T-Slot Aluminum Stand for 250 gallon Tank

[radav88]

I was hoping to get some opinions on what I was planning. Tank is going to be a 250 gallon peninsula 72" x 36" x 24 ". I am going to have to build the stand since it will need to be 36 inches tall and 36 inches wide. I have put together a parts list using 40 x 40 series extrusion. First question, is that going way overboard? Is 30 x 30 plenty? Second question for the connectors. With something supporting so much weight I would imagine you'd want the connections to be as strong as possible. This is where I'm really curious what people think. Is a bunch of corner gussets like this enough?

40 x 40 Gusset | Framing Technology

www.framingtech.com

Or would something with 4 holes be better?

40 x 80 Gusset | Framing Technology

www.framingtech.com

For fastening them to the T-Slot I was looking at these.

T-Bolt - 10mm Slot - M8 x 20mm Thread | Framing Technology

www.framingtech.com

Is that the way to go about doing this to make it as strong as possible? Should I include these connecting plates as well?

40 Series - 5 Hole Corner Plate | Framing Technology

www.framingtech.com

Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[Johnd651]

Following along. I think that if your upright is sitting on your longer bottom rail and the longer top rail is sitting on top of the upright, the connectors would not be supporting the weight but instead keeping it square?

 

[radav88]

So after doing a ton more reading and trying a bunch of different search terms. My algorithm helped me and I came across a video that showed someone putting together a kit for an aquarium stand they bought from a company called alufab. The stand was designed for a 300 gallon tank. They used these type of connectors called anchor fasteners.

10 S Anchor Fastener Assembly - Alufab Inc.

10 S Anchor Fastener AssemblySold individually.

www.alufabinc.com

I'm a little surprised that was all that is needed to hold this all together against 2500 pounds but that appears to be what is used.

 

[Johnd651]

So after doing a ton more reading and trying a bunch of different search terms. My algorithm helped me and I came across a video that showed someone putting together a kit for an aquarium stand they bought from a company called alufab. The stand was designed for a 300 gallon tank. They used these type of connectors called anchor fasteners.

10 S Anchor Fastener Assembly - Alufab Inc.

10 S Anchor Fastener AssemblySold individually.

www.alufabinc.com

I'm a little surprised that was all that is needed to hold this all together against 2500 pounds but that appears to be what is used.

Can you post the video link?

 

[radav88]

Here's an example.

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

I recently went 3030 on a cube stand, the overall weight of a 250g can work but your gonna need a bit of gusseting and some vertical supports across the span. I'd personally go 4040 with that size tank. After working with it, my personal max size for 3030would be prolly 100-150g or so with the right vertical spacing on feet.

Here is my recent 3030, it was a bit 'racky' at first but after some additional supports I'm happy. Overall cost was @ around 300$ for t slot, adjustable feet, nuts/bolts and corner brackets.

Also drained, drilled and reinstalled the cube tank while I was at it.

 

[Johnd651]

I recently went 3030 on a cube stand, the overall weight of a 250g can work but your gonna need a bit of gusseting and some vertical supports across the span. I'd personally go 4040 with that size tank. After working with it, my personal max size for 3030would be prolly 100-150g or so with the right vertical spacing on feet.

Here is my recent 3030, it was a bit 'racky' at first but after some additional supports I'm happy. Overall cost was @ around 300$ for t slot, adjustable feet, nuts/bolts and corner brackets.

Also drained, drilled and reinstalled the cube tank while I was at it.

Plywood on top?

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

Plywood on top?

HDF. Sides spackled, sanded and totally coated with zinsser latex primer then rubberized coating for extra waterproofing (think flexseal). This is my 2nd time doing the HDF for a extruded aluminum stand, the previous one was in early 2020 and it's doing fine still.

I had the HDF lying around from a previous project so I used it as non warped, good marine ply 1/2 inch sheets ain't cheap! Also I needed a true 4'x8' sheet which is costing triple digits from a lumber yard.

 

[Reefer Reboot]

I was hoping to get some opinions on what I was planning. Tank is going to be a 250 gallon peninsula 72" x 36" x 24 ". I am going to have to build the stand since it will need to be 36 inches tall and 36 inches wide. I have put together a parts list using 40 x 40 series extrusion. First question, is that going way overboard? Is 30 x 30 plenty? Second question for the connectors. With something supporting so much weight I would imagine you'd want the connections to be as strong as possible. This is where I'm really curious what people think. Is a bunch of corner gussets like this enough?

40 x 40 Gusset | Framing Technology

www.framingtech.com

Or would something with 4 holes be better?

40 x 80 Gusset | Framing Technology

www.framingtech.com

For fastening them to the T-Slot I was looking at these.

T-Bolt - 10mm Slot - M8 x 20mm Thread | Framing Technology

www.framingtech.com

Is that the way to go about doing this to make it as strong as possible? Should I include these connecting plates as well?

40 Series - 5 Hole Corner Plate | Framing Technology

www.framingtech.com

Any help would be much appreciated.

What kind of flooring is this going to be placed on?
Are you going to have a sump within the stand?
If so, what dimensions?

 

[radav88]

I'm planning on this going on vinyl flooring in my basement. The plan as it stands now is to put dricore down and then the vinyl flooring over the top of it. There will be a sump in the stand I'm planning on a 60 x 18 x 18 inch acrylic sump that will probably hold about another 50 to 60 gallons of water.

 

[Sassafras]

If you'd like to see someone who kinda went nuts, that would be me. Everything held together with the anchor fasteners like those you linked from AluFab, plus gussets at every corner, angle braces at key points. I still didn't trust the anchor bolts to hold the weight of my 175 gal. sump, so I supported it directly off the floor. I know its way overboard, but it makes me feel better. Rails and upright extrusions are 3 inch. 900 system gallons, so weight, including tank, substrate, rocks, etc. supported when filled will be about 10,000 lbs.

The extrusions are anodized, so I avoided the hammer bolts you linked from FramingTech. The ridges on that style bolt are designed to bite into the aluminum extrusion. I don't want that due to the steel-aluminum galvanic corrosion potential.

 

[radav88]

If you'd like to see someone who kinda went nuts, that would be me. Everything held together with the anchor fasteners like those you linked from AluFab, plus gussets at every corner, angle braces at key points. I still didn't trust the anchor bolts to hold the weight of my 175 gal. sump, so I supported it directly off the floor. I know its way overboard, but it makes me feel better. Rails and upright extrusions are 3 inch. 900 system gallons, so weight, including tank, substrate, rocks, etc. supported when filled will be about 10,000 lbs.

The extrusions are anodized, so I avoided the hammer bolts you linked from FramingTech. The ridges on that style bolt are designed to bite into the aluminum extrusion. I don't want that due to the steel-aluminum galvanic corrosion potential.

Wow, that's incredible. What you did is what I'm considering. I don't want 2000 lbs of water and whatever else to come crashing down because my stand fell apart.

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

If you'd like to see someone who kinda went nuts, that would be me. Everything held together with the anchor fasteners like those you linked from AluFab, plus gussets at every corner, angle braces at key points. I still didn't trust the anchor bolts to hold the weight of my 175 gal. sump, so I supported it directly off the floor. I know its way overboard, but it makes me feel better. Rails and upright extrusions are 3 inch. 900 system gallons, so weight, including tank, substrate, rocks, etc. supported when filled will be about 10,000 lbs.

The extrusions are anodized, so I avoided the hammer bolts you linked from FramingTech. The ridges on that style bolt are designed to bite into the aluminum extrusion. I don't want that due to the steel-aluminum galvanic corrosion potential.

That's a beast. I have a 120g I'm planning to swap to currently. What 80/20 or metric extrusion are you running?

 

[topjimmy]

I built mine using 4040l because I got a great deal on it. Ignore the wire mess, I had just started setting everything up when I took the pictures. Check out tnutz.com for the parts, they were the cheapest.

 

[Johnd651]

I built mine using 4040l because I got a great deal on it. Ignore the wire mess, I had just started setting everything up when I took the pictures. Check out tnutz.com for the parts, they were the cheapest.

Do you have a side pic?

 

[Johnd651]

Didn't realize how nice this stuff is to work with until this post and then I noticed we use it at work all the time.

I was looking at 8020.net, nice to know about tnutz.com

 

[topjimmy]

Do you have a side pic?

Right after putting it together.

 

[Sassafras]

What 80/20 or metric extrusion are you running?

I chose to build with fractional extrusions, 3"x3" heavy grade for the frame. Cross pieces on top and bottom (not visible in pic) are 1.5"x3" heavy grade. They had three grades, light, standard and heavy. I topped it with 3/4" starboard, then 1/2" insulation board on top of that.

 

[Sassafras]

Didn't realize how nice this stuff is to work with until this post and then I noticed we use it at work all the time.

I was looking at 8020.net, nice to know about tnutz.com

I second the suggestion to consider tnutz.com. If you choose to go with the extra gussets, braces, etc., the cost adds up fast. Tnutz has the best prices I've found, other than Alibaba, which I don't recommend. I got some stuff from Alibaba, looked good, but the holes didn't line up perfectly with the slots on my extrusions. Very aggravating having to drill out the holes slightly larger to be able to bolt it together.

 

[Reefer Reboot]

Are you planning on using adjustable feet? (I.E. these from Tnutz,
https://www.tnutz.com/product/lf-015-a/ )