[brashears]

Hello All,

I'm new to the site. Great site, btw! I am getting back into aquariums after a 12 year hiatus..

I'm looking at Petsmart locally and think I've decided on a Marineland 75 gal. aquarium. It's the wider 21" profile, so lots of good water surface. I've already ordered the Marineland C-360 per the great reviews on this site and am also going to hand a Marineland Penguin 200 for added filtration.

There's a question in here I promise! LOL. I've been reading on here and have been looking at some local stores, but haven't decided if I want to undertake the task of building my own stand, or I'd just rather buy one and be done with it. The only prefab model that I'm vaguely interested in is a "Rustic 55/75" that Petsmart has. Here's a link:

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753253

Let me know your opinions on this stand and about building your own stand for one of these 75 gallon tanks. All help is GREATLY appreciated.

 

[Cich of it all]

Hi there and welcome to the Forum!
That's a very nice stand, but $300 is a lot of money. Unless you're a hobbyist woodworker though, chances are you won't be able to make one that looks that nice. Also, in order for Perfecto (Marineland) to honer their 20 year warrantee, you have to have the tank on one of their stands. (I'm not even sure if that "rustic" stand is a Perfecto). The picture below is Perfecto's cheapest model. It is a pine stand that is available in oak stain or black paint. The price for the 48" x 18" stand varies from $150 to $180. All of Perfecto's other stands are more than $300, Although they make a nice "Sedona" series stand for about $350.

If you do end up building your own stand, make sure it is very sturdy and as flat and level as possible. Some people make stands out of 2x4's and then cover it in finished plywood. Either way, good luck!

 

[brashears]

Thanks so much. I tracked down the stand and it seems to be made by a company called "Ameriwood"? Anyone heard of it? The only reason I chose it is because the only really attractive one I've found locally, and Petsmart has it on sale for $269. Is there any good online resources for the Perfecto stands that don't cost as much to ship as they cost to buy? That's my big issue right now.

I agree completely with the concerns with the DIY route, I'm a pretty hand guy--but were talking about some serious loads here. And since my new aquarium will reside mere inches away from my $5000 mac desktop setup, I don't really want to skimp on the foundation.

 

[remarkosmoc]

Welcome back to the hobby :thumb:

I'm a big advocate of saving cash with used equipment. Craigslist, at least in my area, always have lots of good used tanks with stands. Have you look there? You can easily save a grand that way if you are looking at a larger tank setup.

 

[brashears]

Welcome back to the hobby :thumb:

I'm a big advocate of saving cash with used equipment. Craigslist, at least in my area, always have lots of good used tanks with stands. Have you look there? You can easily save a grand that way if you are looking at a larger tank setup.

Checked craigslist, but not much of anything happening in my area. I may check areas further our for better results. Thanks for the reminder!

 

[brashears]

Okay, so my plans have changed a bit...LOL :lol:

I went to PetSmart to take another quick look at the stand I was eyeing, and I saw a big 120gal. glass tank sitting over in a corner. Long story short, I know have a 120gal. tank and stand. The stand is pretty basic. It's black medium density press-board. It's got two outer storage compartments and a full-sized center brace between them. It is built by the same company that makes the tank (Top Fin) and the manager I was "negotiating" with said it's more than sturdy enough for the tank. Thoughts? I just get queezy when I think about a HALF-TON of gear folding in my office.

Anyway, the tank's center brace had come unglued and had a half-inch crack along the top half. I was told that some epoxy would reseal the two pieces together and it would be fine. Again, thoughts?

A scratch and dent situation, but a pretty good one I think. Thanks all that I could find wrong and it came with the class canopies, two hood lighting bars, and an undergravel filter (which I won't be using) and I got it all for under $500. Guess I can't complain, since I was about to spend that for a 75gal. tank and stand. Now I can own more fish!

 

[Cich of it all]

Nice! :thumb:
You'll like having a 120. That extra foot of length makes a big difference in how the tank looks as well as what species of fish you’ll be able to successfully keep. Nice job with the scratch and dent deal too. I always love getting a deal like that. If you’re worried about the damage affecting the overall strength of the stand, why not add some reinforcement in inconspicuous areas? You could paint any wood / hardware / bracketry that you add black so it doesn’t stand out too much.

BTW: When I read you name I keep thinking of David Breashears, the mountaineer / filmographer. Just some dumb trivia. http://www.davidbreashears.com/

 

[brashears]

Nice! :thumb:
You'll like having a 120. That extra foot of length makes a big difference in how the tank looks as well as what species of fish you’ll be able to successfully keep. Nice job with the scratch and dent deal too. I always love getting a deal like that. If you’re worried about the damage affecting the overall strength of the stand, why not add some reinforcement in inconspicuous areas? You could paint any wood / hardware / bracketry that you add black so it doesn’t stand out too much.

BTW: When I read you name I keep thinking of David Breashears, the mountaineer / filmographer. Just some dumb trivia. http://www.davidbreashears.com/

Thanks! Yeah, I'm pretty excited. I was thinking I might build four 2x4 box braced and stick them inside the storage cabinets. I can then cut the included shelves down to match inside the box frames. What do you big tank pro's think?