Fish Stand for 29 Gallon Tank

kaneda33

kaneda33

Small Fish
#1
Jan 15, 2008
29
0
0
#1
Hey Everyone,

I finally got around to purchasing my first tank yesterday, but now I am a bit worried about the stand/cabinet I purchased from Ikea to support the tank. You can see the cabinet here:

IKEA | Filing cabinets | EFFEKTIV system | EFFEKTIV | Storage combination
(I purchased the black/brown version, which has slightly different materials of construction than the default white model shown)

I'm pretty confident that this thing can support 300 or so pounds of force vertically, but am I bit concerned about how well it can support a commensurate amount of lateral force. So I guess what this boils down to is:

Has anyone had experience with Ikea furniture used for aquariums? If so, do you believe this model would be strong enough to support a 29 gallon tank?
Is there anyway I can test the cabinet to see how well it would hold the tank?

Thanks in advance,
Brendan
 

TabMorte

TabMorte

Superstar Fish
#4
Jan 17, 2008
1,470
0
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#4
I wouldn't use IKEA stuff for a 300LB fish tank. Partical board weakens when exposed to water which enevitably it would be. Also this may lift your tank up to a height that makes cleaning and maintanience less managable. While it's not AS pretty while low down, a cheap solution is one of those wrought iron stands made for a fish tank.
 

kaneda33

kaneda33

Small Fish
#5
Jan 15, 2008
29
0
0
#5
To put a little more perspective on this, I have been able to hold myself up on just my hands on the top of the cabinet and it doesn't creek or appear to move what so ever (I weigh about 180 lbs).
 

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TabMorte

TabMorte

Superstar Fish
#6
Jan 17, 2008
1,470
0
0
#6
If two of you can sit on it then for a while then you'll be okay for now :p. I'm still concerned though that as soon as it gets wet you'll have to move the tank.
 

cchase85

cchase85

Large Fish
#8
Jun 6, 2006
446
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38
New England
#8
They call it "fall aparticle board" for a reason.

And if it is not designed to get wet, I definitely wouldn't use it near a fish tank. It would only take one spill on particle board that hasn't been treated properly and your tank will be on the floor.
 

Lone Wolff

Lone Wolff

Medium Fish
#9
Feb 4, 2008
73
0
0
Lincoln, NE
#9
Will it support the tank? Yes.

Are there other furniture options that would be better suited? Yes.

My personal preference is to find a used piece of solid hard-wood furniture (desk, dresser, lateral file cabinet, etc) for about $20 and use that. Or for about $10 worth of lumber, build your own.

I'd recommend using that piece for another purpose in your house and keep an eye out for something stronger. Craigslist is your friend.
 

d3sc3n7

d3sc3n7

Superstar Fish
#10
Nov 21, 2007
1,455
0
0
44
Ft. Campbell, Ky
www.d3sc3n7.com
#10
To not repeat what everyone else is saying here, I'll just agree. My 3 tanks sit on: 5g: Ent. Stand 29: Metal Stand (pic below) 55: Stand made for fish tanks.

As far as your 29 is concerned, I would for sure find another stand. You may get a week out of that stand, you may get a year. It will hold the tank, no problem. So, yes you can chance it...however...if a problem arises, thats either A: Alot of weight to move or B: Alot of money, laying broken on your soaking wet floor. So, its kinda like playing Russian roulette with your fish and their home. I suggest a stand like this one, which I'm sure you can find pretty cheap, or a stand made for tanks.

(oops, guess I ended up reapeating what everyone else said anyway, huh? Oh well!)

Please let us know about the tank, and its progress. We would love to hear about it!

 

kaneda33

kaneda33

Small Fish
#11
Jan 15, 2008
29
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0
#11
Well I think I'm ready to throw in the towel on this cabinet. I'll probably bring it back to IKEA sometime next week. I'd like to keep it but my apartment's too small to have it and a seperate fish stand.

I don't mind spending $80-$150 on a decent stand that will last. Anyone have any recommendations?

Thanks for all of your help everyone, I'm finding this message board to be quite helpful. :)
 

P

pearl_aqg

Sponsor
#12
Dec 3, 2007
73
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#12
The wooden aquarium stands I see are usually pretty pricey. I agree with Lone Wolff that the most economical thing (aside from building your own) would probably be to find a piece of furniture on craigslist or a used stand someone is trying to get rid of.

As others have noted, make sure that whatever you buy is made of solid wood, and it wouldn't hurt to reinforce connections with simple L brackets as cheap insurance. As Tabmorte noted, a 29 gallon tank, fully loaded, weighs nearly 300 lbs, so don't compromise here!
 

kaneda33

kaneda33

Small Fish
#13
Jan 15, 2008
29
0
0
#13
Yeah I guess I could check Craigslist, but I'm looking for something that will go with the rest of my stuff in my living room.
Preferable like the black/brown IKEA model I purchased previously. I'd really like to have shelves underneath.
 

Lone Wolff

Lone Wolff

Medium Fish
#14
Feb 4, 2008
73
0
0
Lincoln, NE
#14
kaneda33 said:
Yeah I guess I could check Craigslist, but I'm looking for something that will go with the rest of my stuff in my living room.
Preferable like the black/brown IKEA model I purchased previously. I'd really like to have shelves underneath.
Click to expand...
You might get a decent solid wood aquarium stand that would complement your current decor at the top end of that price range. I guess I'm lucky that my tanks are in the basement so style is irrelevant for me. In an apartment, your tank is in a much more visable place, and a scratched up/used piece of furniture definitely doesn't look as nice. I will agree with your thoughts of wanting something complementary, but be warned, it will cost you much more than getting something that doesn't. There are some nicer tv stands for around that range that be strong enough to support the weight.

You could get a very nice used solid wood office desk for that kind of money, but it's prob WAY too big for an apartment.

As long as you have the budget for it, be patient and keep your eyes open for something.
Not sure where you live, but there are items like this 2-3 per month around here. Perfect size for a 29G:


Cherry wood TV stand *NICE* SELL TODAY - $75
craigslist.org
Date: 2008-02-08, 5:44PM CST




Has glass front doors. This cherry stained wood TV stand can hold up to a 32 inch TV. It is 35 1/2 inches long, 31 inches tall, and 26 inches deep.
Thank you!!
Come get it today!
 

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