# will the tank be fine on this dresser ?



## Phillyb (Jan 18, 2011)

Like the tittle says... i have a 80 gal tank i set up a few months ago at my girlfriends house we recently took it down for a hamster who now go demoted to one of my smaller tanks since we couldn't find a female winter white 

I have a 7to8 foot dresser with drawers... i think its strong enough since it held the weight before when the tank wall 100% filled.

I'v noticed since the tank is only 1/3 full it isn't laying flush or flat to the wood i'm thinking with the weight of the full tank its going lay down more but i'm not 100% sure how flush it will be or how bad it is for the tank to lay like this...

I was thinking about adding an extra board of wood after i add the extra water to maybe make up in case the wood is warped? anyways give me some feedback i'l try to have a pic posted by tomorrow!


thanks for your time Phillyb


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## Phillyb (Jan 18, 2011)

Alright so i got my hands on an iphone hope these pictures can give you judgment...i know i'm probably over thinking but you never know! don't mind what the tank lookss like it's not set up yet


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## Diztrbd1 (Apr 21, 2010)

A full pic of the tank on the dresser would help alot here. Hard to give an opinion without seeing the whole setup. and how the tank fits on top. I am presuming the tank is a 48" length? If the dresser is the same it would probably be ok. But if the dresser is 60" or more it might not be good unless there is vertical/upright support in the center section as that is where the majority of the weight would be concentrated. Without proper vertical support, your dresser may end up bowing in the center. Either way a full pic would be helpful


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## Phillyb (Jan 18, 2011)

here is the 3 joint spots i'm trusting on Diztrbd1






but my main concern was for the actual fish tank not sitting flush to the wood or will it be fine since they are tuff as hell


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## Diztrbd1 (Apr 21, 2010)

oops didn't see the 4th pic. Seems to be ok thus far & looks like a strong enough dresser. If the top is solid wood and not the cheap stuff you might me ok. Though it's hard to check with the tank full of water., if I had any concerns, it would be that the vertical board highlighted in the pic, and if it goes all the way to the floor. If not supported properly there, the tank could cause the dresser to bow in that area in the future and the tank to be even more unlevel. I don't think it will hurt the tank, but probably not the best for it either. Maybe some thin foam under it would help with your main concern. Not an expert opinion but that's my 2 cents:


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## gklaw (May 31, 2010)

It is hard to tell without seeing the support behind the cove base. Make sure there is proper support under the "gable" or what you call joint. A 2x4 with adjust legs or shimmed is adequate.

The gap could be a result of the dresser flexing under the load. Dresser are generally not designed to take hundreds of lbs. But some are overbuild - your may be sitting on a strong 2x4 frame already.

You can add a 1/2" pink or blue styrofoam (not the white coffee cup stuff) or a dense rubber pad to spread the load of the tank. I would not trust a tank of that size supporting at the ends only. 20-25g may be.


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## Phillyb (Jan 18, 2011)

Thanks you both for the info glad i came back to bca missed all the feedback! 

Think i'm going to fill it and see how it goes since i did have full for about 4months i just start over thinking sometimes since water is a big mess


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## waterbox (Nov 26, 2011)

It's my understanding that it's okay for a glass aquarium to be supported only at the edges, or even just the two ends. The vertical walls of the tank should be sufficient to keep the bottom from bowing. But for some reason, the bottom of a plastic (plexiglass) aquarium has to be fully supported over the full area--or at least at 1-foot intervals. I don't know why this is, but I've read this in a few places. 

That dresser looks pretty sturdy to me.


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## gklaw (May 31, 2010)

waterbox said:


> It's my understanding that it's okay for a glass aquarium to be supported only at the edges, or even just the two ends. The vertical walls of the tank should be sufficient to keep the bottom from bowing. But for some reason, the bottom of a plastic (plexiglass) aquarium has to be fully supported over the full area--or at least at 1-foot intervals. I don't know why this is, but I've read this in a few places.
> 
> That dresser looks pretty sturdy to me.


The vertical wall on the glass tank does not support water, everything go to the bottom and the frame. The vertical wall prevent the bottom from bowing because it is attached to the bottom with silicon. If the frame is not probably support over a long length, we will put the silicon adhesive in tension. The frame and glass will flex and will stretch the silicon. Overtime, it will fail if stretched too much. I would say in most cased, it may not fail. But why push your luck with 80g of water and your investment when accident can be avoided with $5-$20 on day one. Say 1 in 1,000 fail, would you take the chance?

Plexi glass is much more flexible than glass. If unsupported, the bottom will flex (like a balloon being blown up) and stress the joint and will tear the seam apart.


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## Phillyb (Jan 18, 2011)

Hey gklaw when i filled up the tank the 4 corner are now sitting fine i should hope things will be alright now ? thanks waterbox.

i do believe the dresser is tough. i'm not going to attempt to karate chop it, but i took a few glances without the drawers inside and it seems to be a pretty solid dresser.




Phillyb


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