Aquarium and stand advise
Discussion
Thought I should start my own thread as opposed to continually off topic'ing the marine one.
So, what started out as a simple "Id like a fish tank", progressed into a "Id like a large cichlids tank", and is now at the "I want a 240 litre tank for multiple large tropical fish"
To that end I have found the Aquarium kit I want http://www.seapets.co.uk/products/aquarium-supplie... but my attempts to convince the missus that the admittedly cheap looking stands will do have failed.
So now it's turned into a "I want a 240 litre tank, and the missus wants a piece of solid wood dining room furniture to stand it on", so we are fast approaching the £1000 mark!! Especially when you add the inevitable "well the dining room table now doesn't match" that's bound to follow
I'll have to go along with it and see where it ends up now. Went to Aylesford aquatics and they have some amazing fish, really great shop, and they gave advice on the sorts of fish to keep together, which is wide ranging and should be really nice.
My concern is really around the chest of drawers we want to buy. It's solid wood, but my guess is the complete aquarium will weigh 300kg's, has anyone stood a large tank on not-made-for-purpose furniture? It looks solid but how solid are aquarium stands?
This is the piece: http://www.oakfurnitureland.co.uk/furniture/mantis...
Any opinions welcome
So, what started out as a simple "Id like a fish tank", progressed into a "Id like a large cichlids tank", and is now at the "I want a 240 litre tank for multiple large tropical fish"
To that end I have found the Aquarium kit I want http://www.seapets.co.uk/products/aquarium-supplie... but my attempts to convince the missus that the admittedly cheap looking stands will do have failed.
So now it's turned into a "I want a 240 litre tank, and the missus wants a piece of solid wood dining room furniture to stand it on", so we are fast approaching the £1000 mark!! Especially when you add the inevitable "well the dining room table now doesn't match" that's bound to follow
I'll have to go along with it and see where it ends up now. Went to Aylesford aquatics and they have some amazing fish, really great shop, and they gave advice on the sorts of fish to keep together, which is wide ranging and should be really nice.
My concern is really around the chest of drawers we want to buy. It's solid wood, but my guess is the complete aquarium will weigh 300kg's, has anyone stood a large tank on not-made-for-purpose furniture? It looks solid but how solid are aquarium stands?
This is the piece: http://www.oakfurnitureland.co.uk/furniture/mantis...
Any opinions welcome
I'm no structural engineer but the legs certainly look strong enough for the purely vertical force. My only concern would be that the whole thing might "rack" if the back is just thin plywood and just pinned to the frame.
It probably wouldn't collapse but the drawers might not open and close freely.
The other think that a custom stand gives you is space to hide all the gubbins (eg wiring, CO2 cylinder, external fluorescent control unit, external pump/filter etc), with easy access.
It probably wouldn't collapse but the drawers might not open and close freely.
The other think that a custom stand gives you is space to hide all the gubbins (eg wiring, CO2 cylinder, external fluorescent control unit, external pump/filter etc), with easy access.
Cheers, could always sway towards something with a couple cupboards, like this
and then perhaps drill an access hole in the back to all the kit in the cupboard.
What sort of access would I need to have between the cupboard with all the gubbins, and the aquarium? are we talking a couple pipes or something more substantial? At some point me drilling holes in the new furniture would become a significant issue, and there are only so many holes I could disguise
As far as the unit "racking" would that be a result of the top of the unit not being able to sustain the weight down the legs, so transferring some of the weight down the back? I wouldn't wan to ruin anything, so if something like the above may start to have real issues with the weight on top of it then might just get something with a purpose built base.
I often ask myself why nothing I ever start ends up being simple...
and then perhaps drill an access hole in the back to all the kit in the cupboard.
What sort of access would I need to have between the cupboard with all the gubbins, and the aquarium? are we talking a couple pipes or something more substantial? At some point me drilling holes in the new furniture would become a significant issue, and there are only so many holes I could disguise
As far as the unit "racking" would that be a result of the top of the unit not being able to sustain the weight down the legs, so transferring some of the weight down the back? I wouldn't wan to ruin anything, so if something like the above may start to have real issues with the weight on top of it then might just get something with a purpose built base.
I often ask myself why nothing I ever start ends up being simple...
Edited by Iklwa on Sunday 12th January 16:19
Its difficult to comment on that unit without seeing inside it. You only need an approx 6x2 ish inch hole for pipework and cabling.
Unless you are running multiple filters/heating.
Its possible you could beef up the interior as well. But, having said that, if you inspect most of the premade units that are made fpor aquaria, most only have four panels at 90 degrees to the length, and thats only 15mm chipboard!
Me, Im paranoid...mines made up with a lot of 4x2 timber, and an 18mm ply top.
Unless you are running multiple filters/heating.
Its possible you could beef up the interior as well. But, having said that, if you inspect most of the premade units that are made fpor aquaria, most only have four panels at 90 degrees to the length, and thats only 15mm chipboard!
Me, Im paranoid...mines made up with a lot of 4x2 timber, and an 18mm ply top.
Iklwa said:
As far as the unit "racking" would that be a result of the top of the unit not being able to sustain the weight down the legs, so transferring some of the weight down the back?
Not really - but any sideways force or imbalance could cause racking eg someone leans on an end, or different rate of shrinkage / compression of the legs under the weight. I'll discount earthquakes!The back isn't load-bearing - 1/4" ply would probably do - but it needs to be well-secured to the carcass to keep it square under the load it wasn't designed for, so all the forces are vertical through the stiles at the corners.
I have the coffee table and CD rack from that range,and a different range for a sideboard and they all are built like brick s
t houses
They should be able to carry the tank, but in the sideboard the back is thinner oak so it my flex,especially with a hole cut in it.
How about this for £900
t houses They should be able to carry the tank, but in the sideboard the back is thinner oak so it my flex,especially with a hole cut in it.
How about this for £900
I had the Rio 400 Tank and stand in the beech effect.
Personally I think that it looked quite smart and was certainly sturdy enough to hold the weight. My biggest concern was not whether the stand would fall apart, but whether the whole lot was going to fall through the floor once it was full lol.
The tank was up for many years and never had one issue with either the tank or the stand.
Personally I think that it looked quite smart and was certainly sturdy enough to hold the weight. My biggest concern was not whether the stand would fall apart, but whether the whole lot was going to fall through the floor once it was full lol.
The tank was up for many years and never had one issue with either the tank or the stand.
I used to have a 240 litre tropical tank on an oak sideboard, before I changed to a bigger marine tank.
To be honest even a basic oak sideboard is probably stronger than a 15mm MFC unit, and they do look shockingly bad as well.
The only advice would be to find one slightly bigger than the tank, and def one that has cupboards. Mine had a central set of drawers and two cupboards either side and was perfect for storing the filter etc etc in one cupboard and all the associated fishy stuff in the other. The only modification I did to the unit was to add 2 extra full depth 'legs' to the unit to help support the weight and spread the load accross the floor. I used a couple of oak worktop cutoffs for this, and never had the slightest bother. I also put some polystyrene type underlay between the tank and the top of the unit to prevent scratching of the oak and also to allow for some flex in the wood.
To be honest even a basic oak sideboard is probably stronger than a 15mm MFC unit, and they do look shockingly bad as well.
The only advice would be to find one slightly bigger than the tank, and def one that has cupboards. Mine had a central set of drawers and two cupboards either side and was perfect for storing the filter etc etc in one cupboard and all the associated fishy stuff in the other. The only modification I did to the unit was to add 2 extra full depth 'legs' to the unit to help support the weight and spread the load accross the floor. I used a couple of oak worktop cutoffs for this, and never had the slightest bother. I also put some polystyrene type underlay between the tank and the top of the unit to prevent scratching of the oak and also to allow for some flex in the wood.
I think as long as you're sensible and make sure the furniture is well put together and structurally sound you should be fine. I've had a 110 litre tank on an old tapley cupboard unit for years and had no issues. As long as the floor under the tank is flat and level so that the furniture won't sag into the shape of the floor over time then it would be ok. Tanks fail when they are being forced to flex, the seams eventually give way. Polystyrene is a good idea to take out any uneven-ness in the supporting surface.
You must be pretty local to me (I'm in Rochester). Aylesford aquatics are really good for tanks and equipment but TBH I've never been that impressed with their fish stock. Maidenhead Aquatics at Hawley have a good range of tanks and do some really nice oak stands too. Once you're set up, my favourite shop for the fish themselves is Abacus aquatics in Sidcup. Only a smallish shop but it's literally just livestock tanks, always has stunning fish and a really good selection of unusual fish.
Dillywood Garden Centre in Strood/Higham is well worth a look, if only to see their MASSIVE niger catfish in their huge display tank. 3 rooms of fish and a huge selection of equipment. Living Reef in Dartford are good, and Swallow Aquatics off the A2 is worth a look but they seem to stock weird brands. Ark Aquatics at Elm Court in Hempstead is an ok shop, can be hit and miss though, sometimes they have some really nice fish and everything looks great, other times it can look a bit empty. I'm not a fan of the one at Notcutts though, the fish room seems kind of old fashioned and I've never been brave enough to risk buying fish there, often seem to have too many dodgy looking fish.
You must be pretty local to me (I'm in Rochester). Aylesford aquatics are really good for tanks and equipment but TBH I've never been that impressed with their fish stock. Maidenhead Aquatics at Hawley have a good range of tanks and do some really nice oak stands too. Once you're set up, my favourite shop for the fish themselves is Abacus aquatics in Sidcup. Only a smallish shop but it's literally just livestock tanks, always has stunning fish and a really good selection of unusual fish.
Dillywood Garden Centre in Strood/Higham is well worth a look, if only to see their MASSIVE niger catfish in their huge display tank. 3 rooms of fish and a huge selection of equipment. Living Reef in Dartford are good, and Swallow Aquatics off the A2 is worth a look but they seem to stock weird brands. Ark Aquatics at Elm Court in Hempstead is an ok shop, can be hit and miss though, sometimes they have some really nice fish and everything looks great, other times it can look a bit empty. I'm not a fan of the one at Notcutts though, the fish room seems kind of old fashioned and I've never been brave enough to risk buying fish there, often seem to have too many dodgy looking fish.
nammynake said:
There are plenty of dedicated aquarium stands in a variety of colours and designs. I would be very nervous about 300kg of water, gravel and glass perching on something that I wasn't certain was strong enough.
A 240l tank is very heavy, I can't imagine many furniture designers build sideboards with the expectation that they support the weight of three or four adults.
Big thanks to everyone for the advise. I expect we will end up with a dedicated stand AND a solid wood sideboard now, as I have started that ball rolling and I don't think it's going to stop now (especially not with a visit to oak furniture land planned for the weekend, oh well).
It will actually be quite useful to pay a visit to the furniture place as I can then loosely assess whether it might be able to double as a stand if needs be (though I don't have particularly good skills in that area).
Had a look at some of Juwel stands at nottcutts, and it doesn't help that they've been put together so the doors basically hang off when you open them, and screws are loose, most looked really shabby. Im guessing they have some sort of bracing that is largely invisible, because compared to solid wood furniture they seem very fragile.
My ideal would be a large solid wood sideboard with a 120cm tank on top, so might try the idea for adding additional legs in the centre to help spread the weight. I like some of the dedicated stands, but they're very large, so we'll have a huge white or black feature stand basically, and with the rest of the room furniture being matching wood it could look very out of place (although the stands come in wood finish, no chance of matching it all up).
I do take on board that a sideboard was never designed to have 3 or 4 of the cast of The Biggest Loser sitting on it, but if I can find the right piece (ie massive and hard wood)I might have to take that chance. I'll ask a few of the salespeople to stand on top of it and jump up and down, and if it collapses that'll answer my question
Thanks for the other stores to try lufbramatt, I'm in west malling so not far from Rochester. Will add a couple to the list to visit this weekend, hopefully they will give a better impression of how good a dedicated stand can look. I can agree with the missus on this one, it's not like a stand is something that will disappear into our compact dining room, so having a very large piece of furniture dominating it means it has to be the right furniture.
(especially not with a visit to oak furniture land planned for the weekend, oh well).It will actually be quite useful to pay a visit to the furniture place as I can then loosely assess whether it might be able to double as a stand if needs be (though I don't have particularly good skills in that area).
Had a look at some of Juwel stands at nottcutts, and it doesn't help that they've been put together so the doors basically hang off when you open them, and screws are loose, most looked really shabby. Im guessing they have some sort of bracing that is largely invisible, because compared to solid wood furniture they seem very fragile.
My ideal would be a large solid wood sideboard with a 120cm tank on top, so might try the idea for adding additional legs in the centre to help spread the weight. I like some of the dedicated stands, but they're very large, so we'll have a huge white or black feature stand basically, and with the rest of the room furniture being matching wood it could look very out of place (although the stands come in wood finish, no chance of matching it all up).
I do take on board that a sideboard was never designed to have 3 or 4 of the cast of The Biggest Loser sitting on it, but if I can find the right piece (ie massive and hard wood)I might have to take that chance. I'll ask a few of the salespeople to stand on top of it and jump up and down, and if it collapses that'll answer my question
Thanks for the other stores to try lufbramatt, I'm in west malling so not far from Rochester. Will add a couple to the list to visit this weekend, hopefully they will give a better impression of how good a dedicated stand can look. I can agree with the missus on this one, it's not like a stand is something that will disappear into our compact dining room, so having a very large piece of furniture dominating it means it has to be the right furniture.
Hugo a Gogo said:
not just the weight on the sides and legs of the cupboard, but the top must not bend or flex in the middle, or the tank will crack
ask me how I know...
Please tell all, it might change my ideas slightly...one thing that may help in this case is the aquarium has a built in polystyrene base, to isolate the flex away from the tank.ask me how I know...
We've got a couple of the Juwel stands, and they are basically parallel sheets of chipboard arranged in compression with one or more sheets at 90 degrees keeping them in place. It's an odd grade of material, though, it's ridiculously dense compared to the stuff they sell in DIY barns. The thing is that they are purpose designed to be strong enough in that direction.
I'm a little confused about this whole fish tank buying process.
So to recap the last two weeks, I suggested to the missus it would be nice to have a fish tank in the dining room, she agreed, but after looking at the integrated cabinets didn't particularly like them.
I suggested we could consider getting a sideboard, which the fish tank could then sit on, and that looked like an idea we could look into further.
This is where it gets confusing, and I'm still not sure how this happened exactly, but now our current dining room furniture has all been sold, and a new suite of furniture is coming in two weeks time. So somehow we've gone from me suggesting we get a fish tank, to having a new dining room table, six chairs, and a sideboard (that incidentally isn't suitable for a fish tank), but no fish tank??!! To top it all off my fish tank budget has all but disappeared.
I suppose on the plus side I still have an agreement to buy a 240 litre Juwel tank with a stand, just not sure when that will actually materialise
I was going to suggest a hamster cage for the lounge, but not sure I can afford 2 new sofas and a TV stand....
So to recap the last two weeks, I suggested to the missus it would be nice to have a fish tank in the dining room, she agreed, but after looking at the integrated cabinets didn't particularly like them.
I suggested we could consider getting a sideboard, which the fish tank could then sit on, and that looked like an idea we could look into further.
This is where it gets confusing, and I'm still not sure how this happened exactly, but now our current dining room furniture has all been sold, and a new suite of furniture is coming in two weeks time. So somehow we've gone from me suggesting we get a fish tank, to having a new dining room table, six chairs, and a sideboard (that incidentally isn't suitable for a fish tank), but no fish tank??!! To top it all off my fish tank budget has all but disappeared.
I suppose on the plus side I still have an agreement to buy a 240 litre Juwel tank with a stand, just not sure when that will actually materialise
I was going to suggest a hamster cage for the lounge, but not sure I can afford 2 new sofas and a TV stand....
Edited by Iklwa on Wednesday 15th January 16:46
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