# Rekord 120 DIY Tank Stand - Progress Thread



## skinz180189 (14 Nov 2009)

I've recently acquired myself a Rekord 120, to merge both the 60 and 40 Litre fishtanks into. It came with a cheap metal stand, that there is no way I'm using on laminate flooring. The cross section of the feet is so small that with 120-150kg on it, it would punch straight through the flooring and into the floorboards. Plus I want to hide away the external filter & air pump, plus make some space to stick my DVDs/Games into, and also all the associated fish care items.

I've took inspiration from many DIY tank threads & articles I've browsed throughout the internet, and am working to this design, with a few tweaks.






I'm using 75mm x 47mm (almost 3"x2") timber, as that was easier to acquire. 

All the wood is cut to length, and I've spent a few hours this afternoon making the top and bottom framework. I've now run out of screws, so progress can't continue as of yet! Luckily, my sister doesn't live at home anymore, so her room's become the workshop for the construction process lol.



The left frame will be the bottom one, the right frame the top. As you can see, I've put a brace into the bottom one, and 2 braces into the top one. This was because I had a bit of extra wood left over, and figured I should over engineer it a little. I plan to sit the stand and the tank on some kind of foam, as the laminate flooring isn't perfectly flat, and obviously on the top to ensure the tank doesn't crack when full of water.

This shot shows how high the stand will be;




And this shot shows the TetraTec EX1200 external filter just about fits in there, with a little room to spare!




I've no idea on what external finish and internal arrangement to go for yet, I'll decide on that once I've got the frame made.


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## skinz180189 (15 Nov 2009)

Well progress is halted after 30 minutes today, my borrowed cordless screwdriver has already run out of power , struggling to screw through 3 inch of wood.
So tomorrow I'll get one of my drill bits from work, and drill holes for the screws to follow, should make life easier for the feeble thing.

One update is I've got myself some lovely handles...




They're a brushed effect but glossy, and will blend nicely with my current bedroom decor.


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## skinz180189 (18 Nov 2009)

Latest progress....




That's just a dry run mind, no screws lol. This is where I really am progress wise...




So that's 4 screw strips fixed to the base and one corner built.


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## JamesM (18 Nov 2009)

Totally overkill, which I love. How are you finishing the outside?


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## skinz180189 (18 Nov 2009)

JamesM said:
			
		

> Totally overkill, which I love. How are you finishing the outside?



I'm an engineer in training James, and I like to know things are built well . I'm not sure, I want a sleek modern finish to match my room, which has glossy white furniture, light laminate flooring, and brushed metals. I'd love an ADA style finish, but I doubt I can afford a nice laminate. Will have to think about it lol.


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## JamesM (18 Nov 2009)

Spray paint MDF, you'll be amazed at the effect. Prime well beforehand though or the MDF will take too many coats and it'll cost a fortune. 

Google homemade spraypainted speaker boxes for examples.. most look better than the chav cars they end up in


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## skinz180189 (18 Nov 2009)

Well it makes a good finish on smooth metal, and the surface of MDF is fairly smooth so all should be well. Will cost a fortune all that spraypaint mind lol.


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