# anything creative you guys use for aquarium stands?



## chrissylee13 (Jan 1, 2012)

soon i'll be moving into a new apartment that i'm hoping we'll love enough to stay for a few years. with much more room and in a great neighborhood! yay! and i was thinking of maybe getting a few more 10 gallons or a 20. and i wanted to know if anyone used some sort of shelving that would hold multiple tanks. something affordable too. i don't have hundreds of dollars to spend on aquarium stands. even though there is more space i want to try and make the best of it. 

any pictures/links would be great! thanks!


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

For your smaller aquarium-you can sometimes find something to use for a stand at yard sales, thrift shops and the like....I use nightstands, small table and have made them using cinder blocks and 2x6....something sturdy enough to hold the weight of the tank...about 10 pound per gallon.....


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## kfish (Oct 5, 2010)

I'm going to get one of these!

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Whitmor-Supreme-Small-3-Tier-Shelves-Black/15104325

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Whitmor-Supreme-Wide-Chrome-Stacking-Shelf/3429395?findingMethod=rr


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## scootshoot (Oct 11, 2010)

Naw, my 15 gallon sorority is just sitting next to my computer. My computer desk is large and of sturdy construction. 

Notice my headphones and N52TE gaming controller to the right :lol:


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## OMB (Nov 6, 2011)

I have a 6gal and hated that it costs SO MUCH for a stand (kinda ridiculous!), looked around a lot for something sturdy to hold 60+ lbs. And, behold Ikea! I'm using this http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70176519/ (Laiva desk) and it only cost $20! It's pretty sturdy too. I like that it has a channel in the back that you can put your food & other little supplies which hides it well. And it looks nice.


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## chrissylee13 (Jan 1, 2012)

all great ideas!!! i feel like i've looked everywhere and found nothing haha. thanks for the ideas! :]


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## scootshoot (Oct 11, 2010)

OMB said:


> I have a 6gal and hated that it costs SO MUCH for a stand (kinda ridiculous!), looked around a lot for something sturdy to hold 60+ lbs. And, behold Ikea! I'm using this http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70176519/ (Laiva desk) and it only cost $20! It's pretty sturdy too. I like that it has a channel in the back that you can put your food & other little supplies which hides it well. And it looks nice.


Hmmm. And they have an IKEA store < 15 miles from me. Never heard of that store til now, haha. Gonna have to take a driveby this weekend, thank you for the link! Am presently looking for a stand for my 2.5 gallon.


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

I got my stand from a Salvation Army store. It is rather an ugly white chest of drawers/bedside table/thing with purple moons and suns on it (obviously came from a child's bedroom). It is pretty darn sturdy, though, and hold my 16 gallon absolutely perfectly (it is very tall with a small footprint). 

One day I will repaint it.


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## MaisyDawgThirteen (Dec 7, 2011)

I use a cheap bedside table from Wal-Mart for my 10 Gallon and for my 5 Gallon I use a stool.


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

I have one 10g on my computer desk, another 10g on two end tables stacked on top of each other (out of little hands reach) and my 5g on top of my 50g L reptile tank. Then I have my 15g on top of my dresser in my bedroom. You could always do what I did with my 50g... get a 6 drawer long dresser. They hold a good bit of weight and could easily house two 10/20g tanks.


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## MandiceP (Jan 7, 2012)

I acquired a free bookshelf from my boss a few years back and the thing is sturdy as heck. I have two ten gallons on top (it's like 48" long and only about 4 feet high) and I can put up to 3 All-Glass 2.5 gallon tanks on each shelf. I've even put screws under the shelves above the tanks to install strip lights to illuminate the tanks without having to put a light on each tank. I love it! I'll find a picture! 









I've since started adding another row on the middle shelf since I had to clear out my breeding tank (I had two males living in there) So imagine the next shelf down being the same as the one with the two gallons!









This was an up close shot I took of it after I finished setting it up initially. I've changed it slightly since, but you get the idea...

So keep an eye out on craig'slist and local yard sales and usable trash sections at the dump and the like and find a gem like this! I got this completely free (save for the gas money I had to pay someone with a truck to get it to me, lol!) But you get the idea!

Be careful with some things from Ikea... while nice to look at, their stuff isn't the greatest quality if you want cheap. It is mostly made of particle board and can come apart easily if you don't put it together quite right... And you have to put EVERYTHING together yourself... lol and they only have pictures on the directions so they can use them in every country. It can be confusing! :/


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## chrissylee13 (Jan 1, 2012)

really good ideas. thanks guys! i'll keep looking around for stuff!!

i'm actually considering making my own stand/book self/end table for my tanks too if i don't find anything.

MandiceP: but wow! i LOVE your setup. it's like perfect to have multiple tanks/bettas in just one place. and i looks really nice.


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## MandiceP (Jan 7, 2012)

Thank you! I do have a 6 gallon divided tank with my best two males sitting on my desk in another room, but other than that they are all right there! I plan on making room for a couple more two gallons because I plan on keeping a few babies from future spawns! YAY! Now to find a good place for all those DVD's.... lmao!

I like the idea of building one if you are able to. That way you can use thick good quality wood and reinforce it so that it will stand up to holding heavy tanks over time! So make sure to keep us posted with what you choose/make! I can't wait to see

P.S. for anyone who is wondering, the strip lights are 18" plug in basic strip lights (under the counter type) that I got a home depot for 10.75 each! It's a good deal! They come with mounting screws!


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## chrissylee13 (Jan 1, 2012)

hahaha sounds like a plan!


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## OMB (Nov 6, 2011)

Here's mine on the $20 Ikea Laiva desk. I made sure to check it's sturdiness & design out at the store, put it together properly and I am pretty careful with water dripping due to the material (and put the mat under the tank). The wood pieces are a lot heavier than you'd think. If I wanted to, I could reinforce the desk with hardware even more. Just didn't have much time or money to make my own or wait for something to materialize on craigslist (I searched for a few wks). For a 6gal tank you don't need to get too crazy - it'll be about 60lbs or so (10lbs per gal depending on decorations and tank material too - mine is all glass). It's also kind of temporary as I plan to move in a year so I wanted something that'd be sort of lightweight and easy to move (& I'd want to keep around). I was just super excited with this find! 
Good luck and let us know what you do!


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## chrissylee13 (Jan 1, 2012)

oh wow! yeah it does look really nice! and thanks i will do so!


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## jasonh (Feb 11, 2012)

i have a ten gal on my desk on some wood bricks. i have a 7 foot wood and steel table for a desk so it can handle the weight. 
my fish likes to look out the window when its sunny.

for my other 5gal tank i put it on an old dresser to my left.

after looking at Kfish's walmart links i think i'm going to get a 6 foot rack. i can put both tanks on there and have room for supplies


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