For those with wooden or homemade stands for 55+ aquariums

[FishyFishy89]

I finally found out what I want for xmas, a full hood for my 75 gallon. And my husband is terribly afraid that something would happen and not only the fish will be harmed but the water could possibly leak and damage our downstairs neighbors' items.

Anyone with personal experience willing to put my husband's nerves at rest?

Spank y'all!!!

[tromboneplaya]

My sister-in-law has her 55 gallon on a wooden stand and has had no issues with it.....she got it at petco I believe. So I would say if you found a nice wooden stand that you like go for it....it should be just fine!

[finnfinnfriend]

Yeah I'm sure any stand made for that size tank would be fine :)

[rafa2k]

Are you looking for a hood or a stand? I don't see how a hood would cause a leak. I don't see how a stand would for that matter. Is he worried about the weight of it all coming through the floor? If that's the case there are a couple things you can do to alleviate the worry.

1- place the aquarium where 2 walls meet, there is extra support from the framing at those 4 points
2- get a piece of plywood and place it under the aquarium stand. This will distribute the pressure from the weight across the entire length and width of the plywood as opposed to the pressure points created by the stand.

Hope that helps

[FishyFishy89]

No I WANT a hood for the tank for xmas. When I told hubby that he then splurged to me why he kept putting off making my tank's hood.
Which in turn made me very frustrated because he promised he would make the hood this year.

He's worried about that slim chance that either the tank or the stand will break which will cause some serious damage either way.

[FishyFishy89]

Originally Posted by tromboneplaya

My sister-in-law has her 55 gallon on a wooden stand and has had no issues with it.....she got it at petco I believe. So I would say if you found a nice wooden stand that you like go for it....it should be just fine!

Makes me feel a bit better because Petco stands are actually lower quality than the homemade stand I have. Thinner wood and smaller screws/nails.

[rafa2k]

Originally Posted by FishyFishy89

No I WANT a hood for the tank for xmas. When I told hubby that he then splurged to me why he kept putting off making my tank's hood.
Which in turn made me very frustrated because he promised he would make the hood this year.

He's worried about that slim chance that either the tank or the stand will break which will cause some serious damage either way.

If the crappy stands they sell at petco can withstand a hood, then your home made one should too.

[FishyFishy89]

You don't get it.
WATER is what my husband is worried about. Not the extra weight the hood could add.

[SinX7]

I asked the same thingo n TFK chat, and they said, its a lot better to do a homemade (DIY) stand for those larger tanks. They also said, if you need help, you can go ask your LFS for advice on how to properly build them, or go on TFK and ask them. It way better then those at the petsmart/petco. Use strong wood and proper screws, etc would be a lot safer and have a better piece of mind. You can also use your own colors, decors, etc! xD Also its a good project you two can do together!

[Kithy]

Be absolutely sure the stand will hold the weight of your tank. One gallon is about 8 lbs and you have gravel, decor, lights, hoods, etc etc.

I would fill the tank up with everything but the fish and let it sit for a few days to see if it can support it, if you have time/space.