[candymancan]

Hey guys... I just bought a used 55 gallon Aquarium for $125.. It came with a stand, hood, lights, filter, heater... Its about 5 years old.. Has literally zero scratches and I thought it was a great deal considering a new 55 gallon tank is around $200+ just by itself with no stand or pump.. I saved around $400..

Now the owner said it has been on that stand she got at walmart (she got the tank there too) for 5 years but I was a little weary looking at the stand.. the tank was full of water at her house near the top but had no rocks or anything... and I was wiggling it and it seemed pretty sturdy when I was at that ladies house..

When I got home I cleaned It out and noticed the stand has a sticker that says "Warning to prevent overloading and possible collapse do not put aquarium weighing more then 550lbs or bigger in size then 55 gallons."

The tank isn't bigger then 55 gallons its exactly 55 gallons, and according to what I have read online a 55 gallon tank completetly full can weigh around 550lbs ? without rocks, with rocks would probably be what near 570-600 ? Granted the tank wont be completetly full to the tippy top it will be up the black line and with the rocks and stuff in the tank it will create more mass so there wont be exactly 55 gallons in the tank..

Do you think I'll be ok with the tank ? Or should I get some 2x4's cut and screw them inside the stand on the walls and the middle to create more support ?

 

[marshallsea]

Hey guys... I just bought a used 55 gallon Aquarium for $125.. It came with a stand, hood, lights, filter, heater... Its about 5 years old.. Has literally zero scratches and I thought it was a great deal considering a new 55 gallon tank is around $200+ just by itself with no stand or pump.. I saved around $400..

Now the owner said it has been on that stand she got at walmart (she got the tank there too) for 5 years but I was a little weary looking at the stand.. the tank was full of water at her house near the top but had no rocks or anything... and I was wiggling it and it seemed pretty sturdy when I was at that ladies house..

When I got home I cleaned It out and noticed the stand has a sticker that says "Warning to prevent overloading and possible collapse do not put aquarium weighing more then 550lbs or bigger in size then 55 gallons."

The tank isn't bigger then 55 gallons its exactly 55 gallons, and according to what I have read online a 55 gallon tank completetly full can weigh around 550lbs ? without rocks, with rocks would probably be what near 570-600 ? Granted the tank wont be completetly full to the tippy top it will be up the black line and with the rocks and stuff in the tank it will create more mass so there wont be exactly 55 gallons in the tank..

Do you think I'll be ok with the tank ? Or should I get some 2x4's cut and screw them inside the stand on the walls and the middle to create more support ?

IME, when weight limits are given they are always on the safe side. It will hold more than stated to cover their a**es legally.

 

[candymancan]

Yea that's what iw as thinking... but considering the stand wall and middle support front and back and made of only 1 inch thick stamped saw dust wood.. I might go to the hardware store and get some 2x4's anyway and wedge them in to give it a tad more support.. What do you think ?

Im just super excited I got a killer deal for this tank don't you think ?

 

[Boredomb]

Agree, I think you should be fine. If it was sturdy when it was full and didn't shack or move then. I wouldn't see that you would have a problem with you setting it up the way you want. Through if your unsure you can always just buy a stand that you are comfortable with.

 

[candymancan]

Well the point of getting this was its price.. $125 for all that.. A new stand is gonna be like $220, plus this one looks good too I think... That's why I was thinking maybe adding supports... Would supports help ? It was study yes when I wiggled it full of water, but again it didn't have 80lbs of rocks in it.. The 27g hex stand and my 30g stand seem to be more sturdy then this one.. but this one didn't wobble or anything like that

 

[Boredomb]

Yes supports will always help if you can do that in the stand. I am not of any help here through. I can't build anything. L

 

[candymancan]

I can I am not a builder.. but im a handyman I have built lots of things with wood.. Basically if you look at the picture.. You see the 2 doors ? The middle beams I was thinking of adding a 2x4 board inside against them pressing on the top and bottom of the stand to add more weight support.. And do the same inside on the left and right sides of the stand..

Does that make sense ?

 

[Boredomb]

Yes, sounds like a good plan.

 

[candymancan]

I am so excited man.. I have had my 27g Hex for 14 years, and our 30g Long tank for 22 years... I finally got a big tank now.. literally double in size of my 30 .. I did originally want a 75g because its both long tall and wide, but ah well for $125.. that was a damn good deal

 

[marshallsea]

It won't hurt to reinforce it. I'm not a huge fan of particle board, water ruins it. But since there will never be any water around it.....

 

[Keleborn]

Shoring it up with 2x4s can't hurt, and if you go saltwater, I'd say it's a must.

 

[avraptorhal]

The weight of 10# per gallon you used to calculate the weight of 550# includes rocks other decor. Water by itself weighs about 8.2 # per gallon. Also, rocks, etc. reduce the volume of the water by their volume.

 

[Boredomb]

The weight of 10# per gallon you used to calculate the weight of 550# includes rocks other decor. Water by itself weighs about 8.2 # per gallon. Also, rocks, etc. reduce the volume of the water by their volume.

Aww yes good point! Through reinforcing won't hurt still.

 

[candymancan]

The weight of 10# per gallon you used to calculate the weight of 550# includes rocks other decor. Water by itself weighs about 8.2 # per gallon. Also, rocks, etc. reduce the volume of the water by their volume.

So your saying the 550lbs im saying is already with rocks and other crap in the tank ? I knew rocks and driftwood and other objects increase volume in the tank so it wont have 55 gallons of water in it probably a lot less.. So do you think that stand will be ok ?

 

[JDM]

The stand will easily support the weight statically. I would be more concerned about the wiggle factor. If the stand is solid and will not wiggle left to right under load then all is fine. Maybe just tighten up all the screws.

From the picture it looks like the tank is longer than the stand is... hopefully that is just a little optical illusion because you really shouldn't have the tank hand out over the edge at all.

Jeff.

 

[SeaHorse]

Yes I agree with JDM on all accounts. No wiggle left to right and if it IS a bit shorter then I would look for something a bit bigger too. NO overhang.
Hope this will be a journal thread so we can all follow along.

 

[candymancan]

Yea when I saw the ladies post on craigslist I thought the same thing that it was overlapping.. But when I got there it wasn't. She told me she got everything at walmart 4 years ago. The man date is 2008. So I looked on walmarts website.. I found the bottom and the tank.. They aren't making the tank anymore.. Aparently it was a Aqua Culture 55 gallon starter, came with a tetra 60 pump, a 200W heater, the duel left and right single t8 lights for $175.. The stand she got was a cheap stand made by Aqua Culture as well.. Its a 55 Gallon "max" stand for $100.. The review on it are good for the most part.. some people complained the top board was warped when they got it causing a uneven level between the tank bottom and the board so they had to return it in fear of it cracking the glass when filled.. It has an upgraded pump though some Penguin Powerwheel filter 350, and a upgraded heater.. A 300w heater, I plan to get 2 T5 lamps.. I know for this size tank I should probably get a duel T5HO fixture... But I don't know any cheap brands do you guys ? I was just thinking of getting a Aqueon duel t5 48 inch fixture itll be like 56 watts.. That's only 1WPG though and we do plan to plant this tank with swords, anubias and so forth. . Because right now those single t8 lights on it are only 30 watts for 0.5wpg and its just too dim even without water and rocks lol

This stand I got from the lady though seems fine though.. It flush with the tank no warped board causing the tank to wobble on the top or have any gaps and a lot of people use 55 gal tanks on it.. But it just doesn't seem AS sturdy as my expensive bottoms for my older 27 hex and 30 long gal tanks made by perfecto. I'll try to add some 2x4's in there but I wont wedge them in really tight I don't want to press against the top and bottom boards and "Warp" it. Aparently all the wood is pressed saw dust but the top bottom and doors are powder coated black.. That's why they felt hard as a rock like some sort of hard plastic.

And more pics.. I also got a carpenter level on the stand to check if the floor was level because my townhouse some of the floors are uneven due to the house settling weird when it was built 10 years ago. I think this floor will be sturdy enough.. Its sitting against a wall with another townhouse to its back and that small portion that sticks out on the right of the pics is where a metal beam and Pole goes in the basement

Pics

 

[SeaHorse]

From the bottom picture it looks like you have all vertical supports... the only horizontal ones are the top and bottom? When I look at mine, now its for a 75, but it has 2 sections with horizontal shelves to prevent that shifting left/right action. That would be my only concern, that as long as there is no left/right shifting you are good to go.
Score! by the way!!

 

[spreadtoothinly]

I have that EXACT stand! I'm using a 29 gallon on it now. I got it free, along with filter and heater.
Hoping to get a 55 for it later, so I'm interested in what you do, so I can see if I can do it too! Good luck!

 

[candymancan]

Well I thought about how to build a support frame for it, and I realized that if you drill into stamped board like this it could cause it to crack.. So I decided not to mess with it.. But when talking to a guy earlier today in pets mart about my stand.. He suggested I build an H shaped frame using 2x4's and wedge it in the middle of the bottom facing this way ( l ) and to build two more H frames facing this way ( -- ) for the sides... Don't screw it into the bottom just wedge it in.. I thought that was a great idea so im going to do that.


So today I bought 70lbs of black rock.. I used about 60-65 lbs of it.. Put it in the tank and filled the tank up, started the filter and heater and I put in some spare ornaments im not using anymore for my other 2 tanks.. Just to make it not look empty you know while I save up money to buy more stuff for it. I plan to put all live plants in it later too. And get stronger lighting.. I don't like how it has 2 separated single t8 bulbs.. One is pink the other is a full spectrum.. so it kinda looks a tad odd right now lol

The stand seems to be holding.. It deff has ZERO < > left to right play.. But if I grab a corner and wiggle it the whole stand wobbles in a twisting motion (do you know what I mean ? ) ..... Also when cleaning the glass on the outside I noticed if you push on it just enough the tank/bottom will move front to back.. It isn't wobbling on the beams front to the back.. I mean the whole stand the bottom is moving... But I think that's because its on carpet.

Anyway, I used my carpenters level to check how level the tank was.. Its perfectly level ------ horizontal.. But front to back its off by a few degrees.. Probably because the townhouse sags to the right due to settling.. I have cracked walls and my 30 gallon is short water on one side because of how the house leans slightly... Do you think this much variation in how level the tank is will be ok ? Here is a pic this is the level front to back ( l ).. And Based on how the stand twists when I grab a corner and shake it.. Im deff going to be adding those H supports