What height is your stand?

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

I have tried a few different heights over the years but I am not sure I have figured out what I like the most...

Right now my stand is 36" which is way too low. I used to have one 48" and it was kind of high but actually kind of nice.

Just about to build the stand for my new tank tomorrow. Its 22" tall.

I was thinking about 42" I think.

What do you guys think?

Post pics if you like! It would help actually.

[karazy]

my stand is only 36" tall, but i think if i had made it any taller it would have been too top heavy.
personally i like 36 inches because its nice and tall, but not right in your face all the time

here a pic:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh266/karazy101/006-1.jpg

[lastlight]

mine's about 44" I think...It is maybe a bit high to most but
I'm the one sitting/standing in front of it for hours each night once it's running lol. It's been designed around my height. Also, I have a crazy toddler and one on the way so keeping the glass out of reach was great as was 40" of interior space for equipment...

I'll need to buy some tall stools to keep at my kitchen island. Pull one over to watch the tank..regular chairs and my couches are way too low. It's not for everyone I guess.

Proportions are important too. My ceilings are 9 foot...with 8's I think I'd have made it shorter. I imagine your ceilings are even taller...

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

mine's about 44" I think...It is maybe a bit high to most but
I'm the one sitting/standing in front of it for hours each night once it's running lol. It's been designed around my height. Also, I have a crazy toddler and one on the way so keeping the glass out of reach was great as was 40" of interior space for equipment...

I'll need to buy some tall stools to keep at my kitchen island. Pull one over to watch the tank..regular chairs and my couches are way too low. It's not for everyone I guess.

Proportions are important too. My ceilings are 9 foot...with 8's I think I'd have made it shorter. I imagine your ceilings are even taller...

My ceilings are 14' and 16' tall. 14' where the tank is though. I just thought maybe tall would look cool.

But karazy also has a good point about getting top heavy.

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

It all depends on whether you will normally enjoy the tank standing up or sitting down. I usually build mine 36-38" tall. With such a short tank, 42" would be fine.

My 210g is 29" + 38" stand so 67" total.

42" + 24" would be 66" (plus 1" if you add a sheet of styrofoam) so about perfect (IMO).:biggrin:

Anthony

[lastlight]

I think with the tall stands if your tank is wide enough...you achieve a tank on a pedestal look rather than a tank on a stand look. Mine does have quite a powerful presence in the livingroom. Perhaps a touch too much so but I'm happy with it so far. Low stands likely make maintenance a breeze and colors pop more. I have a 4 step folding step ladder that hides behind the tank. Bought it especially for working on it eventually.

[spoot]

I think a taller stand would be pleasing to look at, as your 135 is a little low. I think 42 would be really nice.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Low stands likely make maintenance a breeze and colors pop more.

I was just thinking about that...colors of sps really do look a bit nicer from slightly above or at least eye level. When I look at my corals from below, they are actually very brown looking.

Hmmmm....something else to think about.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

I think a taller stand would be pleasing to look at, as your 135 is a little low. I think 42 would be really nice.

I agree, it is too low.

[Pansy-Paws]

Our 375 sits on a 45" peninsula stand (actually what used to be a bar).

The tank is 30" tall, so when we're standing beside the tank we can see the rippling effect on the water surface from underneath ... a nice effect.

This is a fish only tank, and I wouldn't go this height for a reef.

Cheers

[wickedfrags]

I recommend the hight of your stand allow you to scrape the bottom of your tank while standing on your tip toes.

So, this really means you need to take your height (and arm length) and height of the tank into consideration (assuming you are building your own stand).

Nobody enjoys looking at a tank where the bottom 3"s is always dirty, and if if is not easy to clean, well you will likely avoid cleaning it.

[new but handy]

I agree with that if you are 3' tall you shouldn't have a tank at 6'. I built mine so the top of the tank is at my armpit level. Makes life a little easier, for me at least. 38-24-10:lol: stand -tank- canopy

[Tom R]

My new Frag tank is on a stand that is 50". That way people coming to buy frags can look right into it.

My Display tanks are at 36" so that if you are sitting on the couch you are looking staight into the tanks.

Tom R

[Trigger Man]

This is a great point, I hate having to get on a chair to clean the bottom of my tank. I figure one day I'm gonna fall off the chair and with my luck I may just bring the whole tank down with me.

I recommend the hight of your stand allow you to scrape the bottom of your tank while standing on your tip toes.

So, this really means you need to take your height (and arm length) and height of the tank into consideration (assuming you are building your own stand).

Nobody enjoys looking at a tank where the bottom 3"s is always dirty, and if if is not easy to clean, well you will likely avoid cleaning it.

[fdiddy]

38" to the bottom of the viewable glass. I did because I'm 6'2" and with the tank being 24" tall that puts the tank just over 5' to the top. When I'm standing in front of the tank I'm back a couple feet and this is perfect for me and all the kids that come to look at the tank. I don't want them looking up into the lights, but I want to be able to see the tank myself as well. GL! Took me awhile to figure out the right height.

[new but handy]

That's funny I'm 6'2 aswell and my stand is 38" tall too

[Lance]

Stand is 38"; top of tank is 61". Pretty good height for standing in front of, and for viewing from the couch.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

I recommend the hight of your stand allow you to scrape the bottom of your tank while standing on your tip toes.

So, this really means you need to take your height (and arm length) and height of the tank into consideration (assuming you are building your own stand).

Nobody enjoys looking at a tank where the bottom 3"s is always dirty, and if if is not easy to clean, well you will likely avoid cleaning it.

I disagree...I am not a lazy person. I will do it regardless. Its not much work for me to get a stool.

I think I am going to go with 40-42". Thanks guys!

[Boomboy]

my stand is 40" tank is 24" and canopy will probably be 12" i can see the tank from my kitchen table and standing and sitting on the couch. for my height i have to get a stool to get to the bottom but i wanted to be able to stand and look at the tank rather than bending over to look at it.

[Psyire]

Stand: 42"
Tank: 26"

Total: 66" = Great viewing height for standing.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Just got a PM with some really good points...

This is an open top tank and has the potential to have some great top down viewing. 40" is way too high. Then my Lumenbrights are hanging 20" off the water surface. With a high stand, you won't be able to look at the tank without having light shining in your eyes...not going to work at all.

Then I was thinking...there was a reason I went shorter with my current tank and that aesthetics. It works with the 6' length so much better to elongate the look of the tank and even make it look bigger. So then I took the canopy off my current tank and it looks GREAT at 36".

Without a canopy, a short stand works very well because you can look through the top and sides all at once. Actually much better viewing than eye level. But if you have a canopy, you are stuck with raising the whole tank up or your looking right into the canopy instead of the tank.

Just a lot I was not thinking about, mostly because I forgot there would be no canopy.

I am going to stick with 36", maybe 38" for both aesthetics and viewing.

[wickedfrags]

We are all confident you are not lazy - that being said but be mindful you will be cleaning the bottom of this tank for maybe 10-12 years +/-.

Target the top of the tank to be close to the height of you armpit like some others here have mentioned. Using a stool all the time..........well imagine if that stool was not required!

In terms of appearance and aestetics, well once you have it full of wicked corals and fish, well very few people will look and say wow the tank is really low....but you will realize the benefit of that shorter stand every time you clean it!

FYI, I built my stand at 33" (including styrofoam) and my tank is 24" tall. I am 6' tall and this height is perfect for me - I can easily reach the bottom and nobody has ever mentioned it looked low.

Good luck with whatever you decide. Cheers.

I disagree...I am not a lazy person. I will do it regardless. Its not much work for me to get a stool.

I think I am going to go with 40-42". Thanks guys!

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

We are all confident you are not lazy - that being said but be mindful you will be cleaning the bottom of this tank for maybe 10-12 years +/-.

Target the top of the tank to be close to the height of you armpit like some others here have mentioned. Using a stool all the time..........well imagine if that stool was not required!

In terms of appearance and aestetics, well once you have it full of wicked corals and fish, well very few people will look and say wow the tank is really low....but you will realize the benefit of that shorter stand every time you clean it!

FYI, I built my stand at 33" (including styrofoam) and my tank is 24" tall. I am 6' tall and this height is perfect for me - I can easily reach the bottom and nobody has ever mentioned it looked low.

Good luck with whatever you decide. Cheers.


For some of the reasons I mentioned above and some of the reasons you have mentioned, I am going to stick to a lower stand. Aesthetically I actually prefer lower...I am not sure what made me think about going so high. I think it was just for a change really since my stand now is 36". More often than not, I am sitting to watch the tank. Its rare that I ever stand there and watch it. Its in the living room, so there are lots of spots to sit.

Plus I do agree that not using a stool is way nicer. I just meant that using one is really not that big of a deal to me.

[atcguy]

make it so eye level is at the top of the waterline, great for viewing.. and buy a mag scraper atachment.. I havnt had my hands in my tank in 3 months.. except to prune.. but bring out a stool to do that... I wish I did this.. my stand is too low

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

make it so eye level is at the top of the waterline, great for viewing.. and buy a mag scraper atachment.. I havnt had my hands in my tank in 3 months.. except to prune.. but bring out a stool to do that... I wish I did this.. my stand is too low

That was the plan but I want some slightly top down viewing. If I had a canopy, then for sure the tank would be at eye level. But with 800 watts of light hanging 20-22" above the tank, that would be ridiculous for viewing as they will shine right in your face. Sitting would be even worse.

Even at 36" for the stand, the bottom of the lights will be around 78". May still be a problem. But much better than having them up a few feet above your head when you try to look at the tank :)

The lights are planned to be ever so slightly angeled from front to back which will help out too.

[BCOrchidGuy]

I built my stand so the top of the aquarium would be at arm pit level, that way I can reach the bottom of the tank if I need to.

[BlueAbyss]

I want people to be able to see directly into my display while sitting on the couch, so I've figured that my tank will be about 28" off the floor. Pretty low for standing viewing, but I intend for people to spend a lot of time looking at the tank since there will be a lot of tiny things in there. Also, the surge tank must be sited above the display and in the same stand, and I want to be able to use the top of the stand, so it can't be too high.