So I will be getting a 55 gallon tank tomorrow for my 5 inch oscar... no more 20 gallon tank for him. Ive just finished reading the weight (625 lbs) of this tank and am curious as to the base I will need for this tank.

Does it have to be completely supported on the corners, or is 4 inches hanging off the end on both sides spell disaster?

My other plan is to build a small base for the tank [48x18x16] using 4x6 primary supports coupled with 2x4 secondary supports running perpendicular every 6 inches or so...

Eventually Id like to add on to this and make my own customized stand, but budget crunches do not allow it at this time... nor do they allow for a carefully crafted tank stand...

So what do you all think?

1) Place tank on dresser with 4 inches hanging off at the ends

2) Building small base and placing the tank 8 inches off the floor

3) Building the base, and placing the base on the dresser, with ends hanging off but tank supported.

Thanks for being so informative and helpful.... Ive learned so much more after participating than I ever did lurking.

I would not leave any part of the tank unsupported.

Personally I would build the small base and have it 8 inches off the floor out of your choices, although building a complete stand really wouldn't be that much more expensive than building the smaller one. Hell, depending on where you live you can most likely find a fully constructed used stand for less than the cost of materials to build your own anyways...most people build their own b/c they have a specific idea in mind rather than a simple cost cutting measure.

The other day I was perusing craigslist and saw a 55 gallon tank and full stand with hood for 30 bucks. It's not too uncommon.

The whole of the tank needs to be supported. What you need is a piece of board (like ply) the size of the base of the tank (i would suggest 3/4inch to 1inch thick). On top of that you need some type of polystyrene or you can buy special stuff for it from LFS thats thin. The board can then be placed on the dresser but make sure the dresser can take the weight

If i were you i would make a new basic base (search the net for how many supports and thicknedd of wood). This would consist of a top, bottom and support struts. Then when you have the money you can finish it off with doors and making it look nice

here it is, from start to finish... it was seriously hot out there too....

The whole of the bottom has to be supported. You have gaps in the top of your cabinet so this will not do. If you fill that tank there is a good chance the base will crack. You need a piece of wood that the tank can sit on, and then some polystyrene, then the tank

x2, get a bottomplate in one piece, and put it on top of the cabinet you got now.
This will equally distribute the weight of the tank.
Plus to polystyrene to help cope with any tiny difference in level.
Do not fill it up the way it is now.

the work you allready put in it look very sturdy and strong.
Nice job!

Noddy wrote:


I already filled the tank.... I have a solid base though.. it was on risers because I was draining the tank outside.. its now solid on the floor...

when it comes time to change out some water then Ill re-evaluate the structure.. and Ill keep a close eye on it for now... everything is level and everything else is going to settle as well.

I looked at different tank schematics before building this and many of them had little to no support under the tank, save for the support beams and the base of course... and they used 2x4s. Ive got all 4x4s and 4x6s under the sides, corners, middle, and its balanced. from what I can see... my sister's boyfriend (engineer) said I could stand an elephant on it...

dwencl wrote:


Oh, your planning on keeping elephants in the tank?
Cool idea.
I keep some hippo's in mine, they go very well with cichlids.



I hope you put some styrofoam under the tank, for imo it's essential to take care of any unleveled parts.
And like my wife stated: Better to be safe , than having a loose elephant in your room.

Noddy wrote:



no, I didnt put styrofoam under the tank either.. Ive just been running about the sides with a level to make sure everything looks solid. I'll be doing an integrity check in a day or two.. Ill drain out about 1/2 - 2/3 the water, move the tank, check the stand supports and look for a solid piece of stryofoam from home depot.

Funny thing is, last night I woke up about 209 times thinking something was wrong with the stand. You got me all paranoid now.

The only thing that is wrong is the lack of heating in the tank... I have a little dinky heater in there from my 20 gallon tank, but its not doing squat in this one.. the temp is about 75 degrees. Looks like Ill still have to get another one.

Here's what I did with my stand for a 285 gallon tank.




I used 2x6's all the way around with upright roughly every 24 inches. Tank is 10x2x2.

I agree with one of the previous comments about craigslist. I found a stand for my 125 with 2 36" lights and a background for $50. Looks sharp and is probably one of the best deals I've found on there.

I buy just about all of my tank accessories on eBay. If you search for "topdogsellers", they're the ones I got my heaters from. 200 and 300 watt heaters for under $10. Seem to be way underrated because my tanks are way over what the temp is reading on the heaters by about 6 degrees.

brichter04 wrote:

oh my goodness!! that is the perfect spot for me! heaters, lights, bigger magnet scrubber... BRILLIANT!!! thank you so much! I was told at some of my stores that it would be around 75 for a light... on topdog its only 45 tops. 33 for a heater thats only 10 on there?? omg. So are they reliable? do they ship fast?

Shipping is less than a week. Very reliable so far. The only thing I have noticed about the heaters is they seem to be underrated by about 6 degrees. Have to keep a close eye on em in the beginning. I just had to turn my 125 gallon down cause it was up to 87 degrees. My 90 gallon is holding at 80 but the heaters say 74. Only had em about a month now and I run 2 200 watts in my 90 and 2 300 watts in my 125. Bought 2 water pumps from em but haven't had a chance to hook em up yet. For the money, it's a good deal to not try em.