90G DIY tank & stand

I do not know if this is the correct place to post this, but here I go. I finally got permission from my sweetheart to building a fish room with a 90gal tank built into the wall. ;D

Here is where I'm stumped I have all types of fresh water tanks on stands. The stands I have are a open bottom, yet the designs I'm finding on the forums show a solid bottom. Why the solid bottom and how does one determine the thickness? Second I have seen where either cork or styrene is placed under the tank again I don't understand why and if it is necessary what thickness and where can I find this cork or styrene?

Again I do not know if this is the right place to post this question, but I would like to continue posting the progress with photos so I can get feed back on what I can improve upon.

Thanks
George

 

the solid bottom for the stands are are probably due to the fact of having a sump\refugium underneath. keeps it off the floor and also is quieter from the lack of any vibration. and please george , post pics and more pics. they are much appreciated. also welcome to 3reef.

 

I stated that wrong I was wondering why a solid top and what thickness does it have to be. I was planning on a 3/4" plywood top but I'm unsure if that will work on a 90gal. As for the cork or styrene that is placed on the solid top and I have seen where it is either along the outer edge of the tank or even the entire tank is sitting on top of what appears to be a 1/4" layer of polystyrene. I do not understand the reasoning behind this cork or styrene either.

George

 

most stands ive seen are open topped. whether it be metal or wood. just supporting the outside dimensions of the tank. nothing wrong with a solid top, and something underneath, extra support or cushioning. but imo , not really needed

 

I agree not needed at all... but

I am having a custom stand built and I chose a top with a slot for my plumbing. Reason is because I am wishin I wish I had a mounting surface on the ceiling of my stand beside the glass on my tank. Good for mounting ballast, wires, tubung etc. Gives you more room to play than just that walls of the stand

 

Day 1 of Deconstruction - 90G DIY tank & stand

I have to apologize for not posting any updates, I'm been busy bidding on contracting jobs for my guys in that never ending quest for more work. Since my crew is top priority at this time the new fish tank build has been on the back burner.

However I have slipped in a couple partial days of work and with help from my dad, the old wall is gone, a new wall has been studded up and the stand is built. We need to build the header that will go above the tank but that has to wait till this weekend.

So below are the beginnings of my new tank build sorry the pics are rather limited at this point.

Below is the location where the old bar is getting removed and the tank is getting mounted.



As you can see the wall is removed and we will beginning studding up the stand and wall shortly. Since the size of the back room is limited I will not be getting my own fish room so I will have to come up with a way to protect the tank from the laundry room.




We have started with the construction of the stand and will be studding up the wall shortly. By this time it was Sunday night and it was time to think about drumming up more work for my crew.

 

The cork or styrofoam is for non plastic rimmed tanks. It helps evenly support everything, in case of imperfections.

It will also relieve pressure points ... perhaps you don't notice a small tiny pebble on the stand before you put the tank on ... with the styrofoam, the weight of the tank forces it down into the cork, and problem free. Without any foam ... you have a nasty pressure point ... that will likely crack the glass when you fill it.

Cork and styrofoam are not necessary if its plastic framed, like AGA tanks are.

HTH

 

Day 2 of Deconstruction

By the time I got home on Thursday night I found my dad at home already working on the build. So between the Sunday and Thursday I started the process of swapping out tanks so I have a 90G tank for the reef. I shutdown and cleaned my 65G freshwater tank and as you can see it is ready to move everyone into which will start Saturday morning.



So we worked for about three hours that evening and we where able to finish up the tank stand and get it anchored into the wall. I'm still wondering if I should be placing a 3/4" section of plywood on the top of this stand to make sure that the entire base is level. Any comments?



Saturday will begin day 3 of deconstruction and we hope to finish up the wall and stands. To the left of the main stand will be a multi-tiered stand to hold the sump and a refugium. I have not had a refugium up to this point but based on everything I have read on this site I'm convinced I need one which I hope will provide better control of the algae.

More pictures to come soon as work continues

 

Do not go with a solid top. Solid tops are cheaper and less time consuming to make, which is why you see a lot of companies that put them out All about margins Leave it framed like you have it, it will allow ventilation when water spills and will be much less likely to rot.
The reason behind cork or Styrofoam "pads" is again laziness. When placed on the soft material, the tank can "sink in" more if it needs to, and kind of level itself out. Much better to do it the correct way and shim the stand if need be.
Looks good so far!

 

Well then no plywood, I have that stand a level as I can get it to be. As for shimming there are no gaps in the construction so it is a matter of time to determine if it will settle.