Where to find aquarium stands that won't break the bank
- Thread starter jvc66
- Start date
-
- Tags
- 125 gallon stand
Sorry, didn't see this one. Yes, routine maintenance, scaping, plecos, and the occasional flying hot wheels car. I've never personally drilled a glass tank, but I plan to. Doesn't look too hard, and I'm going to practice on some cheap glass panes from home depot first.
I drilled five holes in my 220.
I used the template that came with my H2Overflows and ran the hose over it lightly. Three 1.5" bulkheads and two 3/4" bulkheads. The whole process took me several hours but I went really slow and easy. It was 15mm glass. I wouldn't hesitate to do it again.
I used the template that came with my H2Overflows and ran the hose over it lightly. Three 1.5" bulkheads and two 3/4" bulkheads. The whole process took me several hours but I went really slow and easy. It was 15mm glass. I wouldn't hesitate to do it again.
I have built a number of stands over the years, for similar size tanks (6ft) and (as stated ) with a cost around $50. I usually go to a lumber yard and have them cut boards to size, and
tend to overbuild a bit.
tend to overbuild a bit.
I'd have to agree with everyone else... although you originally posted you didn't want to build, I think it's your best bet. You can customize the height, add horizontal 2x4's to the supporting vertical 2x4s to create your own shelving where you want, etc - the advantages are endless
I built my stand for my 6' tank for $20, yes $20. Granted, it's bare bones bc I was just excited to get the stand home and put the tank on it, but if you've got the space and a drill, you won't regret it. Home Depot employees should be able to cut any lengths of lumber or sheets of plywood to a requested length - by should, I mean they are told by management they have the ability to for a customer, it's just a matter of whether or not they know the code for the drill/table and are willing to help...
Also, as far as drilling glass is concerned, obviously make sure it is not tempered glass. If not, it's very simple:
I drilled a hole in the flat surface of a Goldschlager bottle (i'll give you one good guess as to why
) and it was very simple. Granted, it's not the same as drilling a couple hundred dollars worth of glass, but same concept...
You could build a template similar to what Fish Tank Travis posted to prevent the drill from "walking", or you could tape the area you're drilling with duct tape or gorilla tape to prevent the drill from walking. Obviously you want to use a diamond drill bit, and have *room temperature* water running on the spot you're drilling, while drilling very slowly lightly putting pressure on the bit. You don't want ice cold water or you'll run the risk of cracking the glass as it heats up from the friction. Once done, remove the tape and wipe it down with a little alcohol, then simply rinse a few times and add your hardware
I built my stand for my 6' tank for $20, yes $20. Granted, it's bare bones bc I was just excited to get the stand home and put the tank on it, but if you've got the space and a drill, you won't regret it. Home Depot employees should be able to cut any lengths of lumber or sheets of plywood to a requested length - by should, I mean they are told by management they have the ability to for a customer, it's just a matter of whether or not they know the code for the drill/table and are willing to help...
Also, as far as drilling glass is concerned, obviously make sure it is not tempered glass. If not, it's very simple:
I drilled a hole in the flat surface of a Goldschlager bottle (i'll give you one good guess as to why
) and it was very simple. Granted, it's not the same as drilling a couple hundred dollars worth of glass, but same concept...You could build a template similar to what Fish Tank Travis posted to prevent the drill from "walking", or you could tape the area you're drilling with duct tape or gorilla tape to prevent the drill from walking. Obviously you want to use a diamond drill bit, and have *room temperature* water running on the spot you're drilling, while drilling very slowly lightly putting pressure on the bit. You don't want ice cold water or you'll run the risk of cracking the glass as it heats up from the friction. Once done, remove the tape and wipe it down with a little alcohol, then simply rinse a few times and add your hardware
I will say that if you drill the glass tank, it will be better to start drilling on one side, go halfway, and then finish from the other side. This should avoid the chips around the edges like my tank has. They're still functional as shown in my picture, just not as nice looking.
Luckily I wont have flying hot wheels cars for another couple years! But I will start to look into it now on drilling glass
I am just more nervous of shattering a $700 investment lol. Do you like those overflows? I was initially thinking about doing something like the synergy overflow to minimize and obtrusion's into the tank?
Building the stand really seems like the way to go. I have been thinking about it for the last day on how I would want to construct it since it would be going in a prominent area in the house so it would need to look good. Thinking about just doing normal framing and then having some sort of removable wainscoting fascia that wraps the exterior of the framing to make it presentable? Thoughts?I'd have to agree with everyone else... although you originally posted you didn't want to build, I think it's your best bet. You can customize the height, add horizontal 2x4's to the supporting vertical 2x4s to create your own shelving where you want, etc - the advantages are endless
I built my stand for my 6' tank for $20, yes $20. Granted, it's bare bones bc I was just excited to get the stand home and put the tank on it, but if you've got the space and a drill, you won't regret it. Home Depot employees should be able to cut any lengths of lumber or sheets of plywood to a requested length - by should, I mean they are told by management they have the ability to for a customer, it's just a matter of whether or not they know the code for the drill/table and are willing to help...
View attachment 1227574
View attachment 1227575
Also, as far as drilling glass is concerned, obviously make sure it is not tempered glass. If not, it's very simple:
I drilled a hole in the flat surface of a Goldschlager bottle (i'll give you one good guess as to why
You could build a template similar to what Fish Tank Travis posted to prevent the drill from "walking", or you could tape the area you're drilling with duct tape or gorilla tape to prevent the drill from walking. Obviously you want to use a diamond drill bit, and have *room temperature* water running on the spot you're drilling, while drilling very slowly lightly putting pressure on the bit. You don't want ice cold water or you'll run the risk of cracking the glass as it heats up from the friction. Once done, remove the tape and wipe it down with a little alcohol, then simply rinse a few times and add your hardware
Wrapping the frame with the wainscoting fascia is ok I didn't wrap my stand just stained it because it was for a 180 gallon and in my basement.
