70 gallon metal stand bowing?

[Beanie Seagus]

Ok, so now we have girlfriend approval to go the cinder block and 2x4" method!

I've got enough room for an 8 foot rack. Using 16"x8"x6" cinder blocks, and 3 rows of 2x4"s per level.

My current plan looks like this:



So on the bottom of the rack, we have two 20 Talls, running longways, and two 20 longs, running horizontal.

Then on the top of the rack we have a 29 gallon longways, a 25 gallon longways, a 37 gallon longways, and a 10 gallon running horizontal.

Here are my questions:

#1 will it be a problem that i'm running the 20 longs horizontally? That will mean that they are partially hanging off the front and back of the stand. Will this cause bowing or instability in the set up?

#2 will it be a problem if the weight isn't distributed completely evenly? The bottom rack will be symmetrical, but the top will be a bit heavier, and with three different sized tanks spread out across the top. Is this going to make the stand unstable? Or cause bowing in the 2x4"s?

Its imperative that I squeeze the most possible gallons onto this rack, as after this, i'm out of room, and likely out of leeway with the girlfriend... (keep in mind, there are another four 55 gallon tanks elsewhere in the apartment so i don't really blame her)

 

[CSnyder00]

Me personally, I would get as much wood under them as possible, so I'd use 2 - 2x6 and one 2x4. Or you could go 2 - 2x8 s. As for your worry about them being horizontal, I think you will be fine, but you could always add another one of these behind it if you're really that worried. Other than that, I think your plan is solid.

 

[CSnyder00]

You could also switch it up and put your biggest tanks on the bottom, adding more cinder blocks under the bottom rack for support.

 

[dogofwar]

20L and 29G are 30" tanks, so I'd go two blocks deep (2 x 16" = 32") to accommodate them (vs. 1 block at 16" and have the tanks hanging off).

Also, you don't have to orient all of the blocks so that the openings are facing down. Having them the tall way with the openings facing you as you stand in front of it gives a little storage.

I wouldn't worry at all about using 2x4s but I also use 2 x 6s in my stands...

Matt

 

[CSnyder00]

20L and 29G are 30" tanks, so I'd go two blocks deep (2 x 16" = 32") to accommodate them (vs. 1 block at 16" and have the tanks hanging off).

Also, you don't have to orient all of the blocks so that the openings are facing down. Having them the tall way with the openings facing you as you stand in front of it gives a little storage.

I wouldn't worry at all about using 2x4s but I also use 2 x 6s in my stands...

Matt

Exactly what I was thinking/tried to say above.