How to Make a Pine Aquarium Stand

Working with pine to build an aquarium stand will give you a simple but sturdy and elegant support for your fish tank. Purchasing an aquarium stand can be expensive, and building your own saves you quite a bit of money. Very little woodworking experience or expertise is needed in order to build an aquarium stand, and the whole project can be completed in a few days. Once your aquarium stand has been built, both you and your fish will be pleased.

Things You'll Need

  • Measuring tape
  • Pine boards
  • Saw
  • Nails
  • Hammer
  • Sandpaper
  • Level
  • Paint or stain
  • Paintbrush
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Measure the length and width of your aquarium tank. The stand needs to have several extra inches of space around the edges of the aquarium for a sturdy hold.

    • 2

      Use high-quality pine lumber. Purchase four pine boards that are 5 to 8 inches longer than the width of your aquarium and four boards that are 5 to 8 inches longer than its width. This extra space will give you room to cut. You will also need four pine boards to act as legs and seven smaller boards to act as supports.
      Each board should be a 2-by-4-inch pine board cut to the appropriate size for the construction of the stand.

    • 3

      Cut all of your pine boards to size. The legs should be 2 to 3 feet tall in order to hold your aquarium safely.

    • 4

      Nail one of the pine boards measured based on the length of the aquarium to two of the boards that you measured using the width of your aquarium. Add a second lengthwise board to the back of this frame to close it.
      Place the edges of the boards flush with one another to create an open square with the flat part of each board facing vertically.

    • 5

      Repeat the instructions in Step 4 with the other four boards you purchased for your frame. These two sections will act as the top and bottom parts of your aquarium stand.

    • 6

      Nail three pine boards in the bottom section to act as supports. Space the boards evenly across the open space the width of the frame and attach them at the sides.

    • 7

      Attach one leg to each of the corners of the bottom frame. Make sure the legs are flush with the corners of the pine boards before you nail them together. Sit the leg inside the frame of the stand and attach it with nails from the sides.

    • 8

      Nail the top frame to the legs. Make sure each leg is flush with the corner of the pine boards before you attach it.

    • 9

      Add a horizontal pine board support to each side, the front, and the back of the stand at the halfway point of the legs. Attach each support with nails. These supports will keep the stand from shifting or tilting once you put the aquarium on it.

    • 10

      Use pine boards to form a flat base for your aquarium to sit on. Nail pine boards on the top of your aquarium stand to completely cover it in order to support the aquarium. The size of the top of the stand will be dependent on the width and length of your aquarium.
      Purchase enough pine two-by-fours to completely cover the top of your stand across both the width and the length of its top.

    • 11

      Sand the boards so they are flat before you begin to place them on top of your aquarium stand.
      Check each board with a level to make sure it sits evenly before placing it on the stand.

    • 12

      Place the boards so that they align evenly and do not leave space between the boards. Attach each board with two nails at each end.

    • 13

      Sand your aquarium stand once it is finished. Paint or stain it to match your interior decoration.

    • 14

      Allow the pine aquarium stand to sit for 24 to 48 hours before moving it indoors or putting your fish tank on it. The fumes of the stain or paint can cause health problems for your fish.