Why can't I do this with my stand?

[nlreefguy]

Can anyone give me a reason why I can't put something like this on my new stand?

http://hyderon.manufacturer.globalsources.com/si/6008824983517/pdtl/Table-base/1011035019/Adjustable-Foot.htm

It seems like a good idea but I definitely don't want it to be one of those "it seemed like a good idea at the time" moments later on. :wink2:

[Borderjumper]

how big is your tank going to be? My concern is that its really going to concentrate all the weight into a very small area on the floor. We make all of our stands flatbottomed to spread out the weight.

[kien]

It does depend greatly on how large a system (tank/stand) you are planning on putting on those feet. I would be very concerned about supporting a heavy (ish) tank/stand on the threads of those feet. They could possibly warp and possible sheer over time and cause unevenness ? Furthermore, if the feet are extended I would not think that your tank/stand would be very stable on those 4 thin(ish) bolts.

[globaldesigns]

As the others stated, it will depend on the size of tank... Most stands like mine are flat bottomed steal, and if you are not level, well then you have to make some shimmies.

I was lucky, I guess the home builders were not drunks as my second level is quite level and I didn't have to level my tank at all.

[Binare]

No one says you only need to use 4. My 90 cube I'm working be on furniture legs that match my couch... 4 inches off the floor. Since its 4 sides viewable and in the middle of the floor this let's me put turtle boxs under the stand and have it look real clean. You can do whatever you want, just use more hehe.

[Tom R]

Depending on the tank size.

A 10G tank weighs 100 to a 130 Lb.

A 180G tank weighs 1800 to 2200 Lb.

You are wanting to distribute the weight over as big an area as possible and as many floor joists as possible.

Those legs are about 1 1/2 sq inches. That would spread the weight over approx 6 square inches.

For the 10G tank that would be approx 22 Lb. per square inch.

For the 180G tank that would be approx 367 Lb per square inch.

For larger tanks 2 x 4 or 2 x 6 construction shimmed for level is by far the best.

Tom R

[mark]

Had those on my old 75g on the main floor and no problems, currently using them on my 75g sump but it's sitting on a slab

[Binare]

Better then shimming too in most cases. Aint a flat bottom if you got all weight on 2 points only a couple mm thick at most times the depth of your stand. I'm using 12 legs on my 90.

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Those "feet" are metal & plastic. The plastic will probably snap off if someone bumps a large tank. I wouldn't trust it on a large tank. A small setup, no problem.

But then again, I prefer to over-engineer a stand than to go with something I will worry about.

Look at it this way, even if this works on a normal basis, what happens in an earthquake when you will have tremendous amounts of sideways pressure that may cause these "feet" to shear.


Anthony

[banditpowdercoat]

Better then shimming too in most cases. Aint a flat bottom if you got all weight on 2 points only a couple mm thick at most times the depth of your stand. I'm using 12 legs on my 90.


12 legs on a 90? You know, tanks only really need to be supported by the edge.

[Binare]

12 legs on a 90? You know, tanks only really need to be supported by the edge.

You know, GLASS tanks only really need to be supported by the edge. Furthermore, this topics about stands NOT tanks. In my case, all the legs I'm gonna use are adjustable, my house is a hundred years old, so is the creaky hardwood its going on, so yes... 12 legs, they are cheep, what my tank, sump n stand are gonna sit on, are not, come to think of it... Tank, stand n sump won't be either ;)

[AndyL]

if your floor is that far out you need to worry about it - build your sump with a separate floor skirt. Basic idea - main stand sits down into the flat bottomed floor skirt (use 6-10 of these under the main tank) floor skirt's purpose is to distribute weight evenly and mask the gap+bolts.

My .02 :)

[banditpowdercoat]

Ya, that and 4 legs are MUCH easier to level than 12. What I am saying is that the tank does NOT need support in the middle. So, WHY have the legs there? Especially on a 90. Whats the leg spacing? 6" Plus, with all those legs, how's access to under tank going to be?


Was just trying to save you extra work and headaches.

[mike31154]

Provided you use enough of them to distribute the weight of the system adequately for the strength of your floor, you'll be ok. As far as how many are enough, that's a tough question to answer on a forum like this without additional information on the structure the whole shebang is going to sit on. I would certainly confirm whether there is a metal disc inside the lower plastic part of these adjusters. I assume the outer plastic portion is there to get a grip for easy adjustment, but with substantial weight on there, that could be difficult to impossible without breaking it. That's an assumption though, so I'm not sure I'd risk it without knowing for sure there's a good metal flange attached to the threaded portion.

As far as threads supporting the weight, that's an engineering problem really and you need to know the metal strength, quality, weight that each one will need to support etc. Having said that, I worked on aircraft for many years and one of the old jets I worked on only had 4 large bolts on each side to hold the wings on. These things were capable withstanding G forces of at least 6 positive and 3 negative. This is more for the pilot, since they tend to black out. From a design perspective the bolts would have to withstand more than that, for flight safety and longevity. Needless to say, this hardware undergoes strict quality control processes and is not your average stuff from the hardware store.

Use an item like this, manufactured under a global conglomerate for ordinary furniture to support the substantial weight of a large tank at your own risk...