5' Acrylic Aquarium on 6' Stand

[amazontank]

I was hoping someone could help me can I put a 5' aquarium on a 6' stand without any worries?
Should I place a 6' piece of plywood ontop to support the whole tank?


I have a 110 gallon 5'X18"X24" Acrylic fish tank and found a nice stand that is 6'X18" supposedly made of Oak but even if it was not Oak it looks like a decent stand. It comes with a used glass Aquarium that I just would sell since I dont want to risk a glass tank.

 

[amazontank]

Here is the stand it looks like there is no top from the pic....

 

[aotechs]

It could be done. Reinforce the stand 6" from each side with 2"x4" to support the tank perimeter. Support the additional braces with another piece of wood running to the floor. A layer of plywood on top will finish off the look and secure all pieces together. If you think ahead and use some brackets inside of the stand only, it could be reversible if you upgrade tanks.

 

[aotechs]

Forgot to mention, add one or two braces to support the middle of the tank as well since it is acrylic.

 

[amazontank]

Can't I just add 1 piece of very thick oak/plywood board 6'X18" across the whole top of the stand and maybe even add another tank that was 12"X18"X24" next to my 5' tank? Then I can even use the canopy to cover both tanks that would be flushed together?

Am I missing something here with the schematics?

 

[aotechs]

It will bow and cause problems. If you want two tanks, lay 2" x 4" across the entire stand front to back and lay a sheet of plywood over it. You're then free to do whatever you want (assuming it is reinforced within the stand).

 

[amazontank]

Then this pretty much all needs to be done because the tank is acrylic?
Since the stock setup is glass and stands are made different for glass?

 

[aotechs]

Glass tanks are supported on the perimeter and can have open areas. Acrylic tanks must be fully supported. All stands must be square/true otherwise leaks could develop over time.

Your 110 gallon aquarium will tip the scales ~1200lbs when full. I wouldn't gamble with an insufficient stand.

 

[amazontank]

Thanks again buddy for all the advice.
I am thinking of doing a cinder block stand and been reading up on that now!

 

[Dloks]

Thanks again buddy for all the advice.
I am thinking of doing a cinder block stand and been reading up on that now!

Be careful with cinderblocks like the guy previous mentioned. Unsupported unacrylic tank will lead to a inevitable leak. Speaking from experience I did the glass method a couple years back on a acrylic tank (only supporting the 4 corners) came home from work with 6 dead piranhas and about 150 gallons of water on the floor with a burnt pump couple seconds away from burning.