Question: 240L tank on Ikea furniture ?

N

Noey Hart

New member
Joined
May 26, 2014
Messages
57
Reaction score
2
Points
0
Country
Belgium
Hi everyone, I was wondering if I could put a 240L tank ( 120x40x50 cm ) on an ikea furniture, pictured here. The furniture is 77x39x77 cm so I would take two of them, put a foam pad under the tank of course, will it work ?
The maximum weight of the tank once it's filled would be between 250-300 kg.
I've seen two or three people using this but have never seen an "after", did it broke or did it worked?
So if anyone could give me any advice, it would be great :)
 

Attachments

  • kallax-etagere__0244012_PE383250_S4.JPG
    kallax-etagere__0244012_PE383250_S4.JPG
    16.9 KB · Views: 1,654
I'm not familiar with that piece of furniture, but I know some people who have used different Ikea furniture with their tanks. They have strengthened them with these things in the picture (don't know what they're called in english) first though.
 

Attachments

  • kulmarauta.jpg
    kulmarauta.jpg
    18.9 KB · Views: 667
I wouldn't use that particular shelf unit - it's made of fibreboard and prone to warping if you put heavy stuff on it. Although some built-for-purpose stands are made of similar material they are constructed to take the weight of a tank, with appropriate reinforcements.

Solid hard wood would work - if you can afford solid oak !
 
Oh yes, didn't thought about putting these things to make it stronger, thank you Keiko :)

And to reply to Antiejude : I searched after furniture made especially for tanks but they are like 6 times the price of the tank and it's just massive plates of wood, with nothing else. The other alternative is a metal "feet" under the tank, but again it's expensive for what it is and ugly, I wouldn't mind to pay if at least it was something pretty :/
Anyway, I will test the furniture in the ikea store, if I find people big enough to stand on these!
 
You can find ikea furniture that are made of solid wood. Those would be a lot stronger than fiberboard.
Or you can get those metal legs for the tank and build a casing around it. I have the metal legs and two cabinets build on them where I can put my filter and everything.
 
There is no other furniture that could support the tank in ikea, I already checked, we don't have the same stuff in every country and the metal legs they are ugly but if I don't have the choice.. I'll see :/ But I could never build something on my own, except breaking my nails that's all I can do when I try to do something with my hands
 
I think this is pushing load limits beyond sense, for a start the tank is a cm deeper than the unit which will cause strain at the front and back faces and I would not like to stand on top of this sort of unit and this tank weighs the same as four people (in physiology lectures we worked on 70Kg per person).

Charity shops and auction general sales sometimes have substantial cheap old furniture. IKEA units are fit for purpose but the designers want you to be able to lift the pack. They are not over engineered and corner bits and braces may not be enough to prevent disaster.

How big a mess will you be in if your tank does crack/shatter?
 
I said that if it doesn't fit I'll get a furniture made for tank or metal legs, I've seen people putting their tanks on ikea furniture so if it was possible for others, I thought it was probably possible for me. We don't have charity shops or this type of things here, if I need to spend 600€ on an ugly wood furniture for my tank, I will. But only if I don't have any other choice, because yes, that would be the end of the world if it broke and spread water all over
 
I would definitely not put a tank that big on two of those expedit units. The Ikea website states that it only supports 20 kg, which granted, is perhaps undervalueing their strength. But still, 40 kgs or 300 kgs is quite a difference. Why not buy a piece of furniture specifically made for tanks? Juwel tanks have juwel furniture and I would trust that way more than Ikea furniture. Don't get me wrong, I do love Ikea (I go there at least twice a month haha) but these units are not made for that kind of weight. As someone else already said: it would be disastrous if it broke and your tank (and its inhabitants!) would collapse on the floor.
 
I've seen several people using these for 200 cm long tank, which is also approx. the same weight as a 120x40 cm and other people who put 150 kg on one of these, so if there are two of these they could hold 250 kg. Some people tell me it's a good idea, some people say it's a bad one. Who knows
 
So, is it better to put metal legs under the tank or a furniture made for tanks?
 
I couldn't agree more, At about 3am I once had 35 gallons of water and a family of Convict Cichlids in bed with me when I was a kid after a chest of drawers collapsed. I can still remember the look of joy on my parents faces when the water started running out of the kitchen light fittings below my room.
 
There are some stands that consist of cinder blocks and a thick piece of wood.
 
Thanks everyone!
I'm thinking about a Juwel furniture or metal legs if I can't find it, less pretty but I don't really wanna drown my chinchilla and everything else that sits in the same room as the tank if the ikea furniture breaks :)
 
I can recommend he juwel furniture, its excellent quality and it's so easy to assemble you could put it together with boxing gloves on!
 
If you could just put those boxing gloves on and nip round and put the doors on mine that'd be great.

My own screwdriver-related-inadequacies aside, I absolutely love my Juwel tanks and furniture.

Quite often you see the cabinets only on eBay with no tank. They tend to go for pretty cheap because most people want the tank I suppose.

Worth a look!

Definitely don't skimp on the furniture/stand though, I can't imagine the carnage if one collapsed…!
 
Definitely don't skimp on the furniture/stand though, I can't imagine the carnage if one collapsed…![/QUOTE]

I can! ;)
 
Haha I'm glad they are easy to assemble because I literally can't do anything with my hands. They just don't understand what my brain says to them!
I am actually trying to look for a Juwel but I can't find a single website that ship them to Belgium. Same on ebay etc, there's nothing here, I hope they have them in store. If I can't find it I will buy metal legs and put a wood plank between the tank and the metal legs :) I heard it's better than putting the tank against the metal with nothing between
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
General chit-chat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
  • Shane douglas:
    with axolotls would I basically have to keep buying and buying new axolotls to prevent inbred breeding which costs a lot of money??
     +1
    Unlike
  • Thorninmyside:
    Not necessarily but if you’re wanting to continue to grow your breeding capacity then yes. Breeding axolotls isn’t a cheap hobby nor is it a get rich quick scheme. It costs a lot of money and time and deditcation
     +1
    Unlike
  • stanleyc:
    @Thorninmyside, I Lauren chen
     +1
    Unlike
  • Clareclare:
    Would Chinese fire belly newts be more or less inclined towards an aquatic eft set up versus Japanese . I'm raising them and have abandoned the terrarium at about 5 months old and switched to the aquatic setups you describe. I'm wondering if I could do this as soon as they morph?
     +1
    Unlike
    Clareclare: Would Chinese fire belly newts be more or less inclined towards an aquatic eft set up versus... +1
    Back
    Top