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My cabinet is disintegrating....


puntific

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under my 100 gal tank. I've had the thing for about 8 years and have had way too many water problems over that time. The wallboard is rotting and totally soft. I can push my finger all the way though it. What's holding this thing up? Should I panic?

 

Well, I already did and put in these 2x4s. Do you think it's enough? Should I add more? Should I rip my whole tank down and buy a new cabinet? (Please don't say yes to this!)

 

Thanks for looking,

 

puntific

 

undermytank.jpgunderdamage.jpg

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It looks like the framework is 2x4's. Is the bottom still solid? If so then I think I would take one wall at a time off and replace it with something better. I would avoid hammers though. When putting the new pieces on you can use screws to avoid the shock to the tank hammering would make. Here is a pic of my 125g with just the framework built from 2x4's to give you an idea of how much they will hold. (It was full for a few weeks before I finally got the skin on it) One thing you will want to do is use some cross bracing before you take any walls off since they could be what is keeping it from leaning from side to side which would cause it to fold up. (If you look close at the back of mine you can see a piece of plywood across the top 10" or so to provide support to prevent it from folding)

 

Note: In my pics the 2x4's are new so that may be a consideration. Basically you need to take responsibility for verifying the integrity before doing anything else. (I would hate for you to take what I said I would do and end up with a disaster)

post-5811-141867750446_thumb.jpg

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Well, the bottom seems reasonablly solid, except for a place in the middle. Those 2x4s were all put in by me today. I honestly don't know what was holding the thing up as my finger goes though the base of the board easily!

 

I think I will put in more braces and put in plywood for fold protection.

 

Thanks for the look and pic.

 

puntific

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I would change it. Taking down the tank is a good excuse to make it better. I have also found that most of the manufactured stands are not up to the standards that most of us build to. Usually you can build a quality stand for less that the particle board LFS stand.

 

I think I probably would too. If the framework was there already then maybe not but I don't think I would try to frame it up with 1/2 a ton of water over me.

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Wow - that defies logic. There was no 2x4-ish support built into the stand? It was just the particle board walls? That can't be right. Even without the level of rot in the second picture, I can't imagine that holding the ~1,000 pounds of a 100 gal tank. You must be been very very close to waking up one night to the sound of a loud crash... followed by the sound of water... followed by the sound of a grown man crying.

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