building 2x4 tank racks

[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.