I am with you! I just got a 36 gallon bowfront and was hesitant to put it on my old dresser i had a smaller tank on. So i got investigating and thought what you did. Some of the stands you can buy are made if cheap wood , if even wood! I have an older wooden piece that has a sturdy top with a big cubby area underneath. So I am going with that! Water is heavy!!
Ive used a tv stand to hold a 110l tank. I did add support braces from floor to the under side of the tank. So this made it plenty strong enough. I like to go overkill to be safe if i use normal furniture. 🙂👍🏻
in my neighborhood in my city people sit things outside for free, please take!! I found an extremely hard wood sturdy table about 30" long and perfect width for a 10 or 20 gal. on thick wheels and rolled it home. I use it for a 10 gal aquarium just to be safe but it's perfect and was free. Also got a stand from the Goodwill that was $12 and even though a bit heavy, got it home and it's just beautiful. It's strangely heavy, sturdy and a black lacquer finish. Anyway, the idea is that one can get an attractive piece of furniture, if the looks matter for a reasonable price and be safe. Does take a bit of thinking in particular if the tank is one that is very large is all. I think many people want the look of the manicured and beautiful super aquascapers. I don't know what stands they use, but I couldn't begin to afford that stuff.
The answer is - It depends. I have two ancient solid wood sideboards, internal dividers both vertiical and horizontal for cupboards and drawers which will easily hold a few hundred kilos of aquarium. Also have two modern solid pine sideboards which will be equally suitable. Both the old and modern sideboards will provide an attractive setting for an aquarium, which is just as well as the aquarium I am going to build will go on one of them. The sideboards also have the advantage of space to hide sump/cannister filters and the other paraphernalia that goes with fish keeping. Wouldn't trust any of the IKEA drawer/cupbord units we have without reinforcing them particularly providing addition support to stop them twisting across the diagonal.
I'm looking to get into this hobby and I just got an antique sideboard that I'd really like to use. Would you mind if I sent you an email with some questions?
@@tropicalfishhub Do you remember if it was listed as a bar stand or what it was advertised as? Did you have to assemble or perhaps you were able to pick it up from the seller where you live.
i am currently trying to use a 6 foot long dresser as a stand for a 75 gal tank, about 700 pound weight. has anyone ever done this? the dresser has 2 rows of drawers and is composed of particle board(mdf) and some plywood and hard wood framing. i am reinforcing the base, sidwalls, and middle with 1X and some 2X interior framing where it will fit without interfering with the drawer operation. i really like the storage the drawers provide. i grabbed the dresser off the street as a throw away. i am trying to figure a way to load it with 700 pounds of dry weight to pressure test it before putting the 4 foot by 18 inch tank on it. i only have 250 pounds of barbell plates, what else can i use? don't say packs of shingles, cinder blocks, or sacks of concrete, and i don't have enough rocks on the property either...
It sounds like it can potentially work as many brand aquarium cabinets are made of regular plywood with hardly any reinforcement. I'm not sure whether testing will help though as structures wear off over time and I doubt it will collapse immediately
@@tropicalfishhub hi fish hub, i think a ton of people have already done this, i am hoping to hear from them. i think i worry too much about stuff. i had a 29 on my other dresser and i never gave it a thought at that time. had it there for years. used the dresser every day too. this dresser i now have is huge and heavy and the base is continuous across the floor. i bet it could hold 2000 pounds if it had to. but now the tank is a 75 and i am paranoid. i should just go for it, but i have figured how to add additional support and will do so. i think i have seen large tanks supported just at their ends on cinderblocks with nothing in between at a fish store. what is the biggest tank this trick can be done with? would make a good video to show stuff like this.
Ever tried IKEA Besta cabinets? Many great fronts that can make it look high end… Only downside is that it’s made of the cardboard type of material, so I am wondering if it would be good enough when reinforced beams and a wood top.
@@tropicalfishhub may give it a try soon! Reinforced from the inside to stabilize a bit more, and definitely seal everything to make sure no water gets anywhere..
Hi I just bought a 30 liter aquarium and i an buying a sideboard cabinet but i an concerned because i do not what type of wood they use. Would it be okey to use it as a stand for this aquarium.
Let me stop you right there. The reason I don't want to use an aquarium stand is because they're cheap and ugly 😃 maybe I'm the only one, but I can't stand this mass produced stuff nowadays. I'm in the process of reinforcing an antique cupboard for a 240l tank. It's all about putting in the extra work if you want to use furniture which isn't intended for heavy weight. Aside from that, great video and thanks for bringing up niche topics such as these
I don't like aquarium stands because they're modern and ugly. I have a bunch of beautiful antiques and don't want them to clash with an ugly aquarium stand.
I’ve never bought an aquarium stand. I’ve built all of mine like king of diy. They are seriously strong and for my biggest tanks even cost less than £100
I am with you! I just got a 36 gallon bowfront and was hesitant to put it on my old dresser i had a smaller tank on. So i got investigating and thought what you did. Some of the stands you can buy are made if cheap wood , if even wood! I have an older wooden piece that has a sturdy top with a big cubby area underneath. So I am going with that! Water is heavy!!
Ive used a tv stand to hold a 110l tank. I did add support braces from floor to the under side of the tank. So this made it plenty strong enough. I like to go overkill to be safe if i use normal furniture. 🙂👍🏻
Very nice :) Not many people talk about this subject on RUclips. It really just depends what type of furniture you use
Thank you:) I suspected it to be not too popular topic!
From day one I learnt to build my own. It’s much better and cheaper
Will a wooden desk hold a 20gal tank? No bracing on legs.
I have wondered this so many times, thank you for a great video!
Thrift stores and gagrage sales good for finding them too
in my neighborhood in my city people sit things outside for free, please take!! I found an extremely hard wood sturdy table about 30" long and perfect width for a 10 or 20 gal. on thick wheels and rolled it home. I use it for a 10 gal aquarium just to be safe but it's perfect and was free. Also got a stand from the Goodwill that was $12 and even though a bit heavy, got it home and it's just beautiful. It's strangely heavy, sturdy and a black lacquer finish. Anyway, the idea is that one can get an attractive piece of furniture, if the looks matter for a reasonable price and be safe. Does take a bit of thinking in particular if the tank is one that is very large is all. I think many people want the look of the manicured and beautiful super aquascapers. I don't know what stands they use, but I couldn't begin to afford that stuff.
The answer is - It depends.
I have two ancient solid wood sideboards, internal dividers both vertiical and horizontal for cupboards and drawers which will easily hold a few hundred kilos of aquarium.
Also have two modern solid pine sideboards which will be equally suitable.
Both the old and modern sideboards will provide an attractive setting for an aquarium, which is just as well as the aquarium I am going to build will go on one of them. The sideboards also have the advantage of space to hide sump/cannister filters and the other paraphernalia that goes with fish keeping.
Wouldn't trust any of the IKEA drawer/cupbord units we have without reinforcing them particularly providing addition support to stop them twisting across the diagonal.
Absolutely agreed! You can never trust fishtanks to IKEA furniture
I'm looking to get into this hobby and I just got an antique sideboard that I'd really like to use. Would you mind if I sent you an email with some questions?
@@celriq If that's addressed to me please do so.
@@grahamepigney8565 Great, I just sent it
Great video, do you have a link for where you bought the black bar table?
Thank you! No link for table unfortunately as I bought it years ago :(
Yes, sturdy and safe for a good price plus can hold a larger aquarium.
@@tropicalfishhub Do you remember if it was listed as a bar stand or what it was advertised as? Did you have to assemble or perhaps you were able to pick it up from the seller where you live.
@@heaven7360 It was called something like bar stand table and it arrived flat packed, so assembly was required
I have had a 200 litres tank on a cheap IKEA furniture MALM 😅
Great video, thank you for extending my view!! Exactly what I am looking for.
This is a really useful video. I will always support you!
Thank you very much:)
Thank you so much! You just answered my question.
i am currently trying to use a 6 foot long dresser as a stand for a 75 gal tank, about 700 pound weight. has anyone ever done this? the dresser has 2 rows of drawers and is composed of particle board(mdf) and some plywood and hard wood framing. i am reinforcing the base, sidwalls, and middle with 1X and some 2X interior framing where it will fit without interfering with the drawer operation. i really like the storage the drawers provide. i grabbed the dresser off the street as a throw away. i am trying to figure a way to load it with 700 pounds of dry weight to pressure test it before putting the 4 foot by 18 inch tank on it. i only have 250 pounds of barbell plates, what else can i use? don't say packs of shingles, cinder blocks, or sacks of concrete, and i don't have enough rocks on the property either...
It sounds like it can potentially work as many brand aquarium cabinets are made of regular plywood with hardly any reinforcement. I'm not sure whether testing will help though as structures wear off over time and I doubt it will collapse immediately
@@tropicalfishhub hi fish hub, i think a ton of people have already done this, i am hoping to hear from them. i think i worry too much about stuff. i had a 29 on my other dresser and i never gave it a thought at that time. had it there for years. used the dresser every day too. this dresser i now have is huge and heavy and the base is continuous across the floor. i bet it could hold 2000 pounds if it had to. but now the tank is a 75 and i am paranoid. i should just go for it, but i have figured how to add additional support and will do so. i think i have seen large tanks supported just at their ends on cinderblocks with nothing in between at a fish store. what is the biggest tank this trick can be done with? would make a good video to show stuff like this.
Ever tried IKEA Besta cabinets? Many great fronts that can make it look high end…
Only downside is that it’s made of the cardboard type of material, so I am wondering if it would be good enough when reinforced beams and a wood top.
I just checked it and it looks decent, but perhaps for a smaller tank. I doubt it can hold the weight of a 4 feet tank, unless reinforced
@@tropicalfishhub may give it a try soon! Reinforced from the inside to stabilize a bit more, and definitely seal everything to make sure no water gets anywhere..
Can a decently sized drawer like a drawer with 4 draws hold a 25 gallon?
well, if it is made of solid quality wood it should hold
@@tropicalfishhubbet thank you
Great video mate thank you
👋,🤝 what is the size of the aquarium?
460l
@@tropicalfishhub what is 460I?
@@wilsonquail736 460 litres
120 gallons
Hi I just bought a 30 liter aquarium and i an buying a sideboard cabinet but i an concerned because i do not what type of wood they use. Would it be okey to use it as a stand for this aquarium.
As long as it can hold about 30-35 kg of weight. For some furniture items, maximum load capacity is written in their description
Let me stop you right there. The reason I don't want to use an aquarium stand is because they're cheap and ugly 😃 maybe I'm the only one, but I can't stand this mass produced stuff nowadays. I'm in the process of reinforcing an antique cupboard for a 240l tank. It's all about putting in the extra work if you want to use furniture which isn't intended for heavy weight.
Aside from that, great video and thanks for bringing up niche topics such as these
Thank you! good luck with the cupboard project, it is certainly worth the effort to make your own stand!
Beautiful tank and fish!
Going to use an IKEA Pine Hemnes Sideboard Buffet for my 20 gallon long. It's Pine, I'm told it should be fine. What do you think?
It looks sturdy as long as it can hold an average human, it should handle 20 gal
I don't like aquarium stands because they're modern and ugly. I have a bunch of beautiful antiques and don't want them to clash with an ugly aquarium stand.
I just broke my tank which stood on an Ikea tv stand with a brace, cracked the bottom of the tank.
It cracked because of the stand?
My ikea chest of draws is way stronger than my fluval stand and half the price
They are very sturdy indeed!
Where are the zebras?
Rehomed long ago:)
I’ve never bought an aquarium stand. I’ve built all of mine like king of diy. They are seriously strong and for my biggest tanks even cost less than £100
That's always best to build your own. In my case, I have no time for diy; I only have weekends to dedicate to fishkeeping.
@@tropicalfishhub if you need a stand let me know and I can build one for you.
@@truthfactreality6814 Thank you! I will keep that in mind for near future
👍👍
It’s going to break