Pedestals for an aquarium: varieties, selection, production, installation

Your aquarium needs a sturdy stand that can support an impressive amount of weight. The optimal solution is to purchase a tank together with a cabinet designed specifically for it. It is adjusted to fit the tank, and it will stand firmly, without the threat of damage to the bottom.

Ordinary furniture is not suitable for an aquarium, because no matter how strong it is, it is not able to withstand the stress that goes beyond the usual aquarium cabinet. It makes sense to make a stand with your own hands only if it cannot be purchased ready-made. Under other circumstances, the work is impractical.

When choosing a stand for an aquarium, attention should be paid not only to the configuration of the product, but also to the material of manufacture. You should also not ignore the size of the product. The outcome of the purchase will depend on the wishes of the owner, but it is necessary to consider in more detail each of the parameters mentioned.

Modern cabinets have the following configurations:

• rectangular;
• square;
• corner;
• curly.

Rectangular cabinets are considered traditional, as most aquariums are produced in this configuration. Such a product is multifunctional and can be located in any area of ​​the room. Square pedestal will be suitable for a tank in the shape of a square or circle. Mounting an aquarium on this type of stand will be simple, and it will perfectly fit into the design of a small room. Such a stand will be well localized in the recreation area.

Corner cabinet suggests placing it in the corner of the room.By purchasing such a product, the client significantly saves free space.

The use of a stand for a corner aquarium implies the presence of its rounded shapes that do not protrude beyond the boundaries of the cabinet. Figured models are created to order, according to the individual parameters of the client. The product drawing is being executed strictly proportional to the dimensions of the glass tank, the appearance is matched to the design of the room and the features of the interior.

A suitable solution for a small room would be corner bedside tables inscribed in an unoccupied corner. They will not take up a lot of space, only a triangular aquarium will have some placement features. When choosing a product, do not forget that the aquarium should not protrude beyond the boundaries of the curbstone and hang over it - this does not meet the regulations for the use of a glass fish tank.

When installing a container with water on the surface of the curbstone, it must stand level. At the same time, the load from the tank is proportionally divided along the entire contour of the cabinet lid. Based on the capacity of the aquarium, the length and thickness of the table top (cover, top panel) change. For a stand for aquariums of 200 liters, a wide lid with a reinforced base is required; for a model with a capacity of 50-60 liters, a simple bedside table is also suitable.

According to the dimensions, the aquarium stands can be divided into the following groups.

• Small - these examples include models designed for aquariums with a capacity of 70 l to 100 l. The length of these bedside tables is in the region of 60-70 centimeters, the width, as a rule, is 30 centimeters. Stand height varies by manufacturer.

• Average - this includes aquarium bedside tables with a length of 70-80 centimeters. It is convenient to place a vessel with a capacity of 120 liters on such samples, as well as options for aquariums of the same length and volume of 150 liters.

• Large - products related to large-sized samples are characterized by a large length. Their length starts from 100 centimeters. This cabinet is used for tanks of 300 liters. It will also comfortably accommodate a product with a volume of 180 liters and 240 liters.

Most manufacturers comply with the standard dimensions of width and length, only the height can be different.

Materials for the manufacture of these elements of furniture must certainly be moisture resistant. Frequent splashing of liquid on the surface of the stand will cause the base of the cabinet to swell and be ruined.

The following materials are used to make the stands:

• wood;
• chipboard (chipboard);
• Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF);
• metal.

Solid wood cabinets are durable and environmentally friendly. Such samples are usually quite expensive. Solid wood coasters are often handcrafted with unique carvings. Chipboard cabinets are simple and affordable. Stands are considered to be durable, but it is undesirable to place panoramic aquariums on them.

MDF panels are a good material for making pedestals. Their main difference from the materials presented above is the wide possibility of designing facades, which makes it possible to choose a stand for any interior. The last option is a metal aquarium cabinet. This design is the most durable, capable of withstanding any load. It can be a product made of a profile pipe or a forged cabinet.

The lion's share of aquarium stands are made from MDF board, which is not so afraid of moisture. Due to the abundance of textured and color finishes, the aquarist will always be able to choose a product that fits especially gracefully into the existing interior style:

• samples painted in beige and white colors can be placed in the bedroom or in the kitchen;
• lined "wood-like" products (for example, shimo ash, light or dark) will perfectly fit into any design of the living room;
• always fashionable classics - bedside tables painted in monochromatic, dark undertones will form a more comfortable atmosphere in the interior of the study;
• multi-colored cabinets, painted in intense colors, will become a decoration of the nursery.

When choosing a bedside table for an aquarium, certain important aspects should be taken into account.

• The plane on which the aquarium will be located must be moisture-repellent, resistant to deformation. The cabinet lid must be perfectly flat. Minor shape changes will cause the reservoir to burst.
• Sturdy back wall. In the role of an amplifier, metal stands are used, otherwise the bedside table may not withstand the mass of the aquarium. This applies to tanks with a capacity of more than 50 liters.
• The presence of auxiliary shelves and holes for wiring. Shelves are required to contain all kinds of accessories for the aquarium, fish food. If you intend to purchase an aquarium of 300 liters or more, a compartment for mounting an external filter device is required in the stand. Thus, the filter will be protected from contamination and will not spoil the overall design of the room where the aquarium is located.
• In an amicable way, the bedside table should be closed, and therefore the presence of doors on it is a big plus.
• External appearance. The bedside table is not only a support for the aquarium. It should be in harmony with the interior of the room in which the installation of the aquarium is planned.

Making a bedside table with your own hands is not only minimal costs. The construction of a homemade stand can solve a number of issues:

• giving individuality to the product;
• compliance with its interior decoration;
• strict calculation of strength;
• quality.

The basic foundation of any kind of work when creating furniture is drawing up a blueprint. The layout of the future stand is based on the dimensions of the aquarium that you have. It is necessary to make a structure in which the lid will correspond to the parameters of the glass tank or slightly overlap them. The extension of the curbstone should be small, no extra centimeters should be left on the sides. The main purpose of the bedside table is to hold the mass of the aquarium, meaning the total weight of the tank itself, the liquid in it and auxiliary components. Therefore, when creating a project, it is necessary to take this value into account and make a drawing that will allow you to solve this problem.

The height of the product also plays an important role. Here it is necessary to take into account in what position the person will look at the fish - standing or sitting. If it is assumed that this is a recreation room, where people mostly sit, then the height of the bedside table, together with the legs, should be no higher than 70 centimeters. Placing the aquarium in the bedroom allows the height to be lowered. The drawing must take into account the subsequent practicality of operating the pedestal. It should take into account the shelves not only for specialized aquarium items, but also for magazines, books or decorative items.

When choosing materials, one should not forget that the very mission of the bedside table involves contact of its surface with liquid. Therefore, only waterproof materials should be used. In this situation, laminated chipboard or MDF boards are perfect. It is advisable not to use wood, since it is not easy to make it moisture-proof, and the array, at the same time, will increase the mass of an already bulky structure.

By planning the right amount of material, it must be taken into account that, in comparison with bedside tables or chests of drawers, an aquarium stand needs a strong back wall. Actually, the main share of the load will fall on it. The thickness of the chipboard or MDF for the back wall must be at least 22 millimeters.

It is advisable to make metal crate of the bedside table. If this is not possible, and the skeleton of the structure will be made of a wooden beam, then strong and wide components should be selected. It is better to design partitions inside the stand with a calculation every 40 cm. Such a structure makes it possible to avoid sagging of the cabinet cover. The top panel is made of high strength material. In the process of fixing it, it is necessary to verify the level along the contour of the entire plane. The cabinet lid must be perfectly flat. The thicker the material for the top panel, the more reliable it is.

The legs for the bedside table are selected according to their strength. It is necessary to focus on legs made of metal with a wide surface or reliable supports made of wood. As for decorative design, such as doors on a curbstone or handles on boxes, in this matter everything depends on the skills of the master and the desired end result. You can visually facilitate the structure by carving on the outer facade, and for a curbstone with a metal frame, use glass to decorate the doors.

Having a ready-made drawing of the future stand and having dealt with the materials, you can start to further translate the project into reality. To create a stand, you should perform the following operations step by step.

• Cut out chipboard or other selected material. You can do this on your own if you have a special table and the necessary tools. Or order sawing at any furniture shop or retail outlet, directly when purchasing the material. For an additional fee, you can also order trimming of cut edges with an edge band. This service will significantly save time for future assembly and reduce the amount of garbage in your home.
• Assembly work begins with the product frame. Bars or iron slats are collected. Competent fastening of the frame parts guarantees the reliability of the future cabinet. All corners are carefully checked, they must match the drawing as closely as possible. A slope of at least one degree is capable of provoking a distortion and deformation of the entire product, and, consequently, of the aquarium itself. The outer walls and partitions in the inner part are fixed on the frame. Fixation is carried out by means of a screw tie and a screwdriver. Euro screws are not self-tapping screws and need pre-drilled holes in the materials. When choosing a drill for an electric drill, it is necessary to build on the size of the selected Euro screws minus 1 millimeter.
• It is preferable to install the cover in several steps. First of all, 2 holes are made in its directly opposite corners. After fixing the bollard cover, the level is checked and if everything is in order, complete screwing is carried out.
• Then the shelves are installed horizontally, drawers are mounted, doors are installed. For drawers, it is extremely important to correctly fix the guides, which will make it possible to freely use them. The doors are installed on furniture hinges. When fixing them, it is advisable to use closers that will enable the doors to open and close correctly and smoothly.
• At the end of the assembly, the structure is laid on its side for mounting the legs. They must be fixed exactly at the edges of the product to prevent sagging and sagging. The installed feet must be cushioned to prevent scratching the floor surface.
• Making a product on our own allows the master to foresee all the details. Therefore, the final step will be to drill holes on the back wall for routing electrical cables and air or water hoses. It is necessary to make holes only after the exact definition of the purpose of each of the holes and its function.

To learn how to make a do-it-yourself plywood cabinet under an aquarium, see the next video.