How do you know if your household furniture can hold the weight of a nano tank?

[WhalesLovePineapple]

I see many nano tanks on bedroom furniture such as bookcases or nightstands.
If I have a 20 gallon aquarium tank how do I know if my furniture will hold it?

 

[betareef]

That's about 75 litres which will weigh about 75 kg. I would sit on it, and if it doesn't break...

 

[Ef4life]

Yeah the easiest way to check is the sit and wiggle technique. Sit on the furniture and then wiggle around. If it doesn’t collapse they it’s probably ok -depending on the size of the aquarium, and your weight

But also adding in some extra reinforcement is a good idea and won’t hurt at all

 

[Johnd651]

20 gallon...172 lbs. As mentioned... sit test

 

[WhalesLovePineapple]

.

 

[Zecronking]

The sit and wiggle technique sounds like a fun way to test stability! I've been thinking about this too since I'm considering setting up a nano tank in my home office. In my experience, office furniture like Computer Desks tend to be sturdier because they are designed to hold heavy monitors and other equipment. So, if you have a solid computer desk, it might be a good candidate for your tank. Just to be safe, I would definitely add some extra reinforcement. It’s better to be cautious, especially with something as delicate as an aquarium.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

a 20 gallon tank weighs about 200 lbs. Its roughly the weight of an adult male, so if you can sit on it without breaking it, it will hold a tank.

 

[PharmrJohn]

Yeah the easiest way to check is the sit and wiggle technique. Sit on the furniture and then wiggle around. If it doesn’t collapse they it’s probably ok -depending on the size of the aquarium, and your weight

But also adding in some extra reinforcement is a good idea and won’t hurt at all

Yep. And really, all you'd need to reinforce would be some braced vertical 2x4s to finish it off. I know that with some pieces of furniture, it would look pretty redneck, but other pieces would hide the addition.

 

[GARRIGA]

Placed a 20g on my home office desk. Sat on it to confirm and it spent 2-1/2 years without complaints. Did the same with kitchen counter but haven't been able to convince the wife tank can go there

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I see many nano tanks on bedroom furniture such as bookcases or nightstands.
If I have a 20 gallon aquarium tank how do I know if my furniture will hold it?

Did you ever decide on a location?