Aluminum Stand - DIY
 

I have read many posts and think this is the route I'd like to go. I just purchased an acrylic 180 (72"x24"x24") and am curious which aluminum would be the most economical to build my stand. I see the t-slot comes in several sizes as do others I'm sure. I'm thinking tank, rocks, and water will likely be in the 1600 pound range. Any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated, especially regarding the size/specs of the aluminum I should use. If there is a thread that already covers this, please try and direct me there, as I've read everything I could find. Thank you.

I would read up on building a "plywood box" stand. Plenty strong, easy to build.

link to thread on plywood stands

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2221376

Wow, those look amazing. I've made stands with 2x4's but I never seem to have enough room inside the cabinet. Thanks for showing me this.

The size of Tslot you use depends a lot on the design you intend to go with..
Any size can be made to work given the proper structural design to match..

Ended up getting a quote for the aluminum build and it was right at $1,000. I'd still have to wrap it with wood. I'm going the plywood route. Thank you.

I built my stand from marine grade 6" channel aluminum for both the legs and top. I also used a granite counter top and made oak panels for the skin.

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I also built an electrics panel into one leg, dry storage in the other leg, and a 9 gallon auto top off reservoir. I also incorporated a pvc shower pan liner to catch small spills, drips, or leaks.

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Nice work on the Aluminum stand!
If your going to use aluminum I'd stick with extrusions (angle, channel, tube, etc) as those are usually 6061 materials and are less likely to bend or fatigue.