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I got this stand from a friend of mine years ago. Its unbranded. I want to use it to hold a 55 to 75 gallon fish tank which can weigh 456 pounds to 622.5 pounds.

How much weight can this stand hold ? or How can i calculate a estimate of how much weight this stand will hold ?

The wood is 61 in by 17 in and about 3/4 in thick. The metal under it is 2 inches. The metal legs are 28 inches high.

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closed as off-topic by Graphus, Ast Pace, Matt, mmathis, Charlie Kilian Jan 10 '17 at 21:16

This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:

  • "This question does not appear to be about woodworking, within the scope defined in the help center." – Graphus, Ast Pace, Matt, mmathis, Charlie Kilian
If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.

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    Unknowable. But my gut says "no". – Aloysius Defenestrate Jan 8 '17 at 20:30
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    I recommend moving this to Engineering. The table might very well hold the weight in question, but the strength components are made of steel, not wood. – Ast Pace Jan 8 '17 at 21:17
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I would not recommend using this table for a fish tank. There are too many potential sources for failure.

  1. If the tank rests upon the 3/4" top instead of extending to the width and length of the metal support frame, the risk of failure increases due to the potential weakness of the MDF board itself.
  2. The ability of the metal apron to support the load depends upon the gauge of the metal. If it is too thin it will buckle. I am not aware of any rule of thumbs that could easily predict the carrying capacity of the sides.
  3. It is not clear how the metal aprons connect to the legs. If the legs are not fully welded or otherwise adequately connected, then any sideways force on the tank might cause the entire the leg/apron connection to fail and the tank collapse.
  4. The legs are very slender and will may be at risk of buckling under the load. Since the table does not include a bottom shelf, there is no additional bracing to keep the legs stiff and vertical.
  5. Each leg will transfer approx. 150 lbs. to the floor in very small areas. This may be a problem for a wood framed floor and may leave a permanent impression of the finished flooring. A tank cabinet would spread the weight over an area of flooring better than these slender legs.

Since you asked this question in WSE, I would suggest researching commercially available tank cabinets and possibly making one of your own. If you have questions as you plan the base, this site is always available to help.

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  • Thanks for your insight. Is there any way i can easily modify the stand for more support? Perhaps stick some 2x4s or cinderblocks under it? – srp009 Jan 9 '17 at 2:01
  • Yeah if I recall a 2x4 can vertically support a lot of weight. ~1500 lbs or so. – Dano0430 Jan 10 '17 at 17:22
  • The problem is not simply carrying the weight. The table/platform must resist lateral pressure that is not easily absorbed in the 2" +/- high aprons combined with slender legs. There need to be fully connected diaphrams between the corners to resist the tendency of the legs to buckle and a substantial base to better distribute the weight to the floor. In other words, you need a cabinet base intended to support a tank, not a table such as proposed. – Ashlar♦ Jan 10 '17 at 18:11

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