Quote:
Originally posted by bower23
Most of the stands I've seen use lots of 2x4's and makes me wonder if the 3/4 oak or my cabinets would be enough. It's hard to know how much is needed and how much is overkill.
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That's because the stands you've seen are probably built by the average DIY'er who knows very little about structures, and chooses to overkill their design in order to feel safe.
Try this -- go into any aquarium store, find the biggest tank/stand combo they have to offer (probably 200+ gallons) and take a look inside the stand. It will be 3/4" plywood, with no 2x members whatsoever.
If the average Joe buys a 220g tank & stand from the local fish store, he never gives a second thought as to whether or not the stand is going to fall apart. Give him some tools and ask him to build a stand for the exact same tank, however, and suddenly he's at Home Depot buying 4x4 posts, 2x6 braces, 6" deck bolts, etc etc etc. It's just a case of "better safe than sorry" in a situation where there is an understood lack of confidence.