Fish stands.. Help needed!

[Flatcoatluver]

Today I bought a 30 gallon tank and stand. I had the stand all set up and I realized it was really wobbly. We are really nervous about it falling. It is special made for a 30 gallon; it's a fake wood type cabinet. We are probably going to mold it to the wall. Has anyone had and experience with unstable fish stands. Advice greatly appreciated!

[Karen]

Is it solidly put together? Any missing parts? Is it wobbly because the legs are uneven and could they be trimmed? If it's just not sturdy enough material, I'd return it and ask for your meny back. How is it constructed - nails? glue? screws? I would not risk putting any weight on it until you make it stable.

[Flatcoatluver]

The petsmart worker said that when you put the weight on the stand from the tank, that the carpet will mold to the stand. I am not sure if I should belive that or not. My dad was the one that build it and I am sure it is fine, but I will have him double check it. It's build out of screws.

[Karen]

Un, honey, anything that's depending on the carpet it's sitting on to hold it together is a bad product. I mean, what if you want in on a hardwood floor? Or linoleum? Do they have one put-together in the store you could compare it to? If all the screws are in nice and tight and it is still wobbly, return it! Maybe another would go together better, or maybe the manufacturing itself is flawed, but wobbly + the weight of a full 30-gallon tank= a disaster waiting to happen!

[Flatcoatluver]

If we molt it to the wall will it be ok? Or should I just completly take it back and get a new one and go to a different store?

[critter crazy]

If this product is made out of Pressed sawdust, I would not use it for a fish stand! There is no way, that this will safely hold, a tank. I only buy fishtank stands that are made of Real wood, or Metal. I would take it back. If it is wobbly now, it isnt gonna hold the tank very well. I would hate for you to come home one day, and find your fish all over the floor!

[Kalei]

It sounds untrustworthy to my. Fish tanks are alot of weight and need a stand that can hold it all. A 30 gallon tank is about 300 pounds of water, not including the rocks, plants, fish..ect. A wobbly stand I would not take the risk of putting a fish tank on. I bought a stand from wal-mart or my 55 gallon and it does not wobble at all, its completely sturdy.

If I were you I wouldn't take the risk of filling the tank up on that stand...if its molded to the wall it may be a little more trustworthy, but not fully trustworthy.

[Chilli]

Personally, I'd take it back and find something that you feel comfortable with.
I'm not sure which kind to suggest(since I use industrial shelving for most of my fishtanks.. & my 55g stand was custom made), but do see if they have one on display and see how it holds up.

Like Karen said, a wobbly stand is a disaster waiting to happen!

Good luck. =]

[Flatcoatluver]

My dad thinks that mounting it on the wall will make it safe and it won't have problems, I want to take it back, and I don't think he wants to deal with having to put it away and taking it back. I was thinking of keeping the fish tank on a old STRONG WOOD dresser, what do you think?

[critter crazy]

My dad thinks that mounting it on the wall will make it safe and it won't have problems, I want to take it back, and I don't think he wants to deal with having to put it away and taking it back. I was thinking of keeping the fish tank on a old STRONG WOOD dresser, what do you think?
Hone I would take the few minutes, and put it all back in the box and take it back. Putting the tank on a Dresser, ia anoother accident waiting to happen. I personally would not feel safe. I would look for a better made stand out of REAL wood, or Metal. Just tell your dad, you are looking out for the best interest of the fish. not to mention, your home, should the tank fall. Quite a mess it would be!

[Flatcoatluver]

:( Now my dad just says that he is going to mount it on the wall and it will be fine. I don't have anyway to say no since I can't find the recipt for the stand.

[Flatcoatluver]

We found the reciept and were taking the stand back and just having the 30 gallon on the floor. We will feel so much better. Thanks everyone!!

[Kalei]

We found the reciept and were taking the stand back and just having the 30 gallon on the floor. We will feel so much better. Thanks everyone!!

*sighs in relief* Phew, I'm so glad. I've had a tank crack all the way up the side on me before..it was a 15 gallon and it was not fun. The only other tank I had was a 2.5 gallon and I had about 10 tropical fish and had to squish them all into the 2.5 gallon...it was so sad, pretty much all of them died except a couple and I had no other home to give them to, there's not many fish people around here I know...it really sucked.

I guess I just told that little story cause it had to do with a tank breaking...worse thing that can happen, its an absolute disaster, I"m so happy you aren't taking the chance:)

[Twisterdog]

I think it would be fine on a dresser, if it well-made and sturdy. Of course, a cheaply-made, pressed board, flimsly dresser isn't going to be safe, but an older, well-made on is going to be fine. When I lived with my parents, I had a 30 gallon tank on a big wood dresser for ten years. It was perfectly fine.

I then had a 30 gallon tank on a big entertainment center for years. Now I have a 55 gallon, and it is on it's own stand. It is the stand that was made for this tank and purchased for it. I got it at Walmart, and it's very sturdy. It is held together with cams, not screws or nails. I think that helps, cams are a very sturdy means of construction.

Aquariums are indeed very heavy ... a 30 gallon tank has 240 pounds of water alone, plus the weight of the tank itself and the gravel. I would just keep that in mind when choosing something. I think you'd be happier with a tank on a stand then on the floor, personally. It would be more pleasing to eye on a stand, IMO.