Where to buy birch coloured stand for a standard 75G tank?

[lems613]

Hi,

Not sure if this is the right forum but I was wondering if anyone knows where I can get a birch coloured stand, similar to the colour of an Ikea Billy bookcase? I've looked at petsmart and Big Al's and they didn't have any. Wondering if any other stores around Ottawa carries stands.

Thanks,
Li

[Nerine]

not sure ? but I know that petsmart had some at one point, but they are generally black or brown these days.

maybe ask big al's if they can order one?

or maybe someone can build you one? all my stands are homemade as to match the rest of the living space!

[markw]

Just make sure you either get it at a specialty store (LFS) or have it made for you, but don't buy something simply because it matches. IKEA and similar furniture look good, but they can't handle that kind of weight.
I do build aquarium stands, so if you're stuck and can't find a stock cabinet, let me know. Obviously custom builds cost more than off the shelf stands.

[Brent Shaver]

A friend of mine has done this in the past with a dresser.  And this time of year is perfect to accommodate the idea.

He purchased a not so expensive dresser (a stand in your case).  Then called and had a load of birch delivered to his house and peeled the birch off the wood and glued it to the dresser.  I wasn't sure how it would turn out but once seeing it I was really impressed and it looked very real, hence the real bark.

If you don't have a fireplace or woodstove one quick add at a reduction and someone will be at your door to buy the wood even if bark is missing.

Just an idea but one that would bring your look to life better then any fake covering.

[Saltcreep]

Personally, I'm not a big fan of 'store-bought' stands. I just don't trust them and I think you can get much closer to a nice furniture finish with a little DIY, assuming you have the workspace and skills to pull it off. I always start with a good sturdy 2" X 4" frame with everything securely glued and screwed and with the weight transferring directly onto the tops of the legs. I use at least six legs unless it's a very small tank. In this case, the OP is looking for a Birch finish so I would cover the skeleton with 1/4" Birch veneer plywood. It's really not expensive, depending of course on the footprint of the tank. With some creative edge and corner dressing, maybe a couple of doors, and a couple of coats of good quality finish (I would use Varathane), you'll have a good, sturdy stand with a furniture quality look to it at a fraction of the cost. Birch ply finishes up beautifully with not too much effort. HD has everything you need.

[Bob P]

Site sponsor Forty Fathoms
has a guy, custom builds stands to order.
Nice work too.
Contact Jim maybe