I got interested in fish by accident. My son wanted to win one at out local county fair. My son was five and going to start school in September. He had wanted a dog or a cat but I kept saying no, because when he went to school I knew I would become the primary caregiver.
So when he asked to throw the ping pong ball at a sea of fish goblets I thought, why not. He won’t win. And if he does, how hard is it to take care of a fish? Well, he spent 5 dollars throwing and as I was consoling him and trying to get him to walk away I tripped over something and fell.
The guy running the booth helped me up and must have felt pretty bad, or just wanted to get rid of a fish, because he gave me a fish for my trouble. At first we kept it in a little glass bowl we got at WalMart.
But as my son grew, so did our fish collection. Several thousand fish and even several dozen stands later I can safely say fish tank stands are almost as important as the tanks themselves. Stands are designed to display the tank at a height that allows easy maintenance and is perfect for looking at or talking to the fish. A stand needs to be specially constructed because they have to hold a lot of weight. Even a small 10 gallon tank can weigh over 100 pounds when fully set up. If you wouldn’t let a small child stand on your table, don’t set a small fish tank on it.
Fish tank stands are easy to find and are even available on line. They even have some you can build on your own if you want.
Here is a little information on the stands available.
Cast iron stands are often used to display the smaller tanks, usually up to about 40 gallons. It is usually just four legs, a simple rectangular top lip and cross braces on the sides and back. This stand is very light and portable. An acrylic fish tank cannot be used with a cast iron stand because they require support across the entire bottom rather than only along it’s edges.
Pressure-treated wood stands are used for larger tanks, usually 50 gallons or more. Pressure treated wood is chemically treated to resist rot. These stands have solid tops and bottoms that usually extend a little bit beyond the sides for extra strength and stability. They usually have double doors in the front that open and usually have a great storage area. The back is usually open but has a center beam for support.
Acrylic or MDF stands are used for a variety of tanks. MDF stands for medium density fiberboard. These are the more expensive stands and they can be make to look like stone, granite, marble, or even other natural textures. The cost of these stands can be very high but you can get one that matches your furniture and lasts as long as the furniture does.
A good fish tank stand is not only a good idea for anyone who has fish, but can be used as a room divider, a conversation piece, and even a memorable home project you can show off.
