Accidentally Made My Stand Too Narrow

[BeanAnimal]

Im in the camp of making it 4 inches wider than the tank so you can put test vials tongs bottles and all the appropriate clutter in front of your tank then just center the tank over the frame

See above, that may shift a significant load to the span of the top and depending on the variables mentioned may or may not be okay. Typically not okay though.

 

[GARRIGA]

Is this a rimless tank? That matters. Rimmed tanks aren't as fragile and I've kept those with the tank frame being outside the confines of the stand. Rimless where entire bottom needs to be supported.

 

[Reefer1978]

Am I the only one thinking 1/8 of an inch doesn't matter? If the tank is centered, the overhang is 1/16 on each side, front and back.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Am I the only one thinking 1/8 of an inch doesn't matter? If the tank is centered, the overhang is 1/16 on each side, front and back.

As indicated above, for the size of tank, size of top and amount of "overhang" it doesn't matter

 

[Reefer1978]

As indicated above, for the size of tank, size of top and amount of "overhang" it doesn't matter

Thanks @BeanAnimal. I was even thinking pretty much any tank. Even if the glass was 1/4 think, 3/4's of the panel would be supported. But prob overthinking it.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Thanks @BeanAnimal. I was even thinking pretty much any tank. Even if the glass was 1/4 think, 3/4's of the panel would be supported. But prob overthinking it.

Yep - the overlapping the actual support is part of what makes this fine. From there, as the "overhang" grows, the thickness (stiffness) of the top comes into play. Likewise, if the tank is narrower then the underlying perimeter support, the thickness (stiffness) of the top comes into play. No different than joist spacing. At some "distance" the area directly supporting the tanks perimeter will for the top to "sag" under load and allow the tank to deform. We can do math for all of this, but for the given situation in this thread, it is not needed. As you point out, the tank trim is still mostly resting above the actual support itself and not carried in span between supports.

 

[Thalasstronaut]

Is this a rimless tank? That matters. Rimmed tanks aren't as fragile and I've kept those with the tank frame being outside the confines of the stand. Rimless where entire bottom needs to be supported.

It is a rimmed tank.

 

[GARRIGA]

It is a rimmed tank.

Seen rimmed tanks inserted end to end where several inches extruded on each end in a retail setup. Fact is you just need to support the ends, if needed. Confirmed that with All Glass few years back based on what I was setting up in my fish room. Let me see if I can find a picture. Last saw that was a video from Aquarium Co-Op on how they have their displays organized with only two dises supported.

 

[GARRIGA]

Check this out

 

[BeanAnimal]

Seen rimmed tanks inserted end to end where several inches extruded on each end in a retail setup. Fact is you just need to support the ends, if needed. Confirmed that with All Glass few years back based on what I was setting up in my fish room.

Supporting an trimmed tank only by the ends puts significant more stress on the seams. If the two opposing ends are not perfectly planar, then the forces are even more significant. I would be highly skeptical of all-glass telling you that you only needed to support their tanks on two ends. Again, the load and stress certainly depend on the span and size of tank, but one way or the other you are essentially create a U shaped beam out of the aquarium.

Let me see if I can find a picture. Last saw that was a video from Aquarium Co-Op on how they have their displays organized with only two dises supported.

I am sure you will find plenty of photos of LFS setup this way, mostly with 10G and 15G and 20G tanks -- It does not mean it is right or less safe than a fully supported perimeter though.

 

[Thalasstronaut]

Check this out

So what I’m seeing, correct me if I’m wrong, is that those tanks have a small support on each side, but nothing in the front or back? In essence they’re held up on the ends and rely on the frame to support the weight over the span along the long sides? That’s wild, I didn’t think that would fly.

 

[GARRIGA]

Supporting an trimmed tank only by the ends puts significant more stress on the seams. If the two opposing ends are not perfectly planar, then the forces are even more significant. I would be highly skeptical of all-glass telling you that you only needed to support their tanks on two ends. Again, the load and stress certainly depend on the span and size of tank, but one way or the other you are essentially create a U shaped beam out of the aquarium.



I am sure you will find plenty of photos of LFS setup this way, mostly with 10G and 15G and 20G tanks -- It does not mean it is right or less safe than a fully supported perimeter though.

That's what All Glass told me. Not seeing why size of tank matters being glass thickness based on height and frame bottom doesn't change regardless of size. Only top brace reinforced on wider tanks.

When I called them I was specifically discussing 40 breeders and 75g tanks.

Call them and solve that skepticism otherwise what exactly are you basing your facts on?

 

[GARRIGA]

So what I’m seeing, correct me if I’m wrong, is that those tanks have a small support on each side, but nothing in the front or back? In essence they’re held up on the ends and rely on the frame to support the weight over the span along the long sides? That’s wild, I didn’t think that would fly.

I was shocked at first then remembered seeing tanks displayed back in the 80s end to end where front and back had an overhang. Granted these were all 10g tanks as then that seemed to be the norm.

In this setup, you see all four corners being supported. I believe that's what's really supporting the tank but having a brace front to back likely doesn't hurt.

 

[BeanAnimal]

So what I’m seeing, correct me if I’m wrong, is that those tanks have a small support on each side, but nothing in the front or back? In essence they’re held up on the ends and rely on the frame to support the weight over the span along the long sides? That’s wild, I didn’t think that would fly.

See the post above - it is not a good idea for many reasons, but depending on the size of the tank, may or may not be "ok". Using the tank as a "beam" effectively places the side panels into a buckling stress and all 8 seams into additional shear, as compared to a fully supported perimeter.

 

[Thalasstronaut]

See above, that may shift a significant load to the span of the top and depending on the variables mentioned may or may not be okay. Typically not okay though.

This is almost getting off topic, I don’t think I’d extend the topper or anything, but I’m curious how this works. If you overbuild the topper, you’re saying that the weight of the aquarium could affect the topper out farther than the edge of the tank itself? Like if you have an 18 inch wide tank, but a 22inch wide topper, the tank can adversely affect those last 4 inches of the topper that it isn’t resting on, and can do so to a level that could compromise the integrity of the tank?

 

[BeanAnimal]

This is almost getting off topic, I don’t think I’d extend the topper or anything, but I’m curious how this works. If you overbuild the topper, you’re saying that the weight of the aquarium could affect the topper out farther than the edge of the tank itself? Like if you have an 18 inch wide tank, but a 22inch wide topper, the tank can adversely affect those last 4 inches of the topper that it isn’t resting on, and can do so to a level that could compromise the integrity of the tank?

Yes - at that point the stiffness of the topper is supporting the perimeter weight. So pushing down and trying to force the center up... think of a hat being pulled over a head. The stiffer the top, the more apt to support and transfer the load to the framing, the less stiff, the more apt it is to yield or deform (bend) under weight.