This tank, its lid and its stand
- Tank format
- Aqueon Standard 45; 36¼ × 12⅝ × 23¾ in outside
- Empty tank weight
- 69 lb
- Matching lid or top
- Not published
- Lid fit
- Aqueon’s 2026 catalog lists hinged glass tops for its other standard sizes but none for this one. Measure the ledges the lid rests on, the brace openings and the room for accessories, and choose a top sold for a 36 × 12 in tank.
- Matching stand
- We haven’t matched a stand: use one the maker approves for this tank.
These sizes are for the Aqueon Standard 45; another brand’s 45 gallon can differ. Lids fit a tank model, not a gallon number.
Box sizes won’t tell you if a lid fits: measure the ledges the lid rests on, the openings either side of the center brace and the space for the strip at the back. Check the lid is the one made for this tank before you fit it.
Work out the filled weight → Add your substrate, rock, equipment and stand to see the total on the floor.
What to buy, in order
Buy the lid made for this tank (see below) and a stand built to carry it full, with room to open the cabinet and reach your equipment.
Check stand and lid fit →Choose gravel or soil and how deep you want it, then work out how much to buy from the inside size of the tank. Bags of different substrates weigh differently, so a pounds-per-gallon rule is only a rough guide.
Work out how much substrate →Check the filter is rated for 45 gallons and that a hang-on-back’s intake or a canister’s hoses reach the deep water.
Compare filters →A sponge filter needs an air pump, airline and a check valve; choose a pump strong enough for your water depth. A hang-on-back or canister filter doesn’t need one, though a battery air pump makes a good backup in a power cut.
Set up an air pump →Decide the water temperature your fish need and how cold the room gets. Size the heater from the maker’s chart and your actual water volume, and check it with a separate thermometer.
Size a heater →Check the light spans your tank and how it mounts. For plants, compare PAR at your water depth where the maker publishes it; watts alone don’t tell you how much light reaches the bottom.
Check light fit →Get a kit that tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH; most master kits leave out GH and KH, so add those if your fish need them. Dose conditioner for new water by the bottle’s label.
How to test your water →Use a siphon long enough to reach 2 feet down, and check you can lift what you take out.
Choose water-change tools →Keep plugs dry and labeled, with a drip loop on every cord as the manuals show. If you add a battery backup air pump, test it before you need it.
Set up the power safely →
Then set it all up, step by step, and cycle the tank before you add fish.
Checkmarks aren’t saved when you leave the page; print it to keep them.
Measure before you buy
- The tank’s outside size and the stand it needs.
- The inside size up to the waterline, and how much room gravel and rock take, for your actual water volume.
- The rim trim, the gap to the wall, the lid openings and where the light mounts.
- The cabinet opening, the hose route and room to lift out filter media.
- How you’ll carry water, the bucket size and where the outlets are.
With those numbers, use the water volume calculator and the electricity cost calculator. The first-year cost calculator keeps a line for every supply, even before you know its price.
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