Steel Stand For 540g Aquarium Please Help?????
	Post Reply		Forum

Replies to this message

Re: Steel Stand For 540g Aquarium Please Help?????
Re: Steel Stand For 540g Aquarium Please Help????? -- Cmulawka	Post Reply	Top of thread	Forum

Posted by: randykimball ® 01/01/2006, 22:22:38 Author Profile Mail author Edit

What kind of floor is going to be supporting this 2.5 tons? We must start there. 2.5 tons can be a serious consideration on even a slab foundation. Where in the "house" will the weight be placed? Then someone may offer suggestions for the frame. It must be flat and levelable. What kind of bottom does the aquarium have in it, I assume it too is acylic. Bye the way, acylic will break if stressed enough. The joints too can be forced to split if the base is not supported securely. So... is this going to be a reef tank? ... if so kool! The added coral, sand, and stone will up the weight factor. The worst suggestion of your lifetime may be the catalyst to the grandest idea of the century, never let suggestions go unsaid nor fail to listen to them.

Post Reply | Recommend | Alert

Where am I? Original Top of thread

| |

Re: Steel Stand For 540g Aquarium Please Help?????
Re: Re: Steel Stand For 540g Aquarium Please Help????? -- randykimball	Post Reply	Top of thread	Forum

Posted by: Cmulawka ® 01/02/2006, 06:11:14 Author Profile Mail author Edit

Whell It is going in my office. I have a crawl space underneath the house where I plan to double up the floor joist with 2x8 then dig concrete footers under the house and place 10 ton house jacks under each beam. The tank is going to be fish only and not have the much live rock. Also the stand will have a piece of plywood on top of it and a 3/4 inch piece of foam on top of that to work out and imperfections. https://www(DOT)reefcentral(DOT)com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=734279. The stand on this thread is the one i would like to copy with 1.5x1.5 1/8 square steel tubing Modified by Administrator at Mon, Jan 02, 2006, 09:54:17

Post Reply | Recommend | Alert

Where am I? Original Top of thread

| |

Re: Steel Stand For 540g Aquarium Please Help?????
Re: Re: Steel Stand For 540g Aquarium Please Help????? -- Cmulawka	Post Reply	Top of thread	Forum

Posted by: randykimball ® 01/02/2006, 19:34:33 Author Profile Mail author Edit

..bye the way, I'm an old aquarium buff. I don't have one currently, just don't have the time nor room. The last one I got rid of was a 125 gal. fresh with lots of plants and schooling fish. If you are determined to do this..... and I bet you are. Ok, here is what I'd do. Yes you can use 1-1/2" steel tubing, professionally welded..... ... by a professional welder, I say again. Because of your floor (I assume it is wood on beams) being wood you are right and MUST do some bracing. I'd plan on having screw jacks or something under on additional large concrete footings so that you can make adjustments as settling happens. On the stand I'd weld a rectangle the size and shape of the aquarium. I'd add a stick between the two 96' lenghts so that the length now has three beams (one down the center of the aquarium). Then I'd add two cross beams, (so now if you look at the welded frame top it has been divided into six rectangles). Now weld an upright at every intersection. Now, make and weld on an idential bottom as the top. So that when you are done you have a frame that doesn't care if it is upside down or not. Now, add two cross braces to all four top corners from the inside of the corner to the opposite bottom corner of the rectangle it forms. You have now made all four corners form right triangels in both directions. This to prevent the frame from twisting or leaning. Now the weight is displaced on the bottom frame and not at small locations (as in legs). To level, level the darned floor, (wink)... an advantage you will have. I'd double those added 2x6's and make them as long as resonable. Screw some 6" square pieces of plywood to the bottoms of the 2x6 beams sandwitches every several inches to make sure they stay teamed up to the old ones, and screw the new ones to each side of the old ones. Put the jacks under some of these 6" square plywood helpers, except double the thickness on the ones with jacks. Watch for sticky doors or doors that decide to swing open or close differently than before. If this happens you will need to make an adjustment to the jacks. Watch for cracks in the walls or gaps at the ceiling. But most of all, BE CAREFUL! .....(can you swim? ... out of your desk?) I'd love to see some pictures of the finished aquarium. You can reach me by clicking "Mail author" to the left of this post. The worst suggestion of your lifetime may be the catalyst to the grandest idea of the century, never let suggestions go unsaid nor fail to listen to them. Modified by randykimball at Mon, Jan 02, 2006, 19:51:22

Post Reply | Recommend | Alert

Where am I? Original Top of thread

Re: Steel Stand For 540g Aquarium Please Help?????
Re: Re: Steel Stand For 540g Aquarium Please Help????? -- Cmulawka	Post Reply	Top of thread	Forum

Posted by: pwehmer ® 01/02/2006, 09:29:51 Author Profile Mail author Edit

Any interest in doing a stand using an extruded aluminum framing system? Modified by Administrator at Mon, Jan 02, 2006, 10:25:44

Post Reply | Recommend | Alert

Where am I? Original Top of thread

| |

Re: Steel Stand For 540g Aquarium Please Help?????
Re: Re: Steel Stand For 540g Aquarium Please Help????? -- pwehmer	Post Reply	Top of thread	Forum

Posted by: randykimball ® 01/02/2006, 18:47:57 Author Profile Mail author Edit

would be expensive... it takes more bulk in aluminum.... must be aluminum welded... The worst suggestion of your lifetime may be the catalyst to the grandest idea of the century, never let suggestions go unsaid nor fail to listen to them.

Post Reply | Recommend | Alert

Where am I? Original Top of thread

| |

Re: Steel Stand For 540g Aquarium Please Help?????
Re: Re: Steel Stand For 540g Aquarium Please Help????? -- randykimball	Post Reply	Top of thread	Forum

Posted by: pwehmer ® 01/02/2006, 23:08:24 Author Profile Mail author Edit

no weldng required. could be speced out as a bolt togethor kit. Sure it would cost more but it would look better then a welded steel frame. Heck it's a 500 gallon aquarium.

Post Reply | Recommend | Alert

Where am I? Original Top of thread

| |

Re: Steel Stand For 540g Aquarium Please Help?????
Re: Re: Steel Stand For 540g Aquarium Please Help????? -- pwehmer	Post Reply	Top of thread	Forum

Posted by: randykimball ® 01/03/2006, 01:01:42 Author Profile Mail author Edit

Bolt together... sounds loose and shakey in time. Besides I bet that frame gets covered with nice looking wood. I always wood covered my frames so I had a place to keep supplies. However, different ideas are what makes the world go around and are how we have come up with so many new inventions. Bye the way, a welded and finished frame can look mighty good, have you seen some of the custom welded and finished motor cycles lately. Have a nice day. The worst suggestion of your lifetime may be the catalyst to the grandest idea of the century, never let suggestions go unsaid nor fail to listen to them. Modified by randykimball at Tue, Jan 03, 2006, 01:03:23

Post Reply | Recommend | Alert

Where am I? Original Top of thread