Help us design a "portable" fish tank stand! (pretty please :) )

LoveTheReef

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We are investing in a full carry along system to bring with us to frag swaps and such.

Does any one have any ideas for portable stands? The tank is going to be approx 60gallons. (42x24x12)

My initial idea was to have a strong base for the tank to sit on, and have foldable legs ... I'm not a 100% sure whether this will be sturdy enough though.

Any tips / ideas greatly appreciated :)

(on a side note -- this tank will mean that we will be bringing around 600-1000 frags to each frag swap!!)

Thanks,

- Archit
 
That's a pretty idea! Definitely feels a lot more sturdy than my initial "foldable" design :)

Thanks!
 
All the people I've seen just use an all in one acrylic tank for frags and put it on like a folding table. The tanks are usually small enough that weight isn't a factor
 
How bout a large rolling red tool box like they sell at sears. They roll, are strong, flat on top

Need to be able to fit it in a prius ... with the tank ... and it needs to be tall ;)

some cinderblocks and a piece of plywood covered with a table cloth. :)

lol Adam, you know I can't lift those Cinderblocks around!!! I'm Indian -- not meant for hard labor! :D

Aluminum framed stand. You could build it in such a way that you just put the sides/top together when you get to the meeting/show/whatever, like a big erector set.

http://www.framexpert.com/ has software you can use to design your stand. You can put panels on it (front/sides/etc.), feet, etc. The software even gives you an idea of the pricing.

More info in the thread I started some time back:
http://www.bostonreefers.org/forums/showthread.php?131852-Aluminium-frames-for-stand&highlight=

Nice, I'll check them out! Thanks!

All the people I've seen just use an all in one acrylic tank for frags and put it on like a folding table. The tanks are usually small enough that weight isn't a factor

Well ... at OSRAS the hotel staff almost had a heart attack when they saw our 40 breeder ... they thought the table was going to collapse. So I think we'll need to play it safe and bring our own stuff ... unfortunately :(
 
Btw, what do you guys think about having 3 sides of the tank being black, and only the front being clear? I was suggested that this will give the tank and corals a very "rich" look but I wasn't able to find many pictures with such tanks ...

I think having 3 sides clear would help "sway" some neighboring traffic ;) But just wanted to get some opinions ... this bad boy is going to be wicked expensive so want to make sure I do it right.

Thanks!

- Archit
 
Btw, what do you guys think about having 3 sides of the tank being black, and only the front being clear? I was suggested that this will give the tank and corals a very "rich" look but I wasn't able to find many pictures with such tanks ...

I think having 3 sides clear would help "sway" some neighboring traffic ;) But just wanted to get some opinions ... this bad boy is going to be wicked expensive so want to make sure I do it right.

Thanks!

- Archit

Front side only clear is great idea. All three colored panels should be black. It will make the coral colors stand out more. Paint it.
 
Portable Stand Suggestion

I would leave all sides open as people like to gather around the tank. At most I would only paint one side (backside) if you choose to go that route.

You can also add a shelf to store things below and add a bunting to go around the outside edge that is washable and held in place with Velcro.

Just my quick thoughts for Under $100.00.

There are bolts you can purchase that counter sink into the wood and become fixed. You can also counter sink the bolt heads and use a battery powered screw gun with ratchet setting on low to assemble quickly. You could then mount a light by using two more upright 2x3 arch or PVC.
 

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lol Adam, you know I can't lift those Cinderblocks around!!! I'm Indian -- not meant for hard labor! :D
hahaha :)


Don't paint the sides, only paint the back....
You have corals you can be confident in. People at other vendors can see your corals at the same time as the vendor they are in front of......you will attract more customers.
 
Only paint the back. When there are people standing in front of the tank people would still be able to see from the sides. If just the front was clear and there was a crowd they might just move on tho the next vendor.
 
I would make two steel rectangles welded with quality welds at the same dimension as the tank. Then cut square channel steel into cubes and weld one to each corner of both rectangles. Then get smaller square channel steel that fits snug inside each of those larger square channel cubes you cut.

It's fully modular, can break down to be flat, and is extremely stable. Each section could be easily carried by 2 people. Square channel beams can be carried by one person.

Here's a rough thrown together visual:

View attachment 91688
 
I would make two steel rectangles welded with quality welds at the same dimension as the tank. Then cut square channel steel into cubes and weld one to each corner of both rectangles. Then get smaller square channel steel that fits snug inside each of those larger square channel cubes you cut.

It's fully modular, can break down to be flat, and is extremely stable. Each section could be easily carried by 2 people. Square channel beams can be carried by one person.

Here's a rough thrown together visual:

View attachment 91688

Thanks! That idea is PERFECT! (we'll use wood though because we're running super low on funds, and need kind of a diy-able solution right now) You'll be seeing that stand in the November meeting ;)
 
The top rectangle may be tricky with wood though because the rectangle could slide downward through the cube holes unless you maybe use a plywood top. Might I suggest predrilled deep holes that you can insert bolts into just for an added peace of mind? :)

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 4
 
Hm ... yet another great point! One of my customers is on the handy side and we are discussing a possible barter where he might be able to get me a aluminum stand ... let's see :)

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 4
 
Have you thought about using aluminum T slot? Theres a company on ebay selling "scrap" lots for cheap. Unfortunately, the hardware and connectors are kind of expensive.
These could easily be assembled and disassembled on the spot, and you gould use something simple like a black curtain to cover the stand.


700mm-pedestal-c.jpg


Links to material:
http://www.ebay.com/sch/m.html?_odk...313.TR0.TRC0.Xlot&_nkw=lot&_sacat=0&_from=R40

edit: I just saw that someone above recommended this already
 
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Yep that's a pre-made version of a king the lines if what i meant. Pretty cool material.

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