Aquariums are one of the best ornaments for the home or for any place where people want to witness aquatic flora and fauna up-close. It is therefore a given that only high-quality aquarium furniture can compliment the most perfect aquariums. The triple aquarium stand, so-called because of the number of tiers constructed within it, is one of the sturdiest types of stands. Purchasing triple aquarium stands might be convenient but it certainly is costly, thus the option of saving money by making one of your own. In addition, your own stand may be custom-made to suit your tastes and even the colors of the aquarium residents themselves.
Things you’ll need:
- 2”x4” plywood for the frame
- Wood screws and screwdriver
- Table or circular saw
- Hammer
- 2”x4” plywood for the legs
- Finish nails
- ¾-inch finish plywood for the top
- 1/4-inch finish plywood for the back, sides and front
- Small premade doors
- Knobs and hinges for doors
- Sandpaper
- Paint
Instructions:
- Determine where you want to place your triple aquarium stand before constructing it and measure the length and width of the area where you want to set it up.
- Make a rough estimate of the weight of the aquarium by taking note that if one cube equals 30 kilogram of water, then: a perfect 1x1x1 cubic tank is 30 kg, a 3x2x1 aquarium is 180 kg, and a 3x2x2 aquarium is 360 kg.
- Construct the frame for your fish tank stand. Get the measurements of the length and depth of the base of your fish tank, then cut the plywood according to the following dimensions:
Set 1: four boards, each measuring 1 inch longer than the width of your aquarium;
Set 2: four boards, each measuring 2 inches shorter than the depth of your aquarium;
Set 3: one board, measuring just like the second set of boards for every 18 inches of the width of your aquarium;
Set 4: one board, measuring just like the second set of boards for every 36 inches of the width of your aquarium.
- Construct all the sides of the frame, and the top and bottom frames as well.
- Construct the legs of the stand.
- Insert the legs inside the frames and screw them in from the outside of the frames into the leg. Screw in each of these 4 legs in each corner of the two frames (top and bottom) that you have made.
- Construct the cover of the stand.
- Cut out the area for the door/s that you may want to make at the bottom of the stand and make them. Place your aquarium supplies here afterwards.
- Attach hinges at the frame where you would like to place the doors, and attach the doors to the hinges as well. Attach the knobs afterwards.
- Sand, paint and design your newly-made stand.
- Provide a lot of free space on all four sides of the tank in order that you will not have a hard time setting up the aquarium, cleaning the stand and the aquarium, etc.
- Try placing the empty aquarium on top of it and slowly fill it with water.
Tips:
In order for you to build a good aquarium stand, observe those sold in tropical fish stores, study how they were constructed, and try building one that can withstand a weight of 25 gallons of water.
Warnings:
Never try to make your stand too high. The higher the stand, the more unstable it is. Four feet should be the maximum height.
