Next Q!  Has anyone built a stand for a HUGE fish tank before/know anyone who has/got any links??

Through a stroke of luck, I've managed to find a tank manufacturer who can build me a 96" x 36" x 30" tank in 10mm glass, for all of £350.  Doesn't come with anything though, so I meed to make the stand and hood - hood I'm not too worried about, but I am worried about making a stand that'll comfortably support 380 gallons of water plus the hefty weight of the tank! I've checked HuskyGal's wonderful link but I couldn't see anything.  Although the rabbit pen info will come in handy when pal moves in with her two buns!

I know, I know, I'm a loony :D

Make sure that you think carefully about where you put it - and do any decorating first, as you'll NEVER move it :D :D :D My hubby made the stand for ours - it was only 48" long and was such a pain because we wanted to decorate :( Eventually we gave it to a home for handicapped children :) I'd never have another one :)

Daisy

I would have thought that one that size would need a stone/concrete stand Just think of the weight of the water. We used to have a 3' tank on a wrought iron stand, but I have friends who had a purpose built stone stand made for their tanks. I think they had 3 in a row ;)

Hi

Have you tried this board

http://www.tropicalfish.site5.com/tfc/

They are really good and seem to have answers for everything,

Sorry didnt see your previous post so dont know what has already been suggested.

Wendy

Good idea lindylou.  Trouble is, the biggest tank I've had experience with is my 60 gallon at the moment - it's on a specially made metal bracer bar (to make space for the telly underneath :rolleyes:).  Not in the same weight league though!

I will look into the stone idea tho.  The last thing I need is a tsunami in the kitchen, complete with mini dolphin impersonators

The lovely people on this forum will be glad to help you :D :D

AQUARIA CENTRAL

You really need to make sure that the floor beneath the tank and stand is capable of withstanding the strain of the weight  

Hope this helps

dill

Thanks Dill - I've looked at the fishy profiles on that site so many times (have to note that the size given for my fish is way off!!), but I keep forgetting they have a forum!

There's also a range of calculator tools on the
Practical Fishkeeping
website (you have to be a member to use them but it's FREE to join ;) )

As I understand it the glass for an aquarium needs to be thicker as it gets larger eg. 72" x 24" x 24"  would have a 12 mm base.  I can't remember the formula offhand but if they are a reknowned aquarium manufacturer they should know and be able to advise ;)

Good luck - I am soo envious :)

Nikita,

Whereabouts are you?   There are a number of Aquarium manufacturers in the country, it may pay to shop around ;) ;)

I'm in Kent at the mo, but I'll be in North Lincs when I get the tank.  I found a calculator earlier - the tank will need 12mm glass, apparently the people I got the quote for it from do everything in 10mm but can do 12mm if requested.  I'm going to call them tomorrow to see what the price increase is for that, if it's too much then the tank'll be 24" high (using 10mm) instead!  It'll depend on delivery too - they're an hour and a half from the house.

Dill, I'm always shopping around for things like this - all the filtration, heating, lighting and extra decor is coming from ebay, as is the huge water butt for water changes and the pump to top up the tank :D

LOL

You're speaking to someone who makes her own filters :D   I made an internal filter from a spare water pump and 1 ltr squash bottle and it's been working brilliantly for 4 years :D :D  I have to change the squash bottle every 2 years as the plastic eventually becomes brittle :rolleyes: things just don't last like they used to :D :D

The water butt,  could you use a water storage tank? (like the ones in people's lofts) they have to be food safe ;)  and they're very cheap!!

Personally I prefer to buy all my expensive stuff in the Maidenhead Aquatics sales ;)  I've got some really good bargains there :D :D including a half price brand new Fluval 204 :D :D :D  I just don't like e-baying :rolleyes:

Oh, I'm an ebay nut :D never sell stuff though, although I'm going through the loft at the mo so I may have to soon!

A storage tank could work, yes - I think it'll come down to what's cheapest and big enough in the end :D

I'll keep an eye on Maindenhead is the sales are good - I've only been to one shop on a one-off visit to browse, which ended up costing me £20 when I spotted an 8" one of the fish I keep :rolleyes:

If you don't mind me being nosy, what fish do you keep?

All I know is that 380 gallons is approx 1700 litres of water which will weigh in at 1700Kg!  That's a lot of weight so be carefull

If you are planning on putting this in a house make sure that you are not just putting it on floorboards as I wouldn't think they could take the weight

indeed, I will be very careful!  I've bee doodling some designs, I'm trying to design it entirely with pressure in mind - how best to spread the load over the area I've got, and over the supports within the stand.  I'm going to find out what the flooring is - I'm pretty sure it's not floorboards, it's ground floor and there's no cellar, but I am going to double check!

If the house is modern - say in the last twenty years or so, then will probably be a concrete floor. If older than that, then could well be floorboards, even if it's downstairs - our house is forty years old and the original part has floorboards :)

Daisy