Cheap and Sturdy DIY Stand

Ok, so I've been having trouble finding a nice stand for my 55gal setup that will house my sump and give me enough room to do every day maintenance.
I stumbled across these easy instructions on the internet and thought I would give it a go.
It doesn't look too bad to me, what do you guys think?
I will post pictures of my little project as we go along.

Here's just the bare bones bricks and wood ===> http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/diystandscabinets/ss/diyaqstand.htm

Here are a few modified versions of it, all gussied up and what not ===> Build a Strong, Inexpensive Aquarium Stand « Random Bits of Projects

 

lol. WOW........

Well,....um...... you wouldn't have any cabinet storage, or much room for a sump.

 

You can add shelves as needed or just leave it bare.
Did you look at all of the different styles or just the first one?

 

It depends on what you consider a "nice" stand. We used the 2x4 and cinder block stands for years. They're very customizable not to mention quite sturdy. Hang a nice table cloth or bed spread on the front and they can blend right in with any decor.

On the other hand if you're not opposed to nailing a few 2x4's together garf.org has a handy tool that you just enter the dimensions of the stand you want and it generates a cut list for you and shows instructions for assembly. Once you build the frame if you choose you can add doors, and finish it any way you want be it with cabinet grade plywood, plaster and lath, wattle and daub, table cloth, bed spread, or just enjoy the openness of the 2x4 frame itself. The possibilities are endless.

Edit: spelling

 

I would not use that design swagger for two reasons.
1: There is no side to side support. Lean against or bump the side of the tank with enough force, and the cinder blocks with the wood will shift. Shift far enough, tanks on the floor.
2: cinder blocks, 2X4's, and sheets of plywood are mass-produced. Meaning as cheaply and quickly as possible. No two of them are exactly the same. Constructed in your drawing, the tank will most likely not even be close to level and will require a good amount of shimming.

A 55 would be easy to do. If you feel bored, browse through the first 1/3 or so of my 200 thread (yes I know its long). I built my own stand with the same idea of being cost effective and for easy maintenance. Might give you some good ideas.
You could build your entire stand out of 2X4's. 4 vertical boards on each corner, then use more 2X4's to create a top and bottom frame. Fasten all together, add some molding and skin, and it's done, and still wont look hideous.

 

Redbeard- We weren't looking for anything fancy, just something strong.

PackLeader- Your stand looks good.
We were planning on modifying the block idea a bit. To make sure it was a little sturdier we were going to take two bricks and make and "L" shape out of them for each side.
Kind of like this |_ _| (View from over head looking down).

The only reason I am reluctant for a store bought stand is because none of them are really tall enough and they're so cheap looking.

The only reason I am reluctant to build one is because we don't have any good tools really and I know that my BF will have to do it all on his own because I'm a female and I don't know how. *ROLLS EYES* I really don't trust him.

 

All you will need is glue, a drill, and the hardware. Most any hardware store will cut the wood for you.

 

True.
Its not the cutting Im worried about. Its his half @$$ed way of doing things, lol

 

You definitely could make it work. Add a curtain rod to it, and what-nots.

Good luck!

 

If you use the 8x8x16 cinder blocks and the floor is anywhere near level with a piece of styrofoam under the tank it will be self leveling. If you're afraid of shifting some construction adhesive between the blocks should give you peace of mind. As I said we used these stands for (10+) years with no trouble. As a matter of fact we even started leaving the out the wood all together and just used 2 straight up stacks of blocks for tanks as large as 55 gallons (one stack under each end of the tank). Just don't forget to use the styrofam to absorb any unevenness.

For what it's worth, the one time a tank did get "bumped" the glass broke before the tank shifted.