DIY Stand builders...please help

[quikv6]

I am planning to build a new stand for an 8x2x2 240 gallon that I purchased used. (The stand it came with scares me a bit...I may post another thread about beefing it up).

If building a new stand, I'd like to use 2x6's using Joey DIY method, and make it 32" tall, with the platforms being long 2x6's, and a 3/4 plywood top. My question is:

Is it safe to have a single middle vertical 2x6 support in the front....keeping a wide ( roughly 3.5 foot) opening on each side. I would prefer this rather than having a vertical beam every 2 feet, or even having 2 beams (and no middle), thus breaking the front into thirds.

I am planning to do a 2x6 every 2 feet in the rear, breaking it into 4 sections.

Many thanks in advance. I am far from being a carpenter, and have only built one stand before....for double 20 longs. Big difference. Thank you.

 

[Rob909]

I think you’ll be VERY over built with 2x6 and 3/4” ply. I built a stand for the same dimensions in April 2022 out of 2x4 and 1/2” ply. The only difference is the stand sits right at 39” tall, so the top of the display is 63”tall. It’s extremely heavy for a stand, but still holding extremely solid today. With the two 2x4 uprights in the center, you’ll have a bit larger access than two 2x6, but you could very well sub a 2x6 in on your 2x4 stand, giving you the 2 huge access ports you’re looking for.

Built the way I did, I had an issue getting my sump under, so I ended up cutting an access out of the side and putting it in from there. Add another door there and you’re good to go.
I have no issue at all maintaining my sump with the two uprights this stand has.

 

[quikv6]

Thank you. That is EXTEREMELY helpful. I think I might do exactly what you did (3 compartments in front and back), and use 2x6's. It will be filtered with 3 Fx6s for now, so that should perfectly accommodate that. I suppose I can live with that symmetry verses the single center support. your stand looks great, by the way. Thanks again

 

[jjohnwm]

I've built a number of stands for 8x2x3-foot tanks all on the same plan. I use 2x6's for the horizontal elements of the top, and 2x4's for everything else. Four corner columns of pairs of laminated 2x4, and a single vertical 2x4 column in the center of both the front and the back. 3/4-inch plywood top. Stands built like this are bulletproof and have never failed after many years of use, and I'm sure are way stronger than required. I'm dead positive that even the center supports aren't required...but I'm a creature of habit, and also a belt'n'suspenders kind of guy...

 

[fishguy1978]

I have built platforms for 115-260g tanks. I have removed the center pier from under the 220g so that I could place a sump.
DIY Stands
Sagulator use this to figure out how much weight your horizontal members can support.

 

[quikv6]

Thanks fishguy1978. It wasn't so much as the weight, but the span without a vertical support, that I was worried about. I'll check out that sagulator. Thanks perfect...thank you

 

[quikv6]

... and I forgot to thank jjohnwm for your input. That makes me feel alot better about just doing a single 2x6 vertical center support, which was my ultimate ideal.

Thanks to all.