Exhibits, Shows and Displays

Top Fin Aquarium Stand - any information?

i bought a 29 gallon Top Fin aquarium stand from petsmart, for 119.99. it's very nice looking, and says it is very sturdy on the box, yet it is all particle board, and seems very unstable when i put my tank on it. if i walk over and shake the tank, the whole stand moves, so i'm a little skeptical as to whether it can hold the weight. does anyone have any info on these stands? does anyone think i should get rid of it and get a better one?

Public Comments

1. if its particle board i would be watching for bowing in the middle -- if the table looks a little droopy in the middle you should replace it right away. the way they are made are just like a table -- the the weight is mostly on the outer corners and supported by the legs. if the legs seem wobbly when its 1/2 full you might want to take it back.
2. The glue in particle board also tends to separate when it gets wet. A friend of mine lots his 55 gallon and all the fish in it when the stand buckled after getting wet after he had done a water change earlier in the day. I'd stick with solid wood or metal (and even metal isn't good if you have a saltwater tank because the salt corrodes the metal).
3. A lot of cheaper stands are going to be made with particle board, and are going to be a little unsteady before they are filled. If I were you, to be on the safe side, take it back and go to Home Depot and buy an actual cabinet base, and make a top for it. I did that with all my stands or I get them made with actual wood, and I've never had a problem.
4. I bought one of these stands from Petsamrt for a 55 gallon...I had to take it back because of flaws with it...then bought another had problems with it also so I took that one back. Basically I am saying I think those stands are crap, and I would not trust one.