How can most manufactured stands be open on the bottom and not support the bottom glass?

[AydenLincoln]

One thing I noticed about the mass manufactured Aqueon and Marineland stands is that they are completely open on the bottom. To me that is setting up a tank for disaster especially a larger saltwater tank. Who has a tank/stand like this? How long has it been up and running? Or whose tank has shattered from a design like this especially given saltwater tanks have the added weight of live rocks and sand. I know the tanks have a small raised lip/rim under them but even so it scares me to get a tank/stand like this.

 

[rtparty]

Those aquariums are made with the black rims on them. You never want to put pressure on the bottom pane of glass when built like that. They are designed to sit only on the rim.

You only fully support the bottom glass on rimless tanks

 

[rogueshrimp88]

To be fair most of those stands are designed for rimmed tanks. They don't need support along the bottom, just on the frame surrounding the bottom. I have one for my 20g Long QT that has been in use for 3 years without issue, even with my horribly uneven floors. Used to have a 29g freshwater tank on it before the QT

 

[AydenLincoln]

Those aquariums are made with the black rims on them. You never want to put pressure on the bottom pane of glass when built like that. They are designed to sit only on the rim.

You only fully support the bottom glass on rimless tanks

Oh never thought of this. I have a rimmed tank but the stand is fully covered on the top. The stand not being covered on the top freaks me out. But I guess it can be fixed with a thin piece of plywood between the stand and the tank. But I know the gap between the rim and the glass is there as the glass is slightly above the bottom rim. I worry about it being level too since it isn’t completely covered.

 

[Cichlid Dad]

Oh never thought of this. I have a rimmed tank but the stand is fully covered on the top. The stand not being covered on the top freaks me out. But I guess it can be fixed with a thin piece of plywood between the stand and the tank. But I know the gap between the rim and the glass is there as the glass is slightly above the bottom rim. I worry about it being level too since it isn’t completely covered.

Even if you have a plywood top, only the rim touches it , so it makes no difference whether toped or open the tank gets the same support.

 

[Reef By Steele]

When I first got into the hobby I had a 139 gallon tank on a stand as described. I ended up with two 139, and a 150 and a 90 all with open stands. Lots and lots of rock in all of them and absolutely no problems with them for years.

 

[Tamberav]

The bottom glass is floating on rimmed tanks having wood there changes nothing.

If you tired to put foam under the glass on such a tank to support it, you risk it cracking as you are now pushing the glass inwards away from the rim it is siliconed to.

On larger tanks, there is usually center bracing too and some may have tempered bottoms, increasing the strength further.

Don’t sweat it unless your tank is a Red Sea *grin*