Cracks in stand HELP!!!

[metalac]

Hey guys,

I have some cracks on my tank stand. The stand is made of MDF and it has a powder coat finish. It seems that the powder coat is cracking on few spots. I'm not sure if I should be worried or not, but I'd hate to have this thing hit the floor, especially since I'm on the 2nd floor. Here is the pic below, that's the biggest crack I have with a regular AA for size. I'm not sure why it would crack, it's a stand designed for 75/90 and I have a 55 on it. It's also on the outside, and it gets no water exposure.

 

[Entacmaea]

Hey there, it looks like it is a crack just on the black finish-and not in the MDF itself? But it is hard to tell from the picture. If you bought the stand with the tank, it might still be under warranty?

MDF stands are pretty cheap... MDF can literally crumble when it gets soaked with water(a lot of water for a long time...) , which I what I imagine the coating is for- to waterproof it. That piece= near the bottom of the stand- may be absorbing water and swelling, which is why the black powder coat is cracking... I would paint it with some black paint to seal the crack again, or try to get a new stand under warranty. I would doubt very highly that you are in danger of a stand collapse...but you never know.

 

[Anonymous]

mdf + water = REALLY BAD.

MDF will absorb a lot of water and swell, like Ent. said.

If it's just the finish cracking, it might just be cosmetic. But if the door sticks (to big or warped) then you might have a problem. Of course there are other problems we can't diagnose from the above post/picture.

B

 

[metalac]

I bought the stand separate and warranty is only 90 days, which expired 2 months ago .

What type of stand would you recommend I get? I'm assuming NOT an MDF stand. I think that I don't want to take a gamble on this, instead I think I should fix it ASAP.

I was thinking of putting all my livestock + rock in a big rubbermaid tub, while I do this. Do you think this is the right thing to do? I'm thinking of keeping the livestock there just for few hours. I doubt the change of the stand would take me much longer than that.

 

[trido]

An oak stand would work. If your a DIYer you can buildon out of 2x4s and finish it on the outside to look nicer. I had an old cedar stand that lasted for near 15 years.

Ive seen 3/4" MDF swell up to over 2' thick like a sponge. IMO its only good for window and door trim. Id recommend getting a new stand ASAP.

 

[metalac]

Hey Trido,

Any good place in seattle you could recommend? I'd like to go to a place that has one in stock, this way I don't have to wait too long.

I could build one myself, but I don't have any tools on hand, and it might be a while until I get access to some.

 

[trido]

Blue Sierra in Issaquah may have a couple.
The Fish Store on Roosevelt has a pretty good in store selection of stands
Pet Pourri in Everett also has a good selection of in stock stands as well.

 

[metalac]

well it just happens that I'm going to Issaquah for lunch with some of my old work buddies. Will definitely check out Blue Sierra.

 

[metalac]

So if I get this new stand today, what would be the right approach to minimize the stress on my creatures? Will the method I outlined above work? or will I have to think of something else?

Thanks.

 

[Anonymous]

everything out of the tank, into bins. Put powerheads into the bins, and if your house isn't 80 degrees, you'll need heaters as well.

take the rock out of the tank, put into the bins

Take ALL the water out of the tank. (good excuse for a BIG waterchange.)

Move tank off stand if you're putting the tank into the same spot, or move tank to the new stand if it's in the new spot. Do your plumbing and set the sump in. Oh, you don't have a sump? Maybe it's time to upgrade to a RR tank. Or maybe a bigger RR tank? Hmmmmm

Fill the tank about a third full with water, If you don't want a sandstorm,
Put a large piece of plastic over the sand. A cut up NON-SCENTED garbage bag works fine. Get a large bowl from the kitchen. Put the bowl in the center of the tank, on top of the plastic. pour the water into the bowl so it runs down the side. Don't just dump a bucketfull at a time. once the bucket is under water, you can dump a bit faster, but continue to use the bowl.

Arrange your rockwork. Now is a good time to swish your rocks around in the tubs and really get them clean. Feel free to scrub off any algea. Blast them with a powerhad if you want.

Fill the tank up with new water. put corals and fish in, and clean up.

B

 

[metalac]

I do have a sump and I might go with a bit larger tank, but I'll see what they got in LFS.

What do you do to clean the sand? It seems that I would release a bunch of crap in the water. Also can I add a little bit more sand. I think I have about 80lbs or so but I wouldn't mind adding another 20. Would that be ok? Or will I have a mini cycle?

Thanks.

 

[Anonymous]

I had an Oceanic stand made out if MDF for my 175 bow front. The floor of the tank absored a lot of water from a tiny leak from my skimmer (I didn't notice it for a long time) and swelled up a couple of inches. Moreover, I was not impressed with the structural integrity of the stand to begin with.

In any event, I decided to repair/reinforce the stand when I moved the tank to another house. I sanded down the swelled up spots and glued a new sheet of plywood onto the top of the existing base. I also added another sheet of plywood the underside of the base, thereby sanwiching the existing base therebetween. I then added plywood side panels to the inside of the tank at critical locations. This was much easier and cheaper then replacing the whole stand, particularly since the stand was curved. It is stronger then when it was new and is not nearly as sensitive to the water.

 

[metalac]

well I'm out there looking for stands and there's plenty of MDF stands but hardwood is hard to got. I got the LFS willing to special order one for me, built by a local guy, and they swear by these, so I might go with that one if nothing else pops up. The only problem with these they're kind of a special order item, but surprisingly not overly pricey.

 

[trido]

The only stand I ever purchased had oak plywood sides, back, bottom with solid doors and front. It also had a solid canopy. It was very plain and cost me $500.00 I hope that helps for a cost comparison

 

[trido]

Oh, and when I said I'd get a new stand ASAP I wasnt thinking this week. It is the holiday season after all. If your just noticing water damage you should have quite a bit of time. Just be careful during WCs and dont have any plumbing leaks while your on vacation.

 

[Anonymous]

If you're going to keep the same tank, you don't need to stir up the sand. If you use the bag & bowl method, it shouldn't kick up any sand when you put the water back in.

If you're going to switch to a newer tank, scoop the sand out, rinse once with old tank water, and then put in the new tank. Or just scoop it out and put it in the new tank. Dump in as much new sand as you want.

Any new tank will have a bit of mini cycle. But there shouldn't be a major swing of anything. Your system will catch up in a week or so.

B