# is my cabinet safe?!



## sephnroth (Jul 30, 2013)

I'm putting this under tank emergencies but it's more like cabinet emergencies!

I recently aquired a 165ltr aqua one ar850 tank which i'm VERY happy with. The problem was I did not have a cabinet large enough for it. I was going to buy a living room sideboard when I noticed most of them saying "max load: 35kg" etc which is no good!

So I went to LFS and explained I needed a strong cabinet and I bought myself a fluval roma 240 cabinet in oak, rated to hold a 240ltr tank. However today (6pm, I filled the tank with water last night about 11:45pm) I was experimenting to see if I could fit a pc in cabinet (dont ask) and i noticed cabinet was bending towards the middle!

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?res...authkey=!APyL0kMarV7z18M&v=3&ithint=photo,jpg

Theres a pic... im slightly worried.. if it doesnt get worse thats fine but if it collapses well im in trouble, this is a top floor flat!


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## vreugy (May 1, 2013)

I personally would drain the tank and take the cabinet back. If it is rated at 240lt and bows at only 165 lt. Sounds like a receipe for disaster. Hope you can find something that will work.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Build your own! Drill gun, drill set, screws, hand saw, sand-paper, measuring tape, paper and pencil, and wood are all you need!


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

It is bowing because of where the support is. Cabinets support the four corners of an aquarium, which is why they are built the same length and width as said tank. 

So yes, take it back and see if you cannot find a batter match, or as Guy said, build your own. Not hard to do. Lovely tank, BTW.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

If there is not some kind of support hidden behind the closed doors I think it fail fast and soon.It very well may hold all of 240l , but I'll bet the dimensions of that tank fit that stand.
All weight goes to corners,the corners are NOT over the side supports of cabinet so it cause the top to bow until failure if not support very close to edges of actual tank.
Drain like 1/2 at least if possible.


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## vreugy (May 1, 2013)

As Tom said, drain at least half of it NOW before it fails and you loose everything. Another good reason to take what the LFS says with a grain of salt. Most are there to put in their 8 hours and get a check. Not that they don't want to do right by the customer, it's just most of them don't know beans about aquarium life. Hope you get it straightened out soon.


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## Arthur7 (Feb 22, 2013)

A colleague of earlier (designer and aquarist)
has a chest that belonged to the living room furniture interior equipped with angle iron that the load was maintained with 2x safety, but nothing could be seen from the outside. His wife wanted to have so.


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## sephnroth (Jul 30, 2013)

thankyou everyone 

After making sure it was temporarilly secure I went out and got some strong wooden beams. I realised the cabinet had a supporting length down the back but NOT down the front. Took the beams to my place of work (im lucky to have keys etc) and prepared them for use as supports and now have a front center supporting leg to help take the weight - the bow has all but disappeared already! An aquarist friend recommended doing it and it seems to of done the job. Phew.


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