Great video. There was a time when I used cinder blocks due to it being inexpensive. I never had any structural concerns. I even built a semi-enclosed, open front base for a 75g with a built-in shelf for storage and covered it with a textured roll-on truck bed liner. Then I became obsessed with Shou-Sugi-Ban. A technique for staining wood and I've been hooked since but lately, the prices for wood have skyrocketed to unbelievable price points. What one paid for furniture grade lumber, you're now paying for warped, knotted, wet, and sap filled construction lumber. Those metal shelves sold at Sam's Club are looking rather tempting.
I like this! Thank you for posting it! I think it's a great idea for folks just starting a fish room. That's where I'm at. Right now, I want a couple of 40 breeders on the bottom level. I think I might add a few more blocks under the center of the 40 breeders (bottom layer) just for more support, and put 20 longs on top for less weight... Or maybe 15s... I might even stagger the upper tanks so their center is over the blocks. And I think I'll go with the 2x10s instead of the 2x8s. But I think this is a great idea for people starting out, who may want to change the size of the tanks they want in the future. Thanks for doing the measurements for me! :) I live in Maine, and we don't have too many earthquakes to worry about. I can see myself building a permanent structure in the future, but until I figure out my final arrangement, this should work just fine. Kudos!
this is sweet just bought a home with a finished basement and I'm gonna build this rack. I instead altered it a bit and made it so I can put 2 75 gallons on the bottom I instead adding a complete base of cinder blocks for structural support.
Great video. Unfortunately, all building materials have skyrocketed these past few months. This build would cost me $110 today in Texas, not including the costs for staining the wood and painting the blocks. Not necessary, but it is my preference. 2x4x8's are nearing $6. Absolutely ridiculous. I'm an old-school DIY'er but I can no longer substantiate the time and the return on investment. I also burn and stain my wood before assembly. At these prices, metal shelving is the way to go. Sam's Club has great prices on shelving units. Far from custom but much sturdier and aesthetically pleasing than the nonstained or painted wood.
Hi, is there any chance that plywood will bow from the middle (or anything worse) in time as the corners of the tanks are not supported by the cinder blocks? All weight is on the woods, is it not? Thank you in advance.
@@bennyboy97100 yea and I live in the woods with a.. I mean 3 pet goats and chickens and I have pet fish pet cat and soon I will have a pet bearded dragon and 6 chickens and if you ask I have lived in a house from ww2 in the woods for nearly 7 years
Thanks so much for this video! I am building one this weekend and am stoked it is going to be so cheap (relatively). Can you describe how you built the auto water system with the 3 board unit? That's actually the one I'm building and want to incorporate an auto water changing station.
I'm using 9-15g (24×12×12) tanks on the top and 2- 40g breeders on the bottom. How far apart would you recommend that I space the top boards to accommodate 24" front to back without compromising the integrity of the top rack?
Cory, I gotta say I love watching what you do in that fishroom, but I really dont love the design of those stands. I know it'll work but just seems like a temporary solution and I'd really be concerned about bumping into any spot on any of the stands in there. The way you lay the planks like that is bound to cause some drooping over time as you're choosing the use the weak side of the wood. You've got about 400 pounds on 3 feet of unsupported 2 inch wood (which seems like a better design than the other stands in there where I think you're spanning even farther than 3 feet between the block supports). I know you didnt ask for suggestions, but I'd rather see you add a few more blocks between the floor and the first level; and then stagger the block so that the tanks above are directly over the block instead of floating on the unsupported wood. Might not be as aesthetically pleasing but it might avoid the need to re-do the whole thing after a few years. sorry for the brutal honesty but I'm kind of a stickler for over-building stands. I like to test mine by grabbing a corner when the tanks are full and shaking with all my might.
+Rich's Fishes Couldn't agree more with this, though on his other racks it looks like well more than 3 feet of unsupported wood. With that being said, they serve his current purposes well. And if he does have to redo them it's just a matter of building wood shelves (although an interesting idea that Cory has made work fairly well, I still have a hard time accepting the cinder block idea or any modifications of it despite the convenience. Wastes room, potential stability problems, etc.). That process wouldn't take too long because he already has the infrastructure in place (drainage, drip system, etc.), which is probably the most important part at this point. It's really been fun watching these videos and I've taken away some great stuff. Feels like I'm there helping with the build!
+Rich's Fishes 400 lbs spread over the span of the wood is a lot different than 400 lbs applied in one spot, say to the center of the board(weakest point in the span assuming no imperfections in the boards). I'm not a fan of the look of them but they should work fine, as long as the boards don't rot or sag due to moisture.
+Rich's Fishes I realize people are trying to help. All I can say is I'm choosing it to do this way on purpose. I've built many fish rooms, and a fish store, and toured lots and lots of wholesale facilities and fish rooms. As to the span. The span doesn't really matter if the weight is on the corners of the span. So a 6ft long tank that weighs 500lbs, and a 3 ft tank that weigh 500lbs, are the same load on the boards because aquariums are built to be supported on their four corners. So really you're relying on the shear strength of a 2x4 which is quite high. Now on the stands that are running 2 twenties between the cinder blocks, all the weight is not supported on the ends. It could sag, however in seeing many tanks supported this way some for over 25 years without sagging, I think at least 25 years should be sufficient for my fish room.
+Aquarium Co-Op I know what you're saying, and I do agree that the support is there and strong enough to hold the tanks. I just dont think it's ideal is all. Even if lots of people have done it this way (and I know they have) that doesn't make it the best way to do it. I agree that the shear strength of a 2x4 is quite high (even higher if you placed them on edge instead of on their side). I dont imagine the supports just shearing off and cracking in half. But shear strength and whatever the proper term for sagging/dropping strength, are certainly not equal. You could likely measure almost 12 inches of sag along an 8 foot unsupported span long before it would break (in a severe enough situation anyway; and thats not all too likely i suppose, and I know thats not what you have going on there). I do however have to respectfully disagree with you saying aquariums are designed to be supported by their corners. Thats just not true. It is true that framed aquariums are designed to be supported by all 4 edges; but not just by the corners alone. But thats only for framed glass aquariums. A rimless and/or acrylic tank is much different. I'd hate to see you put in all this effort and end up having to re-do the whole thing in the somewhat near future! I'm with you and hope you can get 25 years + out of this room! I hope you dont look at this like a personal attack or anything; I just enjoy talking to others who are running something a bit above and beyond your average aquarium hobbyist as most dont have too much experience with these kinds of things. I'm sort of piecing together my fishroom one rack at a time and already regret some of the choices I made (or didnt make in the case of not drilling the tanks).
Hey there! I’ve been searching so much online and just need a tiny bit of hope here. We bought a 200 gallon aquarium and are excited for it. Saw some cinder block ideas and pirchased 15. Planning on stacking 3 under each corner and 3 under the center and run two thick pieces of plywood along the top of the blocks. Will this be enough to hold the weight of a full 200 gallon? Thanks!
As per standards published in 2003 by ASTM, international building standards non-profit, all concrete blocks must support at least 1,700 pounds of weight per square inch (PSI). This standard only describes minimum requirements so considering you would spread the load across several blocks and columns, it can more than support the total weight of a 75g tank. I would use a cement such as A-P Liquid Nails to bond the blocks together. There are much more expensive cement such as commercial Loc Tite but not necessary so long as what is used is for masonry. As for the stability, you would most definitely need to support the horizontal load if it were only two columns. Spread across several columns, the direct force to topple it over would significantly increase. Personally, I would cement a couple 2x8's across the first blocks followed by the remaining three blocks and then topped off with 2x8's.
2 years later. If you live in an area with earthquakes then you'd want to either glue the blocks together with a bit of epoxy or cement them together. Another good solution is to place a 1/4in board between each block. The friction against the wood plus the weight of the tank keeps it solid.
with lumber that long i find its hard to find pieces that aren't warped or twisted to some extent. Do the weight of the tank flatten out those planks if they had and warping?
subscribed! was going to buy a metal rack system for my garage, and this is going to save me a ton of $$$ , Im going with 40g breeders , do you have videos on how to make an automatic drain system?
Aquarium Co-Op yeah I just started browsing through you channel, found that. now searching to see if you have a video on how you made the holes on your fish tanks back wall.
Looks great and I'm sure it's strong, my only concern would be an earthquake. If that happens it'll be like a domino effect. I guess that's what insurance is for though. (00)
@@AquariumCoop Sounds good, I am a teen and i'm doing a big breeding project, (hoping to make some cash) I don't have a job so something like this is perfect and affordable for my setup right now. Thanks!
So confused. People add yoga mats to ensure their tanks are perfectly level, yet Cory has large gaps here in between the wood planks? Won't the weight of the water break the tank bottoms in the unsupported sections?
Glass tanks with rims are meant to support all the weight in their 4 corners. Rimless tanks and acrylic tanks are supported across their entire bottom footprint.
*Need some stocking ideas for those 40-gallon aquariums? Check it out: **ua-cam.com/video/sJdarapmS6M/v-deo.html*
Great video. There was a time when I used cinder blocks due to it being inexpensive. I never had any structural concerns. I even built a semi-enclosed, open front base for a 75g with a built-in shelf for storage and covered it with a textured roll-on truck bed liner. Then I became obsessed with Shou-Sugi-Ban. A technique for staining wood and I've been hooked since but lately, the prices for wood have skyrocketed to unbelievable price points. What one paid for furniture grade lumber, you're now paying for warped, knotted, wet, and sap filled construction lumber. Those metal shelves sold at Sam's Club are looking rather tempting.
I like this! Thank you for posting it! I think it's a great idea for folks just starting a fish room. That's where I'm at. Right now, I want a couple of 40 breeders on the bottom level. I think I might add a few more blocks under the center of the 40 breeders (bottom layer) just for more support, and put 20 longs on top for less weight... Or maybe 15s... I might even stagger the upper tanks so their center is over the blocks. And I think I'll go with the 2x10s instead of the 2x8s. But I think this is a great idea for people starting out, who may want to change the size of the tanks they want in the future. Thanks for doing the measurements for me! :) I live in Maine, and we don't have too many earthquakes to worry about. I can see myself building a permanent structure in the future, but until I figure out my final arrangement, this should work just fine. Kudos!
Thank you for this my breeder rack approves
Great racks Cory, perfect for what I need. Thanks for the tip!
Glad to help :)
this is sweet just bought a home with a finished basement and I'm gonna build this rack. I instead altered it a bit and made it so I can put 2 75 gallons on the bottom I instead adding a complete base of cinder blocks for structural support.
Great video. Unfortunately, all building materials have skyrocketed these past few months. This build would cost me $110 today in Texas, not including the costs for staining the wood and painting the blocks. Not necessary, but it is my preference. 2x4x8's are nearing $6. Absolutely ridiculous. I'm an old-school DIY'er but I can no longer substantiate the time and the return on investment. I also burn and stain my wood before assembly. At these prices, metal shelving is the way to go. Sam's Club has great prices on shelving units. Far from custom but much sturdier and aesthetically pleasing than the nonstained or painted wood.
Given the option, would you rather use this rack, a wood frame screwed together, or garage shelf made of steel?
Help needed!!!
I'm looking to get a stand together for a 60 gallon. Would this hold that?
Hi, is there any chance that plywood will bow from the middle (or anything worse) in time as the corners of the tanks are not supported by the cinder blocks? All weight is on the woods, is it not? Thank you in advance.
i am dugging the setup
Mom says we are going to build these when I get better at keeping fish.
Well get better cause I’m 10-11 and can look after my fish aka my tropical fish that are harder to keep cause you need a fish tank heater and a filter
I’m so glad you youngins are into this stuff.
@@bennyboy97100 yea and I live in the woods with a.. I mean 3 pet goats and chickens and I have pet fish pet cat and soon I will have a pet bearded dragon and 6 chickens and if you ask I have lived in a house from ww2 in the woods for nearly 7 years
im 13 and im setting up my guppy breeding room this summer!
Hello, On your cinder block stand. Would it hold 90- 125 gallon aquariums? Thanks so much.
Scott
Thanks so much for this video! I am building one this weekend and am stoked it is going to be so cheap (relatively). Can you describe how you built the auto water system with the 3 board unit? That's actually the one I'm building and want to incorporate an auto water changing station.
I'm using 9-15g (24×12×12) tanks on the top and 2- 40g breeders on the bottom. How far apart would you recommend that I space the top boards to accommodate 24" front to back without compromising the integrity of the top rack?
Can you tell what the ideal setup would be for a 48x24 inch 100 gallon tank would be out of cinder blocks and 2x4's?
Cory, I gotta say I love watching what you do in that fishroom, but I really dont love the design of those stands. I know it'll work but just seems like a temporary solution and I'd really be concerned about bumping into any spot on any of the stands in there. The way you lay the planks like that is bound to cause some drooping over time as you're choosing the use the weak side of the wood. You've got about 400 pounds on 3 feet of unsupported 2 inch wood (which seems like a better design than the other stands in there where I think you're spanning even farther than 3 feet between the block supports). I know you didnt ask for suggestions, but I'd rather see you add a few more blocks between the floor and the first level; and then stagger the block so that the tanks above are directly over the block instead of floating on the unsupported wood. Might not be as aesthetically pleasing but it might avoid the need to re-do the whole thing after a few years. sorry for the brutal honesty but I'm kind of a stickler for over-building stands. I like to test mine by grabbing a corner when the tanks are full and shaking with all my might.
+Rich's Fishes Couldn't agree more with this, though on his other racks it looks like well more than 3 feet of unsupported wood. With that being said, they serve his current purposes well. And if he does have to redo them it's just a matter of building wood shelves (although an interesting idea that Cory has made work fairly well, I still have a hard time accepting the cinder block idea or any modifications of it despite the convenience. Wastes room, potential stability problems, etc.). That process wouldn't take too long because he already has the infrastructure in place (drainage, drip system, etc.), which is probably the most important part at this point. It's really been fun watching these videos and I've taken away some great stuff. Feels like I'm there helping with the build!
+Rich's Fishes 400 lbs spread over the span of the wood is a lot different than 400 lbs applied in one spot, say to the center of the board(weakest point in the span assuming no imperfections in the boards). I'm not a fan of the look of them but they should work fine, as long as the boards don't rot or sag due to moisture.
+Rich's Fishes I realize people are trying to help. All I can say is I'm choosing it to do this way on purpose. I've built many fish rooms, and a fish store, and toured lots and lots of wholesale facilities and fish rooms. As to the span. The span doesn't really matter if the weight is on the corners of the span. So a 6ft long tank that weighs 500lbs, and a 3 ft tank that weigh 500lbs, are the same load on the boards because aquariums are built to be supported on their four corners. So really you're relying on the shear strength of a 2x4 which is quite high. Now on the stands that are running 2 twenties between the cinder blocks, all the weight is not supported on the ends. It could sag, however in seeing many tanks supported this way some for over 25 years without sagging, I think at least 25 years should be sufficient for my fish room.
+Aquarium Co-Op As to the looks of the stands, in the future I can skin them out and paint them etc.
+Aquarium Co-Op I know what you're saying, and I do agree that the support is there and strong enough to hold the tanks. I just dont think it's ideal is all. Even if lots of people have done it this way (and I know they have) that doesn't make it the best way to do it. I agree that the shear strength of a 2x4 is quite high (even higher if you placed them on edge instead of on their side). I dont imagine the supports just shearing off and cracking in half. But shear strength and whatever the proper term for sagging/dropping strength, are certainly not equal. You could likely measure almost 12 inches of sag along an 8 foot unsupported span long before it would break (in a severe enough situation anyway; and thats not all too likely i suppose, and I know thats not what you have going on there). I do however have to respectfully disagree with you saying aquariums are designed to be supported by their corners. Thats just not true. It is true that framed aquariums are designed to be supported by all 4 edges; but not just by the corners alone. But thats only for framed glass aquariums. A rimless and/or acrylic tank is much different. I'd hate to see you put in all this effort and end up having to re-do the whole thing in the somewhat near future! I'm with you and hope you can get 25 years + out of this room! I hope you dont look at this like a personal attack or anything; I just enjoy talking to others who are running something a bit above and beyond your average aquarium hobbyist as most dont have too much experience with these kinds of things. I'm sort of piecing together my fishroom one rack at a time and already regret some of the choices I made (or didnt make in the case of not drilling the tanks).
Hey there! I’ve been searching so much online and just need a tiny bit of hope here. We bought a 200 gallon aquarium and are excited for it. Saw some cinder block ideas and pirchased 15. Planning on stacking 3 under each corner and 3 under the center and run two thick pieces of plywood along the top of the blocks. Will this be enough to hold the weight of a full 200 gallon? Thanks!
Hi, No leveling needed? I'm trying to do something similar for my 180gal. Any tip? Lol
Yeah I guess it’s safe to say you kept your promise. 😂👍
Would a 75 gallon aquarium, 4 cinder blocks high be safe?? Thank you
As per standards published in 2003 by ASTM, international building standards non-profit, all concrete blocks must support at least 1,700 pounds of weight per square inch (PSI). This standard only describes minimum requirements so considering you would spread the load across several blocks and columns, it can more than support the total weight of a 75g tank. I would use a cement such as A-P Liquid Nails to bond the blocks together. There are much more expensive cement such as commercial Loc Tite but not necessary so long as what is used is for masonry. As for the stability, you would most definitely need to support the horizontal load if it were only two columns. Spread across several columns, the direct force to topple it over would significantly increase. Personally, I would cement a couple 2x8's across the first blocks followed by the remaining three blocks and then topped off with 2x8's.
Thanks for the tutorials! I like them a lot. What are you going to use your tanks for? Breeding?
+Ian Moore A mix of breeding fish and quarantining new fish for my retail store.
How secure are those blocks just being stacked with no structural strength
2 years later. If you live in an area with earthquakes then you'd want to either glue the blocks together with a bit of epoxy or cement them together. Another good solution is to place a 1/4in board between each block. The friction against the wood plus the weight of the tank keeps it solid.
Yes, you get a thumb's up like
Cory, have you ever had to shim the blocks and will it work? My garage is sloped. Thanks
You want to use plastic shims
Would it be possible to do 4 40 breeders and a 125 on top?
Yep, you'd have a bit of wasted space up top, but it should work just fine.
how stable are those racks? I'm guessing the water weight holds it together well.
+Kevin Green Yeah you can see in depth explanations of most things with these racks in this video. ua-cam.com/video/Gx5FmgyHA2Y/v-deo.html
with lumber that long i find its hard to find pieces that aren't warped or twisted to some extent. Do the weight of the tank flatten out those planks if they had and warping?
They do a bit, if it's got a bow to it. But it's best to get as straight as lumber as possible.
Aquarium Co-Op thx for the reply. live the channel
subscribed! was going to buy a metal rack system for my garage, and this is going to save me a ton of $$$ , Im going with 40g breeders , do you have videos on how to make an automatic drain system?
+Arialdis Alfonso yes. The entire fish room build is on my channel.
Aquarium Co-Op yeah I just started browsing through you channel, found that. now searching to see if you have a video on how you made the holes on your fish tanks back wall.
+Arialdis Alfonso multiple videos, both Acrylic and glass drilling.
Awesome
could I do this with a 76 gallon would it hold
+Jasper Dumas sure. If you watch my fish room update videos you can see I do it with 75 gallon tanks.
Looks great and I'm sure it's strong, my only concern would be an earthquake. If that happens it'll be like a domino effect. I guess that's what insurance is for though. (00)
And what happens if you bump into the cinder block? Does the whole thing collapse?!
Nope, rock stable for my tanks.
@@AquariumCoop Sounds good, I am a teen and i'm doing a big breeding project, (hoping to make some cash) I don't have a job so something like this is perfect and affordable for my setup right now. Thanks!
Can I put 10 gallon 20 gallon and 30 gallon on the stand ?
CR1T1KaL714 if you don't have a rack you can just put a piece of cardboard on the floor and lay your tank on top of it lol
that lumber would be expensive now.
You guys in the States have really cheap materials. The equivalent in the UK would cost 3 or 4 x that.
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batman was here 💥3844
So confused. People add yoga mats to ensure their tanks are perfectly level, yet Cory has large gaps here in between the wood planks? Won't the weight of the water break the tank bottoms in the unsupported sections?
Glass tanks with rims are meant to support all the weight in their 4 corners. Rimless tanks and acrylic tanks are supported across their entire bottom footprint.
what if there's an earthquake?
You used 18 blocks
96256
Best not live in earthquake country with that set up.