position.

The safest way to support a tank is with strips of polystyrene approx 6" wide, the full width of the tank, but with 1" gaps between each piece.
Its easy to cover the unsightly poly and gaps with edging strip.

There doesn't seem to be a grain of logic here - why would a six inch strip compress differently to a sheet? The pounds per square inch would be near as a damn the same. Of course the polystyrene would compress differently in places - that's why it's there.

You can try the test yourself, or search the internet.

On a 2 or 3 ft tank, of 15" high, the effect is negligable. But when you get to 50 gallons or more, the weight is huge. 100 gallons is is 426 lbs.

polystyrene compresses, but its a closed bubble foam which compresses outwards. A small piece of polystyrene spreads under load.
A large piece of polystyrene tries to spread, but it can only do so from the edges. the middle has nowhere to go. so the edges drop, the centre doesnt. That produces a curved surface. The whole weight of water and glass is then focused on the dropped edges of the tank base glass.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I take your point. (By the bye a gallon isn't 4.26lbs )

 

[sunnybob]

There, thats what I get for using an online converter late at night. It must have used american gallons and I didnt notice.
1 gall = 6.25 lbs.
Which makes the support base even more important.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I gallon equals 10lbs. 6.25 gallons to the cubic foot.

 

[No skills]

Salt water or fresh

 

[sunnybob]

I gallon equals 10lbs. 6.25 gallons to the cubic foot.

oh crap, I'm gonna quit while I can.
I used to do this for a living, but it was 25 years ago. (hammer) (hammer)

 

[Roughcut]

I tend to use the metric system generally.
Example 1 ltr of water = 1kg in weight

 

[pennardesign]

Looks good for a 'retro style' hope it serves you well

 

[disquatic]

Not sure what I started there, but what is this gallon, pounds and cubic feet you speak of? :wink:

I do know that I bought 25Kg of rocks, 15kg of sand and 15kg of aquatic soil so before I even put in any water I have over 50kg in there! Of course that will replace some of the 180litre volume that would have been water. Actually, I probably won't use all of that so a touch less.

I'm a bit concerned about the flatness of the top surface now - I know it's relatively flat but it won't be perfect. So I have some 6mm hardwood ply that I will probably cap the unit with. I also have some dense veneered chipboard that was part of a dining table but it's probably overkill - about 20mm I think. And it would be in 2 pieces which kind of defeats the purpose a bit.

It'll be fine! (hammer) :?