Stand pics/examples?

[Smudge]

Thinking of going wood with my new stand and found this.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=1169964

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by Smudge

Thinking of going wood with my new stand and found this.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=1169964

Pretty much what I'm thinking, I'm just concerned with the horizontal span. I'll have 72" of unsupported span, which according to that link will be fine, but I'm not sure I'd sleep well
Maybe an additional vert in the centre will give me peace of mind, without restrciting access too much.
Changed my mind on the sump, I'll use a 75g instead of my 115g, which gives me an extra foot...

[Chin_Lee]

Brad - just remember the weight of your tank is distributed throughout the span of the beam. If you're still really nervous, double up the 2x6 horizontal beams on the front and back. I did a 6' tank as per link and I've had plenty of sleep since

[Aquattro]

Thanks Chin, I guess you're right, I wasn't looking at weight distribution properly I may double up the 2x6 horizontals, that way I'll sleep too

[MitchM]

Brad, if you're concerned about the horizontal span, order a glulam from Rona or somewhere. That's what I'm doing for my 8'.
Much stronger, no crowns, twists, warps.

Mitch

[jostafew]

Mitch has the right idea. Composites and laminates are great for important structural components (like long spanning unsupported beams). Regular lumber is subject to grain and knot imperfections that create weakness. Of course you can always just beef up the lumber, but then you're losing valuable opening space into your sump area. I built my stand out of 3/4" oak ply, solid panels all around taking the load with a double-thickness laminated front panel that was cut away to allow access for sump etc. The laminate nature of the plywood with alternating grain direction make for very strong parts. I've got photos and solid models I can share if you like, but my particular design probly won't help much as it was designed for a tank that's 30" x 24" x 24". If I were doing a stand for a tank as long as yours I would design it with a support mid-span (front and back) and make the front support removeable. I have seen clever ways to take the load off the front-center brace of a stand while a sump is being serviced with a full tank still in place.

[Aquattro]

From a thread on RC, spanning 6 feet with a 2x6 won't require a vertical support mid span. So my design is a top rail of 2x6 on 2x4 verticals (2 each corner) plus additional support on the outside corners, as I'm making the stand longer than the tank. Then sheathing with 1/2" plywood, so strength should be fine. Not crazy about 6 inches on top, since it will block access to the skimmer cup a bit, but not a huge deal.