# 55 Gallon stand plans?



## neonfish3

Anyone have any plans for a 55 gallon stand.
I want to build my own. It doesn't have to be fancy but I would like to have it a good solid base. Right now I have a AGA wrought iron stand. I've never liked the fact that the weight is all on 4 skinny little legs.
Looking at the stands at the fish store they all seem poorly made, and WAY too expensive.
Is it possible to use 2x4 construction, with Plywood top and 
sides.


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## bigstick120

2X4's would work well for a 55 gallon. Then get some oak plywood and sheath the front, side and you could even use what is left to make doors. If I get a chance I will post a photo of mine. Until then, do search on the net and you will find a few ideas. You can find plans for many different stand and just modify the measurements to fit your 55


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## jonathan

You might also consider the fake oak plywood. I bought some for a canopy I made and it worked out well. The fake oak plywood has about 1/8" or so of real oak and the middle is regular plywood. It seems tough and was a much better deal than full oak plywood. 

The 2x4's are really what holds the stand up. You could leave the stand unpaneled and it would still hold the tank. But ofcourse it wouldn't look great. 

If you do build a stand, make sure to use a level and be sure the angles are correct. If any of the boards are off center, it will reduce the weight the stand can hold. If oyur careful, you should be ok. A table saw will help you make sure the baords are exactly the right length. I wouldn't try and make a stand with a hand saw unless your very precise with it. ;-) Just about any other power tool would work well. A table or miter saw would be best for the 2x4s. 

I'd just design your own plans if you have a few extra minutes. Then you get what you want. You need a support every 4' which would be each corner for a 55. 

And for the stain, minwax english oak is the perfect oak stain if you have an oak canopy or hood to go with your tank. Be sure to seal it too. Google should give you lots of tank plans if you want to use a premade one. I think its more fun to design it though.


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## MatPat

I don't have any "plans" for my tank but it is quite simple to make if you have access to a table saw. It is basically a box, with another 3 sided box built around it. It is made of 3/4" maply ply. Birch or Maple works well for painted stands and is a bit cheaper. Any plywood will work though. 

Inner box (white) dimensions
top and bottom - 12" W x 48" L
sides - 12" W x 24" L you can vary the length of the sides to whatever height you want.
dividers (2) 11 1/4" W x 22 1/2" L - helps against racking and gives me somewhere to mount my hardware  
Back (3) 6" W x 22 1/2" L

Outer dimensions - Black
Top (1) 13 3/4" W x 52" L (Includes a decorative bullnose edge on 3 sides)
Sides (2) 12 3/4" W x 24" L

I used "European" hardware so I wouldn't have to see the hinges. This makes my black sides 3/4" wider than the white sides. Black sides are glued and screwed to the white sides after the inside (white) box is assembled. Top is then glued and screwed to the white inner box top. This effectively gives you 1 1/2" thick sides and top.

The space for the doors is then measured and door parts were cut and assembled. The stand sits on a 1 1/2" thick plywood base. this is cut to the dimensions of the white inner box and decorative baseboard was applied. The base matches the trim used to hide the plastic tank frame and also the trim on the lower portion of the hood. The bullnose on the hood is the same as the top of the stand.

Here are a couple of pics:


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## Dewmazz

Wow! You built that!!? Very nice. I've been wondering how to save space for plugs...


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## John P.

I built my own, too, but it's a 26-G:








4x4s, 2x4s, Maple Plywood, Smooth Pine, a little MDF, and screws & glue!


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## MatPat

Thanks for the compliments Dewmazz!

John, I really like that stand! Kind of an Arts and Crafts/Craftsman look to it with the stout legs. Reminds me of some Greene and Greene furniture also but without all of the fussy ornamentation. It looks very nice and fits the space perfectly! I will probably make something similar to that if I get another 75g.


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## neonfish3

Thanks for the help.
WOW, matpat and John P. those are both beautiful stands.:supz: 

I like the double box idea for strength and full weight distribution on the floor.
I will try it. I will make a journal of the progress with pics and dimensions.

Thanks again for all your help.


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## toofazt

Here's my 55G stand I made:


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## toofazt




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## toofazt




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## toofazt

And the plans, no 2 x 4's:


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## toofazt

My 150G stand made only of 2 x 4's:


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