Aquarium tank cabinet stand

[Noel]

Digizz, no expert on fish tanks or material strenghts but I think you need to over engineer the construction of the cabinet. Perhaps a torsion box platform to support the tank and either a steel or hardwood frame to in turn strengthen the whole base of the cabinet. At least this way you could use the MDF or veneered ply as a decorative element and hence only need to use much thinner stock and also you could lose the centre support. Just a thought or two but with the tremendous weight I'd play safe.

Noel

 

[Digizz]

Total weight will be approx 700-800 Kg

 

[Keith Smith]

The actual compressive strength for MDF is around 160kg/cm2, but this is a theoretical measurement in your case as the design of the cabinet will be all important.

Are you buying the aquarium? if so the manufacture should be able to provide details of the required support needed.

If I was asked to build this I would look to make the top very rigid by means of an "engineered" box section and try to design it so that the top extended beyond the sides. I would use ply not MDF for the top though.

Another potential weak point is the top corner joints where the sides meet the top, less of a problem if you extend the top beyond the sides.

Keith

 

[Digizz]

Good points - I think I will engineer in a simple but thinish wood frame - that should give even more rigidity and strength to the whole piece.

Good point re ply for top and probably bottom too as these are the most likely places for leaks and drips etc.

My tank is being custom made - the builder has used this kind of structure many times before apparently

 

[AlanG]

Gents
Can I suggest you take a look at Topical Fish Certre’s web site, It has a size and weight calculator for tanks, a good Forum and lots of examples of other peoples set UP’s

Alan

 

[Digizz]

Thanks Alan,

I use ultimatereef.net - similar info. A lot of people way over engineer their cabinets. Commercial cabinet manufacturers build theirs using similar techniques even for the bigger 2m long tanks.

 

[Anonymous]

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[Digizz]

Keeping it cheap isn't an option with marine fish - £4500 so far for kit alone without livestock. Good stuff though.

 

[mudman]

Keeping it cheap isn't an option with marine fish - £4500 so far for kit alone without livestock. Good stuff though.

:shock:
Don't want it to collapse then.

If you really need to get the sump in, and maybe out again, why not design it so that the end panel can be removed instead and slid in from that direction?

 

[Digizz]

This is my revised plan with 50mm square framework. I think this should provide more than enough extra support and rigidity with minimal impact on the available internal space. What do you think?

As a bonus, the frame uprights also provide a fixing surface for the door hinges

 

[Melville]

have you considered a welded metal frame the size of your cabinet,the cabinet could be built around the frame thus giving you the look of the cabinet with the strength of the hidden metal work.

 

[Digizz]

yes - a few people have mentioned it - I really don't think it needs it though + it's difficult and expensive to get made. It would be even less bulky though.

Unless you can get some kind of pre-fabricated sections and just cut to size?

 

[Midnight]

Unless you can get some kind of pre-fabricated sections and just cut to size?

Although that's technically possible, it's been my experience (through work) that it's not the most cost effective solution...

Wood's perfectly capable of dealing with the stresses.. just needs the right design...

c'monnnnn... you got it in you... relax... an let it out... :wink:

 

[Digizz]

Unless you can get some kind of pre-fabricated sections and just cut to size?

Although that's technically possible, it's been my experience (through work) that it's not the most cost effective solution...

Wood's perfectly capable of dealing with the stresses.. just needs the right design...

c'monnnnn... you got it in you... relax... an let it out... :wink:

I think that last design is OK, don't you?

 

[frank]

paul can you not fit the sump in from the top and then fix the top on the cabinet then place the tank on to it . as to the weight would it support two cast iron t/saws , thats what you are asking it to do , as i said i would make it with six legs or supports dont skimp on the base just think of how much £££s is sitting on the top of it .

 

[mudman]

I don't know, that does seem to be quite a long run with a lot of unsupported wood at the front and the back run doesn't seem to have very much either.
If you need to get the sump tank into the bottom, I'd be inclined to build the cabinet around it and then include some uprights front and back.

 

[Digizz]

I'm changing the front post to have a 20mm section bonded to it that runs from top to bottom behind it - that should add significant strength to it. You can't see from the drawing but the side panels are 19mm MDF veneered and the top/bottom are 25mm (prob ply). So it's a fairly hefty construction and all surfaces are glued and biscuit jointed where appropriate. This I think should form a very strong box construction.

Don't forget that commercial manufacturers' cabinets are built less solidly and often out of lamitated chipboard!

The guy that builds the tanks professionally assures me that my design is over engineered. Although for piece of mind I'm keeping it as is

I want to paint the interior with a hard wearing white (or light) finish that is totally impenetrable by water and water vapour. Any ideas?

Thanks everyone for your comments so far

 

[Midnight]

Paul..

sorry, I didn't see the revised drawing earlier..

definately stronger than the first plan, but like Barry, I've still some concerns bout the front span. However, if you've a method of fitting a removable brace (thinking retro-fitable might be a better term) that'd take care of that issue..

Only other concern is the mitred corners..

wait wait wait now... I'm not being fussy.. just adding a word of caution..

The blanket chest I built used mitred edges to join the 4 main panels, and looking at it now, it worked out nicely.. My concern is that the joints need to be perfect first time; glue up doesn't give you 2nd chances and getting these joints to close at the same time is a bear..
To help with this, make some mitred blocks from scrap, thick enough material to have a decent bearing face on em, then glue some fine sandpaper to those faces. You'll need plenty of these (I'm thinking at least 3 pair per corner) to use with some good strong and deep jawed F-clamps.
The glue up was the one area of the blanket chest that I didn't put too much thought into... just trying to save you some heartache and frustration...

 

[Digizz]

Thanks Mike.

This is the newer design. I've done away with the mitred edges for ease of fitting. I'm a bit worried that it'll look a bit rubbish though I'm going to get some veneer edging from the board manufacturers so hopefully it'll match well. Do you think this will be a problem? Is there another simple solution?

I just need to think up a fixing method for the centre post - once the sump is in, there won't be any room for tightening screws etc - probably only a few mm clearance.

Any thoughts on the internal finish?

 

[mudman]

I was thinking about this earlier and it suddenly dawned on me that we have all forgotten one important thing, the aquarium itself.
If the framework of the tank is itself strong enough to hold up to 700kg odd of water, then you should only need to worry about adequate support at the ends.
This means that you only need to ensure that the end panels can hold the weight, the bits in the midle are then only needed to hold the thing together and to provide a framework off of which to hang panels.
Of course, I could be totally wrong on this.