Metal Tank Stand

[Chris]

Need some advise...Anyone can help?

I have had a 4X2X2 for over 1.5 years. It was converted from FW and rests on a standard metal stand. Recently, discover it's coat is peeling and powdery rust appearing at few spots. I'm worried if it will hold. Is there anyway to remedy this or should I change to a wooden cabinet. If so I will have to set up a whole new system cos I have no idea how I could move the present tank to a new cabinet. Advice please. Gong Xi!

[Sinn]

read in some post here that its dangerous to use those metal stands as they would corrode esp in saltwater...

presence of rust powder is evident that its happening in yer tank....

i think u have to look for other alternatives....

[dodo]

it's time to upgrade & discard away your metal stand personally i experience tat b4...no matter whether u repaint it 1000x...rust will still appear

i suggest u sell off your old tank and buy a tank wif cabinet

or...custom make a stainless steel rack....get a big blue tub(those us to contain Koi)....fill it wif you tank water...tsfr your tank inhabitants there....shift your existing tank to the stainless steel tank...and tsfr your inhabitants & water from the blue tub back to your tank it is going to be a hell of a work

[Achilles Tang]

As long as you treat your metal stand with an anti-rust compound, epoxy-paint and then paint over a few layers of paint.... you should have rust protection that lasts a long time.... unless you scratched it thru the paint and down to the metal.

You dun see stainless steel ships in the sea...

My stand is standard angle bar steel.... custom made made by my father-on-law who heads PSA operations.

IMO rust is just an external thing... you can treat it. Metal stands are much much safer and stronger than wood.

There is no need to panic.

[lona]

Hi..

Stainless steel does not mean anti rust..

Please do not think that. As long as it is steel it will rust given the right conditions.

[dodo]

didn't know stainless steel will rust maybe i am referring to high quality ones my house stainless steel staircase railing dun seem to rust even when my mum wipe it wif wet cloth tarnish yes....RUST????i dunno

[Achilles Tang]

Erhmm.... this topic is about how long metal stand can last.... not how rust proof it is rite?

Are we ?

Metal can break wood but never the other way around...

[lona]

haha...sorry AT, you're right..

Occupational hazard lar I guess..I'm a materials engineer by training..sorry guys..I'll just let sleeping dogs lie..

[KingFish]

I'm using one of those wrought iron stand from a FW LFS, the construct looks good, and bars are of at least 1-1.5' (though I know there are those of 2').

I use them to house my 3ft tank and a 3ft sump. Mine's an open concept.

Before I use them, I coated them with a primer my brother uses for his VW 69' Beetle to stop and prevent rust.

I suppose if you make the necessary precautions and remember to wipe them down everytime u do maintenance, it should be fine.

[newdamsel]

I've also used one of the FW wrought iron stand for my 2 ft tank.. din care about it and the paint peeled off like mad and rusted like hell....

I was also very worried about the integrity of the stand in the long run, as rust though a external thing, would expose the inner parts to corrosion too as rust is porous....

Anyway, I bought this paint call "hammerite" which is to coat over rusty metals and give it a good waterproof coat.... I applied 2 thick layers onto the stand w/o removing the tanks... and indeed no rust ever~!!!!! I would recommend this paint if u r lazy to dismantle your tank...

[Chris]

Thanks Newdamsel and AT,

You put me as ease for the moment. Almost thought of restarting my whole system of 1.5 years.

[Achilles Tang]

I used Hammerite too for my old tank! Works great!

Rust will take a long long time to corrode metal to the point of structural failure.... wood rot on the other hand... well... unless you have expensive chengai wood.... I personally never trust wood. Wood absorbs water.

[woonming]

hi was wondering can those normal metal stand with hold the weight of a 4ft by 2ft by 2ft ? from those LH shops .?

AT when u are using ur metal stand may i ask what size is ur tank ?

and where to buy that special paint ?

does many coating makes a different ?

thank you

[pospeh]

Instead of using paint, why not use a sacrificial anode.

Typically Magnesium or Zinc is used. Certain metals such as Mg and Zn are more likely to rust compared to other metals due to their place on the Galvanic Series. When you have a iron pipe that you want to protect from rust, you connect it to a magnesium bar (the sacrificial anode), a differential current will be created between Iron and Mg, creating a cathode and an anode, like a battery. The current will flow to the Mg and it will rust, leaving the Iron untouched.

[woonming]

Erm pospeh can u help explain how can we go about doing it ?

ALso how to tell those tank makers to do it ?

thank you

woonming

[Achilles Tang]

Instead of using paint, why not use a sacrificial anode.

Typically Magnesium or Zinc is used. Certain metals such as Mg and Zn are more likely to rust compared to other metals due to their place on the Galvanic Series. When you have a iron pipe that you want to protect from rust, you connect it to a magnesium bar (the sacrificial anode), a differential current will be created between Iron and Mg, creating a cathode and an anode, like a battery. The current will flow to the Mg and it will rust, leaving the Iron untouched.

Yeah... we use that on metal hulls of boats! The zinc anodes placed on metal plates underwater will 'attract' corrosion.

Go Navy!

But in this case, there is no electrical field in the metal stand to react with, unlike any metal object you place in corrosive saltwater. I don't see how this would work out of water as there is no electrolytic action.

AT

[woonming]

Just spoken to some tanks makers they told me they are using black metal rod or either tier metal iron rod those u see at fish shops but they said no matter how much u coat outsdie it will still rust insdie and it will crash in time to come like a year or 2

can anyone advise me on this ??

AT how long did ur metal stand last ? and what was the size of the tank ?

thanks

woonming

[pospeh]

This is just some useless thing I learned in school.. . should ask for a refund now.

[BarraCudaTM]

If you use those normal black paint .. of course it will rust. Most paint is porous to moisture to a certain extend.

if you want a water proof seal .. get epoxy paint!

If moisture cant get in the outer layer .. I dont see how it can rust internally

[Achilles Tang]

Metal stand collapsing in a year???

And you believe him??

Did he try to hardsell you his excess stock of wooden cabinets?

[Dinosaur]

Metal stand collapsing in a year???

And you believe him??

Did he try to hardsell you his excess stock of wooden cabinets?

Mine has been standing for about 2 yrs it looks okie. However, I am quite worry bcos the sump tank ever overflow on few occasion, flooding my floor. So dunno if the base is still strong and health, cannot see either ........... any way to check?