can a big fishtank support its own weight? or some?

Question

I have a really sturdy table i wanna put my 55 gallon fish tank on, but it's only about 3 feet 4 inches long, and the fishtank is 4 feet long... you think it would be ok to overhang it a bit?

thanks

It's actually not a table with legs its like a massive dresser with a marble type butcher block top it coudl hold 1000's of pounds i bet.... anyway I'm askign about the fishtank would IT be strong enough... etc.

I actualyl am getting a stand for it,but i have no real room for the stand. Itr would look so much better on top of the butcher block dresser (it's sort of like a counter very strong... but th ends of the tank woudl hang off.. Im sortfo hearing that woudl not be safe huh... damnit

Answer 1

Just to be safe I wouldn't, you don't want to take the chance of putting strain on the seams and having the tank start leaking on you. See if you can find something at a garage sale, just make sure it's sturdy. That might save you from having to go get one from a petshop.

Edit: Soupnazi is right, you might as well be safe and do it right. Just get a stand that is built for you tank to support the weight.

Answer 2

If you have to do it there is a safe way. You can cut some wood the length of the tank and put it on the stand then set the tank on top of the wood. The wood distributes the weight of the water over the entire Length and on the stand. Make sure you center the tank though. The best wood to use would be some 2x4's. Standard wood at your local home depot or Lowe's for about 4 dollars for an 8 ft piece. You could then just cut it in half because half of 8 foot is 4 foot and your tank is 4 foot wide. For extra safety you could put a piece of plywood on top of the wood before you put the tank on it or use 2 pieces of 2x4's, one on each end and one in the middle. You should be fine.. After all you are only talking about 4 inches of over hang on each end. That should relieve the stress at the seems. Good luck.

Answer 3

You NEVER want to leave any part of an aquarium unsupported. The pressure will easily snap the glass, leading to wet floors, dead fish, broken glass, and a lot of money "down the drain". For that heavy of a tank, the best option is to get a stand specifically built for an aquarium so it sufficiently supports the weight. I wouldn't even trust what would be considered a "sturdy" table with that much weight over prolonged periods of time. Email me if you have any questions.

Soop Nazi

EDIT: No, it would NOT be strong enough.

EDIT 2: Even "safe ways" can lead to bowed wood because of the emense weight and duration of the stress exerted on the wood. It is by far safer to just get a stand made to support that specific weight.

Answer 4

It's best not to, most of the built in support for the tank is at the edges. Get a piece of five ply plywood cut to the dimensions of your tank and have it under the tank for support. you will only see the edges, which you can paint black, the same as the plastic at the bottom of your tank. You can get plywood "good one side " which is a lot cheaper, it will be hardly noticeable, and you won't always worrying about it cracking.

Answer 5

When figuring the weight of the tank/water/gravel/decos/fish
10-15lbs X number of gallons the tank holds
10lbs X 55G = 550lbs
15 X 55G = 825lbs

Answer 6

I would not do that, I would opt for full support of the fish tank. The fish tank when full with water, gravel and decorations will weigh well over 450lbs.

Answer 7

There are 3 things to remember: Support, Support, and Support.

Make sure all of your tank is supported.

Answer 8

Bad idea!