help on a 75

lostreefermike · #1 12/31/2007, 05:45 PM

hey everybody had a few question about a 75 gallon aquarium. i am going to be setting up a 75 with my girlfriend and am planning on building the stand myself my question is what would be a good choice of lumber and support design to hold the weight with no problem? hte second question is the tank will be in my basement and i was wondering what the best way to level a tank is do i use wedges of wood or what? and thirdly and finally does anybody know any predatory fish i could house in a 75 for its enitre life thank you hope to hear from someone

Rustylugnuts · #2 12/31/2007, 06:47 PM

2x4's are overkill but theyre cheap and work pretty well. You can skin em with birch to oak plywood I have a cheap 2x4 stand build documented on my home page (click the red house).

lostreefermike · #3 01/01/2008, 11:27 AM

ok that answers one question any ideas about the other two?

Nereaga · #4 01/01/2008, 01:09 PM

Make sure the STAND is level by shimming the front/sides. Then place the tank on the stand. You DO NOT want to be shimming the tank and cause stress points in the tank. This will probably bust at one time or another.....

Brad

reefsponge · #5 01/01/2008, 01:46 PM

2x4's are a cheap and durable way to go about the stand, wrapping with a more desirable lumber like maple or oak will give it a great look. Just make sure that right from the start all angles, dimensions are true and square, the slightest difference will show up later when wrapping the desirable lumber. Adding a styrofoam sheet of at least 1/4 inch between the stand and tank will help in leveling the tank. I wouldn't use shims or wedges, they might lead to a disaster, there is going to be at least 750 lbs of weight when filled with water, sand, and rock. An amazing predatory fish you could house in the tank could be a species of frogfish aka angler. Just make sure whatever you choose you know what it can and can't live with, some frogfish are capable of eating other fish twice its length.

Zestay · #6 01/01/2008, 03:07 PM

if your going to set up a tank for the entire life of a fish you jmight as well spend the extra few dollars and upgrade to a 90 gallon tank.