Aquarium cabinets: varieties, selection, manufacture, installation

The aquarium needs a sturdy stand that can support an impressive weight. The best solution is to purchase a tank together with a cabinet specifically designed for it. It is adjusted for the tank, and it will stand steadily, without the threat of damage to the bottom.

Ordinary furniture for an aquarium is not suitable, because no matter how strong it is, it is not able to withstand the load beyond the usual load, which is the aquarium cabinet. Do-it-yourself stand makes sense only if it is impossible to purchase it in a finished form. In other circumstances, the work is impractical.

When choosing a stand for an aquarium, you should pay attention not only to the configuration of the product, but also to the material of manufacture. You should also not disregard the dimensions of the product. The outcome of the purchase will depend on the desire of the owner, but it is necessary to consider in more detail each of the mentioned parameters.

Modern cabinets have the following configurations:

• rectangular;
• square;
• angular;
• curly.

Rectangular cabinets are considered traditional, since most of the aquariums are made exactly in this configuration. Such a product is multifunctional and can be located in any area of ​​the room. Square pedestal will be suitable for the tank in the shape of a square or circle. Mounting the aquarium on a similar version of the curbstone will be simple, in addition, it will perfectly fit into the design of a small room. Such a stand will be well localized in the recreation area.

Corner stand involves placing it in the corner of the room.Buying such a product, the client significantly saves free space.

The use of a stand for a corner aquarium implies the presence of its rounded shapes that do not protrude beyond the borders of the cabinet. Curly models are created to order, according to the individual parameters of the client. Product drawing is being executed strictly proportional to the dimensions of the glass tank, the appearance is selected for the design of the room and the interior features.

A suitable solution for a small room would be corner tables inscribed in an unoccupied corner. They will not take up much space, only a triangular aquarium will have some features of placement. When choosing a product, do not forget that the aquarium should not protrude beyond the borders of the pedestal and hang over it - this does not meet the standards for using a glass fish tank.

When mounting a container of water on the surface of the cabinet, it should be level. At the same time, the load from the tank is proportionally divided along the entire contour of the cabinet cover. Based on the capacity of the aquarium, the length and thickness of the countertop (cover, top panel) changes. For a stand for 200 aquariums, you will need a wide cover with a reinforced base; for a model with a capacity of 50-60 liters, a simple bedside table is also suitable.

According to the dimensions, supports for the aquarium can be divided into the following groups.

• Small - such models include models designed for aquariums with a capacity of 70 l to 100 l. The length of these cabinets is in the region of 60-70 centimeters, the width is usually 30 centimeters. The height of the stand depends on the manufacturer.

• Medium - this includes aquarium tables with a length of 70-80 centimeters. On such samples, it is convenient to place a vessel with a capacity of 120 l, and even options for aquariums of the same length and volume of 150 l.

• Large - products related to large samples are characterized by a large length. Their length starts from 100 centimeters. This cabinet is used for tanks of 300 liters. It also comfortably accommodates a product with a volume of 180 liters and 240 liters.

Most manufacturers comply with standard dimensions of width and length, only height can be different.

Materials for the manufacture of these furniture elements must certainly be moisture resistant. Frequent liquid on the surface of the stand will cause the base of the cabinet to swell and be ruined.

For the manufacture of coasters, the following materials are used:

• wood;
• chipboard (chipboard);
• Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF);
• metal.

Solid wood cabinets are durable and environmentally friendly. Such samples are usually quite expensive. Often, solid wood coasters are created by hand and decorated with unique carvings. Chipboards are simple and affordable. Stands are considered durable, but it’s undesirable to place panoramic aquariums on them.

MDF panels are a good material for the manufacture of stands. Their main difference from the materials presented above is a wide opportunity to design facades, which makes it possible to choose a stand for any interior. The last option is a metal aquarium bedside table. This design is the most durable, able to withstand any kind of load. This can be a product from a profile pipe or a forged stand.

The lion's share of stands for aquariums are made from MDF board, which is not so much afraid of moisture. Due to the abundance of textured and color finishes, the aquarist will always be able to choose a product that blends particularly elegantly with the existing interior style:

• samples painted in beige and white can be placed in the bedroom or in the kitchen;
• wood-lined products (for example, ash shimo light or dark) will fit perfectly into any living room design;
• always fashionable classics - bedside tables painted in plain, dark halftones will form a more comfortable atmosphere in the interior of your office;
• multicolor cabinets painted in intense colors will become a decoration for the nursery.

When choosing a bedside table for an aquarium, certain important aspects should be taken into account.

• The plane on which the aquarium will be located must be water-repellent, resistant to deformation. The cover of the cabinet must be perfectly flat. Minor changes in shape will cause the tank to burst.
• Strong back wall. Metal racks are used as an amplifier, otherwise the bedside table may not withstand the mass of the aquarium. This applies to tanks with a capacity of more than 50 liters.
• The presence of auxiliary shelves and holes for wiring. Shelves are required for the maintenance of various accessories for the aquarium, feed for fish. If you plan to buy an aquarium of 300 or more liters, a stand needs a compartment for mounting an external filter device. Thus, the filter will be protected from contamination and will not spoil the overall design of the room where the aquarium is located.
• In a good way, the bedside table should be closed, and therefore the presence of doors on it is a big plus.
• Appearance. The bedside table is not only a support for an aquarium. It should be in harmony with the interior of the room in which the installation of the aquarium is planned.

Making a bedside table with your own hands is not only the minimum cost. The construction of a makeshift stand is able to solve a number of issues:

• personalization of the product;
• compliance with its interior;
• rigorous strength calculation;
• quality.

The basic basis of any work when creating furniture is the development of a drawing. The scheme of the future stand is based on the dimensions of the aquarium that you have. It is necessary to make a design in which the lid will correspond to the parameters of the glass tank or slightly overlap them. The extension of the cabinet should be small, do not leave additional centimeters on the sides. The main purpose of the bedside table is to maintain the weight of the aquarium, meaning the total weight of the tank itself, the liquid in it and the auxiliary components. Therefore, creating a project, it is necessary to take into account this value and make a drawing that will allow us to solve this problem.

Product height also plays an important role. Here it is necessary to take into account in what position a person will examine the fish - standing or sitting. If it is assumed that this is a recreation room where people mostly sit, then the bedside table together with the legs should be no higher than 70 centimeters. Placing the aquarium in the bedroom makes it possible to reduce the height. The drawing must take into account the subsequent practicality of the operation of the cabinet. It should take into account shelves not only for specialized aquarium elements, but also for magazines, books or decorative products.

When choosing materials, one should not forget that the mission of the bedside table itself involves the contact of its surface with liquid. In this regard, only moisture-proof materials should be used. In this situation, laminated particleboard or MDF boards are perfect. It is advisable not to use wood, since it is not easy to make it waterproof, and the massif at the same time will increase the mass of an already cumbersome structure.

When planning the right amount of material, it should be taken into account that, in comparison with bedside tables or dressers, an aquarium stand needs a strong back wall. Actually, the main share of the load will fall on it. The thickness of the chipboard or MDF for the back wall should be at least 22 millimeters.

It is desirable to make a metal crate of the bedside table. If this is not possible, and the skeleton of the structure will be made of wooden timber, then strong and wide components should be selected. Partitions inside the stand are best designed with a design every 40 cm. A similar structure makes it possible to avoid sagging of the cabinet cover. The top panel is made of high strength material. In the process of fixing it, it is necessary to verify the level along the contour of the entire plane. The cover of the cabinet must be perfectly flat. The greater the thickness of the material for the top panel, the more reliable.

The legs for the nightstand are selected according to strength. It is necessary to focus on the legs of metal with a wide surface or reliable supports made of wood. As for the decoration, such as doors on the cabinet or handles on the drawers, in this case everything depends on the skills of the master and the desired end result. It is possible to visually facilitate the construction by carving on the external facade, and for glass with a metal skeleton, use glass to decorate the doors.

Having a ready-made drawing of the future stand and sorting out the materials, you can take on the further implementation of the project into reality. To create a stand, you should perform such operations step by step.

• Cut the chipboard or other selected material. This can be done on their own, if there is a special table and the necessary tools. Or order sawing in any furniture workshop or outlet, directly when buying material. For an additional fee, you can also order trimming of trimmed edges with an edge tape there. This service will seriously save future assembly time and reduce the amount of garbage in your home.
• Assembly work begins with the frame of the product. The bars or iron rails are collected. Proper bonding of frame parts ensures reliability of the future cabinet. All angles are carefully checked, they must be extremely accurate in accordance with the drawing. A slope of at least one degree can provoke a skew and deformation of the entire product, and therefore the aquarium itself. The outer walls and partitions in the inner part are fixed to the skeleton. Fixing is carried out by means of a screw coupler and a screwdriver. Euroscrews are not self-tapping screws and need pre-drilled holes in the materials. When choosing a drill for an electric drill, you need to start from the size of the selected Euroscrews minus 1 millimeter.
• It is preferable to install the cover in several steps. First of all, 2 holes are made in its directly opposite corners. After fixing the cover of the cabinet, the level is reconciled and, if everything is normal, complete screwing is carried out.
• Then horizontal shelves are installed, drawers are mounted, doors are installed. For drawers it is extremely important to correctly fix the guides, which will enable them to be used freely. Doors are mounted on furniture hinges. When fixing them, it is advisable to use closers that will enable the doors to open and close correctly and smoothly.
• At the end of the assembly, the structure is laid on its side for mounting the legs. They must be fixed exactly at the edges of the product to prevent sagging and sagging. On the installed legs you need to put glides to prevent scratches on the floor surface.
• Making the product on its own allows the master to foresee all the details. Therefore, the final step will be to drill holes on the back wall for laying electrical cables and air or water hoses. Holes must be made only after the exact establishment of the purpose of each of the holes and its function.

See how to make a cabinet under the aquarium from plywood with your own hands, see the next video.