#133: How to Build a 40 Gallon Breeder Aquarium Stand for $25 - DIY Wednesday

Proceed at your own risk, I'm not a structural engineer and claim no responsibility for your own stands!

The total cost per stand comes out to just about $25 at a home improvement store.

The materials you are going to need for this project include:
• FIVE 2x4s x8ft long (per stand)
• 5 lb of 2.5" decking screws (which will build 4 or 5 stands)
• 4ftx8ft x ¾" polystyrene (which will build 5 stands)

The lumber cuts are as follows:
Top and Bottom Frames:
4x: 3'-3/16"
5x: 1'-3-1/4"
Long Legs: 4x: 2'-6"
Load Bearing Legs: 4x: Approx. 1'11" (measure each and cut a hair long for a snug fit)
Side Handles: 2x: 1'-6-1/4"

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[robotzombie]

These glass aquariums are designed to have weight supported by the edges. Adding padding such as foam puts the weight on the glass bottom and leads to leaks. Acrylic tanks can use it. Instead of foam I used 3 layers of plywood to "self level" and the weight was on the edges as intended.

[michaeljones]

Nice build. Have seen dozens like this on youtube and this is the method I plan to use when I build mine. I must caution, however, about using styrofoam under a glass tank. The bottom rim will sink into the styrofoam leaving the middle of the styrofoam sitting high and pressing into the glass bottom. The glass bottom is not meant to withstand this kind of pressure from below. It leads to weak seals and will eventually leak. You're better off attaching a flat sheet of plywood to the top of your stand and using a thinner piece (1/4" or so) sheet of rubber to set the aquarium on. Styrofoam CAN and should be used under acrylic tanks. They're usually one-piece and the bottoms are meant to sit flat on whatever you're setting them on. Styrofoam under a glass, bottom-rimmed tank will lead to problems.

[dwsonye]

Just an update, this stand worked perfect. Thanks for the diy project. .

[thecrazylineman]

7 years later and 2x4s are 60% more expensive at $4.20/stick

[datfishkid]

I just have to say, my dad and I made one of these for our new 40 gallon reef because we had all of the supplies.  It ended up working awesome for us, and there was no hassle at all.  Great idea, and thanks for the free stand man! :)

[jdofishtank]

I think it would have been cool to install the side brace pieces on the inside, then you could have put a flat piece of wood and made a shelf, it that makes sense. Thanks for the video I plan on making a stand just like this!

[DconGamingXbox]

We built 2 of them. One for the 40 and one for a 20 and they both work and look great! Thank you for the video!

[redrocket]

Hey Greg. I just wanted to give you a big thanks. This video helped me out a ton. Just finished building my stand! :)

[angelahentschel]

Very helpful video. Just finished building and painting mine. I added plywood panels to the top and bottom for added support and shelving. Going to use the polystyrene foam as well so the tank will self-level (that was a very helpful tip that I never knew about before). Can't wait for the paint to dry so I can finish setting everything up. :)

[DeeFromBrooklyn]

I love this build. I designed my stand with 4x4 supports which increased the strength and made a cleaner look over all

[marscarter]

Thank You, I followed your instructions had Home Depot cut the lumber to size, the lumber was a bit expensive in FL but still made out better then buying a pre made stand. took less then a half hour to put together :) 

[jess]

What a well thought out, articulate, creative and motivating instruction video. Thank you.

[vexellent]

thanks for posting this! i love that you used sketchup to design it first, i'm gonna do the same thing! ive used it mostly to design complex environments for illustrations in the past so this will be much simpler! im glad i found a video for the exact type of thank i'm getting, thank you for answering all the technical questions!

[gregjonesonline]

thanks! i considered 4x4s, but wanted to keep all of my cuts as simple as possible

[lifeactionaquatics]

Thanks for the video Greg. I am building this right now. just picked up a 40g breeder at a dollar per gallon sale. I looked all over for an easy stand to build. and yours is very simple and you had the dimensions added in. I think I'm going to add to it a bit and make it more that just the frame. I will throw a video up once I get to wrapping it in some nice ply wood and staining it. thanks again.

[contagiouz]

I am not sure if i said thank you before. But Thank you so much for this. I used this to build 2 stand so far, first one was unpainted but second one i painted before i put it together. Great video and good job on providing the dimensions.

[ozzcows]

Cool thanks man I just built one today after I got a 40 gallon breeder at petco's dollar per gallon sale. Everything worked out great, I barely had any wood left though. I siphoned about 30 gallons from my 55 into it so I could move it so that all my tanks fit evenly along one wall, and it held no problem. Just a note, I cut the longest pieces first to make sure I had enough wood, it was cutting it a little close so if you don't do that you might have to get an extra piece of 2x4.

[gsxrlyfe]

Greg thank you so much for the quick response! and A A+ on the video

[CocaCoveyClassic]

nice stand. I like the foam leveling. Good to note that if you get your wood at Lowes or Home Depot go in there with your plans and most likely they will cut your wood for free. Its a good way to get the same cut for your legs since they stack the boards.

[RyansAquarium]

Gonna build this stand tomorrow, thanks for the guide!