55 gal aquarium stand? help!?

Question

ok so i got a 55 gallon tank today and i have a huge dresser and im gonna use it for my stand. the max weight should be around 550 lbs with water and rock in it. ONE PROBLEM.

me my mom and my dad sat on the dresser, i weight 250 step dad 240 and my mom 130. it held fine. well i got the aquarium up there its empty now but i noticed while ago when i was laying in my bed there was a slight bow on the dresser top. about a quarter inch or less of open space from the bottom of my aqaurium to dresser surface. i mean its a tiny space. i cant even fit a pencil between it. the aquarium ends touch the dresser but the middle part does not. will it level out? can i still put the aqaurium on it? shall i remind you that i believe there is a slight bow in it because when i was testing the durability i sat on it and kinda jumped up and down on my butt.

the dresser is made out of better stuff than the top fin aquarium stands

will it still be ok to put the aquarium on?

Answer 1

no the bow in the dresser top will get worse and the tank will have to much pressure on the bottom. i did this myself once and will never do it again. if you want to make a nice stand try using 2 x 4's and build a stand. just make sure you have support in the middle. they are not to hard to build and will only cost you about $20 to make besides your time. you can paint it to match the color of the tank. you can put a shefl under it. pretty much you can customize it to the way you want it to look. this is what I do. but i make it to hold usually 5 or 6 tanks. good luck and have fun with your new tank.

Answer 2

Yes,it will be fine.

Answer 3

Dont place a large tank on an un-even surface, it's likely to crack and dump 50gal of water onto your floor.

If the dresser is solid enough it may be possible to make a a false top from heavy plywood with shims under it to provide a solid level surface.

Ian

Answer 4

Aquariums need to be evenly supported or they could crack. It would be best to buy a stand designed for aquariums. It's well worth the price to prevent losing your entire tank, not to mention everything else that would be ruined by water. A dresser can usually support the weight, but not if the top isn't perfectly flat.

Answer 5

I wouldn't. Unfortunately, if there isn't a level surface under the tank, there is a big risk of the bottom of the tank cracking under the pressure, and that will be bad for everyone involved! I would put like 2 towels laid out under the aquarium to help give it a more flexible surface if you are h**l-bent on putting it on that dresser. Also, that will protect the wood of the dresser from potential spillage. Otherwise I would suggest getting a tank stand.

Answer 6

An uneven surface will surely put stress on the joints and could cause the aquarium to crack or leak; maybe not now, but probably near into the future.  It is crucial to have an even base, especially when you think of the consequences.

JW is right, you can build stands pretty cheep yourself, but for me I would rather be safe and just buy a wooden or iron stand made specifically for an aquarium.  The cost may seem like a lot now ($50-$150) but it would be a lot cheaper than replacing a tank and getting your carpets shampooed.

Good Luck