While it’s true that fish don’t have quite the cache among the mainstream pet-owning public that cats and dogs do, this overlooks their advantages unmatched by their four-legged counterparts. For one thing, fish ownership is a hobby. It provides a curated activity and allows you to express your imagination in designing their habitat.
For another, fish tanks make excellent decorative pieces. Once you’ve decked out the tank of your choosing with the rocks, plants, lighting and the fish (of course), you’ll have a lovely centerpiece to any room. It’s a dynamic display that puts on a relaxing show for you and your guests.
That living work of art needs a place to live, a support structure to properly show off your fish. Enter the fish tank stand. Whether strictly utilitarian or a well-designed piece itself, the aquarium stand performs a vital function — while also contending with a lot of weight.
In case you didn’t know, once you start adding water to a fish tank, it gets heavy in a hurry. To get an idea of just how heavy, a 20 gallon tank weights 225 pounds when filled, from a starting weight of about 25 pounds on average. A little over ten times is a good general rule, but for a more specific idea, check out the charts on this site or use this calculator to determine yours specifically.
To that end, certainly your floor must be up to the challenge, but you should also choose a stand that supports the appropriate number of gallons. You can always go larger, if you like, but that might look a little off-balance. Here we’ve chosen five of our favorite fish tank stands at five relatively common sizes to get you started in your search.
Properly support and display your beautiful aquarium with the best fish tank stands for a range of sizes.