ᐅ Who has ever used the KALLAX as a stand or enclosure for an aquarium?
Created on: 5 Mar 2021 08:17
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Benlukman
Hello everyone,
I am currently considering whether to place my new aquarium directly on an IKEA KALLAX shelf unit instead of using a traditional aquarium stand. My question to the community is: Who has already used the KALLAX shelf as a base for an aquarium?
I am especially interested in stability, load-bearing capacity, and any experiences with moisture exposure affecting the wood or cabinet.
How did you prepare or modify the shelf? Did you encounter any issues with the weight, need for special reinforcements, or perhaps damage caused by water?
I would be grateful for any honest experiences to help me make a well-informed decision!
I am currently considering whether to place my new aquarium directly on an IKEA KALLAX shelf unit instead of using a traditional aquarium stand. My question to the community is: Who has already used the KALLAX shelf as a base for an aquarium?
I am especially interested in stability, load-bearing capacity, and any experiences with moisture exposure affecting the wood or cabinet.
How did you prepare or modify the shelf? Did you encounter any issues with the weight, need for special reinforcements, or perhaps damage caused by water?
I would be grateful for any honest experiences to help me make a well-informed decision!
I want to motivate everyone here once again: My KALLAX has now been used as an aquarium stand for over a year, and I am completely satisfied!
You just need to do a bit of maintenance and be careful that no water runs onto the surface. I also use a rubber mat underneath, which helps to even out minor irregularities.
The result looks great, and I really can’t imagine a better cabinet for this purpose!
You just need to do a bit of maintenance and be careful that no water runs onto the surface. I also use a rubber mat underneath, which helps to even out minor irregularities.
The result looks great, and I really can’t imagine a better cabinet for this purpose!
A small note: For aquariums with a volume over 60 liters (16 gallons), the original KALLAX unit can quickly reach its limit without reinforcements.
The stable solution is to remove the vertical divider inside the shelf and replace it with a metal or wooden crossbeam. Additionally, using a thicker plywood board as a base can help relieve the shelf. Otherwise, deformation may occur.
So, the shelf can be modified, but the standard version is intended mainly for lighter uses.
The stable solution is to remove the vertical divider inside the shelf and replace it with a metal or wooden crossbeam. Additionally, using a thicker plywood board as a base can help relieve the shelf. Otherwise, deformation may occur.
So, the shelf can be modified, but the standard version is intended mainly for lighter uses.
karbar schrieb:
removing the partition wall inside the shelf and replacing it with a metal or wooden cross beamThat’s an important tip, thanks!
I did the same in my shelf, which makes it much more rigid and reduces pressure stress on the sides.
This way, you can also safely place larger glass tanks up to 80 liters (21 gallons) on it.
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Benlukman7 Mar 2021 07:29Thank you very much for the detailed answers and tips!
I will definitely use a sturdy glass plate as a support and treat the cut edges additionally. The idea of reinforcing it with a crossbeam sounds very convincing, so I will look into that more closely.
I hadn’t realized before how quickly MDF can be damaged by small traces of water.
Thank you for helping me start the project well prepared! I will report back here when I have an update on the progress.
I will definitely use a sturdy glass plate as a support and treat the cut edges additionally. The idea of reinforcing it with a crossbeam sounds very convincing, so I will look into that more closely.
I hadn’t realized before how quickly MDF can be damaged by small traces of water.
Thank you for helping me start the project well prepared! I will report back here when I have an update on the progress.
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