Stand: wood vs welded steel vs welded aluminium vs modular aluminium

[2BeAlive]

Designing my next tank, and now considering what stand to get.

I once had a 180cm x 60cmx 70cm tank that was on a plywood stand. The wood started swelling in a corner with a slow pipe leak. I sill shudder when I see commercials stands now, so want to build my own with a sturdy frame, clad in wood to match my furniture (picture for discussion, not mine).

My need tank is going to be (not bigger than) 170cm x 70cm x 60cm with a (not bigger than) 70cm x 50cm x 40cm sump.

Contemplating the material to use for the frame:

Wood:
Pro: Cheap(ish), lots of carpenters around that can do it. Cons: Wood and water again? Got to do thick and more beams that will be taking internal space in the stand.

Steel:
Pros: Cheaper than aluminium, lots of welders around that can do it. Thinner elements than wood (for the same strength) and wont swell up. Cons: More expensive than than wood. One-day it will rust.

Aluminium (welded):
Pros: Sea water proof! Same size or thinner than steel. Cons: Expensive.

Aluminium (modular) :
Pros: Sea water proof! Plug and play and can add stuff later, move stuff around Cons: Ouch, expensive.

What are you using? Your views on the pro and cons? Am I overthinking it?

 

[samnaz]

You are not overthinking it. I'm currently using a MDF stand modified with plywood, 100% don't recommend. My next stand will be 80/20 aluminum for the reasons you have mentioned. Only con I can imagine is the cost.

 

[2BeAlive]

You are not overthinking it. I'm currently using a MDF stand modified with plywood, 100% don't recommend. My next stand will be 80/20 aluminum for the reasons you have mentioned. Only con I can imagine is the cost.

What do you mean with 80/20 aluminium?

 

[samnaz]

What do you mean with 80/20 aluminium?

80/20 Aluminum T-slot Building Systems | 80/20 Aluminum Extrusions

T-Slots, aluminum extrusions, and parts. Architectural solutions and frames for industrial machine guards, workstations, data center enclosures, and more. Build your idea with 80/20 today.

8020.net

 

[I’ma tempermental coral]

So when my husband and I got the system we are building now this was something we went through as well. My husband is a welder so a steel or aluminum carcass would have been very doable. I nixed the steel idea because of potential risk issues because even professionally applied coatings fail faster than you’d think in a humid salt environment. A welded aluminum carcass was looking promising but my husband nixed that idea only because he didn’t feel like loading his rig up into the truck. He would have to bring it back and forth to work. We thought about buying a new one for the house but that can get expensive and then some lol. That left the T slot option and wood as well. After some basic math the T slot how my husband wanted to do it would have been more than buying the welder he wanted! Hahaha. So that left us with wood. He overbuilt the wood carcass and used heavy duty deck stain in multiple coats to seal the wood. It won’t last as long as the T slot or welded aluminum carcasses would but by the time this stand has seen its days the chances the tank won’t have been upgraded are slim. So my question for you is, is this your endgame tank? One that will be in the house for 10+ years? Or is this a stepping stone to that dream tank? If this is a stepping stone, build yourself a good overbuilt wood stand that’s been stained and sealed correctly. Save the money for the time being and put whatever you saved either into the tank or better yet save that money for that 8020 t slot project for the tank of your dreams in the furniture.

 

[vanpire]

It really depends on your tank size. The larger the tank, the better case for steel. The biggest downside for steel to me is weight. Steel is heavy.

My steel stand is 10 years old and I bought it used. I just painted it, and it has been fine for a loong time, but if you are concerned, you can always powder coat it.

The biggest plus to steel is that you can have a very wide span with a steel squares, beams, etc. It makes it super easy to work in the sump and to move things in and out. Steel also takes less space than wood, and there are lots of welders who can work with steel. While the cost is more expensive than wood, it is not much more.

People don't move their stands a lot and a good epoxy paint and the steel frame will last you a lifetime.

For a small tank that is 4 foot or so wide, wood is just fine. You can have a wide span and it is easy to build. We really do overbuild our stands probably by a factor of 10. The commercial stands while they seem flimsy have been engineered professionally and tested. They work just fine. I had a 150 tall over one with just a pine stand from the store, it after 5 years, it still looked good and worked just fine. I have a couple of floods over those 5 years, but it still held strong.

 

[TheHarold]

For a tank that size, there is nothing wrong with a properly constructed wooden stand. It will last longer than the tank.

Here is the stand I built for my 120 x 70 x 45cm tank:

DIY: 1-Sheet Laminated Plywood Stand

Here are some photos from my plywood laminated-style stand. The construction is made up of 3" wide birch 3/4" plywood strips, that are laminated into 1.5" beams. This strategy lets me always have side-grain to screw and glue with- I will have a photo below of what a section looks like. @JoshH I...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[vanpire]

For a tank that size, there is nothing wrong with a properly constructed wooden stand. It will last longer than the tank.

Here is the stand I built for my 120 x 70 x 45cm tank:

DIY: 1-Sheet Laminated Plywood Stand

Here are some photos from my plywood laminated-style stand. The construction is made up of 3" wide birch 3/4" plywood strips, that are laminated into 1.5" beams. This strategy lets me always have side-grain to screw and glue with- I will have a photo below of what a section looks like. @JoshH I...

www.reef2reef.com

This is one of the best and well-designed stands I have seen. Clean and open. Enough to do the job well and not more.

 

[Ratherbeflyen]

I went with welded 6" aluminum channel for my 220 gallon tank. It has a granite counter top and oak skin. I love my stand and would do it again. I would change the way I made the skin. After 2 years it is warping and doesn't seal up tight spilling sump lighting into the room.

There is more info on it in my build thread.

Build Thread - 220 Gallon Volcanic Lava Rock Reef Tank Build

I made a video walk through of how I built and set up my 220 gallon mixed reef tank. Expanded overflow and plumbing. Expanded explanation of the hood.

www.reef2reef.com

 

[KStatefan]

I like steel but that fits in my skill set better then wood.

You can build a quality stand that will last for years out of any of those materials it really comes down to personal chioice and which design criteria is highest on your priority list.

I like steel but that fits in my skill set better then wood and I can purchase steel at work at cost.

I would not call aluminum sea water proof. It will corrode if not protected from salt water.

 

[h2so4hurts]

Aluminum will corrode if you get water on it. No uncoated metal is salt water proof. All of the above are good options. I've always done 2x4 or 2x6 stands just because they're convenient and easy to DIY.

 

[AlexG]

I am really on the fence for my next system on what I want to use for stand material. My wood stand has been a tank and was easy to build. But the idea of less structure under the tank and leveling feet is appealing. I think I would go with aluminum 80/20 so I could build it myself again if I don't go with a wooden stand.

 

[alton]

My first large tank(135) went on a 2x6 / 3/4" birch plywood stand. It weighed more than the tank. Second tank (200) went on a oak plywood stand. I had issues with plywood blistering where it got wet, cut out the cancer and re-applied a better sealer. Third was expensive using oak hard wood boards for my 300DD. 4th tank which was a 180 from Planet came with a stand from planet. 5th tank 310 from planet, their stand was too expensive, so I built my own stand out of Russian Birch which is twice as strong, more plys, and water proof. I believe Planet uses this same wood.

my old 300DD stand below

 

[2BeAlive]

80/20 Aluminum T-slot Building Systems | 80/20 Aluminum Extrusions

T-Slots, aluminum extrusions, and parts. Architectural solutions and frames for industrial machine guards, workstations, data center enclosures, and more. Build your idea with 80/20 today.

8020.net

Thx, yes, same system as I linked to.

 

[sharpimage]

Your spot on with your observations. Now it comes down to picking the one you want. It s a personal choice at this point. Personally, after I added up all the different ways, I ended up buying a waterbox as the end price was cheaper than me doing it myself. I like carpentry, but finish carpentry is hard. So I would have had to pay for it.

 

[mike550]

@2BeAlive so many great comments and thoughts on this question. Just a few more thoughts for you.

I'm a newbie with a 120G tank. My current and "first" stand and canopy is made from 1x3, 1x4, and plywood and then sealed with a number of coats of stain / polyurethane. Two lessons I've learned about the stand. First, I get very nervous any time I need to drill holes to secure equipment (dosers, power supplies, etc). So I ended up adding a french cleat to secure a panel that I use to mount all of the equipment. Second, because my stand is about 48" wide, there is a "leg" in the middle which can't be removed (without cutting and a great deal of gnashing of teeth). So I'm "stuck" with the sump that I have, and access is fairly limited. I also wish that I could have created a "dry side" under the stand to secure a controller and other sensitive electronics.

If I were to do it again, I'd strongly consider a T-slot system for many of the reasons others stated. It also seems much more versatile in terms of making changes (e.g. "dry side" for equipment, adding mounting panels, etc) and strength vs. weight.

 

[2BeAlive]

So when my husband and I got the system we are building now this was something we went through as well. My husband is a welder so a steel or aluminum carcass would have been very doable. I nixed the steel idea because of potential risk issues because even professionally applied coatings fail faster than you’d think in a humid salt environment. A welded aluminum carcass was looking promising but my husband nixed that idea only because he didn’t feel like loading his rig up into the truck. He would have to bring it back and forth to work. We thought about buying a new one for the house but that can get expensive and then some lol. That left the T slot option and wood as well. After some basic math the T slot how my husband wanted to do it would have been more than buying the welder he wanted! Hahaha. So that left us with wood. He overbuilt the wood carcass and used heavy duty deck stain in multiple coats to seal the wood. It won’t last as long as the T slot or welded aluminum carcasses would but by the time this stand has seen its days the chances the tank won’t have been upgraded are slim. So my question for you is, is this your endgame tank? One that will be in the house for 10+ years? Or is this a stepping stone to that dream tank? If this is a stepping stone, build yourself a good overbuilt wood stand that’s been stained and sealed correctly. Save the money for the time being and put whatever you saved either into the tank or better yet save that money for that 8020 t slot project for the tank of your dreams in the furniture.

Have not welded for 20 years, so not an option, but discovered local options for both steal and aluminium. Spend some time reading up on the 8020 options, and apart from cost, really has great flexibility and ability to add and move. Just not sure about the strength to have a 1.8m span.

I have started to rethink my approach to reefing and going to build my dream cabinet that I can keep and swap-out (upgrade) my tank on top of it as my situation changes. A bigger cabinet will also make equipment selection easier and allow me to have a proper dry side to it.

I have a 90cm x 90cm x 72cm in 12mm glass that I really want to use, but lives in a 3rd story flat without a lift, so not sure that is an option, may have to do 2 x 60cm cubes.

 

[I’ma tempermental coral]

Have not welded for 20 years, so not an option, but discovered local options for both steal and aluminium. Spend some time reading up on the 8020 options, and apart from cost, really has great flexibility and ability to add and move. Just not sure about the strength to have a 1.8m span.

I have started to rethink my approach to reefing and going to build my dream cabinet that I can keep and swap-out (upgrade) my tank on top of it as my situation changes. A bigger cabinet will also make equipment selection easier and allow me to have a proper dry side to it.

I have a 90cm x 90cm x 72cm in 12mm glass that I really want to use, but lives in a 3rd story flat without a lift, so not sure that is an option, may have to do 2 x 60cm cubes.

The only issue I see with this mentality is my personal experience. Personally if I am building an upgrade I don’t break down the current system until the new system is ready for whatever is coming out of the previous system. That said chances are the new system is being built as another system not as a replacement. What I’m saying is it’s hard to start a new system with parts from the old system without breaking it down.

 

[2BeAlive]

It really depends on your tank size. The larger the tank, the better case for steel. The biggest downside for steel to me is weight. Steel is heavy.

My steel stand is 10 years old and I bought it used. I just painted it, and it has been fine for a loong time, but if you are concerned, you can always powder coat it.

The biggest plus to steel is that you can have a very wide span with a steel squares, beams, etc. It makes it super easy to work in the sump and to move things in and out. Steel also takes less space than wood, and there are lots of welders who can work with steel. While the cost is more expensive than wood, it is not much more.

People don't move their stands a lot and a good epoxy paint and the steel frame will last you a lifetime.

For a small tank that is 4 foot or so wide, wood is just fine. You can have a wide span and it is easy to build. We really do overbuild our stands probably by a factor of 10. The commercial stands while they seem flimsy have been engineered professionally and tested. They work just fine. I had a 150 tall over one with just a pine stand from the store, it after 5 years, it still looked good and worked just fine. I have a couple of floods over those 5 years, but it still held strong.

Would galvanising work and/or am I talking about a lot of money?

 

[2BeAlive]

Luckily I;Bookworm checked, if a solid stand, if I make it wider than 72cm, it will not be able to get out of a (my) single door?