Big aquariums are a hustle. There. I said it. Having to find a place to put them is another hustle. A 20 gallon fish tank is heavy enough to make you rethink your life choices but when you’re done setting it up, the view will justify all your hard work. A fish tank stand is an essential piece of equipment when setting up a freshwater aquarium, don’t think you can go along without it.
The goal is to find a modern aquarium stand (or vintage) that’s sturdy enough to hold a 20 gallon fish tank but pretty enough to not make your house look like a carpenter’s workstation. There are certain factors you need to consider when buying a 20 gallon fish tank stand for your home aquarium.
From materials to types of stands to ones that actually fit your 20 gallon fish tank dimensions, there’s quite some research that needs to be done. Lucky for you, we already did that and we’re giving you the results and also some tips for when you have to decide on a 20 gallon tank stand.
- Best Overall: Flipper 10/20 Gallon Aquarium Stand
- Best Bang for your Buck: Aquatic Fundamentals Metal Aquarium Stand
- Best Cabinet Stand: Ollie & Hutch Farmington 10/20 Gallon Aquarium Stand, Ivory
- Best at Minimalism: Petco Brand – Imagitarium Brooklyn Metal Tank Stand
- Best for Long Tanks: Aquatic Fundamentals Wood Aquarium Stand
- Best Design: Aqueon Forge Aquarium Stand 20 by 10″
Best 20 Gallon Tank Stands Reviewed
When deciding on an aquarium, 20 gallons is the option that’s most popular among fish enthusiasts. Out of all the products we encountered when deciding for the best options we came across these 5 products that are sure to satisfy different appeals and tastes.
We made sure to test each product ourselves to give you the most authenticity that the buyers need when purchasing something. Below you’ll see our reviews of the top picks in a summarized manner. We’ve considered all of the above to make your experience of owning a 20 gallon aquarium comfortable and easy rather than a hustle.
Out of all the stands that we reviewed, this one stole our heart. It’s a 2 in 1 that doubles as a stand for a 10 gallon fish tank as well. It can hold a crazy 120 pounds, it has a really good weight distribution, it’s beautiful and it suits both the classic and modern eye.
An unmatched product that could hold all the tanks we tried on and make each of them look glorious. It has 3 shelves and the middle one has a hidden storage space to hold all your fish equipment while keeping the view clean and aesthetic. Overall an amazing product that ought to last you years and you’re guaranteed to stare at it whenever you stroll past it at home.
Probably the cleanest look of all, this stand makes for a great choice if you want your tank to take up little space and still look fabulous. It’s probably the cheapest option here as well. It’s steel constructed and has a black finish with slim legs and a slender form.
Don’t be fooled by the sleekness- this stand can hold up to 200 LBs and it’s sturdy and tough if assembled properly. This is an easy choice and it took us very little time to put up. It’s an easy choice as it’s beautiful, sleek, and doesn’t break the bank.
If you’re in need of a cabinet but also an aquarium stand you’re in luck. It’s not a wise choice to put your 20 gallon tank on a normal cabinet, for it probably won’t uphold its weight. However the Ollie and Hutch stand is made so strongly and durably, it can support up to 240 lbs.
It’s a looker, it doesn’t take that much space and it’s such a great addition to your home. It’s also strong enough so children and pets won’t be a problem at all. A cabinet to store things and an aquarium stand? Sign me up.
Made with durable solid steel and sturdy construction, this stand is not made for everyone. It has one purpose: to hold your tank, and it does a damn good job of it. It’s built strongly and firmly and it features adjustable feet for leveling before you add your tank.
This stand would look great in small apartments and probably perfect in a minimalist’s house. It can hold a 20 gallon tank comfortably and it doesn’t flinch at all. We reviewed it with several standard-sized 20 gal tanks and it did a great job and also looked clean and sleek.
Although made to accommodate 29 gal tanks, this stand is a great fit for your long 20 gallon aquarium. It’s sleek and will fit with most aesthetics with no problem. It takes up reasonable space so it’s great for big houses. It’s sturdy, tough and it looks classy.
It has doors to hide your cords and is relatively easy to put together if you read the instructions properly. It’s a solid choice, and although made of particleboard it handles water really well. A good choice even if you have kids or pets and it’s worth every single penny.
Last but not least, here’s our top pick for all you picky buyers. This stand is sure to fit into any setting it’s put on to and make it look fabulous. There’s just something about wood and metal put together in a sleek black that makes something so simple look so steamy. Although definitely a looker, this stand is extremely sturdy and can easily be assembled and dealt with.
You can put another fish tank or your supplies on the bottom and it will be fine and look great with whatever you decide. It’s of great quality and did I mention it looks magnificent? We paired it with LED’s and it fit right in with everything else, it almost felt custom-made. This is a great choice for anyone in every situation and is sure to double the visuals of your setup right away.
What to Consider When Choosing the Best 20 Gallon Fish Tank Stand
When you settle on buying a stand for your 20 gallon fish tank, you can be sure you’ll be at a crossroad for almost anything you see. However, there are some universal things to consider when you’re stand-shopping. From size to materials, it all matters to provide the best product possible. They all play a significant role in durability and age-proofing so you’ll be sure to have a product that won’t make you regret a single penny.
Size
20 gallon tanks usually come in 2 sizes:
- 24″ Length , 12″ Width, 16″ Height for the standard size
- or 30″ Length, 12″ Width, 13″ Height for the long.
Keeping that in mind your stand has to have a 24 inch base for the standard size or 30 inches for a 20 gallon long aquarium. Either way, the stand’s base needs to fit your tank comfortably so as to avoid undesirable accidents and their costs. In case your tank base is equal to or below 20″ x 10″ consider using a 10 gallon fish tank stand.
The tank should never have its edges out the stand’s base and it’s better for the stand’s base to be somewhat larger than the tank’s base. The size is crucial in most stands or your tank won’t fit, Make sure to calculate everything before purchase.
Design
When it comes to things like design, there’s not really a guide. It pleases your eyes and your house, it’s going to be a good choice. Design and taste depend from person to person and where it’s a priority to some, it’s at the bottom of their requirements for some others.
The thing to keep in mind is to choose between functionality and aesthetics. Sometimes you’ll see some seriously beautiful stands that are simple enough to fit in with the minimalistic theme, and sometimes you’ll see big bulky ones that are not only good-looking but also have several functions for all enthusiasts of multi-purpose things.
There are multiple designs to choose from rather it is simple, classy, modern, or just a little bit edgy, and our list contains one for each of them.
Built and Materials
To hold such a heavy tank, you’ll need a well-built aquarium table that is sure to handle all you’ll throw at it. It needs to be sturdy, tough, and not wobble too much if accidentally bumped.
It can be of either metal or wood, but regardless they need to be made in such a way to last you long without things to worry about. A well-built fish tank table needs to have 3 main qualities:
- Good weight distribution.
Weight distribution is crucial for bigger tanks. Without a proper weight distribution, your aquarium stand might lean and stay askew which is not only an aesthetic problem but also an accident waiting to happen.
Apply slight pressure to the wrong side and you can kiss your 20 gal long aquarium stand goodbye together with the tank on it! - Steady base.
A steady base makes sure that the surface where your aquarium is standing doesn’t curve. That might cause your aquarium to break from the pressure or simply collapse on the ground. It’s the most important part of the build and it plays a great role in the overall durability of the stand. - Well-made materials.
Most aquariums are mainly made of three materials: metal, plywood, and particleboards. Now there’s no bad or good between these, considering each of them serves a certain purpose. Their main difference is the price and water resistance.
However with the right hydrophobic finish, the latter is barely noticeable between the three. As for the price, it’s never a good idea to get the absolute cheapest thing, nor to overdo it. We understand that it’s hard to decide whether you should go with metal aquarium stands or wood aquarium stands but remember that everything you purchase should be made accounting for your current situation. These things are built to serve you and your fish, not the other way around.
Your Environment
- Do you live in a spacious home?
- Do you prefer smaller apartments?
- Do you have other pets?
- Do you have children?
All of these are factors that affect your choice of an aquarium stand. If you have children or pets, it’s a better choice to get sturdy and relatively high aquarium cabinets rather than shorter aquarium tables so you won’t have to go through an unpleasant situation.
If you live in a larger home, a small stand might seem out of space so you need to see for the ones that naturally fill up that empty place. If your jam is smaller apartments, you need to find a not very spacious stand that complements the other furniture and overall interior design without making it feel cramped.
Regardless of its main function, aquarium stands serve an aesthetic one as well, making them another piece of furniture you have to get for your house.
DIY
Besides buying a stand for your tank, you can very well build one, or have it built custom for you. There are tanks and tank-owners that have specific demands that won’t fit the ones already existing.
There are also people that like to do these things themselves exactly the way they want. There are tons of tutorials online on building a DIY 20 gallon tank stand and if you’re lucky you might have a local carpenter that will welcome your request.
However, with the variety of already built ones, chances are you’ll find what you’re looking for without the need to custom-make it. If the colors aren’t right you can always paint over them to spare you the trouble of doing it all from scratch.
Conclusion
As for our final word, we can guarantee that all the products we tried are still functional to this day and have held on amazingly. They all vary from need to need, person to person, house to house. It all comes down to the theory of relativity, considering each of these is the perfect choice for someone out there.
All of them seek to accommodate all tanks for their size and have their own little quirks to make them special from one another. This article gave you all you need to know, from factors to consider to actual products, reviewed in a simple manner. We aimed to make the task of choosing an aquarium stand for your 20 gallon tank a lighter and easier job. In the end, we hope we made your hustle transform into a clear decision.
FAQs
The article above contains a lot of valuable information and can help you choose the best 20 gallon fish tank stand for your needs. However, during our research, we found a number of common questions that are of concern to potential buyers. We will answer some of them.
Q: Can you use a TV stand to hold your 20 gal fish tank?
The simple answer is no. They’re not stable enough to hold any tank above 10 gallons. TV’s are way lighter than tanks and their stands aren’t stable enough to distribute the weight or hold it at all.
Q: Can you put a fish tank stand on the floor?
This is one of the questions we’ve heard the most and it’s the strongest no in the fish-care world. Aquarium stands are made to have a certain height, as it’s very easy for things to fall into it or be kicked by accident. Just think of how many times you’ve bumped your pinky toe on your sofa. It’s definitely not a safe place to put a glass box full of living things.
Q: How much does a 20 gallon glass tank weigh?
When filled with freshwater, around 177 pounds, or when filled with saltwater, approx. 181 pounds. Keep in mind these are near estimates as it varies from tank to tank and their contents. A 20 gallon fish tank might weigh up to 200 pounds with all the fish and equipment. That’s why it’s important to make sure the stand supports your tank fully finished.
