How to: Build an Aquarium Stand

In this video, I show all materials needed and how to put it together. This video demonstrates how to effectively build an aquarium stand. In this video I will take you all the way through the process of building an aquarium stand for your own aquarium. Be sure to Subscribe and come back for more aquarium videos.
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[@a.j.anchondo5221]

The best part of this video was watching you and your son together. I miss those times with my son. Those are valuable times. When they grow up, they don't spend time with you like they do when they are small. You seem like a very caring father. I wish you the best dad!

[@thomasralfenson2684]

Mine works too. I used the Woodglut plans and performed it without any problems.

[@richardmathew8817]

I guess Im asking the wrong place but does anyone know a trick to get back into an Instagram account? I was dumb forgot my account password. I would love any tips you can give me

[@romeliapolly1212]

Superb! I love it so much ! Best plans to me Thomas

[@k0d0kan]

Beautiful! You will never have an issue with stability. I've looked at several builds, but I like yours the best. I'm going to copy it. LOL. Thanks.

[@modotd3885]

Nice job man! Much better workmanship than DIY self proclaimed king of narcissism. Love how you're genuinely about the hobby.

[@anthonyragan2696]

I'm a freshwater guy, but this video was really handy, as I'd like to build my own stands someday. This looks like a really solid design that can be scaled up or down. Thanks!

[@MadHattersReef]

A little salt never hurt anyone... Thanks for watching.

[@freshwaterjay8897]

my mind tricks my self into thinking marine is really hard to upkeep with a lot of fiddly media. My asian ariana and sting ray are quite low-maintenance in comparison to the simplest reef tank (unless Ive been put off by my keen freshwater hobbiest friends!)

[@MrMuerk1]

Wow, that is a STRONG stand!! I love using wood for stands, metal is too expensive, but you do get extra room. Each screw you used has a high shear strength, times how many you used = you could have put 5 tanks on that stand, and a car LOL! It never hurts to over engineer when talking about hundreds of gallons of water on your floor if you don't... You could have glued it, but the amount of screws you used more than made up for that, I wouldn't have either. Great video!

[@TheTattooedRonin]

The wooden diy stands can hold so much weight! This was an awesome build. My dad and I will make a stand for my 125gallon soon and Ill document it for youtube as well. Thanks for this video man. It was useful and cool to see.

[@avishekchand1061]

Hope you post it on KZbin I am about to do one as well

[@MadHattersReef]

👨‍🔧

[@r.wesleydukes2825]

OVERKILL! Just the way I do it also!

[@nyinfamous2k2]

Hey brother, Nice build. thats a beast of a stand. Good move on going with the 2x4 under the 2x6. thats whats going to hold a majority of the weight and dont have to worry as much about the screws failing bc screws have very week lateral strength. if you want it a bit taller you can always add 3/4 ply under it and then another 3/4 insulation under that. I usually use the dense pink construction foam that comes in large sheets.

[@MadHattersReef]

Long time no see, Thanks for the advice.

[@alextavares849]

Love the comment about dunkin. I'm the same way. And thanks for an awesome video. I plan to build my own stand for my first 150gal tank given to me.

[@crawdaddycustoms1655]

Nice build. Researching a 90 gallon stand build and I'm definitely going this route. Thank you!

[@MadHattersReef]

Awesome, let me know how it turns out :)

[@BType13X2]

Glad you added the 2X4's because all the weight was on the fasteners not on the wood itself. the 4X4's are not actually doing much to add strength to the stand as they only contribute what the fasteners going into them add.

[@ScoopDogg]

You have just saved me a ton of money .......Thanks

[@michaelflood8072]

Hi I bought second tank. Watching your video helped me so much to make my stand thanks

[@terror1732]

just finished building my stand out of wood for my 125, more than strong enough to hold tanks with the proper bracing. Do yourself a favor and pick up a impact driver, it makes sinking those screws so much easier.

[@MadHattersReef]

I'll try to do that for my next build. Thanks for watching.

[@jordancusick4264]

Great video. I am just getting ready to build a few stands and I like your design and your video helped me a lot.

[@fload46d]

Very good build. I will be building my own stand also for a 150 gal. One observation, I will be using Titebond III on the stand for even more strength. With a metal stand, the welds have to be right and also the steel has to be sufficiently designed.

[@beecee8611]

Stand looks great, like your plans on how to build. Nice and strong Stand.

[@bayareareefs8616]

I like wood no rust , just came across your channel and subbed

[@MadHattersReef]

Sweet. Right back at ya. Thanks for watching.

[@stevenwebb9861]

Splendid job best build I have seen well done.

[@DavidThomas-ke7ih]

You can never have to many screws and wood is better as i have never seen a steel frame in a pet store and finally a great vid and commentry on your discription of steps and a good solid fram well dowe

[@onenikkione]

Agree with you, I'm building ours 42 inches tall.

[@snakesDeath99]

awesome video and build. Been looking for a good video explaining how to build a stand for a large tank. Can't wait to use this for my build.

[@MadHattersReef]

Happy to help. Thanks for watching.

[@JumpinJakalopes]

Great job man, I'm so using your setup :P I want to put an aesthetic finish on the stand by nailing 1/8" plywood around the perimeter of the stand and then either gluing laminated wood sheets or even tile it!

[@MadHattersReef]

+Tareck Fahmi tile is a good idea just may end up being very heavy. Let me know how it turns out.

[@checkforfleas9452]

Ya know I've seen alot of stands. So far a wood stand has the best look and I trust a wood stand more than a steel stand. I get so many compliments on my stands. Im like it's just a stand. Lol. The only concern I ever have is getting wet when I'm changing water. I have to put a towel down and be as neat as I can with it

[@steppydaddy972]

Awesome build

[@timmartinez2856]

Awesome video thanks!

[@MadHattersReef]

You're welcome. Thanks for watching.

[@jamesjohnson8661]

Thanks for doing this. I'm going to copy it with the exception of making it taller and adding a top larger than the tank so there's a 5" shelf on the front and sides of the tank to sit food, chemicals and beers on. I'll also skin the frame to dress it up.

[@MadHattersReef]

Thank you!

[@2019freddie]

Nice build buddy, thanks

[@brandonhuisman4351]

That stand is built better then most new expensive homes I’m sure it will survive. Lol

[@shelleymilligan2390]

Thands mate. nice stand . I will borrow your design if you dont mind... Thanks again Drew

[@MadHattersReef]

You're Welcome. Steal shamelessly.

[@saggitariolover]

Hello, what an amazing aquarium stand cabinet you built, i would like to know for how much gallons aproximately is this aquarium stand , it looks huge.. thank you for the video

[@goldseekersadventures9380]

I like your build, think I will build one.

[@UltraReefReseller]

Great build, looks very solid! I'm no carpenter, but I think wood glue would add even more strength.

[@MadHattersReef]

Thanks for the idea, I'll keep it in mind for the next build.

[@stevenbuczkowski5502]

Gotta love Dunkin while workin on new projects!

[@MadHattersReef]

Always.

[@ohadzic6377]

Best build, awesome

[@PRFishGirl]

Great stand build

[@MadHattersReef]

Thanks for watching.

[@ScottM]

Awesome job

[@MadHattersReef]

Thanks for watching Scott

[@fishroombum3771]

This is one of the best stands I've seen. Those 4x4's not really needed for a tank 180Gal or smaller.

[@kristinmoellenbrink9306]

NICE JOB ON YOUR BUILD,,,

[@raisinggoldfishonabudget7058]

NICE stand man nothing like being secure when it comes to tanks with a LOT of water in them.

[@TheBGBstudio]

In addition to the screws, all areas where wood meets wood should have wood glue - I recommend Titebond III.

[@_Clayton.Bigsby_]

Coming across this a little late, but wood glue on butt joints are basically useless. You may get a little extra hold, but the end grains will just absorb majority of the glue rendering it basically useless.

[@walkingwarrobot1541]

How thick is the wood you use? Can I get the list of wood you used?

[@sandeepprajapati1769]

Cool

[@absentmindedstudios]

Nice build, I couldn't help but cringe when you didn't drill pilot holes for the screws tho... especially after seeing the wood crack a bit at 5:20. even a little bit of cracking scares the shit out of me. Overall a nice build tho. Edit: And you talked about it after i commented. Whatever :) haha

[@MadHattersReef]

I should have pre drilled but I'm sure it will be fine. Thanks for watching.

[@Reefahholic]

Nice little build sir! 👍

[@SoundsFantastic]

When you get into tanks this big and especially for salt water setups go with a metal stand. You will gain a lot more room under the tank and wont be so crammed for space.

[@randyross6468]

facing the 4x4,s with 2x4,s was a very wise move screws have very low shear strength but by adding the 2x4 all the load should be transferred to them and will support your tank with ease

[@MadHattersReef]

Thanks man

[@saltepidemic1092]

Did you add a piece of plywood to the top? Curious why if you didn't, thank you

[@momcme4]

i like your stand, if i want a stand for 72"x24"x24" tank(180 gallon), do u think 6pc 4x4 main post is good? the cross beam use 6x2, and some additional 4x2 next to 4x4..

[@MadHattersReef]

I believe that could work. You may experience some bowing but the stand I built in this video is really over kill but its better to be safe than sorry. Thanks for watching.

[@jameswagner4067]

Another fantastic video! I always wanted to build my own stand but have not yet worked out the details. I'm worried about sump size, placement and thoughts of upgrades.

[@sureshkumarsivasubramaniam1895]

Pretty good overbuilt tank which I like, one question though Are 4 x 4 same type of wood as your 2 x 6s ? Here in Ontario Homedepot sells 4 x 4 in cedar which is softer than 2 x6 spf, would that be an issue ?

[@charliesleeseman4643]

Did toubuse 3 inch screws or 2 1/2 inch?

[@drexistre7364]

Man love the build awesome woodwork now what size aquarium is this designed for getting ready to build for planet 150 peninsula

[@fishdad1chadh227]

Sir I really like your stand I bought a 300 gallon Marine land aquarium without the stand so I need to build one but my problem is I has holes cut out in the back corners for the for the sup so what so what type of design for bracing should I use because if I use the one that you were doing I would be able to screw the bulkheads down and I was thinking about using 2 x 4's but now I'm thinking about using two by sixes you think that's a good idea because aquariums probably going to weigh about close to 3000 pounds

[@dariogheller]

good job...maybe pre-drill holes...just a thought

[@MadHattersReef]

Yes, I should have... But in my defense that was have been a lot of pre drilling. Thanks for watching.

[@WilSantiagoReefing]

Good info. Thanks. Subbed

[@MadHattersReef]

Thanks for watching

[@jamesfisher7410]

The king of diy has a good video. Thank you Jim Fisher.

[@dennisgbsn2]

I’m a novice to this. But I want to build one for myself. Do you have the measurements and how many cuts that I will need for each size of lumber? And how many pieces of each different size of lumber I will need also?

[@Neckster72]

Jeff WTF is up with the overflow on the front? LOL. Couldn't resist.

[@MadHattersReef]

Jeremy Flessner lol.

[@brandongrove1360]

Are the 4x4s actually doing anything in this construction? It seems that the weight it's actually being transferred through the 2x's on the outside edge, and the screws in shear. It should be plenty strong enough, but it seem the 4x4's could just as easily be 2x's, saving weight and space internal to the cabinet.

[@SanjeevKumar-zk3jv]

4*4s are touching the base of the tank so these are supporting the aquarium additionally just like pillars and makes it much stronger

[@drtash2]

With your 4 x4 and 2x6 do you need a center brace? Looking to build a stand for my 220

[@MiloDeathAOV]

Eu fiquei com uma dúvida. Quando finalizada a estrutura se coloca uma tábua em cima ou vai direto o aquário?

[@MadHattersReef]

Aquarium is on top of

[@terranncegilmore]

I don't think one is better than another, but I will say, steel leaves a lot more room. that thing is a tank, but it is very bulky

[@MadHattersReef]

My next build I probably will go with steel but I'm also going bigger, much bigger.

[@4g63spdfreak]

With this build how long can I make the vertical 4x4s to have plenty of room under the tank the sump I have is about 20" tall

[@gavsplecoparadise8514]

Great advice I was going to go out and buy a stand for my new 600 litre 6X3x3 foot aquarium but after watching this I went out and bought all the wood I needed and I done it for a fraction of the price which allowed me to spend the saved money on tank decor and fish 😂 would love it if you could check out my aquarium and give me some feedback

[@MadHattersReef]

Thats why I love DIY projects because of all the money you save, you can spend it on Fish, corals and other stuff.

[@GSP-76]

Nice stands man! You did good with the 4x4 "legs"....I think they're 4x4

[@MadHattersReef]

Yes they are. Thanks for watching!

[@beecee8611]

I like how you doing this but you didn't pre-drill the holes so the screws kind of beat up the wood a little bit.

[@odoug9744]

How's the stand doing?

[@joseitopastor23]

do you think jebao dc 6ooo pump is to strong for 1200 gph overflow box? is for 180 gallon tank

[@MadHattersReef]

+Jose Pastor where it has a control you could always dial it down to work for you. I currently have an eco-tech M1 turned all the way down on my plumbing.

[@juliocamachomedina2879]

hey I liked that stand I got some wood unfortunately it's 2x6 but I'm interested in making one for a 55 can you help me

[@DuzzyDobbin]

Cool vid mate, is it pine and what were the timber sizes?

[@maddawgzzzz]

I feel you bro. When I build tanks, I drink redbull. It takes a lot out of you for some reason. I feel so tired and insain towards the end lol.

[@nathaneith5852]

How much weight will this stand be able to hold?

[@MadHattersReef]

a lot. Definitely over built

[@arturaugustynek670]

I’d put plywood on top of the stand too and then the aquarium will have even support

[@dlealchicago]

Nice vid!..How much did total project end up costing?

[@MadHattersReef]

I spent around 120 for what you see here.

[@anthonysmalawipredators8794]

If my great, great, great, great grandfather used wood for his teeth I can use it for an aquarium

[@MadHattersReef]

Yes....

[@Name-ot3xw]

I'll be honest, I'm just too lazy to make a whole new cabinet for a 20 gal. I'll see how long it takes for me to replace the mediocre steel stand with something I find at goodwill. Though I did the math, and my 2x4 design had somewhere north of 20x safety factor in compression. You can park a car on a properly built 2x4 structure.

[@MadHattersReef]

For the win!

[@brenninalvarado-holden6268]

Can I do this for a 60 gallon

[@MadHattersReef]

You can. You'll just need to tailor it to your tank size.

[@nikosozmorio5912]

I dont think one is better than the other especially for this situation. I would say steel is a lot stronger than wood but not everybody has the resources to work with steel. Wood rots if not treated properly and not as strong. So I say if you have the resources to work with both choose steel.

[@hattiepettit208]

I think wood is better for a stand personality

[@douglascampbell5284]

Steel is stronger than wood but wood is easier to work with both have pro's and cons it all depends on the ability of the one making the stand

[@The_reel_archer]

Didn't read all the comments but you said you wish you did it taller what height did you use for the stand?

[@MadHattersReef]

I haven't measured it in a while nor do I have a measuring tape keeping around but I think its around 36 inches tall. which should be tall enough in most cases, but using 2 x 6's causes you to lose space.

[@josephpierre7466]

I'm going to try this build for my 120gal

[@MadHattersReef]

It's holding up well for my 220 display and 40 gallon sump. it should work well for you on a 120 gallon

[@stradgin4876]

Joseph Pierre i'm going to try to build is for 535 gallon tank

[@josephpierre7466]

Gaining Awesome I can't wait to see that I'm startimg mines next week

[@josephpierre7466]

Question I'm building this for a 120gal. Would 2 support post im the middle be to much or is one on each side strong enough

[@MadHattersReef]

With a 120 gallon I think you could get away with one in the middle. just keep in mind 120 is over 900lbs, not counting rock and substrate.

[@hashglass]

pre drill and glue

[@bluefirem3739]

I am building a rack for 2 100 gal tanks, I got all the wood for free, just talk to the people working on new construction they always have left over material

[@drexistre7364]

Say Jeff what is the recommended height for a reef tank

[@MadHattersReef]

depends on your arm length. The stand height will play a roll in it too. With this stand and tank it's kinda a pain to clean the bottom.

[@drexistre7364]

@@MadHattersReef I'm setting up a 150 gallon peninsula which is 24 1/2 inches wide and 25 inches talk I was shooting for around 36 to 38 inches tall

[@casper18795]

Wood is more than sufficient for an aquarium stand with that size aquarium. Especially 4x4 legs and 2x6 supports. I'd glue every joint as I screwed it together, but thats just me. I assume that the people who think a wood box isnt strong enough to hold an aquaroum, live in a steel or concrete home. The idiots are probably just putting metal stands on top of the wooden boxes that they call homes.

[@MadHattersReef]

Thanks for sharing

[@Christian10111]

Wood gives a much better impression. This stand is extremely strong. You can park a big car on it... Definite overkill but I'd do it the same. It's going to last forever.

[@MadHattersReef]

That's my hope!

[@Christian10111]

May I ask what height would you consider to be the perfect height for the stand?

[@starnesshaun]

So how tall did you make it since you wished you would have went higher? I'm planning on building one soon.

[@MadHattersReef]

I do wish I went taller from an equipment stand point. I just barely have room to get my equipment in there. But from a viewing stand point it's perfect.

[@starnesshaun]

Thanks for the response. Do you know the actual height that you made the legs? Just want to make sure I leave a little more room for clearance. My setup will be similar size and I was thinking of 32" legs.

[@MadHattersReef]

My 4x4's were cut at 30" . I'm doing a tank update for tomorrow and I'm going to talk through were I'm at with this build.

[@starnesshaun]

Awesome thanks, do you think 2" would have been enough additional clearance or would you have liked more?

[@MadHattersReef]

2" would be good. I have enough room for my equipment it's just not as convenient as if I had more.

[@MyReefLiving]

Joey do you have a drawing for this stand? I'm gonna built one this weekend. A 210G 72x25x31 thanks.

[@berns3337]

I think if someone is that worried about the wood strength they could always use treated lumber.

[@eddiekytia]

Im all for over kill and safety but......wow.....you can build a house on there,1 2x4 on each end could hold that tank up....but beautiful stand none the less

[@MadHattersReef]

I didn't want it to go anywhere and I would rather be safe than sorry. Thanks for watching.

[@craigwoodhull3028]

Woody's Discus (FB) Wood all day long (of course)

[@MadHattersReef]

Thanks for watching.

[@richardsmith7887]

Damn I think you missed a few screws

[@tifu678]

Air Force One could rest on this stand easy! Could’ve Used wood glue and half the screws.

[@elyh777]

I want to know where you got that big ass box of screws for $10? That's like $60+ where I live. But great build, way over engineered IMO but looks good

[@Andrei2000PC]

More like $30 at my lowes

[@gabesreef]

Hahaha, did you ever get that sponsorship from dunkin donuts? 😂🤣😂🤣🤣😂😂🤣

[@MadHattersReef]

Still waiting...

[@gabesreef]

@@MadHattersReef well if they wont sponsor you I'll just stop telling people about caramel vanilla iced lattes

[@buminbeer2]

Overkill, but I do the same on mine. Too much wood for weight, why not :)

[@MadHattersReef]

Better to be safe than sorry. Thanks for watching.

[@teddesalvo5828]

Where can I purchase a custom made stand in Ohio