Originally Posted by intarsiabox (Post 911720)

I have 2x4's at the stands base followed by 1/2" plywood and 1/2" foam for the sump to sit on. The top of the stand is cross braced with 2x4's as well. On top of the foam I have a standard 29g tank converted into a sump and my skimmer is 21" high. I have no problems removing the entire skimmer out of the sump even with losing 8" of height under the stand due to building material. The height of your sump and skimmer size should be taken into consideration when planning out your stand.

Originally Posted by vic622 (Post 911739)

Anyone know how much weight (ie: how many gallons) can be supported on a 2x4 vs. a 2x6 stand across a 4' span & a 6' span?

How big is your tank?

The cross-bracing is one of my concerns for room underneath. What you've done is pretty much the same thing I was thinking of, too. 2x4's would help create more head-room.

Originally Posted by intarsiabox (Post 911748)

My tank is a 75g custom that measures 36"Lx24"Wx24"H and is frameless with an external overflow. The cross bracing I used isn't to help support the weight just to prevent any warping of the 2x4's and plywood. Years ago I had a standard 75g on a 2x4 stand as well without any issues with one vertical support in the middle of the long run.

Originally Posted by Scythanith (Post 911787)

You could easily put a full sized truck on a simple 2x4 frame. If you're worried about earthquakes or people running into it from the side you'd need a little more lateral support (cross bracing). Here is mine made from 2x6 for a 270g. It's so overkill it's humorous :)

Originally Posted by Scythanith (Post 911793)

PM Steve (sphelps) and ask him. He will know, or at least have an educated guess for you.