Stand for very large tank

[Quantumcat]

To be honest I don't know what a sump is :-) I did have the vague idea some holes will need to be drilled into the bottom for drainage, but don't know any specifics (How do you do that by the way? I guess you have to call a professional?). The tank will be sitting there for a while as I read up on the subject, I don't want to destroy it by being too eager.

It was advertised as a reptile tank and was free. I don't have a stand yet because I jumped onto it immediately before someone else could get it. The guy says he fixed it up when he got it and it can hold water, but it's probably not a good idea to trust it completely filled up, is it? A paludarium seems like a good compromise, hopefully it can hold say 30 cm of water. Plus they look so much more beautiful than ordinary fish tanks, and will require a hundred times more creativity! I wonder why more people don't make things like this? I only found out about it through some web research on an alternative to use the tank for (snakes -> lizards -> bearded dragons -> water dragons -> paludariums).

The 2-4 thing looks good. I might go to the hardware shop this afternoon! Thanks for the help. P.S. I'm a she not a he :-)

[froggsong]

Well, from all of us, Welcome to the wonderful world of herps! lol... It's always good to see more women getting into the hobby. Seems to be alot of men, not alot of women (comparatively). I guess most ladies don't like slimy or scaly things, lol...

A sump is an extra body of water that's kept below the tank, sometimes planted. More water is generally more stable that small amounts, so adding a sump to a palu is a good idea. There's lots of other good reasons for it, I'm sure a quick google search will come up with more links than you can look at, lol.

All that said, I STRONGLY recommend that you pick up a cheap 10-20g tank to practice on. Jumping straight into such a large tank isn't always the best idea. Practicing will give you an idea of the materials (and the amount of them) that you'll need, what kind of technique you want to use, etc.

[Epiphile]

Originally Posted by froggsong

Jumping straight into such a large tank isn't always the best idea.

Especially when the tank's so big that you literally can jump straight in.

You're going to have so much fun with this one, Quantumcat. I'm so jealous. What were the dimensions as far as length x width x height?

[beckdg]

i did want to know that also. is that 2' wide or 4' wide? if it's 4' wide you'll probably want to center brace that thing. either way that thing is a bear and something a cheapskate like myself can only aspire towards.

can we say massive palu to make everybody else jealous? lol

i wanted to add... sorry about that again guys (quantum, grimm and recycled) i really was under the impression this was a normal (albeit large) sized tank. once i converted the metrics to dummy american standard it shot out at me like a bullet that i'd been an idiot.

[froggsong]

eh, you're always an idiot, we're used to it...

[beckdg]

Originally Posted by froggsong

eh, you're always an idiot, we're used to it...

i know... but i just figured it out and i'm still getting used to the concept.

[froggsong]

[Greg H.]

Originally Posted by Grimm

I say the easiest method would be the 2x4 frame (30-40$ maybe). Then to buy thin veneered plywood to cover the sides and front (1-2 sheets). Also, I dont think he will be moving this massive tank on a regular basis either...?

While I second the use of 2x4's, I am a little concerned about the use of thin plywood.

Remember that the plywood is going to also act as corner bracing, and as such will be subjected to heavy racking and a thin piece will just tear out - at least some of the plywood ( or even MDF if it is sealed properly ) should be thicker 3/8" at a minimum and 1/2" preferred.

My digital camera needs to charge, but as soon as it is, I'll post a pick of a stand made with 2x4's and MDF, that supports a 80 gal aquarium ( not currently in use ). It and the aquarium was given to me by a fish store owner who was moving to a smaller building and didn't have room for it.

When I first received the stand it only had the 2x4's for legs, but I took 2 more 2x4's and ran them across the bottom, and while it slightly increased the total weight, it spread the weight out of the stand and aquarium out over a larger area rather than on just the ends of the 2x4 legs.

I have used the stand for ~15 years now, and while it's bare state it is not going to win any beauty contests, it is very functional and sturdy. When I had fish in it, it was in my living room, and I solved the cosmetic issues, by obtaining some cloth and stapling it to the stand so it looked like drapes hanging from it, and I could still easily get to the shelf underneath the tank to get the supplies I needed.