type pf wood and paint for stand.

I am building a stand for my tank should I use reg good 2 x 4's or pressure treated ? I was wondering because i know the pressure treated has chemicls in it. What kind of paint can i use thats safe?

 

you dont have to get pressure treated regular 2x4's will work perfectly, idk about paint i always use stain.

 

is Tompsons water seal good then ?

 

yes just make sure it has like a week to dry completely, i would get a stain and a polyurethane

 

Don't waste $ on pressure treated wood. Normal 2x4's will work well. If its a tank under 100 gallons, 2x4's are overkill. I mostly used 2x4's on my 200 gallon tanks stand.

A good outdoor paint will work well if you want that look. IIRC, I used oil based paint for mine.

 

Correction, it was latex outdoor paint. It has held up very well over the 2 years the tank has been up.

 

Never use pressure treated lumber indoors!
The chemicals can be toxic in enclosed spaces.

I used good kiln dried 2x4's and 2x6's so they were very straight and dry and would not warp once put together. If the lumber feels heavy look for a different piece.

For paint I used a latex sealer then sealed the complete inside with white epoxy paint.
For the outside I skinned it with oak plywood stained Golden Oak then sealed with 5 coats of satin spar varnish. Its been up 9 years now and still looks new.

 

I stained it black and am going to use Tompsons water seal on it is that good?

 

That used to be the case, but now treated lumber is treated differently.

 

The change makes PT wood safer but not safe and it is more corrosive now. There was a lot of debate about whether it was worth changing from one hazardous material to another. Make sure you wear a respirator if you are cutting any. I wouldn't put it near a reef tank since it is formulated to kill things you want living in your tank like invertebrates.

Nails bolts and screws may rust from so use a good waterproof glue too. Titebond III gets the best reviews reviews. A urethane glue should fill gaps better if your cuts don't match up perfectly.

Make sure your finish is ok for indoor use. I think exterior paints just have better water and UV protection. Exterior stains may be less safe since the instructions say for exterior use only. I would use latex paint or many coats of polyurethane over a furniture stain.