What kind of wood? - Stand Build

That is really good advice. I would've never of known to even ask about that.

 

Ok, so I bought some Kiln-Dried Douglas-Fir 2x4x10's the other day for my stand. I am thinking of going for 3 feet high. I want to put a sup underneath sometime in the future and have room for a QT/Hospital tank as well (most likely a 10 gallon). It would probably make my wife happy if I had some shelving somewhere down there as well to keep all of my fish stuff in one place. I'm thinking of putting the shelf above where I plan on putting the sump so I can mount the lighting to it when the time comes. I was thinking of going 40" long (the tank is a 40 gallon breeder that is 36" long). The sump would be nothing bigger then a 20 gallon tank with the 10 gallon QT being sideways so I have enough room for both on the bottom of the stand.

Any comments or suggestions are more then welcomed. I really need this stand to last a long time.

 

Was just reading your thread and am glad to see you decided not to use pressure treated. That wood is usually very green and full of moisture. As it dried you would have seen gaps and splits that weren't there when you built it. Good luck and let us now how it goes, I am trying to design a similar setup for my 30g long tank.

 

All of this is great advice. To make things simple.....people underestimate the amount of weight or loading that can take place when wood construction is built correctly. It is all about how you load the wood and how the weight is distributed throughout the stand.

1. Just use standard 2x4's at any hardware store, they do not need to be treated. IMO the amount of damage to any stand should be so minimal (salt creep, water drips, etc.) that it will not affect the strength of the lumber.

2. Just use plain wood screws.

3. Dont go overboard on gluing. It really isnt that necessary but does help in those specific joints and or siding. Just focus that the weight distributes to the vertical studs and not shear loading the screws.

4. Lay a sheet of 1/2" or 3/4" plywood on the top of the stand screwed to the vertical studs so that the tanks weight is distributed evenly along the surface area of the stand (each corner will take mostly the same amount of weight.)

5. Last but not least........MAKE SURE ITS LEVEL.... and your good to go!.

 

As for #4, I was just planning on using some 2x4's running the length of the stand to help distribute the weight on the four corners. I was thinking 2 or 3 across.

And of course I will make sure it is level, lol.

 

Thats seems okay. I just typically am more comfortable with a sheet of plywood (even ontop of those 2x4s if you want). More surface area = less amount of weight being loaded on particular areas.

 

Ok, that does really sound like a better idea, so that is what I will do. I thinking I am using plywood for the outside anyways.

 

Just a thought before I actually start building this stand, should I leave the back of the stand open or enclose it?

The reason that I am asking is because I do plan on putting a sump underneath there and it will most likely have T5 lighting. I don't want to cause a heat problem for the sump or DT seeing has heat does rise. I really don't want to have to invest in a chiller right now. The temperature in the Seattle area doesn't really get hot enough to need one thank God.

 

i closed mine with a sheet of plywood sinec I have no sump or underneath plumbing. But i highly recommend that you leave it open if you plan on having plumbing and or a sump/refugium beneath your display.

 

That is a very good point. I didn't even think about the plumbing seeing as I have never had a sump. I'm just planning for the future, lol.