Drywall screws are more brittle than construction screws. The chances of the screws breaking may be slim (especially if you use enough of them), but the correct screw for framing something to hold 1200lbs is a construction screw. They'll bend more before they fail.
Wow, nice fish room. Also, that 125 gallon DIY acrylic tank is EXACTLY what I'm looking to do. Can you give the dimensions of the cut acrylic boards? Many thanks! Also, that acrylic looks super thick.
@@SpaceThumper Hi! The acrylic is indeed thicker than necessary. It's 3/4" left over from another build. Tank dimensions are the exact same as the exterior of a standard glass 125g.
Great video! Extremely excited to see your video on building the acrylic tank. Would love to build one, but honestly don’t know where to even buy the material for it.
I’ve got a new 48x20x20 inch glass rimless on the manufacturers stand and it’s easily an inch off Level from front left to rear right 🫤 heavy lifting and a shim overdue.
Happy New Year’s Everyone 2025 Let’s Go! I have two 75 gallons I would like to double stack? Can you give me the height of the stands you’ve made? The way the lower tank sits directly under the upper tank is a very clean look!!!
Re: particle board. Always been somewhat leery of using it as you do. Any conceens that over time, inevitable drips, splashes and overall higher humidity in a fish room will eventually (very slowly) compromise it, beginning at the exposed edges and then inexorably begin creeping/seeping slowly inward?
@@andrewinniss5463 Hi. I've never had an issue. Occasional spills are not a concern with wood, even particle board. It's when the moisture is there for extended periods...then you have concerns. But if you keep a tidy fish room and manage humidity to normal home levels, no problem.
It wouldn't necessarily be overkill depending on your tank size. But if you're using just one piece, even if it's bigger, be sure it's very solidly connected to the stand top perimeter.
Everything was good, except using drywall screws for anything structural is a no no. Drywall screw tensile strength is horrible as its not a structural screw. Use decking or construction screws and exterior grade (coated) especially if you are building for saltwater. Some drywall screws have a shear strength as low as 25#'s, where as construction screws can have a shear strength of up to 2000#'s. Now granted that's per screw, so if you put 100 drywall screws in that's 2500 lbs shear strength but compare that to a minimal construction grade of 250# per screw, that's 25000#'s. You are talking a few dollars overall for 100 times the protection. For fascia and decorative pieces drywall screws are fine, but for 2by construction, use the proper fasteners. Many people go overboard on larger size wood that's not needed and then skimp on the important items like fasteners. For example, A mass manufacturer uses 3/8" plank wood holding up the frame just using staples and it works just fine, but is it the safest? If you get it super wet or moisture warps it, your asking for problems. 2x4's are fine for up to 125 Gallon tanks when supported right even over spans of 6'. The biggest issue you will face is not will it hold the weight up, its will the weight cause it to shift left to right, or front to back. Generally, a single 2x4 can support several thousand pounds of compressive load in the direction of its length. You add torque to that with weight shift or not perpendicular cuts and then it falls back on the fasteners. If drywall screws were so good, we would use them in framing houses, as there is far less compressive weight per board in a house then in aquarium stands, its all about the shear weight rating. Price comparison 2.5" #8 Drywall screws are $5.77 for 1# (106 screws) or 5.4 cents each with a tensile strength of 58#s. Construction screws 2.5" #8 are $5.99 for a 1# (90 screws) or 6.6 cents per screw with a tensile strength of 455#'s. If I use 200 screws on the projects which I wouldn't for anything less than 200 gallon size you are talking a cost difference of $2.40 overall. $2.40 for 91000# tensile strength compared to 11000# capability.
You don't have to pay anything. You can email any questions to riffwaters@gmail.com. But I can tell you the only steps I recorded are the waterproofing and glass install, which I have videos out for. I don't have video/photos of building the tank, unfortunately.
Ha. These are tanks that can be moved, whereas the big plywood build would've been permanent. Also, no telling when I'll find a place. Interest rates are crazy right now! :)
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Great information Evan. I will definitely be using it for when i build my stand for my 300 gallon aquarium.
Glad I could help! Thanks for watching my guy.
Your tanks look amazing! They are so clean and neat looking, I am impressed!
Hey thank you!
Thanks for this video; looking forward to the rest of the series.
I'm glad you found it useful. Thanks for watching it.
Drywall screws are more brittle than construction screws. The chances of the screws breaking may be slim (especially if you use enough of them), but the correct screw for framing something to hold 1200lbs is a construction screw. They'll bend more before they fail.
Wow, nice fish room. Also, that 125 gallon DIY acrylic tank is EXACTLY what I'm looking to do. Can you give the dimensions of the cut acrylic boards? Many thanks! Also, that acrylic looks super thick.
@@SpaceThumper Hi! The acrylic is indeed thicker than necessary. It's 3/4" left over from another build. Tank dimensions are the exact same as the exterior of a standard glass 125g.
I used decking screws and tapcons for mine. I'm gonna have a 10 gallon floating in the air so that's where the concrete comes in.
Great video! Extremely excited to see your video on building the acrylic tank. Would love to build one, but honestly don’t know where to even buy the material for it.
It'll be a while, but eventually I'll show it eventually. :)
Please do a video on how you made that acrylic aquarium , that is awesome
Interested in hearing more! I've got a few tanks I need to build stands for
Thanks! So glad you find the video useful.
I’ve got a new 48x20x20 inch glass rimless on the manufacturers stand and it’s easily an inch off Level from front left to rear right 🫤 heavy lifting and a shim overdue.
Wow that's quite a difference! Best of luck shimming it up.
This might be the craziest fish room on YT
Ha. Thanks!
Happy New Year’s Everyone 2025 Let’s Go!
I have two 75 gallons I would like to double stack? Can you give me the height of the stands you’ve made? The way the lower tank sits directly under the upper tank is a very clean look!!!
Re: particle board. Always been somewhat leery of using it as you do. Any conceens that over time, inevitable drips, splashes and overall higher humidity in a fish room will eventually (very slowly) compromise it, beginning at the exposed edges and then inexorably begin creeping/seeping slowly inward?
@@andrewinniss5463 Hi. I've never had an issue. Occasional spills are not a concern with wood, even particle board. It's when the moisture is there for extended periods...then you have concerns. But if you keep a tidy fish room and manage humidity to normal home levels, no problem.
I have some 4x4x8 pieces of wood. Would that be overkill? I was going to use they for my corners.
It wouldn't necessarily be overkill depending on your tank size. But if you're using just one piece, even if it's bigger, be sure it's very solidly connected to the stand top perimeter.
Everything was good, except using drywall screws for anything structural is a no no. Drywall screw tensile strength is horrible as its not a structural screw. Use decking or construction screws and exterior grade (coated) especially if you are building for saltwater. Some drywall screws have a shear strength as low as 25#'s, where as construction screws can have a shear strength of up to 2000#'s. Now granted that's per screw, so if you put 100 drywall screws in that's 2500 lbs shear strength but compare that to a minimal construction grade of 250# per screw, that's 25000#'s. You are talking a few dollars overall for 100 times the protection. For fascia and decorative pieces drywall screws are fine, but for 2by construction, use the proper fasteners. Many people go overboard on larger size wood that's not needed and then skimp on the important items like fasteners.
For example, A mass manufacturer uses 3/8" plank wood holding up the frame just using staples and it works just fine, but is it the safest? If you get it super wet or moisture warps it, your asking for problems. 2x4's are fine for up to 125 Gallon tanks when supported right even over spans of 6'. The biggest issue you will face is not will it hold the weight up, its will the weight cause it to shift left to right, or front to back. Generally, a single 2x4 can support several thousand pounds of compressive load in the direction of its length. You add torque to that with weight shift or not perpendicular cuts and then it falls back on the fasteners. If drywall screws were so good, we would use them in framing houses, as there is far less compressive weight per board in a house then in aquarium stands, its all about the shear weight rating. Price comparison 2.5" #8 Drywall screws are $5.77 for 1# (106 screws) or 5.4 cents each with a tensile strength of 58#s. Construction screws 2.5" #8 are $5.99 for a 1# (90 screws) or 6.6 cents per screw with a tensile strength of 455#'s. If I use 200 screws on the projects which I wouldn't for anything less than 200 gallon size you are talking a cost difference of $2.40 overall. $2.40 for 91000# tensile strength compared to 11000# capability.
Is it possible for me to pay you to email any pictures you have for your cube plywood being built?
You don't have to pay anything. You can email any questions to riffwaters@gmail.com. But I can tell you the only steps I recorded are the waterproofing and glass install, which I have videos out for. I don't have video/photos of building the tank, unfortunately.
you're building MORE tanks even though you're moving soon?
Ha. These are tanks that can be moved, whereas the big plywood build would've been permanent. Also, no telling when I'll find a place. Interest rates are crazy right now! :)