Aquarium Stand Plan

I made a built in bar with a 55 gallon aquarium in it. I did not have a plan but what I used worked fine. I basically made 2 frames out of 2×6’s ( like I was studding in a wall) and then fasten them together. There was plenty of room between the uprights for cabinets and shelving. I used 5 uprights. I did not really realize how heavy all that water was. After doing a little figuring, I decided over building was better. hope this helps.

Well now you have to show us some pics :)

i used to build a lot of tank stands years ago . i sold them thru a pet store . heres one i built for myself .
the case is ash with a walnut stripes as ash dosent mind the moisture as much as oak , the base is oak .
sorry about the corner the pic got wet some years back its the only one i have left. its 55 gal.

im sure i have pics of more ill try to hunt some down for ya

Thanks mrtrim, any structural tips and/or measurements would be appreciated as well.

wow your testin me now bro ! i think i built this back about 1981 0r 2 . so facts are certainly out but il tell you what i remember . first ill say im not sure i should recomend caseing the top in like i did . i did this one for my self as an experiment to see if it would work . i got away with it , maybe i was just lucky. the case was open on bottom ,back and top the support for the tank was 1 1/2 thick by about 2 in wide ash . you can see where i screwed and plugged the case to it . the size was determined by the tank id say i left it about 3 / 16 larger so the tank would slide in and out when needed . the cab. was about 20 in wide and 1 1/2 in thick solid oak with 1/4 in ply back , the door was 3/4 solid oak with 3/8 lap . the bottom you cant see was just a 1 1/2 in thick flat solid oak , that was slightly larger than the footprint of the tank case . thats about all i can think of to offer ya . i did two of these , one with the case on the tank one without . i searched my pc for more pics but cant find any . ill see if i can find some to scan in for ya this weekend . i never built one like tis for anyone as i didnt feel comfotable to have it in someones home . i was real careful not to slop water between the case and the tank . if it warped just a little youd get a free carpet cleaning ! lol

Years ago, I bought a bathroom vanity from a salvage center, gave it a fresh paint job, and added a limonite counter top I got at HD. It was sturdy, inexpensive and gave me plenty of storage. I plumbed my pumps and filter into the cabinet which cut down on the clutter and noise.

-- Todd, Richfield MN

ok , i found some pics , this is the same w/o the tank cased in . the orange carpet is still offensive !! lol

heres another that i wish i had better pics as it was one of my fav.ones . it was sold right off the drawing and picked up from my shop and i never saw it again . the pics were terrible its 55 gal.

w/ doors closed

heres a 20 gal. in red birch

thats about all i could find for now . sorry i dont have much in they way of sizes , but you can mes. some tanks and go by that . hope it helps you some

take a look at this website: www.reefcentral.com….do a search for stands, or just browse around thru the DIY forums….DIY is big for aquarium owners, there is a lot of material in there.

-- "Democracy is by far the worst system of government. Except all the others that have been tried." ~ Winston Churchill