# DIY 55 Gallon stand and canopy build on the cheap



## Mike_G

Well, I've been working on my project for about a week now and it's almost done, I still need to mount the doors and apply the finish, I'm going to use Minwax "Poly Shades" pecan stain/satin polyurethane as my woodstove surround is trimmed in oak using that same finish and it also matches my oak entertainment center and oak futon. 
The stand is built from 2X4s sheeted with 1/2" oak plywood, the uprights rest on 2X4s laid flat to help spread the load as it has to go on carpet. I made the bottom trim on the stand out of some old T&G white oak flooring I salvaged sometime back, and bought the rest of the oak molding at a local place that sells it for ~1/2 of what the major stores sell it for, so I saved quite a bit there. 
A friend gave me an old 6' brass piano hinge that needed some serious cleaning up before cutting it to 4' with my Dremel for the canopy lid- that would have been ~$20 just for the hinge. 
I made both the stand and canopy out of 1 sheet of 1/2" oak plywood, 5 8' 2X4s, 4 8' clear fir 1X2s, and many feet of oak molding which I cut by hand with a backsaw and a miter box. 
The canopy doesn't use a frame as such, but has 1X2 stiffeners and glued construction that make it quite rigid yet fairly lightweight.The lighting is by 3 CF bulbs mounted on a board that can be positioned to suit one's preference. The stand is 27" high, which was a design consideration to keep the overall height from being taller than the oak entertainment center (54") and below the heat thermostat on the wall behind where the tank has to go.
I figure I'm into this project for a little under $100


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## vann59

Looking good. You might want to consider how you will handle water drips. If the stand top wraps around the tank bottom, it will catch those drips. What fish do you have in mind?


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## PfunMo

Stand looks good. It seems to have all the major items covered, design wise. I use the CFL bulbs and find they do well for me. I might suggest dabbing a little silicone over the screw connections to give them some insulation. Better to plan for water or you touching them in advance just to make sure. One big advantage to them beyond price is the way you can vary the light easily by just putting in higher /lower wattage bulbs. Looks good.


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## Mike_G

vann59 said:


> Looking good. You might want to consider how you will handle water drips. If the stand top wraps around the tank bottom, it will catch those drips.


I intend to be very careful 

Actually, I was thinking of painting the inside of the stand like I did with the canopy, what would you suggest?



vann59 said:


> What fish do you have in mind?


I'm gonna move my juvies over from my 37G and probably add another haplochromide species or two. I'm thinking Placidochromis Electras would be nice. Right now I have:

2 C. Moori 1M 1F (yes I know they'll eventually outgrow the 55)
3 A. Jacobfreibergi Hongi Is. 1M 2F
3 L. Caeruleus 1 or 2 males (not sure about 1) 1F I intend to add a couple more
1 P. Demasoni

I may restock the 37G with more Demasonis or possibly a breeding group of P. Saulosis (hard to find around here) or even one of the smaller A. Stuartgranti species.



PfunMo said:


> Stand looks good. It seems to have all the major items covered, design wise. I use the CFL bulbs and find they do well for me. I might suggest dabbing a little silicone over the screw connections to give them some insulation. Better to plan for water or you touching them in advance just to make sure. One big advantage to them beyond price is the way you can vary the light easily by just putting in higher /lower wattage bulbs. Looks good.


Thanks! Yeah, some sort of insulation on the terminals is a good idea. :thumb:

I bought a nice brass folding support for the canopy lid last night and am installing it today. Can't wait to get this tank up and running! :dancing:


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## vann59

I would use something highly water resistant. Some drips are inevitable, and if it holds the moisture you will get wood rot. You have a lot of work in that stand and I would protect the investment.


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## Mike_G

vann59 said:


> I would use something highly water resistant. Some drips are inevitable, and if it holds the moisture you will get wood rot. You have a lot of work in that stand and I would protect the investment.


I hear ya- both the paint and the urethane finish I'm using are very water-resistant, the paint is leftover from painting my house so it has to withstand our infamous Oregon rain. I built my 37G stand out of oak-veneered particle board finished with the same urethane (although I'm now using semi-gloss instead of gloss) and it's held up great for ~15 years now










I've run into a problem with the canopy lid having some fairly deep chatter marks from when it was sanded at the factory and may have to make another lid, fortunately I have one piece left that's big enough to work and just needs 1/4" trimmed off one side so I'm working on that today.

I tested out the lights on the tank last night and man are they ever bright.  
I may end up not using the middle bulb.


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## SobrietyRocks707

:drooling: :dancing: :dancing: =D>


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