48” x 24” cheap stand options
- Thread starter A Aaron
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The_Lazy_Reefer
Supporting Member
2x4s will be your best/cheapest option, Metal that will hold the tank costs a decent amount but can be assembled very easily. Personally 2x4’s with a nice painted luan finished panel wrap is never a bad cheap option imo
sfsuphysics
Supporting Member
This is for that lowboy tank isn't it? Get it for $60, spend $600 on a stand, the hidden cost of cheap goods 
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But yeah, don't compare to the cost of lumber/building, you'll never find anything in that range hell not even in the next range over. That said you probably can do aluminum extrusion for under $200 if you don't overbuild it, i.e. don't look at 8020 they're one of the more expensive ones. But yeah a 48" long 1x2 is about $15 (plus shipping), so figure 3 of those worth (for the 24" direction) is $45, double that for a "bottom" portion, and 4 legs of 30" tall or so will run you another $40, then expect to spend $40-50 just in screws/nuts/plates etc. Should be fine, but you really need to design those stands from the get go.
.But yeah, don't compare to the cost of lumber/building, you'll never find anything in that range hell not even in the next range over. That said you probably can do aluminum extrusion for under $200 if you don't overbuild it, i.e. don't look at 8020 they're one of the more expensive ones. But yeah a 48" long 1x2 is about $15 (plus shipping), so figure 3 of those worth (for the 24" direction) is $45, double that for a "bottom" portion, and 4 legs of 30" tall or so will run you another $40, then expect to spend $40-50 just in screws/nuts/plates etc. Should be fine, but you really need to design those stands from the get go.
A Aaron
Guest
Yeah you hit it in the head. I knew the stand was probably gonna be the most expensive thing on the build except the lights. So if 80/20 is on the more expensive end where do you suggest buying the t slot at a lower price?
It’s going at the top of the stairs where people will see it. If it was going in the garage I’d build a huge stand for multiple like ash did.
It’s going at the top of the stairs where people will see it. If it was going in the garage I’d build a huge stand for multiple like ash did.
sfsuphysics
Supporting Member
The stuff I bought came from a place called tnutz.com granted I built a really heavy light rack out of it not a stand, but the stuff is strong, like I said you just need to know how to engineer it properly. What that place really excels at discounting is the connectors, one of the nuts for instance might cost 35 cents or 12 cents for the economy ones, versus 80 cents or 20 cents of the "brand name" which doesn't sound like a lot, but the reality is those little screws and nuts and all those fasteners really add up in the long run. The real key is to understand the strength of the material and try not to build the "wood equivalent", for that tank I could see a stand somewhere in the $200 or less range that's perfectly strong enough.
That said, nothing wrong with 2x4s, the slap some 1/8" or 1/4" plywood on the outside, stain/paint whatever. If you don't need to have anything under the tank (i.e. not plumbed to a sump) then you can completely enclose it so no one needs to see 2x4s.
The problem is that a 4' x 2' footprint typically is for a much bigger tank, so any "off the shelf" ideas are going to built as if a 100+ gallon tank is going on there, which you don't need that level of stability. Other options you can possibly do is just bolt two smaller stands together. Just as an example
This stand is 48" x 13" or so, so two of those gives you the footprint. Bolt the legs, screw a sheet of plywood across the whole thing on top, and under, and you got yourself a usable 4' x 2' tank stand. The price isn't super cheap, but I get emails from Petco all the time "save $30 off $100, with free shipping" or something. Granted not saying you should do this, just floating ideas out and something might catch your eye. FYI I use a similar stand for a 40 breeder, I think cost like $20 or $30 from Petco, it has it's issues sure, but it's fine for a tank that small.
That said, nothing wrong with 2x4s, the slap some 1/8" or 1/4" plywood on the outside, stain/paint whatever. If you don't need to have anything under the tank (i.e. not plumbed to a sump) then you can completely enclose it so no one needs to see 2x4s.
The problem is that a 4' x 2' footprint typically is for a much bigger tank, so any "off the shelf" ideas are going to built as if a 100+ gallon tank is going on there, which you don't need that level of stability. Other options you can possibly do is just bolt two smaller stands together. Just as an example
This stand is 48" x 13" or so, so two of those gives you the footprint. Bolt the legs, screw a sheet of plywood across the whole thing on top, and under, and you got yourself a usable 4' x 2' tank stand. The price isn't super cheap, but I get emails from Petco all the time "save $30 off $100, with free shipping" or something. Granted not saying you should do this, just floating ideas out and something might catch your eye. FYI I use a similar stand for a 40 breeder, I think cost like $20 or $30 from Petco, it has it's issues sure, but it's fine for a tank that small.
A Aaron
Guest
That’s great input thank you. I actually was looking at those stands and thinking the same thing about connecting them.
As for the t slot I was thinking the whole time about using the 15 series which is 1.5”x1.5”. Do you think the 10 series would be enough for that size tank? Probably not much of price difference so might not be worth trying to go with the smaller stuff.
As for the t slot I was thinking the whole time about using the 15 series which is 1.5”x1.5”. Do you think the 10 series would be enough for that size tank? Probably not much of price difference so might not be worth trying to go with the smaller stuff.
sfsuphysics
Supporting Member
I think 10 series would be fine given proper design, you need to know where your loads are going to be and how to distribute that low without deflection. 15 series could work too, especially since they have "lighter" versions of it that brings the cost down, I'd probably stick with 1.5" x 1'5" for that though, where as with the 10 series I'd do 1" x 2" for a lot of it, both for strength (stronger in the important direction), and for an easier way to connect legs to top area.
