Cali Kid Corals

Using Granite Countertop (or similar materials) as a base for tank

jellygeee

jellygeee

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Hi All,

Just want to see if anyone has tried using a granite countertop (those used in Kitchen's countertop) as the bottom base of fish tank. I am in the process of building a fish stand when I suddenly thought about the countertop. It definitely looks nicer than regular plywood, but I'm not sure if it is compatible with acrylic tank.

Can anyone share their thoughts of experiences?

Thank you
Rudy =)
 
Wait are we talking about the bottom of the tank or the top of a stand?

If we are talking about the bottom of tank I would think it would be too porous
.
 
Raddogz said:
Wait are we talking about the bottom of the tank or the top of a stand?

If we are talking about the bottom of tank I would think it would be too porous
.
Click to expand...


Since he says it looks better then plywood I'm assuming "to put the tank on".

I see no reason not to, and I have seen it done before. Just don't get cheap crumbly stuff :D

Also make sure it's flat and has no bumps. Any little thing like that can spell trouble in the future.
 
Sorry, I meant to say using the counter top as the top of a stand.

Gresham: Yeah, I see what you mean. Any uneven part will cause some bowing for the tank, right?
Does is really necessary to have a foam above the stand prior to position the tank?
I'm thinking about using one of the foam sheets in black color to provide a deeper look from a top view:
http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog/productdetail.jsp?pageName=search&flag=true&PRODID=xprd821459
Will that be an issue for an acrylic tank?

Thanks, Gresham
Rudy
 
Granite would work fine. Downside is you pay a whole lot of money (depending upon the foot print of your tank) for granite you quite honestly will never see (the tank will cover it). Other than that it should hold the weight just fine.

Something that I've been thinking about is instead of a slab for the top, simply have a ledge around the bottom of the tank that's granite, almost like a bar (not as wide mind you). If anything it'll be a place to put stuff while you're working on the tank :D
 
Rudy, what size of a tank are we talking about. IMO you should not put foam under acrylic tanks if at all possible. Although with the foam in your link is probably to thin to hurt or help.
 
Granite is pretty heavy. You'd want to make sure your stand can hold all the weight (depending on how big your tank is). Might also want to seal the granite to prevent it from getting stained from any water that goes on the top.
 
Granite is just something that I thought about using to make it nice. I am already using plywood as the top of the stand.
The foam (color black) is just to create a deeper look for the tank; I'm actually converting a frag tank into a shallow tank.
I plan to stain the stand with oak/almond color (something that look light).

Tank dimension is 48" x 24" x 12" (4ft x 2ft x 1ft).
 
Assuming it sticks out a bit beyond the tank, it seems like the part you can see would look rather nice.
Nice match of granite / reef rock.

Keep in mind that the tensile strength of granite is not that great, and in fact can be pretty weak if
there is a hidden defect or crack. So you still need some supports underneath the top.
(Edit : Overlaping posts - seems like you have that covered)

And yes, definitely seal it!!
 
Granite is also a very good conductor (which is why it feels cold when you touch it). It actually sucks the heat out of you so to speak. Not sure what affects it would have on tank temp., just throwing it out there.
 
Check this place out if you want a large selection at good prices.
I used them for my house and my current project.
They also carry some man made "stone" that is pretty nice stuff.

LIBERTY HOME BUILDER SUPPLY
2300 CESAR CHAVEZ ARMY
SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102
(415) 642-1488
 
instead of using granite, get the solid surface stuff like corian. Granite is porous and even after sealing, it still will soak up water. The solid surface is cheaper, lighter, and more forgiving to salt water. You can get it at any home improvement store in any color you want. It wont stain, and if you scratch it, it can be polished out. It is easier to shape and cut as well.
 
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