Reptile & Amphibian Forums

It's time for a new stand for my two large tanks (30gL and 46g).

I haven't found a single piece of furniture MADE FOR aquariums that I like - most of the ones I can find look cheap, don't last, don't have enough storage underneath, and don't match my living room. Ok, so I'm picky about it :#)

I was thinking about getting a section of kitchen cabinetry from the hardware store, with a butcher-block or stone countertop piece to go over the top of it. It would run me only a little more than buying a ready-made tank stand. (I certainly can't afford to have one custom-built by an aquarium place).

My question is, is something like that sturdy enough to hold the weight of a glass tank and ALL that water? Has anyone ever used a kitchen cabinet piece to hold a tank, and were you satisfied with it?

My other idea was to build my own - I'm a decent carpenter - but I don't have the space in which to build a large piece of furniture right now.

I recently was forced to remodel my downstairs after a pipe burst/flood. I've built wall units with 2x4's that hold 12 20 gallon longs. I've had to recently install some cabinets as well and it seems they vary a lot in cost and durability. It sounds like you're talking about the preconstructed ones you find at Lowes. I would choose a good quality cabinet (wood) and reinforce it inside with 2x4's mounting it to the studs in your wall with 3.5-4 inch screws. How big of a tank are you talking about? Depending on how much surface you want exposed around the tank, you can get away with 3/4"-1" A-B plywood that is trimmed out and painted or stained for the top of the cabinet. If it is real butcher block, that has a lot of weight as well. Plywood with tiles on top can give you a different look, especially if you have an artistic side. I found it is cheaper with the prefabricated cabinets than building them (time/labor wise)...just some thoughts. Good luck.

I have had exactly your thoughts regarding the ugliness and expense of tank stands. One solution I used for smaller tanks was a 12x48 oak veneer bookcase. It's hard to find bookcases a full 12" deep, but if you can, this will hold one large tank on top, and two 10-gallon tanks underneath, with a shelf in between for holding supplies and mounting fluorescent lights over the bottom tanks.

I currently have 7 aquariums of various sizes sitting on a large flat surface on top of two old kitchen cabinets. (If you write to me, I will send you a photo.) I think that buying premade kitchen cabinets is the way to go, in terms of avoiding hassle and expense. They are almost certainly built strong enough to support the weight. When I priced kitchen counter material, I found it was too expensive, so you might want to go with some well-sealed (spar polyurethane, or similar) wood surface instead.