building 2x4 tank racks

[limige]

posted a question in mike wells post but i figure we might as well open a seperate post to discuss rack construction!!

now my question was, is i necessary to double up the front and rear boards of a 2x4x10? it will have two feet located 3.5 feet apart.

[Smokey]

Limige:
To answer your question, I will share some personal expierences.
* 1 - DO NOT SCRIMP ON THE 2 X 4'S .
* 2 - build the verticale ends and centre supports, and let the shelfs be supported by them.
* 3 - Cover the shelves with 3/8 or 1/2" plywood. This will give you extra strength and capacity.
* 4 - the shelves should have stringers every 12 - 16" on center.
* 5 - use High quality wood screws and bolts.
Sure the rack may cost $60.00 to $75.00; however; just remember what it is SUPPORTING.
GOOD LUCK
keep track of the number of fingers on each hand !

Smokey

[midnight1]

limige - if it is the same question as on daah - here is my answer.

#1 - the top needs to be roughly 13" wide - not 12" (my 55's are 12 3/4" wide).

#2 - the vertical 2x4's need to be directly under your top 2x4-10ft. not bolted through the side. this is easiest done by using 2 - 2x4's vertical one below and one on the side or by notching 1 1/2" x 3 1/2" out of the vertical 2x4 for the horizontal 2x4 to rest in/on.

#3 - the corners of the tank are where the weight is so yes 1- 2x4 would be adequate as long as your vertical is very close to the edge of the tank. i'm guessing you need at least 48 1/2" clear down below for the 65 gallon to fit.

#4 - with a 10 ft rack you would get 2-48 1/2" spaces and one 17" space clear on the bottom. (120" - (4 x 1.2" + 2 x 48.5") = 17" and 120" of tank space on the top

#5 - this stand should be on concrete and not on a floor unless you can verify where the verticals will rest in relation to your floor joists and what size and span the floor joists have so that they can be verified to be able to support that point load from the stand.

good luck

paul meier - p.e.

[Chris-C]

Paul can you post a picture if its not to much trouble

Chris

[midnight1]

chris - i haven't built my stands yet but just know the mechanics behind building one. i'll try to download a tankstand diagram i drew up of what this rack would look like - hopefully i do this right

paul

[midnight1]

image quality sucked on the last one - lets try this again

paul

[midnight1]

sorry guys - i think i have it right this time

paul

[Jason]

try converting the pic to a jpg. file first

[midnight1]

not sure how to convert a BMG file to a JPG file. i did get it to work all you have to do is click on "tankstand2.bmg" at the bottom of my last post and a picture/drawing should come up.

paul

[Denny]

paul

the design looks good, the 65 g tanks are 36 1/2" so if you were to split the lower area into 3 equal openings, you should be righ on the money

denny

[midnight1]

actually my design i'm going to use will be slightly different since my rack will hold 4 - 55 gallons on the top and 12-29's on the bottom - but basically the same principle. i'm also going to use a solid member across the bottom that will rest directly on the floor since i don't want point loads from the rack directly on my floor but instead spread out.

paul

[Smokey]

midnight1; Howdy, I hope you do not mind if I suggest a few ideas .
I have had the pleasure of building tanks racks for quite a few of my customers; both steel and wood !

First -
. i'm also going to use a solid member across the bottom that will rest directly on the floor since i don't want point loads from the rack directly on my floor but instead spread ou
I do not think that this will be necessary. However, it is a good idea if you unsure of the floor . BE sure to seal all wood/floor contact surfaces.. otherwise moisture may accumulate..= " ROT".

From your draft.. I see you are only running timber on the perimeter (120 inch lenghts). Might I suggest running a third timber , on center. This third timber will help carry the weight load, and dramactlly strenthin / stabilize the entire rack. ...just a suggestion; Rather than building " 1 " extremely long tank rack; 4 x 36"( 55G.L.=36), = 144 inches plus trim spacing. What do you think of building 2, (two) seperate racks ? Benifit- ease of moving, stabilizing, positioning.

I would also suggest 3/8 or 1/2 inch plywood., as a shelf material. The plywood, fastened to the timbers will give you a nice flat, smooth secure surface; and strengthen the entire rack.

JMO...

Smokey

[midnight1]

hi smokey - i should have clarified what i was doing. this whole rack is actually going to be fastened to the rear wall of my future fish room - thus mobility is of no concern and my wall will brace this whole contraption (yes i will have horizontals @ the end of the tank locations on the top rack - i should have drawn some in on that picture). my previous rack that i had at my duplex i left the 2x4's without a plywood cap and just ran cork around the perimeter - i'll probably do that again. the solid front is because i framed up my concrete basement floor with 2x4 floor framing because my house was built in 1906 and the basement floor wasn't poured at one time and thus didn't line up in height with one another and actually i still had some dirt floor. the wood floor made it warmer and level. i'm not worried about rotting because i'll use a micro-lam and even though it isn't treated it'll last my life time in this house and thus my fish rooms lifetime - this isn't my final house. my house i want to build will have a fish room on the first floor or second floor (not the basement). my dream is to have a precast concrete floor and then build in a fish tank wall that would be 15 ft +/- long by 3 ft wide by 2 ft deep at about 3 ft off the floor level with smaller tanks below - i know a dream but i think this one will happen (it might actually look like a solarium once i'm done with the design). i'm actually thinking of scaling my room now down to only 2 walls of tanks and take out the double middle island - i'll lose 8 - 55's and 24 - 29's but oh well - it'll give me more room to watch my fish and then i'll be able to see all my tanks at once. you and anyone else is always welcome to "butt in" as you say. i'll post my final floor plan to my room before i build it - the room is only 2 1/2 years under construction right now buuuuut the engineer/builders house is always the last to be worked on -thanks.

paul

[Smokey]

midnight1;
Thank you for the detailed reply. It explains exaxtly what will develop.
Yes; being a fabricator, I understand the need for lots of thinking and drafts. and rethinking !!!!!!!!.
Like you mentioned, the tank racks are to be built to last for a very long time; a very long time.
Remember the old saying.... measure twice, then think of what you are doing; then measure again ... lol.
Mos of my fabrication, design, and building has been primiarly with steel and glass; I studied Architectual Tech. in college;....... B.C.... before computers!!!!!
Sounds like you have been giving this setup alot of thought.

Good Luck
get me posted..( I love new ideas!)

Smokey

[hunterbeav]

Made this stand out of 2x4's no plans just slaped it together. :)

[hunterbeav]

2

[midnight1]

hunterbeav - my only comment is that i would add a vertical 2x4 behind (the front 2x4) and in front of (the back 2x4) in line with the horizontal 2x4's above and below (6 total). reason being the wood will shrink/swell with the weather and in time that bolt hole will not be as snug a fit as it is now. i'm not saying that there will be a problem since it looks like those are just 2-29 gallon tanks but the less you depend on mechanical fasteners to transfer vertical shear downward the better - especially in a material like wood that is humidity/weather dependent. (don't take this the wrong way - just and engineeer's comment)

paul

[redlines]

Here is a great 2x4 rack plan.

I was going to build it BUT I got lazy & just purchased a heavy duty metal rack system instead.

http://www.angelsonly.com/rack_plan.htm

[limige]

actually i've tossed this around some. i may go with 50 gal. tanks instead. they measure 36x18x18 you could fit 6 of them on a 10ft long rack. this will be for my breeders. then i will build a rack for 4 120's for growout room, hopefully i can buy a few more 190's as well, but for now i have one.

i think with my oddball tanks, i will build cabinets and canopies and sell them on ebay. then buy uniform tanks for my fishroom.

right now i have
5
10
15high
40high
40 long
55
29
190
23cube

i've got quite the assortment, brew would be proud lol.

so here is my next question
what seems to be the best heights to place the bottom of each tier?

[midnight1]

i would go at least 6" otherwise it will be tough to get a strong enough suction off the bottom of the tanks for cleaning. i'm only going to build a 2 tier rack so my bottom will be 10". i do have a few double stands i built with 6" off the floor and there isn't much suction down there but it is barely adequate.

paul

[limige]

what about the height of the top rack?
my beams are 84" from the floor.
what seems to best the best amout of room between upper and lower tank?
is 10" good enough for cleaning and getting fish in and out?

[midnight1]

depends on if your front tank edge are in line or not. on mine i'll be turning my bottom tanks sideways so 1/2 the tank will extend beyond the front edge of the tank above. the ones i have now only have 6" from support skirt to the lower tank top - that is a little tight the next ones i build like this will be probably 8". i'll take a picture and show what i have for my 55/29 gallon tank combo.

paul

[midnight1]

here's one of my stands

paul

[jesser]

stands look good guys but after i bought my first one for an outrageous high price i started tomakemyown. i make mine out of 2x4s since the one i bought for my 125 is made out of 1x4s ithought i wouldgothe extra. i made a real nice one similar to the one i bought out of cedar for my doors and extarior shell. but since i gotmy garage going , my biggest tank is 70 gallon and i 45 my 2x4s flat on the ground and on top the dimensions of the tank and stand two x 4s on each corner if their any longer like 6 foot i would put an extra one but i own a concrete construction company and use the used ones from my jobsite real simple. dont sweat it, just dont get rotting ones ull be fine. i tried to got some pix but my digital camera was too cheap, from the internet. but i will try soon

[Smokey]

JESSER;
sounds like you should be building out of concrete!!!

[jesser]

i dont waste time or material i know that, and i dont need a schematic to build a garage stand. i use screws and if i had any extra cmu blocks around i would stack them to be efficient.