Making a stand for an aquarium with your own hands. DIY aquarium cabinet - the world of beauty will be at its best

The video shows an example of making a stand for a 200 liter aquarium with your own hands

Benefits of DIY

Buying an aquarium stand does not always solve all problems with size, color or design. Often the problem can only be solved by making a stand yourself - for example, if you need to install a corner aquarium, the search for the right support may take too long. In addition, self-assembly - good way to save money, since buying a cabinet is a very expensive undertaking. The advantages of a self-made cabinet can be considered an exact match to the required size, color and design. Some people prefer doors, others prefer drawers, glass parts, etc. All these points are easiest to implement when making an aquarium stand yourself.

It is always interesting to watch the living inhabitants of the underwater world for both adults and children. The natural desire of every owner of ornamental fish is for the aquarium, which has a beneficial effect on the home atmosphere of comfort and tranquility, to last as long as possible. And this largely depends on how firmly the artificial reservoir is. So it turns out that the stand on which the aquarium is installed performs not only a decorative function, but also plays a vital role in maintaining the good condition of the aquaworld.

Nowadays, you probably won’t see one standing directly on the floor. It is always installed on a special stand - a cabinet.

Of course, the 15-liter container can be placed on a regular table or on a TV stand. But, as aquarists themselves say, starting from a 50-liter jar and above, a cabinet is a must.

Moreover, this should not be a chest of drawers for linen sold in a furniture store, but a special stand.

What is this connected with?

But the point is this: the constant pressure of, for example, a 100-liter aquarium on the stand is so great that its surface can bend over time, and even a slight deflection will certainly cause.

Simply put, the glass will crack at best, and burst at worst. Consequently, the main difference between an aquarium cabinet and ordinary chests of drawers or stands is the large number of vertical internal supports that do not allow the tabletop to sag.

The second feature is the material for the cabinet. It must be waterproof (especially the countertop), since when servicing a home aquatic system, minor spills of water are inevitable, and this can lead to deformation of the surface. Therefore, it is better to use laminated MDF (fine fraction) or chipboard (chipboard).

Is it easy to find a ready-made cabinet on sale that meets all these requirements? Probably, for some standard aquariums you can pick up a stand in specialized stores. What if the aquarium is non-standard? In this case, it is recommended to make it yourself. Not a particularly difficult task for an experienced home craftsman.

Design principles and dimensions

Project. Such work begins, of course, with a sketch and calculation of dimensions. When determining the height of the stand, it is usually assumed that it is convenient to observe life in the aquarium in a sitting position. Therefore, it is not advisable to do it above 60-70 cm (taking into account the height of the legs).

The horizontal dimensions of the cabinet are usually calculated relative to the length and width of the aquarium. For example, if the size of the tabletop is usually either equal to or slightly larger than the size of the bottom of the aquarium, then the whole structure looks very neat and attractive.

What is the back wall made of? The main difference between an aquarium cabinet and a linen chest of drawers is that the back wall is made of thick and durable material (chipboard or MDF with a thickness of at least 22 mm).

This is due to the fact that it is the back wall that holds the vertical partitions, preventing them from folding under the weight of a heavy aquarium.

Many home craftsmen advise building the back wall between the side ones, rather than placing it on top. The structure will be stronger.

Frame. Vertical internal partitions are installed every 30-40 centimeters. They are the ones who protect the tabletop from sagging. Of course, the distance between the internal partitions is determined depending on the equipment that will then be installed.

Tabletop- a very important element. It must be strong, smooth, waterproof. It is better to let it be thicker than thinner, especially for large aquariums (from 150 liters and more). For such a weight, a 22 mm chipboard panel is quite suitable.

Drawing. Based on these calculations, a drawing is made with the exact dimensions of the parts.

Particular attention should be paid to the presence in the project of shelves for equipment (external filter, power strip, places for storing aquarium accessories).

Making an aquarium cabinet with your own hands

Preparation of parts. You can cut a chipboard panel into parts yourself, but it is better to contact the nearest woodworking shop or furniture shop. There, for a small fee, professionals will not only cut the slab, but also make a PVC edge at the cutting points.

Assembly you can start by installing the walls (back and side) on the base. First, it is recommended to connect the vertical walls to each other using side clamps and accurately align all angles and design dimensions. As they say, measure twice, cut once.

Fasten the walls It is recommended to use a confirmat - a Euroscrew-screw. These are exactly the ones used for assembling furniture. The main feature: to use the confirmat in parts, it is necessary to make holes with a diameter 1 mm smaller than the diameter of the confirmat thread. The depth of the hole should be slightly less than the length of the Euroscrew. The tie is made using a screwdriver. First, the box is assembled, and then the internal walls and shelves are installed according to the project.

Fastening the table top- a very important moment of assembly. When it is attached to the finished structure, there is nothing to secure it with in such a way that it does not move when drilling holes for confirmations. The main thing here is not to rush. You first need to carefully and accurately drill 2 through holes diagonally across the structure, tighten the tabletop and take measurements.

If the tabletop lies correctly, the remaining holes are drilled and the confirmatories are tightened around the entire perimeter.

Doors- a necessary element of an aquarium cabinet. It is better to hang them using standard overhead furniture hinges with a closer. Such hinges are usually used in the manufacture of inexpensive home furniture. First, the locations of the hinges on the side walls are accurately measured with a pencil, and then cups are cut out for the bases of the hinges using a special round cutter. After their installation, the doors are attached, on the inner surface of which the places where the hinge screws are attached are marked. The doors are carefully hung, and then fine-tuning is done using adjusting screws.

Technological holes. After assembling the structure, including the internal shelves, holes for equipment hoses and wires are cut out in the back wall using a round cutter. In principle, this can be done at the stage of cutting the wood board, but if changes are made to the structure during the assembly process, then it is better to drill holes at the end of the work.

Cabinet base. The finished heavy structure must stand on legs. Such legs made of thick aluminum can be selected and purchased at furniture fittings stores. The cabinet is carefully placed on its side and the legs are screwed strictly under the vertical surfaces. This is very important for proper distribution of the total load.

Installation. The finished cabinet is carefully installed in its place. It is selected based on the internal design of the room space. But it is also necessary to take into account the presence of nearby domestic electrical outlets. It is not recommended to install the cabinet and aquarium near windows, room and balcony doors.

Tabletop protection. The final touch: a covering on the tabletop, without which it is not recommended to install the aquarium. For example, a piece of laminate backing is well suited as such a hard and durable coating.

In this way, you can independently make a cabinet of almost any size.

Preparatory work (purchasing materials, designing and cutting parts) can take quite a lot of time, but a home craftsman can complete the assembly of the structure in a few hours. The price of a cabinet made by yourself will, of course, be much lower than the cost of products sold in stores. But if you have even the slightest doubt about your craftsmanship abilities, then it is better not to waste time and nerves, but to purchase a ready-made sample.

Useful video on how to make a cabinet for an aquarium with your own hands:

The underwater world and its inhabitants are like a fairy tale for land creatures. The play of light in the water, the glare on the scales, the rapid strokes of fish of different colors and shapes - all this fascinates and captivates. But the larger such tanks are, the more difficult they are to operate. This applies not only to the artificial house, but also to the furniture around it. In particular, cabinets for aquariums require especially careful selection.

If an aquarium cabinet takes up a lot of space, it must be functional

Types of aquariums and stands for them

It is not always possible to buy a suitable bedside table, because there are a great variety of aquariums, from very small ones of 10-15 liters to giant ones of 1000 or more liters. If you plan to keep more than one fish, but several species, but there is a problem where to place the container, a volume within 100 liters would be a good option.

The larger the size of the future aquarium, the more possible forms it can have:

• cylinders;
• cubes and forms close to them;
• parallelepipeds;
• prisms with different bases;
• sickle-shaped.

The types of tables or cabinets will differ depending on the chosen aquarium configuration. For example, for a triangular prism, corner stands are good, and for a cylindrical flask, round or square ones with a side equal to or slightly larger than the diameter of the tank.

Aquarium manufacturers do not always provide a stand with it. Therefore, lovers of the underwater world have to make aquarium cabinets with their own hands or order them from a carpentry workshop, since not all furniture can withstand such an increased load.

Design Features

There are a number of characteristic features that distinguish aquarium stands from a simple chest of drawers. If the capacity is small, then the aquarium can be placed on a regular shelf without wasting time and effort on a homemade bedside table.

In the absence of factory options, a DIY aquarium cabinet may turn out to be a little cheaper. But the main thing is that it will be made for a specific tank and will easily fit into the interior of the apartment.

You should start preparing by selecting and developing a drawing. The cabinet for the aquarium must withstand significant loads, i.e., have a good margin of safety. Don’t forget about the convenient compartments that contain cans of food, various care products, etc. There are a number of general tips:

1. The structure for containers over 100 liters must be reinforced with a metal frame. For small aquariums, bars with a cross section of 50 by 50 mm are suitable.
2. The main load falls on the back wall of the cabinet, so during installation it is recommended to fix it between the side ones.
3. Additional stiffening ribs are installed every 30–50 cm of the tabletop length to avoid sagging. The slightest unevenness or distortion of the entire bedside table can lead to the appearance of cracks at the bottom of the container.
4. The thickness of the tabletop and back wall must be at least 22 mm, the side posts and additional ribs - 18 mm.

1. Wheeled legs are extremely undesirable for this type of structure. They have the smallest margin of safety, but moving such a colossus still won’t work.
2. When choosing legs, emphasis is placed on their strength. These should be metal, but not thin aluminum, height-adjustable legs. The optimal number is twice as much as the total number of partitions and side walls.
3. The best option would be to install the cabinet directly on a carefully leveled floor. This will minimize distortions when installing the aquarium.
4. An important issue is the choice of height. As a rule, the aquarium is located in a recreational area, which means that it will be viewed from a sitting position. In this case, the height of the aquarium table ranges from 60-70 cm.

The last point is easy to check. You will need a comfortable chair, a three-liter jar filled with water, and an assistant. One person sits in a chair or on a sofa, and the second person changes the position of the jar, into which several balls are added for clarity. When contemplating the balls is most comfortable, measure the height from the floor to the bottom of the container.

When creating a drawing of a cabinet for an aquarium, it's worth thinking about its purpose. As a rule, it houses external pumping equipment and filters, as well as feed that does not require special storage conditions. This means that when designing, it is necessary to lay out openings for communications, and when choosing a location, make sure that there is a power outlet nearby.

As a rule, external filters are hidden behind the doors in the outer side compartments, and open shelves are made in the middle part. However, if the aquarium has few communications, then you can consider the option of installing additional shelves and even drawers.

The final stage in the development of the drawing will be the selection of the external facade. These can be special panels that match the overall design of the room, or simple overhead slats. The latter are especially suitable for country style, where wood dominates.

Selection of materials and accessories

Knowing the design features and purpose of this piece of furniture, you should approach the choice of material from which the aquarium table will be made with great responsibility. It’s easy to make it with your own hands, if all elements are harmoniously combined with each other:

1. Materials must be moisture resistant. When choosing chipboard or MDF, you should make sure that their coating is not afraid of water, and that the ends are treated with PVC edges. When wet, these plates swell and lose strength, which can lead to damage to the aquarium itself.
2. Solid wood is treated with drying oil and varnished before installing the container.
3. You should not make the cabinet entirely from metal, since it is also susceptible to water, and when corroded, it significantly loses its load-bearing capacity. In addition, rust does not improve the appearance of the stand.

If you have the tools and experience, cutting and edging can be done at home. However, it is better to contact a furniture manufacturing factory. Here the sheets will be cut exactly according to the drawings, with angles and gaps adjusted, and the edging will be carried out without bubbles or lumps of glue.

Screws, confirmations, dowels - all this should be enough so that in the midst of assembly you don’t have to run to the store looking for the missing fittings. Don't forget about hinges and door handles.

At a minimum, you will need a screwdriver or a screwdriver. When assembling with screws, a simple drill will be enough, but with confirmations (Euroscrews) it is more difficult. Here you will have to either buy a special drill or drill a hole in two steps using drills of different diameters. In addition, holes for Euroscrews are always necessary, otherwise they will tear the part at the assembly site, and then all efforts will go down the drain.

Having prepared the drawing, materials and accessories, invite an assistant. Making a stand for an aquarium is a responsible task; to connect some parts, they will need to be suspended, and in the absence of additional devices, such as corner clamps, it will be problematic to do this alone.

Assembly should begin with the reinforcing frame. Then the cabinet itself is assembled: the side and rear walls, stiffening ribs, the lower part is mounted and, lastly, the tabletop is installed. At the last step, it is important to install the slab as evenly as possible without damaging it. Even a small pothole can cause cracks to appear on the bulb. And this threatens not only the death of the aquarium and its inhabitants, but also a large bill for repairs from the neighbors.

Installing the cabinet is the very last stage

The final touch is installing the container itself on the cabinet. Soft material such as isospan is laid between the table top and the bottom of the aquarium. Before the final launch of the aquarium, experts recommend checking the design for defects. To do this, install the cabinet with the aquarium in a permanent place, fill it halfway and wait a day. After this, check to see if any leaks or cracks have formed. If everything is in order, you can safely start decorating the underwater world.

In this article we will look at how to make a stand for an aquarium with your own hands. I'll tell you what tools and materials we need for this. We will also consider how you can decorate it so that it becomes not only a cozy house for fish, but also a decoration for your home.

How to make a cabinet for an aquarium with your own hands

Stand Requirements

There are a number of requirements:

1. Reliability - the stand must withstand the weight of an aquarium filled with 100 liters of water. Therefore, it is necessary to use an internal frame in the design and observe the exact dimensions of the building according to the drawings.
2. Waterproof - the material from which the stand is made must repel water, otherwise the stand will simply rot. For this purpose, chipboard with PVC treatment is used.
3. Aesthetics - the cabinet should not only be reliable, but also beautiful. Since it will take up a lot of space in the apartment.

Dimensions

The dimensions of my stand were 600x480x480.

Materials and tools

Materials:

• Bars and metal slats
• Furniture canopies with closers
• Doors by size
• Metal legs.

Tools:

• zhmenya confirmats;
• screwdriver with attachment for confirmations;
• drills 4.8-5 mm, 7 mm;
• pencil and ruler.

Manufacturing instructions

The article will describe a cabinet for a 100 liter aquarium. The first step in building a stand is preparing a drawing. We draw the drawing based on the main parameters, namely:

• The size should be optimal to support the weight of an aquarium filled with 100 liters of water.
• The height should be small so that you can safely feed the fish and clean your home pond. This parameter also depends on what room the aquarium will be in, where people usually sit or stand.
• The shape is angular, triangular and rectangular, it all depends on your taste preferences and the place where you plan to place it.

Also, the drawing should take into account additional functional fixtures, such as countertops and shelves. It is recommended to design the tabletop so that its parameters coincide with the aquarium parameters. Shelves need to be installed for every 30 centimeters of the height of the future stand.

The next important point is the choice of material for the back wall. The back wall takes on the maximum load, so it is necessary to use a very durable material. I recommend taking chipboard at least 25 centimeters thick.

To protect the cabinet from bending under the weight of an aquarium with water, it is necessary to make an internal frame.

We make the frame from vertically located partitions, the distance between two adjacent beams is at least 30 centimeters.

After studying the drawing, we get to work.

• We cut chipboard into parts for a future stand. You can do this yourself, but to save time, you can contact specialists in a furniture workshop. In the same workshop you need to order PVC edges for chipboards.
• Let's start with the actual assembly. It begins with the installation of an external frame, which can be beams or metal slats. Once again we check all the angles according to the drawing. Then the side and back walls are attached to the frame. After installing the outer frame, we install the inner frame. We take chipboard cut to size and attach two partitions, keeping the distance between them 30-0 centimeters. All fastenings are carried out using a screwdriver or Euroscrew.
• Then we proceed to attaching the tabletop. To begin with, we make two holes at its diametrically opposite corners. We fasten and check for any errors; if there are none, we perform the final screwing.
• The next step is to install horizontal shelves and hang the doors. Hinged doors are mounted on furniture canopies. In order for the door to close softly and without problems, closers should be used.
• After complete assembly, the cabinet is turned over onto the side wall, after which the legs are attached. It is very important to fasten them exactly at the corners to ensure 100% reliability.
• The final stage of assembly is making holes for electrical wires and water hoses.

Aquarium installation

We place the cabinet on a perfectly flat floor, otherwise the entire structure will warp. Before installing the aquarium on the stand, you need to lay a polystyrene mat. You can buy it at any hardware store.

After laying the mat, you can safely install the aquarium.

How to decorate the stand

The cabinet can be painted in any color to match the style of the interior, and you can also apply a drawing or painting to it. To decorate the door, you can buy interesting and original handles. You can cover it with all kinds of colored stones, figures, and lay out compositions. The degree to which you can decorate a stand made by yourself depends on the wildness of your imagination.

A do-it-yourself cabinet will not only be a device for installing an aquarium, but also an excellent interior decoration. Making a cabinet is a complex and time-consuming process that requires knowledge and skills in carpentry.

The presence of an aquarium in the house has a beneficial effect on the well-being and mood of each family member. The underwater world has always evoked strong impressions in humans, and if you create an artificial aquasphere in an apartment, the room will have an unusual design. You too can follow suit without spending additional money on expensive equipment furniture.

Unique shells, mysterious grottoes and amphoras sunk in the sand fascinate anyone. If you also decide to become the owner of such beauty, then it is better not to install the aquarium on a chest of drawers, because a durable and moisture-resistant cabinet made by yourself will be the best solution. If we are talking about an ordinary container that holds only a few fish, it can be installed on any flat surface, having previously been protected with Izolon.

Why do you need a special cabinet?

If the volume of the container is 50 liters or more, then a flimsy table will not be suitable for this; you will need a strong stand. In addition to a heavy aquarium, the walls of which have a thickness ranging from 8 to 10 mm, the tabletop will be affected by water, soil, decorative elements and technical devices. If there is a deflection of even one millimeter, a crack may appear in the bottom glass, which will subsequently cause trouble. Therefore, the issue of making a cabinet should be taken very seriously.

Preparatory stage

If you are making a cabinet for it, it is better to adjust the glass container to the dimensions of the structure. However, if you already have an aquarium, then it is better to adjust the dimensions of the stand to fit it. Its basic dimensions are 1060 x 1000 x 450 mm. The future design will look like a cabinet with two doors and an upper hinged box, which will be used for lighting. It has to be fixed to the high side walls.

Preparation of material

To carry out the work, it is necessary to prepare a wood slab. It is recommended to use laminated chipboard or MDF. It is important to take into account that water from the artificial reservoir will fall onto the stand, because you will have to catch the fish during spawning and add water. If we are talking about a non-laminated surface, then it deforms quite quickly. This will cause cracks in the aquarium. Therefore, the ends, sockets with screws and mating parts must be coated with several layers of varnish.

Preparing tools

If you make it yourself, you will need some tools, including:

• Circular Saw;
• drill;
• clamp;
• milling machine.

The circular saw must be mounted on a workbench. As for the drill, you will need it to prepare the holes for the dowels. A screwdriver may also come in handy.

Preparation of accessories and workpieces

A stand for an aquarium with your own hands, the drawings of which are presented in the article, should be made of wood board, it should be available in two varieties, one of them will have a thickness of 18 mm, while the other will have a thickness of 38 mm.

The first type of material will be used to make shelves and walls, the second will be needed to make load-bearing elements. Make sure you have:

• piano loop;
• wood glue;
• wooden dowels;
• pens;
• furniture varnish.

The latter can be replaced with decorative wax.

When purchasing handles, you must remember that they will be installed on the door. You will need screws and self-tapping screws. Using a circular saw you can cut out all the details. This tool will help prepare the grooves and form the ridges, the latter of which are needed for mating parts. The main load will fall on the side walls; a 38 mm shield should be used for them.

Assembling the cabinet

When making a stand for an aquarium with your own hands, it is better to enlist outside help, because some workpieces have to be connected simultaneously, working by weight. The first step is to prepare the tongues and grooves for the wall. They will be located in the bottom, sides and middle lid. Such elements will also be located in the blanks of the upper box.

Instead of a circular saw, a milling machine is sometimes used. At the next stage, you need to glue the parts of the back wall and the upper corner. The latter will be located behind the module for illumination. The planks are tightened together with clamps and left until dry. When making a cabinet for an aquarium with your own hands, at the next stage, 38-mm base bars should be screwed to the bottom shelf, which will serve as the bottom. It is on them that the entire structure will be installed.

18 mm plates should be screwed to the inner sides to install the middle cover. The leading edges should be flush with the edges of the bottom shelf. The rear ones will be located at the level of the inner edge of the groove. The middle lid and bottom should be glued to the central inner partition. According to the design features, the described chest of drawers must have a vertical partition for every 30 cm of the tabletop. If you reinforce in this way, you will be able to maintain the given geometry.

The lower part of the rear wall should be inserted into the bottom groove. One side side is fixed to the middle cover and bottom using dowels; they should be placed on glue, guiding the back wall into the groove of the side wall. A corner is attached to the upper part of the sidewall; this should be done in the same way, using glue and dowels. It is on the corner that the upper module will rest. All these manipulations must be repeated using the second side wall.

Work methodology

A stand for an aquarium, made with your own hands (photos are presented in the article), must have an upper box; its assembly is carried out at the next stage. This is where the lighting fixtures are installed. The bottom of the box, which will be facing the water, will look like a sheet of frosted glass; it is installed in the grooves of the longitudinal sides.

The assembled module must be fixed to the cabinet; if necessary, it can be folded back. Doors should be cut out of the carpentry board, the dimensions of each of which will be 433 x 494 mm. Using the template, you need to mark the slots for installing the hinges in order to select them with a drill. The doors are installed to the side walls using hinges with hinges.

To supply air, you need to install a compressor in the cabinet. The backlight control panel will be located here. Tubes and cables must be routed through a groove whose dimensions are 25 x 50 mm. It must be placed in the lid. The assembled stand must be coated with furniture varnish, which is applied in several layers. At this point, we can assume that the do-it-yourself aquarium cabinet, the drawings, photos of which are presented in the article, were made by you.

Making a corner cabinet for a 150 or 200 l aquarium

To simplify the work of making a cabinet, you can purchase ready-made chipboard panels that have laminated edges. It is especially important before starting work to determine the additional components that will be placed inside the piece of furniture. This could be a water filter that is installed externally.

To work, you will need 4 panels with dimensions equal to 16 x 300 x 800 mm, two panels should have dimensions 16 x 268 x 284 mm, one panel will have dimensions 16 x 316 x 300 mm, another - 16 x 800 x 800 mm. For technical elements, electricity must be supplied to the installation site of the cabinet. At the first stage, side panels with dimensions of 16 x 300 x 800 mm are connected. This work must be done using 3.8 x 55 mm self-tapping screws. Sometimes confirmed screws are used, for which holes must first be prepared.

When you make a corner cabinet for an aquarium with your own hands, at the next stage you can connect the resulting structure with the top shelf; the same technology is used for this. The next step is to install the bottom, the fasteners remain the same. The doors are installed last, followed by the legs. The supporting corners should be strengthened on the sidewalls; they should be made from cuts from the tabletop. At the upper connection, self-tapping screws with dimensions of 3.8 x 55 mm should be used; as for the lower connection, the fastener dimensions are reduced to 3.8 x 42 mm. The fasteners should not be installed too low.

Algorithm of actions

A do-it-yourself stand for a 200-liter aquarium is made using a certain technology. When designing, you need to use a pattern; it will look like a piece of cardboard that needs to be adjusted to the size of the panel. Once the cuts are made, you can glue the edge, treating the edges with silicone.

The tabletop is installed on the body and connected with self-tapping screws. If you are making a cabinet for a 150-liter aquarium with your own hands, then you should not forget to make cutouts in the remaining panels for furniture hinges. For this, a cutter suitable for the diameter of the loop is used. Holes for handles are prepared using the same principle.

Next, the cabinet can be installed in a corner, placing an aquarium on the tabletop. The structure is first leveled using the legs. It is necessary to mark the bottom edge of the structure on the wall in order to install iron corners on both sides of the wall. They are necessary so that the stand for a 100 liter aquarium can be screwed to the base with your own hands. If necessary, you can embed and then install the shelf. It will be represented by a panel with dimensions equal to 16 x 268 x 284 mm. Shelf holders are installed inside the cabinet, which should be located at the height required by the equipment.

Conclusion

When choosing the height of the cabinet, you must take into account that it should be comfortable for a person in a sitting position to view the contents of the aquarium. It is important to equip the structure with adjustable legs, with which you can change the height in the range from 50 to 100 mm.

Before you make a stand for an aquarium with your own hands, you must also determine the depth of the future artificial reservoir. This will allow you to make a cabinet with a width that is equal to or slightly larger than the mentioned parameter. It will be safe and beautiful. Internal vertical partitions should not be neglected. If the depth of the aquarium is 50 cm, then chipboard with a thickness of 22 mm or more is usually used.