# Well... the wife said she wants a bigger one



## bft3278

So *** finally decided to build a new stand and get a new and bigger tank. wife wants to get a bigger tank and ditch the 55 gallon...wife says bigger is better (story of my life) getting a 90 gallon 48x18x25 or a 110 gallon 48x21x30. so i started doing the framing the other day when i had time, just used some 2x4's and away i went. i got as far as putting the skin on with 3/4" birchwood and doing a little trim work. gonna stain it a dark red oak color. hopefully have it done within the week so i can get the new tank and start building the canopy too! i will keep you guys updated and post pictures as i go. sorry i didnt have time to do a write up, the wife keeps yelling at me that i spend to much time on here :lol: let me know your thoughts as i still have alot of work to do to this stand. im putting in 4 doors in this stand, having them made by a pro so i dont screw them up. 
also which would you guys go with? 90 or 110??? :-?


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## kyoshi

nice start well done


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## cjacob316

I just can't trust screws to hold that much weight

so you didn't build the stand to fit the width of the tank you want? if you get the 90 will it just be sitting on that top piece of plywood?


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## jrf

It looks nice. But, I share cjacob316's concern about what is supporting the weight of the tank. The corners of the tank need to sit directly over the verticle 2x4's to safely support that much weight.


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## wilpir

Same way I build stands, but I add another 2x4 to the other side of yours between the upper and lower frames, thereby tank is supported by wood and not just screws...do not trust screws!! I've seen too many friends tanks buckel and stands sag to trust scews alone..


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## Number6

The stand pictured is both overbuilt and built incorrectly... The weight is supported by hardware only AND I don't see anything that will prevent it from buckling sideways under the weight of a tank other than the hardware. Once that had some weight on it, it would not take much for someone to shove it and watch the stand scissor itself apart IMHO.

I would take it apart and start again. The good news is that you can reuse all of the parts... just needs some redesign. :thumb:


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## Rhinox

I don't know, it looks like he skinned the thing with 3/4" plywood. That should be plenty of lateral support to prevent scissoring.

As for vertical support, there are vertical posts at the center directly under the long 2x4. I would want similar vertical support under the 2x4s at the end as well so the weight is transferred in a column load directly to a vertical post rather than through a sheer load via fasteners.

Speaking of the screws - the screws aren't going to fail. I would worry about them deforming or pulling out of the wood before they would fail. The screws I used, 1 screw was rated (conservatively, I'm sure) for a shear load of 350lbs each and a tensile load of 370lbs each. These were Spax heavy duty construction screws for wood to wood or wood to masonry construction, found at home depot in the 1lb green boxes. From the pictures, looks like he has about 10 screws at each corner, so assuming the weight was spread evenly, that about 14000lbs of shear strength in the fasteners, not counting that some of the weight will be relieved by the vertical posts in the center of the stand. The wood will be the weak link, not the screws. Unless he's using drywall screw or something.


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## R-DUB

Let me get this straight. This stand is built incorrectly?? Really? Over 40 wood screws would just suddenly shear free? Then a 3/4 piece of plwood on top will just suddenly compress eight up-rite 2x4's That would then cause the entire exterior sheet of 3/4plywood to buckle and sag Then the plywood will just suddenly "scissor" and crash to the ground. WOW! I would start over. That thing looks like it is going to fail at any moment. Even without a tank on it. I would suggest maybe a solid block of concrete or granite. Dont forget to reinforce it with rebar. 
:thumb:


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## PfunMo

I would say it will stand and do the job but I agree that it could have been built a bit better. For next time, I would move the corner posts in under the top frame and on top of the bottom frame. That puts the weight directly on the posts and does away with the possiblity of the post slipping up to put uneven pressure on the tank bottom. I won't with the top plywood but the top would not have been needed and some plywood saved. It also adds strength to the frame by giving a solid surface to glue the exterior plywood to at far more points. This assures there would be no racking as well as makes any vibrations of the plywood better. With these changes one could go with a thinner cheaper piece of plywood. The center front 2X4 with two doors would bother me more than a single door with a 2X4 at each side so I had one door to access both left and right without the center blocked.

Not so big a deal that I would do over but ideas to keep for next time.


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## fox

wilpir said:


> Same way I build stands,* but I add another 2x4 to the other side of yours between the upper and lower frames*, thereby tank is supported by wood and not just screws...do not trust screws!!


Helpful and to the point :thumb:



R-DUB said:


> I would suggest maybe a solid block of concrete or granite. Dont forget to reinforce it with rebar.


Note to self ... Self... this guy has no clue to what he is talking about. :zz:


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## Jowlz

I would also like to see 2x4's added to the outside of the uprights that are there, effectively turning the inside 2x4's into floaters. With that said, I think the stand is probably stronger and certainly looks nicer than 90% of the commercial stands out there....


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## bft3278

Jowlz said:


> I would also like to see 2x4's added to the outside of the uprights that are there, effectively turning the inside 2x4's into floaters. With that said, I think the stand is probably stronger and certainly looks nicer than 90% of the commercial stands out there....


jowlz thank you! i fixed some of the problems that everyone pointed out... the stand was way strong enough but some people on here think they are engineers so i made the best of it. i went off some other blue prints i found online when i made the stand. to answer some poeples questions as far as the top board on the stand, i made the stand for a 90 gallon or 110 gallon. if anyone read my first post the tanks are 48x18x25 and 48x21x30. the top board of the stand over hangs because of the "look" i was going for and the foot print of the stand is 48" long. so the tank will be sitting on the 2x4's. not trying to start any fights here, just making a stand for the wife and think it turned out pretty good. so keep your negitive posts to yourself :thumb:


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## bft3278

R-DUB said:


> Let me get this straight. This stand is built incorrectly?? Really? Over 40 wood screws would just suddenly shear free? Then a 3/4 piece of plwood on top will just suddenly compress eight up-rite 2x4's That would then cause the entire exterior sheet of 3/4plywood to buckle and sag Then the plywood will just suddenly "scissor" and crash to the ground. WOW! I would start over. That thing looks like it is going to fail at any moment. Even without a tank on it. I would suggest maybe a solid block of concrete or granite. Dont forget to reinforce it with rebar.
> :thumb:


RDUB agreed! :thumb:


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## bft3278

so heres a little update on what i did tonight. didnt get much done today but finished some trim work on the stand. will have more progress over the weekend i hope guys!









































cheers! :thumb:


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## bft3278

next question is guys, would you put 2 big doors in or 4 door? im thinking 4 doors would look better, two on each side but... i think it would be more of a pain to get to the pumps if there was 4 doors rather then 2. what do you guys think?


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## jrf

From the photos, I think 2 doors. But, it's hard to get a sense of scale in a photo.


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## GTZ

Definitely 4 doors.


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## Number6

*bft3278*
I was aware of the dimensions and of the skinning with plywood. I've seen stands like yours fail in a fishroom over time so I passed along the warning. I did not mean for my reply to be a put down...

In my opinion, the stand will support many times the weight of the tank vertically so I say it is like many DIY stands... overbuilt. I still stand by what I said about what I believe is a possible failure point... hardware. As I mentioned, I've seen many an overbuilt stand fail over time and with the common wetness problems that an aquarium can experience when you rely on just wood screws.

If I were you, I would PM McDaphnia to come and have a look at your thread here. He may tell me I'm wrong and I'd go with his opinion in a heart beat... he may also agree that wood screws alone was unwise. He'd be able to provide more specific info than I can since I am not an engineer and can simply pass along how I've seen a stand like yours fail.


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## PfunMo

> just making a stand for the wife and think it turned out pretty good. so keep your negitive posts to yourself


Not much point in asking for response if you have only one answer in mind.


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## fox

bft3278 said:


> ... the stand was way strong enough but some people on here think they are engineers so i made the best of it. i went off some other blue prints i found online when i made the stand.


I think what some were trying to suggest was that when using wood to build a stand that will support the weight of larger tanks one should not rely on mechanical attachment, again when using wood.

If the stand were fabb'd outta metal, using mechanical fasteners alone would be more than suffecient. Wood issa dynamic material and does some silly things with changes in humidity and to rely on (insert however many nails or screws here ___) as the sole means of support would not be completely wise. FWIW I am not a weekend warrior.

If you are to offer a pic to a crowd and ask what do ya'll think, be prepared to don the thick skin suit. I for one did not see anyone here make an attempt to suggest that people could die but rather suggested a better than you used technique for supporting the top frame. It inna nut shell.

My thorts ... the ply wood skins on the sides if installed vertically and fastened to the top and bottom frame would prolly be enough to support a 90 or 110 gallon tank. I would have suggested as others did that the (2) 2 x 4 posts are over kill but would have been better utilized if located under the top frame and resting on the shoe plate.

Two doors will take up more floor space to open, four doors, more work involved, will give the same sized opening but use less area to open. Not sure four doors would yield better results in this situation as the doors are what, only 21" or so?

Project looks good so far, I am sure the wife should be pleased with the results :thumb:


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## bft3278

Thanks fox! So I took some of your guys ideas and rebuilt the stand as far as the 2x4s. I place them under the top footprint and am glad I did. It give me a little more peace of mind now knowing that my stand is built correct now. I will post pictures soon of the 2x4s placed where they should be. Thank you to all you guys for helping me with pointers, didn't mean to come off as a jack a$$.

Fox- yes the doors are going to be about 21" so I'm still stuck as far as which and how many doors I should go with.


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## bft3278

heres a little update on what i did guys. i fixed the 2x4's and put them inside the foot prints and did a little more trim work, just caped the corners. i found a good deal from a local fish store for a 110 for 350.00 and when i got all the way there they said its only that price if i buy the stand and canopy to go with it, so its 550.00 by itself. hopefully i can talk to the owner of the store tomorrow and see if she will honor the 350.00 price since it was mis-labled.

so heres some pics guys!


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## Malawi_Junkie

Stand looks really nice, good job!!!!


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## sjnovakovich

I would definitely go with 2 doors. By the way... get the 110. I have one and its height makes it visually stunning.


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## Number6

*bft3278*
looks great and likely indestructible. 
The plywood should keep the whole thing nice and square and the tank has enough support to put an elephant into the aquarium 

Gluing and screwing is always recommendable. Did you do both or just the screws? 
I for one have found the wood screws at Lowe's and Home Depot to be weaker than they used to be. I've sheared of a head with a 18V cordless screwdriver without much effort...


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## ridley25

bft3278 said:


> heres a little update on what i did guys. i fixed the 2x4's and put them inside the foot prints.


Good for you! I've seen many a poster get upset about helpful feedback and dig his/her heels in. You're a smart person for having the patience to go back and do it right, even if "wrong" may never have had any consequences.

kevin


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## bft3278

Number6 said:


> *bft3278*
> looks great and likely indestructible.
> The plywood should keep the whole thing nice and square and the tank has enough support to put an elephant into the aquarium
> 
> Gluing and screwing is always recommendable. Did you do both or just the screws?
> I for one have found the wood screws at Lowe's and Home Depot to be weaker than they used to be. I've sheared of a head with a 18V cordless screwdriver without much effort...


Number6 - thank you, no i didnt even think about gluing the studs! i can still do it though its not to late. i am in no hurry and want this stand to be built right so i can sleep at night.

Ridley25 - Thank you, yeah i got ahead of myself when i built this, i found the foot print stand prints online from someone else and im glad that everyone here was able to help and be honest and tell me that the frame was wrong! so i took my time and rebuilt the frame the right way!

ok guys so heres what i ended up with today. i went to my lfs and they had one 110 gallon in the back, i was so glad to see that they had one because i couldnt find one anywhere! i drove 40 miles one way today just to get this thing. so once i got it home i had to see what it looked like on the stand and man is it tall! very well built tank and it wasnt cheap. so after i did that i cut some trim to make the tank look better. i also put 1/4 inch caps down the middle of the side moldings to finish it off and make it all look like one peice and i also re-did the floor with 3/4" birchwood, i didnt like the white 1/4" wood and didnt like the job i did on it since i through the old floor together so fast. so i just took my time and did it right im gonna build the canopy tomorrow and will post more pics at the end of the night.


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## Number6

bft3278 said:


> i am in no hurry and want this stand to be built right so i can sleep at night.


Even as is, it'll likely be without issue. What I personally have learned to do with all my wood stands (DIY built or purchased) is to glue and screw then put a bead of DAP or other paintable sealant inside on all seams. I then paint the inside white with a nice white self sealing paint... water proof paint if I'm doing ok money wise, cheaper paint if not. What this does for me is two things... creates a nice wipe-able surface inside the stand, and two... if there is ever a leak, the water either sits in the stand or flows out the front so I avoid not noticing a leak if it's small and water was able to head in the "wrong" direction (like out the back seams and into the wall of my house! ).

Do that and you won't regret it. :thumb:


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## sjnovakovich

bft3278 said:


> so once i got it home i had to see what it looked like on the stand and man is it tall! very well built tank and it wasnt cheap.


Like I said before, the height is going to make this a stunning tank when you have it filled with fish. You WILL NOT regret it at all.


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## bft3278

here is an update on the canopy guys! its not finished yet i still have to cut the doors out


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## nodima

I'd definitely go with two doors, but if you love the look of 4 doors, it is easy enough to design a single door to look like two doors.

And - there appears to be a definite lack of sawdust in your workshop!!!


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## Guest

I'd say you are VERY lucky. All my wife ever says is it's enough  . She just doesn't understand the Fishkeeping hobby. I have 2 75's in my house but I would love to do a 125...but again, my wife says :x "ENOUGH!!!!!"


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## bft3278

nodima said:


> I'd definitely go with two doors, but if you love the look of 4 doors, it is easy enough to design a single door to look like two doors.
> 
> And - there appears to be a definite lack of sawdust in your workshop!!!


Lol yeah I know, my wife makes me clean up after I'm done for the night. She's kinda a clean freak!


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## bft3278

LC5860 said:


> I'd say you are VERY lucky. All my wife ever says is it's enough  . She just doesn't understand the Fishkeeping hobby. I have 2 75's in my house but I would love to do a 125...but again, my wife says :x "ENOUGH!!!!!"


Oh believe me, my wife wasn't happy when I got into the hobby at all. It wasn't until after a year or so that she really liked our tank and saw someone elses that she wanted a bigger one. I don't get to ask for much, I usally get yelled at all the time. She told me if I didn't build a nice stand for the new one she was gonna go by a 3000 dollar stand, so I had some motivation on this one to save some money in my pocket.


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## gmaschke

Stand looks great nice job!

Almost makes me want to build another myself.


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## smitty

You have done a great job. I am going to make sure I keep watching your progress. By the way make it easy for yourself regarding the doors.


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## bft3278

smitty said:


> You have done a great job. I am going to make sure I keep watching your progress. By the way make it easy for yourself regarding the doors.


thank you smitty :thumb: i am planning on going with just 2 doors.
so i took a break from the stand and havent got much progress done with it. i have only gotten as far as sanding the canopy and staining it so far but, i took a break to tackle a different project and that is the background for the tank. i have started out carving the background and this is as far as i have gotten. any thoughts on how it looks so far or should i change anything? i dont want to do to much more if i should do something else to it since most of you on here are pro's at doing these backgrounds. let me know what you think! 
enjoy!


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## adrianf

bft3278 said:


> next question is guys, would you put 2 big doors in or 4 door? im thinking 4 doors would look better, two on each side but... i think it would be more of a pain to get to the pumps if there was 4 doors rather then 2. what do you guys think?


Why not 4 panels with magnets to hold them in place? Just remove the panels completely to perform maintenance on filters etc and then replace when finished.

My 2 cents worth.

Adrian


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## bft3278

heres an update on the background guys!


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## adrianf

By the way the stand looks great. I think I might give the job to some apprentice cabinet makers I have access to a carpentry workshop and 30 odd apprentices.

Adrian


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## bft3278

heres an update on the finished background guys thoughts?


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## bft3278

i know this may not be the best background since its my first one, but i wanted to try something different and give the rocks a more natural river rock look instead of the usual grey rock backgrounds. i tried to take as much pictures as i could to show some of you start to finish to give you an idea on how i did mine. there are four channels in the back of the background for all my four pumps, 2 canisters and 2 hob filters. i made the holes under the rocks in four different places so i hope it works and filtration works as well. i will be starting on the stand again tomorrow and hopefully have it sanded and stained with the first coat by tomorrow night. ill keep you guys posted for those who are interested! :thumb:


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## fox

Looking great so far, Thanx for sharing :thumb:

Thing with taller tanks and canopies is maintenance. Not as easy as it looks trying to capture a holding Mom without having to remove the canopy. We have a 29" tall tank and am very greatful the canopy opens up from the front to about 8" back with the hinge on the top.


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## jrf

Very nice work - going to be a great looking tank and stand once it's done. :thumb:


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## DanDee

Is that an MG in the background?

Dan


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## JWerner2

Cool Great Dane statue!

I love the BG. River rock/cobble stone is my favorite item to decorate with. I like it in your BG a lot!

What products did you use? is that Dry-Lock?


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## bft3278

fox said:


> Looking great so far, Thanx for sharing :thumb:
> 
> Thing with taller tanks and canopies is maintenance. Not as easy as it looks trying to capture a holding Mom without having to remove the canopy. We have a 29" tall tank and am very greatful the canopy opens up from the front to about 8" back with the hinge on the top.


thank you fox! yeah i have never had a tank this tall before so i know its gonna be a pain to clean, but i enjoy spending time every night checking on the fish and doing my weekly w/c.

do you take your canopy off when you do your cleanings? i normally take mine off when doing it on my 55 gal anyway, but this will be a bigger pain on my 110 since the canopy weighs a little more.

also, what type of cleaning kit or gravel sucker do you use? im thinking i need to upgrade mine!

JWerner2 - thank you! yeah the statue was made for my wife since we have had great danes are whole time together.

i just wanted to try something different and give it natural colors, not all rocks in a lake are the same color or shape so i tried to be a little different.

and yes i used dry lock, it worked very well and will be using it again in the future.

DanDee- yes that is a MG TF

Jrf- thank you, i cant wait to see it all finished so i can move onto other projects around the house!

i'll try and get some more pictures up tonight guys!


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## Rhinox

> do you take your canopy off when you do your cleanings? i normally take mine off when doing it on my 55 gal anyway, but this will be a bigger pain on my 110 since the canopy weighs a little more.


Not asked directly to me, but do yourself a favor and make sure you can do most of your maintenance without removing the canopy. I didn't take that into consideration when I built the canopy for my 125. Removing the canopy is more than just the hassle of moving it (and whatever you (or your wife :roll: ) has decided to pile on top of it), but also in the case of my tank, it removes the tank lighting. Even with room lighting on, it makes it tougher to see what you're doing in the tank, and catching a particular fish (like a holding female dark colored rusty) that much harder without good lighting.

The canopy on my 55 was a much better design. The whole front opened up and folded back, and then the entire canopy could slide back until it hit the wall giving me even more room to work. I could do all the maintenance without removing the canopy, unless I had to remove the rocks. But after I got the rocks out, I could put the canopy back on and still have room to catch fish while utilizing the lighting in the canopy.

Just a case of something that didn't appear to be a big problem, until I realized how big of a problem it really is.


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## fox

I have had other tall tanks before and learned the hard way that a canopy can be a problem. I use a ~30" gravel vac with the check valve innit. Give it a shake or two and it starts to siphon. I go thru one every year or two for one reason or another. I use a 20' hose onnit and the suction is just right without lifting the sand too high in the tube, any longer and the suction drops off.

We do not remove the canopy as the lights and ballasts are fastened to it and at 6' it is not easy to maneuver. Kinda hard to explain but the front panels are fastened to the top and swing up with the top that is cut and hinged about 8" back from the front. The side corner and rossette lift up with the front and this all swings back leaving good access to the tank. You can get in there up to the armpits this way :wink:


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## DanDee

I forgot to mention

Good looking build 

Those tall tanks look nice but....

To clean are a nice pain in the A$$

Dan


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## bft3278

Rhinox- thanks for the response. im thinking i should be able to do most of the cleaning without taking it off, but im a short guy and dont have long arms so im thinking it will have to be removed to clean the glass on the inside. the openings on the canopy are an ok size but i will just have to wait and see. and i also agree that the 55's have a better design. if i would have made the top open up i wouldnt be able to open it all the way because i have standard 8' sealings and my stand with canopy is over 6' tall.

Fox- i will go looking tomorrow and get a bigger vac, any brand i should look for? and what did you pay for yours? most *** seen in stores are around 75.00!

DanDee- lol thank you, i hope you guys continue to watch this build as it has been a month now and im dying to finish! im almost there.

so heres just a little update, 2nd coat of stain is on the stand now and i worked on putting in 3 round lights in my stand that are LED and im really impressed by them. i also put in switch outlets for all four of my pumps so i can just shut the one pump down when im doing so cleaning on that one and dont have to pull out plugs out of the powerstrip or just shut down the whole powerstrip. i will post some pictures up later for you guys who are interested! :dancing:


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## bft3278

heres an update on what the stand and canopy look like now, im just waiting for the doors to arrive so i can put this thing all together and move it into the house!


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## larry.beck

Can't wait to see this thing wet and full of fish!


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## Rhinox

looks really nice!

great idea with the outlets and switches. Bound to be a future mod to my stand for sure.


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## BigDaddyK

WOW Great Idea with those Switches... Can you say *RETROFIT!!!!!* hope you don't mind me "borrowing" your idea :dancing:


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## lelandgray

Great job on everything!


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## fox

bft3278 said:


> >snip<
> Fox- i will go looking tomorrow and get a bigger vac, any brand i should look for? and what did you pay for yours? most I've seen in stores are around 75.00!
> >snip<


We use an inexpensive 30" long gravel cleaner that has a flapper valve innit that when you give it a couple shakes it creates a siphon. We paid $17.00 for it at a LFS near us. Looks like a python but the top is blue.

We attached a hose fitting onnit and fasten it to a 20' length of python tubing and the siphon suction is just right for sand.

Stand, canopy and BG are looking :thumb:


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## bft3278

sorry guys been busy the last week.

larry.beck - Thank you! yes me as well cant wait to see this thing with sand and fish in it!

Rhinox - Thanks, i came up with the idea and searched for it and have found that i am not alone with making these switches, i cant remember the website i found it on but im also sure there are others on here who have done it. i love the switches and it was worth every penny even though they were not cheap!

BigDaddyK - im glad i was able to help inspire you to do this! i saw youre thread on them. how are you liking them so far?

lelandgray - Thank you for the kind words, im glad that you guys like it 

fox - im pretty sure thats what i just picked up, it was like 17 bucks at my lfs havent really played with it yet to much. thank you the tank is almost complete!

so i have one more mod that i did to the tank and stand, many of you will probably see no big point in it but i felt it was a must! i went out and bought a sump pump and bolted it in the stand for my water changes, what i did was put a 20 gallon rubber maid trash can (brand new and cleaned of course) and ran hoses behind the tank for pulling the water and putting water in the tank. so now the 20 gallon will sit with water in it so i can treat the water and have it sit until my next weekly water change, all i do is flip a switch that i made and run a house out the back door as it drains 20% of my water in 2 minutes and then turn my valves so it will suck my treated water back in the tank.

so what i have done here is elimanated water spilling on the tank/floor by using buckets since my tank and stand is so tall and i can do a water change in less then 10 minutes then taking me an hour on my days off. i will post pictures in the next day to show some of you guys what im talking about!

cheers, BFT :thumb:


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## Hollace25

That would be a pretty cool awesome post here


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## BigDaddyK

I'm really happy with the whole setup. I've done a waterchange since and the ability to turn off specific filters is nice. The timers were definitely worth the money. I made sure to build it so that when I move on to the plywood tank my wife still doesn't know is happening develops..... It'll move over there too.

:dancing:


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## Derek Layton

How did you get the color of the stain on the rim of the tank?


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## bft3278

Derek Layton said:


> How did you get the color of the stain on the rim of the tank?


I made strips of birchwood and cut them to fit the tank and then stained them.

ok guys so heres an update on the tank! i told you guys about how i was going to do my w/c for now on a couple of post back and here are some pics to show you what i did. just a pump on a switch with a 20 gallon rubber maid trash can with treated water sitting for a week and some hoses going behind the tank for easy acess to changing water.

i also have pictures of the tank filled and stocked with my fish with the new background. im actually really pleased on how this whole thing turned out and my fish are loving it. they are more active and are out more now. i only have one more thing to do and thats to put the doors on, which im still waiting for. please let me know what you guys think!!! :thumb:


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## fox

Looks good. :thumb:


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## GTZ

Looks fantastic! Added this thread to the DIY Background Thread
Consider posting a pic to the Showcase Thread.


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## toubabokoomi

very nice job man the girl friend says it beautiful lol


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## bft3278

Fox, GTZ and toubabokoomi thank you!

so far the fish are doing great and i have been doing daily water testing to make sure the water is fine. so far so good! everyone who has seen the tank in person has loved it and the fish are more active and showing more personality now.

i made a thread in the Tank Setup topics but havent had any response. maybe some of you guys who are following me thread could tell me?

I have four pumps on my 110 gallon high tank. Two which are penguine 350's HOB and two Rena xp2's. One of the HOB's just died and I wanted your thoughts as far as replacing both hobs with one or two more canisters or just Getting rid of the hobs and just run my two existing xp2's? My only concern is having enough filtration still and having enough water agitation with just the 2 canister filters. Keep in mind that all my filters are behind my diy background. What would you guys do?

appreciate any feed back on this one guys! thanks a bunch :thumb:


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## BigDaddyK

My thoughts on canisters are this:

They are definitely more customizable as far as media but that comes at a cost of turnover rate. Do the math see if you are at or above your 10x/hr. I can't speak for all but that is what I aim for with my filtration. If you are at or near 10x then go with the canister and give your self options on media. If you need some more 'horsepower' then grab a solid churning HOB.


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## bft3278

Heres a little update on the build guys

got the pump issues figured and thanks for the help guys!
now on to the build, i got the doors installed and put the first coat of stain on them tonight. heres a couple of updated pics i wanted to show you guys and also wanted to know your thoughts on putting handles on all the doors? wife isnt sure about putting some on thinking they well look to busy or gotti. any thoughts fellas? :-?


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## larry.beck

I find I'm in and out of my cabinet doors so often that those without handles get more scratches and wear than those with.

These continues to be one top notch setup! :thumb:


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## BigDaddyK

I like the "handleless" look myself. I haven't found any scratches showing on any of my doors to date and my stand is about 4yrs old now


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## DanniGirl

Looks incredible!!!! opcorn: 
Job well done! -I bet you can't wait to finish! 
(BTW, excellent idea installing the switches in the stand!) :thumb:


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## bft3278

larry.beck - i feel the same way, but im not sure if that will really be an issue with me. the wife and i are going for what looks best, but i have taken your comment into consideration.

BigDaddyK - i agree too, it seems like putting handels on would take away from the cabinet. i havent seen to many fish tank stands with them as well. i just mite not go with them and leave them as they are.

DanniGirl- thank you!! yes it has been a long headache for me and my wife, im just waiting to put the third coat of stain on the doors and i will be FINISHED!!! hopefully have the final product finished this weekend with some pictures to back it up of course 

p.s. i am loving the switches, it is a nice perk to have done to the tank and has made w/c so much easier.


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## bft3278

ok guys so here is the final product with the doors on! i just wanted to thank all of you for your comments and fo helping me through this, thanks a bunch guys and to the mods! :thumb:

flash off 

























flash on


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## GTZ

Brilliant! Nicely done sir :thumb:


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## mlancaster

Hi *bft3278*,

You built/created a great looking stand and tank.

I also wanted to comment on the cool wood sculptures and classic car in your garage in the original post.

What type of car is that? Did you do the wood sculptures yourself? Or purchased?

Thank you for sharing your process.

Thanks,
Matt


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## Kerricko

Very nicely done. :thumb: :thumb:


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## nc_psd

fantastic :thumb:


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## bft3278

thank you guys 

I started an updated thread on what *** been doing with the tank and what it looks like now since its been a while. please feel free to take a look at it in this thread down below! :thumb:

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/view ... p?t=225669


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## cmjdjm1

Amazing build, from both the stand and canopy to the background. Im so jealous! I just don't know what to be more jealous of, the tank, the stand, or the amazing shop you've got going on there!


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## Imaconvict

Masterful build from start to finish awesome set up.


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## juststayinthecave

Great build and some nice pics of those young fronts. Very entertaining. :thumb:


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## stefan88

Coming from a carpenter.. Great job dude!! Very very nice!


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## Norm66

Awesome. Thanks for sharing.


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## sik-lid

I build high end furniture and cabinetry and I just want to tell you that your project looks great! I hope your wife is happy but if she is not i would gladly take the set up just the way it is off your hands, Lol. It is obvious that you are a very creative and talented person, not to mention you have the patience of Job.  I hope you will start on another one soon and keep us all glued to our screens watching your creativity unfold. opcorn:


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