Woodenm Aquarium Stand

[goldenpuon]

I have a wooden aquarium stand that came with the 40 gallon tall I bought last summer. The woman I bought it from said I should probably repaint it and smooth out any rough edges. I did not think it would be an issue until I looked at the stand tonight and thought about how it could rot since it is made of wood.

I did not do what the seller suggested either since I bought it last summer thinking that it was not an issue if I didn't care how the stand looked. The stand has not shown any signs of problems or giving way over time other than the outside seems to be in fairly poor condition (at least appearance wise). But I wonder if it is ok to have a wooden stand for a fish tank?

There are few termites in the lower part of Michigan that would eat the wood. But the stand also commonly gets mildly wet (drips from the tank getting on it) when I do maintance on the aquarium. I hope that would not cause it to rot.

Also, since I got the stand off from a buyer on Craigslist, I am unsure what it is made out of and how old it is. Though when I asked the buyer the age of the tank, she said it was about 4 years old at the time I purchased it from her.

My 3 cats also like to use it as a scratching post which my mom and I try to stop. But they do it anyway and my mom often sprays a cat repellent on the bottom.

With all this in mind, does it sound like it could give way or break under the weight of my40 gallon? Also, would it getting mildly wet and my mom spraying that natural repellent to keep the cats from scratching it hurt it?

Thank you. I can also post pictures if necessary.

[bikeguy33]

wouldnt worry about it renee. the stand will let you know long before it collapses....

[Carl]

Your stand is probably pine (or fir), as the hard wood stands cost far more and are generally kept up with oils (& maybe stains) so as to retain their natural appearance rather than paints, varnish, dark stains, or even burning (burning was very popular in the 1970s).

I agree with bikeguy that you will likely know if their is an impending problem.
If you do choose to paint or especially if you varnish, you would need to remove the tank for a few days.

Carl

[goldenpuon]

Thanks for the replying guys. I looked at the stand and it is not in as bad condition as I described. The surface could just use some clean up.

The stand is not that bad considering the person I bought it from kept the stand and tank outside. I'm glad my stand is ok. I will not worry about it then.