# 7' Tank Build



## The King Crabb

Yes, it's finally starting! To those of you unfamiliar with the mighty tank I acquired, here is a picture of it: (my snowboard on top as a comparison)










Custom tank, 7'x1'x1'. Will be housing a species-only Saulosi tank, about 20-30 of them.

Tonight I go out to buy wood, and with the wood the stand will be born!

I'll post pictures of progress later tonight :thumb:


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## CITADELGRAD87

Awesome. Waiting for progress. Impatiently.


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## zimmy

opcorn:


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## quentin8

Great...I have been checking everyday just to see if you had started yet, cant wait to see the finished product.


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## Dominateprimate

I dont know if youve already said this but how many gal is tgat??


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## dsouthworth

*Dominateprimate*

It's a little larger than 50. 
Probably 53-55


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## The King Crabb

dsouthworth said:


> It's a little larger than 50.
> Probably 53-55


Very close! About 52G :thumb:

So I got started, but I only cut the legs before I realized I forgot to buy the nails :roll:

Here is the very limited progress I made tonight, the (eight) 48" tall legs:









A picture of some of the other wood that's going to be used:









And the depressing sight that met my eyes when I looked into the nail box:









Without more nails I can do next to nothing. I'm going to Home Depot to grab some nails on Monday so the building will resume then!


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## quentin8

:lol: Thats to funny...


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## zimmy

I would use screws to build the stand not nails. Much better holding power.


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## Number6

I think i would have built the stand thinner than 2by4 construction... The tank will have very little weight to be supported per sq inch of stand. The 2by 4 construction threatens to overwhelm the attractiveness of the tank.


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## lelandgray

I would have done plywood only for the stand.. It would be a cleaner build.


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## The King Crabb

I don't have the tools for the plywood stand to make it look good, simple as that.

I know that the 2x4s won't help the attractiveness, but it also gives me basically limitless possibilities.


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## z400

Wild looking tank.

You need a box of screws though.


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## The King Crabb

You all say I need a screws, why? I've made stands with this almost exact same build for more water weight with nails. There won't even be any weight on the nails unless you push it so the nails have to keep the legs in place, I think I'm fine with nails unless there is something I don't know?


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## Agridion

The King Crabb said:


> You all say I need a screws, why? I've made stands with this almost exact same build for more water weight with nails. There won't even be any weight on the nails unless you push it so the nails have to keep the legs in place, I think I'm fine with nails unless there is something I don't know?


You could always glue then nail... It would be solid as a rock... (so to speak)


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## Number6

Nails are really not as strong as youd think. I can tank a stand put together with nails and twist it apart with bare hands. Glued and screwed? No way... Just screws? I can still rip it apart... Takes about twice the effort as nails. Your call in the end. :thumb:


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## z400

I prefer a pull over a squeeze, you know what im saying?


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## The King Crabb

Good point with the screws being much stronger, but still isn't what I'd call "needed". Since nails are much easier to work with, use, and hide I think I'll probably stick with them. Hard to tell in the picture but they're finishing nails, you can pound them in past the wood's natural point of ending and paint over it with even telling it's there.


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## quentin8

> You could always glue then nail... It would be solid as a rock... (so to speak)


I agree


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## The King Crabb

Agridion said:


> You could always glue then nail... It would be solid as a rock... (so to speak)


Sorry, forgot to address this. I love the idea, but I'm not patient by any stretch of the imagination. The time it would take me to glue would be about 3 hours due to my OCD habits when it comes to wood working!


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## Agridion

The King Crabb said:


> Agridion said:
> 
> 
> 
> You could always glue then nail... It would be solid as a rock... (so to speak)
> 
> 
> 
> Sorry, forgot to address this. I love the idea, but I'm not patient by any stretch of the imagination. The time it would take me to glue would be about 3 hours due to my OCD habits when it comes to wood working!
Click to expand...

How would it take you that much longer? Before you nail the wood to each other you squeeze some glue on the wood, press them together and then put the nail through.


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## quentin8

+1


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## nishu

well nice work you are in progress and i hope you will make a good one........


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## chptunes

I'm looking forward to the finished product Crabb. I think this 7'x1'x1' tank is the cat's meow for Mbuna. Pictures.. take plenty of pictures.


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## The King Crabb

Agridion said:


> How would it take you that much longer? Before you nail the wood to each other you squeeze some glue on the wood, press them together and then put the nail through.


I was imagining a large painting-like job that ended up with me getting annoyed at it not working and spreading it like butter... I haven't used wood glue in a while :lol:

I think I'll try that out actually, just to be safe! How much wood glue do you think I need? I've got a little in the garage, about a quart, but I'm sure that's not enough.



chptunes said:


> I'm looking forward to the finished product Crabb. I think this 7'x1'x1' tank is the cat's meow for Mbuna. Pictures.. take plenty of pictures.


I'm certainly going to try my best! I'll be bringing out the legit camera (not my phone) today when I resume it so y'all will have something a little more appealing to look at!



nishu said:


> well nice work you are in progress and i hope you will make a good one........


You sound a bit doubtful :wink:

As I said, I'll be resuming later today. I may be making some large changes to the current plan since I'm getting worried I'll make too many mistakes that will require precision, here is the in-revision plan with the canopy attached to the stand. It's hard to tell in the picture but the back panel that's holding up the canopy is painted black for the fish to stand out more. There will also be a back panel on the lower part painted black, not in the picture.










The two 20G longs on the bottom aren't a for sure thing yet! They'd be fry tanks for the many Saulosi fry I hope to get.


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## swamphntr

Hey all new here and just about neck deep in a cichlid tank build for the first time in 15 years. Lots of new stuff to know and I have been lurking and learning. However I am a master carpenter by trade and can give some experienced input here. Your nails without glue are for lack of better terms a project weakening more and more every day. That is not to say nails are weak rather meant to be used in situations where backing out is not an option and the desired strength is in sheer loads. Sheer loads being perpendicular. In this realm nails rule and screws are weak. In fact all in all screws are weak in just about every aspect besides holding power. Due to the extreme weight involved with a fish tank one would think nails needed. Not so. Plywood rules and will lock any potential side to side flex (sheer) with the tiniest of nails and GLUE. That being said for ease of build and immediate holding power until the glue dries screws rule. If your really worried about sheer strength hammer in one or two cement coated 16 d sinkers and screw and glue the plywood.


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## quentin8

You dont need that much wood glue. just a couple drops in each joint before you nail them together


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## The King Crabb

swamphntr said:


> Hey all new here and just about neck deep in a cichlid tank build for the first time in 15 years. Lots of new stuff to know and I have been lurking and learning. However I am a master carpenter by trade and can give some experienced input here. Your nails without glue are for lack of better terms a project weakening more and more every day. That is not to say nails are weak rather meant to be used in situations where backing out is not an option and the desired strength is in sheer loads. Sheer loads being perpendicular. In this realm nails rule and screws are weak. In fact all in all screws are weak in just about every aspect besides holding power. Due to the extreme weight involved with a fish tank one would think nails needed. Not so. Plywood rules and will lock any potential side to side flex (sheer) with the tiniest of nails and GLUE. That being said for ease of build and immediate holding power until the glue dries screws rule. If your really worried about sheer strength hammer in one or two cement coated 16 d sinkers and screw and glue the plywood.


This basically blew me away :lol: I'm not sure you read through all the stuff (I don't blame you) but the tank is only 52G (ish), which means filled it would only be about 600 pounds tops. I've got nails holding together almost every part of each DIY stand in the house, which is 4 stands total and a whole lot of nails. The stand would get bumped basically never, if it all; still think I'll need the screws over the nails?



quentin8 said:


> You dont need that much wood glue. just a couple drops in each joint before you nail them together


Well that's good, I've certainly got enough then!


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## quentin8

I think it could be done with nails and glue. But I also think that screws and glue would be a safer bet. I am a stong beliver in wood glue, says right on the bottle "Bonds stronger than wood". If you do use nails just get it all together and let it sit overnight with no weight on it so the the glue can dry.


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## The King Crabb

I think I'm going to stick with nails because they have never failed me yet and my stands have been described as "better suited as bomb shelters", I'm not too worried. My 55G stand has held up for almost 2 years now with the nearly exact same build, since this tank is actually less weight and less distance between legs I'm even less worried.


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## The King Crabb

And finally, some actual progress! I didn't get as much done as I would've liked, but I made a sizable dent in the build.

Here is me starting and finishing the "L" looking legs. (There's the 125G on the side, different project for a different day!)

















Here is the main support beam finally connected, this is way harder to connect than it looks!









Back legs with the main support beam, notice they're not "L" shaped because of the backing









Here are the cross braces, I couldn't put them right at the ends because my nails weren't long enough and I was worried about hitting other nails along the way!









The top wood. Notice I didn't choose plywood, for two reasons. The first reason is that to get good plywood, it's a little more than using 2x6s and a 2x4. The second reason is because if you see a painted 2x4 or 2x6 it looks a lot better than a slab of plywood, trust me.









You probably took note that I'm missing more than a third of the top. I was getting very impatient by the time I finally got to this point of purchasing wood and grabbed the best looking 2x6, and I regrettably forgot to check for straightness. It's not even close to straight, I'm going to have to buy a new one tomorrow.









Adding the bottom ring, for stability:

















You'll notice a slight recess here in the back, it's for a panel of plywood (to be purchased tomorrow with the replacement 2x6) to slip into very easy. The recess is close to 1/4" so the plywood fits in nicely.









That's all that I've got done for today, not bad for an hour and a half of working. Tomorrow I'm adding the top support ring, backing, replacement 2x6 on top, and the shelf. If I have time I'll be starting sanding and then the primer coat.


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## quentin8

This is a wall for a fallout shelter, right? 
Its looking very nice and clean :thumb:


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## z400

:lol: Bomb shelters are not built with nails. 
Does that tell you anything? 
Maybe the person who is telling you that isnt sure what they are
talking about and are just trying to be generous.


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## swamphntr

My guess we have all bought cheap particle board laminate furniture at one time or another. It functions fine as long as it isnt moved. Move it a few times and sheer loads tear the fasteners and all the sudden you have a wobble piece of junk. Here is the catch, without that 1/8 inch thich pice of card board nailed to the back of your least favorite wal mart entertainment center, it wouldnt last or survive its own weight. This is good news for you.

As I said earlier, plywood rules being a glued laminate of thin wood grain laid perpendicular to each other. It is so strong in terms of sheer loads it replaced solid wood in nearly all modern exterior sheathing applications. Your roofs, walls ect. What your 2x4 joints lack in holding power the plywood will cure by adding glues perpendicular layers that hold your less than fantastic fastener. In the end you will have a structure that will not fall apart without a pry bar. I concur with you that should hold 600 lbs no problem. At least glue the dern plywood...

All that said I would still glue my joints and use screws as they are hands down easier to apply and do not back out as I move and toss my project around prior to sheathing it with plywood. Do'nt want to beat a dead horse with this one but I am considering the audience. So far everything I have read on this forum tends to be cutting edge info for the hobby and tends to frown on some less precise methods of keeping fish. I just assume that this would apply to the foundation of the tank as well. That is a big compliment to the site. It has definitely raised the bar in which I approached my latest tank. My wife thinks I have lost it with styrofoam backgrounds, hidden equipment, dry loc ect ect ect. If I hear, " the last time we did this we just added water crushed coral and some of those drops you buy and had fish a day later".........


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## BillD

I have to concur with swamphntr (well said), on everything he has said. Using nails is bad, using non spiral nails is even worse, and not using glue with smooth finishing nails would be the worst.. I would also say that using planking for the top is a bad idea. Structural lumber is prone to warping when not secured tightly. A twisting caused by a warping piece of lumber could damage a tank, especially a light one. This isn't meant be any sort of attack, but as mentioned, many will read this thread, and learn from it.


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## CITADELGRAD87

Nice neat work, King.

I do not work with wood for a living, or even on TV. I can tell you that the cheapo stand that came with that 100 glass I am working up has no screws, 5 2x 4 legs, and supports twice what that stand will be asked to do. I can't tell if it was glued, but guessing probably. It's sheeted with 1/8 plywood.

Once you glue that plywood panel, run tape, set off the bomb, and put it on Youtube, I think you will be fine.


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## The King Crabb

z400 said:


> :lol: Bomb shelters are not built with nails.
> Does that tell you anything?
> Maybe the person who is telling you that isnt sure what they are
> talking about and are just trying to be generous.


It was meant more to say that I build my stands way over what is necessary :lol:

*swamphntr*
I really appreciate all this expert advice and everything, but the nails are in so far! I'm going to stick with the nails throughout the project but I will probably be gluing most if not all of the plywood.



BillD said:


> I would also say that using planking for the top is a bad idea. Structural lumber is prone to warping when not secured tightly. A twisting caused by a warping piece of lumber could damage a tank, especially a light one. This isn't meant be any sort of attack, but as mentioned, many will read this thread, and learn from it.


You think the lumber will warp? I've only ever used topping like this on my stand I made before this (double decker with 40G on top and 18G on bottom) and I haven't had problems with it although it's only been up for a little more than a month or two. I'm putting 16 nails onto each board and the only point that matters if it warps is where the majority of the nails are, not to mention that will have an equally distributed portion of 600 pounds on it. Think it's still a problem?



CITADELGRAD87 said:


> Nice neat work, King.
> 
> I do not work with wood for a living, or even on TV. I can tell you that the cheapo stand that came with that 100 glass I am working up has no screws, 5 2x 4 legs, and supports twice what that stand will be asked to do. I can't tell if it was glued, but guessing probably. It's sheeted with 1/8 plywood.
> 
> Once you glue that plywood panel, run tape, set off the bomb, and put it on Youtube, I think you will be fine.


Thank you for the compliment 

:lol: [/quote]


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## swamphntr

Glue plywood and nails is the strongest combination. The only advantage to screws is instant holding power that keeps your project square and joints tight until the adhesive dries. I think your project will be just fine with a little glue on the plywood.

In terms of moisture I have a situation with that right now. What spawned this rebirth of cichlid interest for me was a homeowner with a 55 in the drive, custom hood and a load it up and you can have it attitude. I wasnt really impressed with the hood but it had 50 bucks worth of lights in it and seemed decent enough. It was already primed and painted all I needed was a cycled tank and some fish right???? Wrong.... The hood is made entirely from solid birch which is commonly used for cabinetry. It like all wood has a grain and a natural cup toward what used to be the center of the tree. 100 % of the joint the cup is faced away from the joint. Now that they have warped and separated, its easy to see no primer on the end cuts and wallah the wood is ruined. A dab of primer, glue and facing the cup toward the joint would have saved the hood. Now its junk.

Good news is you guys will get to see me build a new one....

Project looking good and BTW I didnt mean to make it out that I was bashing your efforts just lending some experience where I can.


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## The King Crabb

I'm excited to see that build, from what I can gather from your posts you know how it's done! I may watch that build before I build on the canopy for this one, which probably won't be connected to the stand as was the original plan.



swamphntr said:


> Project looking good and BTW I didnt mean to make it out that I was bashing your efforts just lending some experience where I can.


Not at all, thanks once more for the expert advice!


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## Jarryd330

Agridion said:


> The King Crabb said:
> 
> 
> 
> You all say I need a screws, why? I've made stands with this almost exact same build for more water weight with nails. There won't even be any weight on the nails unless you push it so the nails have to keep the legs in place, I think I'm fine with nails unless there is something I don't know?
> 
> 
> 
> You could always glue then nail... It would be solid as a rock... (so to speak)
Click to expand...

Thats what I would do. I've never built a stand but from other projects, I can say that liquid nails is powerful stuff.


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## QHgal

> It like all wood has a grain and a natural cup toward what used to be the center of the tree. 100 % of the joint the cup is faced away from the joint. Now that they have warped and separated, its easy to see no primer on the end cuts and wallah the wood is ruined. A dab of primer, glue and facing the cup toward the joint would have saved the hood. Now its junk.


My husband decided to be generous one day and built a stand for my 125 gal tank. It was really ugly, but of course I couldn't tell him that LOL. You can imagine how happy I was when I realized he put it together wrong and didn't seal any of it. Within a month it started to warp, and completely pulled apart. It had to go in the trash before it fell apart and damaged something. Darn! LOL


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## quentin8

any updates? opcorn:


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## DrgRcr

A Kregs pocket screw kit, glue, and some 3/4" plywood is all you need to build any stand you'd like! Here's the proof http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/view ... highlight=


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## bac3492

Where on earth did you find a tank that size?

I want one :drooling:


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## The King Crabb

quentin8 said:


> any updates? opcorn:


Not yet  Haven't had a chance to get away to get that last little bit of wood and I don't want to do a whole lot more work without the backing, I may start sanding soon though.



bac3492 said:


> Where on earth did you find a tank that size?


I got really lucky and found a local guy with it, only $100!



QHgal said:


> A Kregs pocket screw kit, glue, and some 3/4" plywood is all you need to build any stand you'd like! Here's the proof http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/view ... highlight=


I looked at that stand for design ideas  Unfortunately after a little closer look, you'll notice he's got world class carpentry skills. I've got 1 semester of working on a lathe :lol:


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## Dominateprimate

I looked at that stand for design ideas  Unfortunately after a little closer look, you'll notice he's got world class carpentry skills. I've got 1 semester of working on a lathe :lol:[/quote]

:lol: :lol: :lol: I've been in the exact same position multiple times.

Just throwing this out there, I think oriential bamboo would be awesome in this tank.


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## The King Crabb

Dominateprimate said:


> Just throwing this out there, I think oriential bamboo would be awesome in this tank.


Thanks for the tip! Not sure what shelling this with yet, what are cheap options?


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## DrgRcr

The King Crabb said:


> I looked at that stand for design ideas  Unfortunately after a little closer look, you'll notice he's got world class carpentry skills. I've got 1 semester of working on a lathe :lol:


I have far from world class carpentry skills, believe me. I just did a little research. The tools for this build were:

Cordless drill
Circular saw
Compound Miter Saw
Clamps
Kregs Pocket Hole Kit
Horses
Iron
Hole Saw
Stain Brush


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## Dominateprimate

The King Crabb said:


> Dominateprimate said:
> 
> 
> 
> Just throwing this out there, I think oriential bamboo would be awesome in this tank.
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks for the tip! Not sure what shelling this with yet, what are cheap options?
Click to expand...

You could get friendship bamboo at a your local pond or garden store for about $10-$15 for a good chunk where I live. But you have to make sure if you do the bamboo the tops must be out of the water at least a bit otherwise they will die. (thats why I'd recommend them for this tank because it's so short.)


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## The King Crabb

I'll definitely remember that bamboo tip when the build is a little farther along!

Anybody know of cheaper options than finished plywood as the outside shell?


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## CITADELGRAD87

Spitballing here, but is there a place where you could get closeout/overstock flooring nearby? Maybe some nice laminate wood flooring, I think it's about 12 a box retail, covers about 20sq feet, I think that's way cheaper than the finish grade ply, at least around here. It's not super strong structurally, but U have built TV stands out of particle board that really stiffened up when I tacked on a cardboard backing, it's WAY stronger than that.

It would be catch as catch can as far as what color you can get, but it's already finished.


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## The King Crabb

I have a flooring liquidators (I think that means something like a huge sale?) about 3 miles away, I could check there! I'm not worried about the shelling being strong at all, I'm putting 1/4" plywood as the backing then putting the shell on top of that; the shell is just to make my stand look good!


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## Aulonocara_Freak

:drooling: :drooling: :drooling: :drooling: :drooling: :drooling: OMG! :drooling: :drooling: :drooling: :drooling: :drooling: :drooling:

Did you build the tank yourself?
If not who built it for you?


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## The King Crabb

I don't have anywhere near the skill to build one like this myself :lol: There was a guy up in Salt Lake City (about an hour away) that built it himself, he even used extra thick glass so there is no support braces! I only paid $100 for it and I'll never look back, it was an amazing deal!


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## aussie pride

Nice tank! No, let me rephrase that, AMAZING tank! Just a tip, my dad is a chippy and even more my little 16g's stand, he used 1/2" thick, 6" and 8" long batton screws and that stand is solid, so I would reccomend getting some for your stand. Just pre-drill the holes, get a powerful drill and drill in the screws and you will have an even more beast of a stand. Plywood sanded down and stained/varnished looks amazing as a shell, so that could be an option?


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## Aulonocara_Freak

The King Crabb said:


> I only paid $100 for it and I'll never look back, it was an amazing deal!


WTF, only $100!!! :drooling: I've been dreaming about a tank just like this but 10-20 feet long.

POST MORE PIC'S!!!


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## The King Crabb

Aulonocara_Freak said:


> POST MORE PIC'S!!!


I'm working on that! I've been crazy busy this week (last week of term, got a 4.0  ) I'm hoping that I'll have time to work on this some more tomorrow, but not promises! I'm heading down to my uncle's house today for a Halloween thing and he's the DIY king (he honestly took apart his whole garage and drilled and dug out another 4 feet deep so he could park his RV inside :lol: ) I'm hoping he has some nice tips for me and maybe even some equipment or parts I can use!


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## KraKstar

Hahahahaha!!!! U bought this tank from my friend! I helped clean and resilicone it up! I'm glad to see its going to good use. I actually just decided to do a mbuna species tank and my choices was saulosi or msobos. I'm glad I got the msobos since ur doing saulosi. I would love to buy some fry once u get it going. Well have fun building and keep us posted even after u build. I wanna see what ya do with this [/list]Awesome tank.


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## The King Crabb

KraKstar said:


> Hahahahaha!!!! U bought this tank from my friend! I helped clean and resilicone it up!


 :lol: Funny how things like that end up isn't it?


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## Steve C

King..I love the tank man, what's your stocking plan for it? And new pics??


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## The King Crabb

Steve C said:


> King..I love the tank man, what's your stocking plan for it? And new pics??


I'm going to be putting it in my bedroom and have 20-30 Saulosi in there, species only tank 

Haven't had a chance to work on it, sorry! I know it's been a week but it's been one heck of one and now it's Halloween, I should have time to get materials tomorrow and hopefully make some more progress!


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## jchild40

:thumb:


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## bac3492

After having read through this post, i have taken some interest in trying to build something of this stature. Maybe a foot longer, similar height and width.... i am interested to know if there is a support bracket in the center of the tank much like a standard 55 gallon tank??? If not... is it 3/8 glass? Im interested in what keeps this thing together.


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## The King Crabb

No support brace! Not sure what thickness the glass is... I haven't measured it but I can when I get home, I'd assume it's somewhere around 1/2" - much thicker than a standard 55G.


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## zharnotczar

Wow, you got a deal on that tank. I'm trying to build my tank that's either 3 or 4 feet long and the total cost of my glass is looking to be much more than that.


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## bac3492

zharnotczar said:


> Wow, you got a deal on that tank. I'm trying to build my tank that's either 3 or 4 feet long and the total cost of my glass is looking to be much more than that.


Look for recycled glass. It will be significantly cheaper... avoid tempered as well


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## zharnotczar

bac3492 said:


> zharnotczar said:
> 
> 
> 
> Wow, you got a deal on that tank. I'm trying to build my tank that's either 3 or 4 feet long and the total cost of my glass is looking to be much more than that.
> 
> 
> 
> Look for recycled glass. It will be significantly cheaper... avoid tempered as well
Click to expand...

I don't know where to get recycled glass around here. Any tips on finding that? I just don't think I trust the glass quality of recycled stuff I could find... Also, tempered glass is obvious to avoid.


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## The King Crabb

zharnotczar said:


> I don't know where to get recycled glass around here. Any tips on finding that? I just don't think I trust the glass quality of recycled stuff I could find... Also, tempered glass is obvious to avoid.


You could try buying a used tank and cut the glass? I'm sure you could find a used 55G for around $50.

*UPDATES!* Finally got around to it (last night, but it was too late for pictures), made some serious progress and feeling good about myself so far!

First thing I did was put on the backing, since I think everything looks better once you put a big chunk of something on there!



























I also got the front leg support on there, should have done this earlier since it was so easy.










Then I reinforced some of the rings on there, I went with 4" wood screws.



















Now for the shelf! I'm really liking the direction I went with on this and it looks like it should turn out pretty legit!



















This is roughly what the shelf will look like (but with spaces on there), I just laid them all hodge-podge so I could see what it would roughly look like and decided to share it with you!










And here is where I left off, with the exact middle of the upper shelf (haven't started the lower one yet) glued on. I'm going to be gluing each slat on with about 1/16" space in between each one (I have a guide, no worries). I wanted the let the center one to sit overnight since that will be the one that all the other pieces are modeled off!


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## bac3492

zharnotczar said:


> bac3492 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> zharnotczar said:
> 
> 
> 
> Wow, you got a deal on that tank. I'm trying to build my tank that's either 3 or 4 feet long and the total cost of my glass is looking to be much more than that.
> 
> 
> 
> Look for recycled glass. It will be significantly cheaper... avoid tempered as well
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> I don't know where to get recycled glass around here. Any tips on finding that? I just don't think I trust the glass quality of recycled stuff I could find... Also, tempered glass is obvious to avoid.
Click to expand...

Construction sites, craigslist or any kind of swapper sites or magazines are a good place to check. Most glass you can clean up with a razor blade.

King Crabb... Everything is looking good. I look forward to seeing the end result :thumb:


----------



## quentin8

looking good :thumb:


----------



## Steve C

Comin' along very nicely :thumb: :thumb:


----------



## Aulonocara_Freak

:thumb: NICE! :thumb:


----------



## CITADELGRAD87

Looking great, King. What did you decide on for that panel, it almost looks like finished finish grady ply in the first photo, but I think I see a tongue and groove edge in another photo.

Looks great either way, but I know you were considering unconventional material.


----------



## The King Crabb

I feel really dumb saying this, but I have no idea what it's called. I completely forgot to check what it was, although I can tell you it's some sort of thin plywood, about 1/16". It was only 11" and almost the exact height I needed, I just had the guy cut a foot off the end and it fits within 1/16"; not bad for $11!


----------



## cantrell00

The King Crabb said:


> I feel really dumb saying this, but I have no idea what it's called. I completely forgot to check what it was, although I can tell you it's some sort of thin plywood, about 1/16". It was only 11" and almost the exact height I needed, I just had the guy cut a foot off the end and it fits within 1/16"; not bad for $11!


The plywood is Luan.

Told you the tank had a ideal foot print!

Looks great..

One thing I have learned about woodworking, especially building structural pieces like this. You cannot go wrong with sheet rock screws! Just an fyi if you ever build another one. Get a good combo countersinking bit too (if you don't already have one)


----------



## The King Crabb

cantrell00 said:


> Told you the tank had a ideal foot print!
> 
> You cannot go wrong with sheet rock screws! Just an fyi if you ever build another one. Get a good combo countersinking bit too (if you don't already have one)


That you did, it's a good thing you answered my post quickly or I may not have picked this bad boy up; thank you 

Thanks for the tip on the sheet rock screws, I'm using this tank as the "tester" to my 125G stand plan since it's virtually the same stand but extended, I'd rather have 52G of water on my floor than 125G!


----------



## cantrell00

The King Crabb said:


> cantrell00 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Told you the tank had a ideal foot print!
> 
> You cannot go wrong with sheet rock screws! Just an fyi if you ever build another one. Get a good combo countersinking bit too (if you don't already have one)
> 
> 
> 
> That you did, it's a good thing you answered my post quickly or I may not have picked this bad boy up; thank you
> 
> Thanks for the tip on the sheet rock screws, I'm using this tank as the "tester" to my 125G stand plan since it's virtually the same stand but extended, I'd rather have 52G of water on my floor than 125G!
Click to expand...

No problem...

As for the stands.. As long as you have good joint integrity, you would be surprised in how little wood is really required. It takes A LOT of force to compress a piece of lumber to the point of breaking. Much more so than the weight of 125 gallons of water. There is a huge safety compensation factor when using 2X4 construction assuming the vertical & horizontal joints are sound. Wood glue goes a LONG way and you don't need much.


----------



## The King Crabb

cantrell00 said:


> Wood glue goes a LONG way and you don't need much.


Duly noted :thumb:

*More updates!*

Today was shelf construction, and everybody's favorite thing to use for this is of course the mighty nail gun. Saved my life on speed!










Got all the top panels on:









Now starting on the bottom shelf:



















Once I got the bottom shelf all done I realized there would be some serious problems with the holes left, so I compensated.





































And here is how it stands at the end of the day:










That's all for today folks, tomorrow is lots of sanding down! I've decided to keep the tank as is because I don't think it looks bad as is and I designed it this way. I'm debating on putting "walls" on the shelves on the edges so you can't see into them from the outsides, but I'm still thinking on that.

I moved it over closer to the door where the tank was so I put the tank on there too, I think I may have built it a little too tall but it should still be fine!


----------



## Aulonocara_Freak

If I ever get to the need to build a stand I might just have to hire you! :drooling:


----------



## The King Crabb

Aulonocara_Freak said:


> If I ever get to the need to build a stand I might just have to hire you! :drooling:


 :lol: I'd be happy to help!


----------



## cantrell00

Man, that tank looks small on that stand!

I need a nail gun like that.. major time saver...


----------



## Steve C

Came out good looking :thumb:

So are you doing just two 20g tanks under the main tank or you gonna go for four?


----------



## The King Crabb

Steve C said:


> So are you doing just two 20g tanks under the main tank or you gonna go for four?


Not sure on that yet! I can easily do two or four, but I'm not sure I'll really need 4 fry tanks? Then again I hear Saulosi breed like there's no tomorrow... I made sure that they'd all fit though, I can easily fit any tank that's 36"x13" or smaller.


----------



## CITADELGRAD87

I don't think you could go too high with a 12 inch tank, it is never going to be hard to reach to bottom and you are just bringing those fish up closer to eye level.

I think this looks GREAT.

Ok, that's it for real this time, off to bed for me.


----------



## Clink51

if you ever get bored of the tank, it looks liek it could actually fit under the tank in one of the shelves.... what are you going to do for lighting this sucker??


----------



## Agridion

The King Crabb said:


>


King Crab Your stand is looking good. The small tank on that tall stand does remind me of a Goomba from the Mario movie:









Do you plan on building a backdrop?


----------



## Clink51

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

=D> bravo *Agridion* BRAVO =D>

YOU LITERALLY HAD ME LAUGH OUT LOUD AT WORK!!


----------



## cantrell00

Agridion said:


> The King Crabb said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> King Crab Your stand is looking good. The small tank on that tall stand does remind me of a Goomba from the Mario movie:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Do you plan on building a backdrop?
Click to expand...

This photo is almost as disturbing as the one of you and your wife in gas masks... WOW!


----------



## Agridion

cantrell00 said:


> This photo is almost as disturbing as the one of you and your wife in gas masks... WOW!


Cantrell00, I am guessing you have never seen the move then? Ok I promise last diversion from the topic of Cichlids.

King Crabb, Please don't take my comment as an insult, your stand is coming out quite well and I am sure everything will look fantastic when complete. :thumb:


----------



## bac3492

Didnt even realize you were doing a saulosi species only tank. Best choice by far. Should look fantastic :thumb:

Beware of jumpers in something this shallow


----------



## cantrell00

Agridion said:


> cantrell00 said:
> 
> 
> 
> This photo is almost as disturbing as the one of you and your wife in gas masks... WOW!
> 
> 
> 
> Cantrell00, I am guessing you have never seen the move then? Ok I promise last diversion from the topic of Cichlids.
> 
> King Crabb, Please don't take my comment as an insult, your stand is coming out quite well and I am sure everything will look fantastic when complete. :thumb:
Click to expand...

Uhmm .. Nope.


----------



## The King Crabb

Agridion said:


> King Crabb, Please don't take my comment as an insult, your stand is coming out quite well and I am sure everything will look fantastic when complete. :thumb:


No worries, I found your comment quite entertaining :lol:


----------



## Agridion

The King Crabb said:


> No worries, I found your comment quite entertaining :lol:


Ok good. Any update from the weekend?


----------



## The King Crabb

Agridion said:


> Ok good. Any update from the weekend?


Not for this tank, I was away for the weekend with the family. I did pull a pretty stupid (which turned out to work nicely) stunt with a holding fish I didn't want to strip though, I made a separate thread for that though :lol:


----------



## quentin8

any updates?


----------



## The King Crabb

quentin8 said:


> any updates?


Won't be able to do much this week, a relative of mine went to Florida for the week and he took the only car long enough to carry wood in without having a bunch of it hang out the back. I'm going to still try though, I may have the Home Depot boys chop any wood down to size so it will fit!


----------



## pistolpete

Whoever told you that you can't go wrong with sheet rock screws is *totally wrong*. Drywall screws are the weakest of all screws and quite prone to snapping. They absolutely should not be used for any structural applications. For attaching plywood to a stand they would be ok, but for assembly wood screws should be used.


----------



## cantrell00

pistolpete said:


> Whoever told you that you can't go wrong with sheet rock screws is *totally wrong*. Drywall screws are the weakest of all screws and quite prone to snapping. They absolutely should not be used for any structural applications. For attaching plywood to a stand they would be ok, but for assembly wood screws should be used.


I did and the argument isn't worthy of debate. Either would work in this application.


----------



## pistolpete

may be it's the fact that you mentioned structural applications and drywall screws in the same line that has me confused. If you were referring strictly to attaching the luan, then you are right. I am just trying to make sure King Crabb gets quality advice.


----------



## cantrell00

pistolpete said:


> may be it's the fact that you mentioned structural applications and drywall screws in the same line that has me confused. If you were referring strictly to attaching the luan, then you are right. I am just trying to make sure King Crabb gets quality advice.


He is supporting ~52 gallons with this stand.. I am suggesting that given the very low loading on the sheet rock screws, it isn't an issue. I am also stating that wood OR sheet rock screws would be sufficient.

Sheet rock screws WILL break IF over torqued or bent at 90 deg angles. Based on this application & the screws embedded into 1.5" of wood, there is very little probability that the screws can be bent. The only way this would/could occur is if the support leg and braces bent/bowed/collapsed to the point that the screws would bend to the point of breaking.. Same things would happen to wood screws as well.

Now, if you want to debate the relative strength of lag bolts,nuts & washers to wood or sheet rock screws, I will agree that there are significant strength differences. Significantly in favor of the lag bolts.

I have built several stands supporting as much as 180 gallons using sheet rock screws without failure. If designed correctly, the lumber is supporting the weight - not the screws. The way it should be.

Sorry Crabb for the hi-jack.


----------



## The King Crabb

cantrell00 said:


> Sorry Crabb for the hi-jack.


No need to apologize, I'm finding this very entertaining and interesting :lol:


----------



## cantrell00

The King Crabb said:


> cantrell00 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Sorry Crabb for the hi-jack.
> 
> 
> 
> No need to apologize, I'm finding this very entertaining and interesting :lol:
Click to expand...

 :thumb:

We need some pics Brother....


----------



## The King Crabb

cantrell00 said:


> We need some pics Brother....


Should have them this week! Finally got the long car (Nissan Armada) back so I can bring wood home without getting pulled over and given a ticket! Still debating on lighting though, I'm between (2) 4' shop lights that overlap in the middle or (2) 4' bathroom lighting set ups that hold 8 bulbs each. Shop lights give a total 160 Watts and the bathroom lights give a whopping 208 Watts! So far the bathroom fixtures are what I'm leaning towards, but the shop lights would be about $15 cheaper (bulbs and all) so that's definitely helping that option out... Thoughts?


----------



## cantrell00

The King Crabb said:


> cantrell00 said:
> 
> 
> 
> We need some pics Brother....
> 
> 
> 
> Should have them this week! Finally got the long car (Nissan Armada) back so I can bring wood home without getting pulled over and given a ticket! Still debating on lighting though, I'm between (2) 4' shop lights that overlap in the middle or (2) 4' bathroom lighting set ups that hold 8 bulbs each. Shop lights give a total 160 Watts and the bathroom lights give a whopping 208 Watts! So far the bathroom fixtures are what I'm leaning towards, but the shop lights would be about $15 cheaper (bulbs and all) so that's definitely helping that option out... Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Whatever is the easiest way to mount them... Are you doing a canopy or will they be suspended from the ceiling?


----------



## The King Crabb

Inside a canopy with a thin layer (~1/16") of acrylic separating them from the water, no weight will be placed on the acrylic.


----------



## cantrell00

The King Crabb said:


> Inside a canopy with a thin layer (~1/16") of acrylic separating them from the water, no weight will be placed on the acrylic.


If going in a canopy, I would look at wiring/mounting a array of 4 bulb sockets & use hi-eff CFL. Similar to what I have in my fish room.

Would be lightweight & easy to install.


----------



## The King Crabb

The 48" bathroom lighting fixtures are only $10 each, would that be cheaper than wiring individual bulbs at better placed increments?


----------



## CITADELGRAD87

Man, $10 per is cheap, what would you need, maybe 2 of them? Already spaced out and wired, you'd have a hard time convincing me that DIYing it would be better than at that price, your time is worth something, too.


----------



## The King Crabb

Yes, the price was nearly unbelievable! Not sure if they will support (correct word?) CFls though, the ad says it uses globe style bulbs so that slightly dissuades me. What do y'all think? http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R ... =202573193


----------



## quentin8

Hey the fixture supports "g" type bulbs I dont know it they make CFL's for it take a look here http://www.topbulb.com/find/incandescent.asp


----------



## CITADELGRAD87

Well, they take medium base bulbs, that's the standard size, so CFIs will certainly fit.

The only time I have had any trouble with CFIs is some timed fixtures like my porch lights, where I replaced the switch with an electronic timer, Leviton's the brand, did not shut all the way off, and instead flickered during the day, but they worked fine at night.

For regular on-off timers, they work fine at my house.

It's Home Depot, pick a couple up, open one and try it, if it doesn't work, toss it in the return pile. I haven't paid full price for anything since I bought my house 115 years ago, there's ALWAYS something going back to get store credit.


----------



## CITADELGRAD87

quentin8 said:


> Hey the fixture supports "g" type bulbs I dont know it they make CFL's for it take a look here http://www.topbulb.com/find/incandescent.asp


I think G means globe, it's decorative spherical, not shaped like a regular bulb. That's for show, though, trust me, any conventional bulb that you can screw in will work, and I bet a CFL would work, too. The base is medium, that's standard size, I say go for it.


----------



## cantrell00

CITADELGRAD87 said:


> Man, $10 per is cheap, what would you need, maybe 2 of them? Already spaced out and wired, you'd have a hard time convincing me that DIYing it would be better than at that price, your time is worth something, too.


Yeah.. I certainly agree. I never thought about this but now I get it...

My CFL's use a standard light bulb socket. Shouldn't be any worries there.

And if the sockets are too close, just put bulbs in every other one. lots of flexibility with this set up.


----------



## vann59

The standard socket we use here in the US is called an E27, for edison type screw in bulb with 27mm diameter. Wouldn't tube lights give a more even lighting? And I would be really careful about having an open socket on a live fixture.


----------



## cantrell00

vann59 said:


> The standard socket we use here in the US is called an E27, for edison type screw in bulb with 27mm diameter. Wouldn't tube lights give a more even lighting? And I would be really careful about having an open socket on a live fixture.


 

Yeah.. Good point. Disconnect them if not in use...


----------



## The King Crabb

vann59 said:


> And I would be really careful about having an open socket on a live fixture.


That's a good point, I hadn't thought of that! Can you buy just a sort of "plug" for the fixture or will I need to cut some wires?


----------



## Agridion

The King Crabb said:


> vann59 said:
> 
> 
> 
> And I would be really careful about having an open socket on a live fixture.
> 
> 
> 
> That's a good point, I hadn't thought of that! Can you buy just a sort of "plug" for the fixture or will I need to cut some wires?
Click to expand...

Light socket to outlet receptacle. Then put silicone into the two slots... Instant light plug.


----------



## cantrell00

The King Crabb said:


> vann59 said:
> 
> 
> 
> And I would be really careful about having an open socket on a live fixture.
> 
> 
> 
> That's a good point, I hadn't thought of that! Can you buy just a sort of "plug" for the fixture or will I need to cut some wires?
Click to expand...

On second thought - you may be better off just placing individual bulb mounts in the canopy.. Cutting and taping off the sockets you don't use would be a pain.

You should only need 4 and would require the following...

X4









X4









Here are the bulbs that have worked well for me..

2 strand 12 gauge wire.. Plug end...

I just daisy changed them together to a common plug connecter and added a timer...


----------



## Agridion

I like cantrell00 design, but I would reccomend using the outdoor lighting since it will be used by a bunch of moisture / water. The weather proof lamp holder (bulbs are what you plant in the ground) can also be found at Menards, Homedepot, Lowes, etc.

Here is a company that makes them. 
They make all sorts of covers that you can use.. 
http://www.taymac.com/products/lampholders/covers
Here are the lamp holders.
http://www.taymac.com/products/lampholders/traditional/lt100wh
The nice thing about these is that you can set the angle in which you want the lamp to go.

This is how I put mine together as an example.








In the final design the wires go behind the reflector. In this picture the light fixtue is just resting on the reflector.


----------



## The King Crabb

cantrell00 said:


> On second thought - you may be better off just placing individual bulb mounts in the canopy.. Cutting and taping off the sockets you don't use would be a pain.


Wouldn't it be easier to have the bathroom lighting fixtures because I'd only be taping off 2 bulbs maximum, and they'd be on the same fixture at the end?

Agridon, I saw that lighting you did and I really liked the outcome! Do you think that 4 bulbs makes a sufficient difference? Could you maybe post a picture of your tank illuminated with only the CFL bulbs?


----------



## cantrell00

The King Crabb said:


> cantrell00 said:
> 
> 
> 
> On second thought - you may be better off just placing individual bulb mounts in the canopy.. Cutting and taping off the sockets you don't use would be a pain.
> 
> 
> 
> Wouldn't it be easier to have the bathroom lighting fixtures because I'd only be taping off 2 bulbs maximum, and they'd be on the same fixture at the end?
> 
> Agridon, I saw that lighting you did and I really liked the outcome! Do you think that 4 bulbs makes a sufficient difference? Could you maybe post a picture of your tank illuminated with only the CFL bulbs?
Click to expand...

Ohh.. Ok.. Thought it would be more than that. No, I agree.. If that is all that you have to deal with, sure..

Agridiron's suggestion is a good one re; water proofing. If this is an enlosed canopy - there is risk of moisture intrusion causing a short...

If the canopy is well ventilated, I don't think it will be an issue. Mine hasn't.


----------



## Agridion

The King Crabb said:


> Agridon, I saw that lighting you did and I really liked the outcome! Do you think that 4 bulbs makes a sufficient difference? Could you maybe post a picture of your tank illuminated with only the CFL bulbs?


Yes buying a strip light like that would be a lot easier to install with out question! I thought about that for mine but decided not to do that for a few reasons. One is that the base was a bit too thick for my canopy and I was looking for something a bit slimmer. Two was that I wanted to put a better reflector on them, not just a straight mirror behind the lights. Yes the mirror will reflect some light from directly behind the lamp (done very efficiently might I add) but they don't capture any of the light from the side of the lights. Third is that it wasn't water proof and will rust and corrode over time. Forth having the lights turned on their side (perpendicular) the aquarium will be exposed to more of the lamps coils and should receive more of the lumens of the lamp then having the coils parallel with the waters surface.

And Yes I do feel that the 4 lamps (per side) are plenty of light for the tank even without the LED's. Because of your request I am contemplating the need to have the LED's light my tank during the day.... I might just have them as the night lights for the tank and night and turn them to their blue setting for a few hours in the evening to change things up.

Per your request.
Fist picture is with the LED lights lighting the tank and the 8 CFL facing the camera (4 per side). The second picture is with both the LED lights and the 8 CFL's lighting the tank, and the third is just the CFL lighting the tank. 








With the LED's you will notice a hint more blue and more shadow effects on the back wall then the one without the LED's. The LED's are more of a spot light.








This picture I turned off the LED's and pushed them to the far back to not block any light coming from the CFL. Actually the back wall looks more lite up this way. CLF's set up in this fashion are more of a flood light.


----------



## The King Crabb

cantrell00 said:



> Agridiron's suggestion is a good one re; water proofing. If this is an enlosed canopy - there is risk of moisture intrusion causing a short...
> 
> If the canopy is well ventilated, I don't think it will be an issue. Mine hasn't.


Agridon, that's only 8 lights? Wow these do a lot more lighting than I thought! Love the lighting and the tank by the way =D>

The canopy isn't planned to be even able to receive any moisture from the tank, but there is always a chance I mess something up. The canopy will be made like this (I'll draw up a 3D model later, when I have more time) Like all canopys it will basically be a fancy box, but mine will have a little twist to it. The 8" tall canopy will have a small 1"x2" strip of wood going around the inside, for the canopy to rest on, and then there will be a thin layer of acrylic on top of that (covering the whole tank and because it's on top of the 1"x2" strip there is no weight on the acrylic except for it's own). But what's in the chamber above the acrylic you might ask? The lights! All 14-16 (depending on fit) CFLs will be placed horizontally on the hood (the fixture will be placed on the side of the canopy) to prevent them from moisture, remember the acrylic layer will also be sealed together and have silicone around the edges. But to get into the canopy? Well you might recall from other posts in various sections that I'm using a canister filter for this tank, the output being on the right side. Therefore I will build the right side of the canopy to flip open so I can drop food in that side and the flow will bring it as far as the middle of the tank, I won't have to worry about any being wasted because the input is 7' away!

I realize I won't be able to work in the tank at all (other than feeding) when the canopy is on and that it will take 2 people to lift, but since I don't have a 7' wing span I was always going to use 2 people to lift it anyways!


----------



## cantrell00

The King Crabb said:


> cantrell00 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Agridiron's suggestion is a good one re; water proofing. If this is an enlosed canopy - there is risk of moisture intrusion causing a short...
> 
> If the canopy is well ventilated, I don't think it will be an issue. Mine hasn't.
> 
> 
> 
> Agridon, that's only 8 lights? Wow these do a lot more lighting than I thought! Love the lighting and the tank by the way =D>
> 
> The canopy isn't planned to be even able to receive any moisture from the tank, but there is always a chance I mess something up. The canopy will be made like this (I'll draw up a 3D model later, when I have more time) Like all canopys it will basically be a fancy box, but mine will have a little twist to it. The 8" tall canopy will have a small 1"x2" strip of wood going around the inside, for the canopy to rest on, and then there will be a thin layer of acrylic on top of that (covering the whole tank and because it's on top of the 1"x2" strip there is no weight on the acrylic except for it's own). But what's in the chamber above the acrylic you might ask? The lights! All 14-16 (depending on fit) CFLs will be placed horizontally on the hood (the fixture will be placed on the side of the canopy) to prevent them from moisture, remember the acrylic layer will also be sealed together and have silicone around the edges. But to get into the canopy? Well you might recall from other posts in various sections that I'm using a canister filter for this tank, the output being on the right side. Therefore I will build the right side of the canopy to flip open so I can drop food in that side and the flow will bring it as far as the middle of the tank, I won't have to worry about any being wasted because the input is 7' away!
> 
> I realize I won't be able to work in the tank at all (other than feeding) when the canopy is on and that it will take 2 people to lift, but since I don't have a 7' wing span I was always going to use 2 people to lift it anyways!
Click to expand...

Sounds good... Just bear in mind that acrylic absorbs water & WILL warp unless fastened down securely all the way around... Just an FYI to consider in the design...


----------



## The King Crabb

cantrell00 said:


> Just bear in mind that acrylic absorbs water & WILL warp unless fastened down securely all the way around... Just an FYI to consider in the design...


That's what I've heard, thanks for the clarification :thumb: I'm thinking 1 screw every 4" or so, sound good enough?


----------



## Agridion

The King Crabb said:


> cantrell00 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Agridiron's suggestion is a good one re; water proofing. If this is an enlosed canopy - there is risk of moisture intrusion causing a short...
> 
> If the canopy is well ventilated, I don't think it will be an issue. Mine hasn't.
> 
> 
> 
> Agridon, that's only 8 lights? Wow these do a lot more lighting than I thought! Love the lighting and the tank by the way =D>
> 
> The canopy isn't planned to be even able to receive any moisture from the tank, but there is always a chance I mess something up. The canopy will be made like this (I'll draw up a 3D model later, when I have more time) Like all canopys it will basically be a fancy box, but mine will have a little twist to it. The 8" tall canopy will have a small 1"x2" strip of wood going around the inside, for the canopy to rest on, and then there will be a thin layer of acrylic on top of that (covering the whole tank and because it's on top of the 1"x2" strip there is no weight on the acrylic except for it's own). But what's in the chamber above the acrylic you might ask? The lights! All 14-16 (depending on fit) CFLs will be placed horizontally on the hood (the fixture will be placed on the side of the canopy) to prevent them from moisture, remember the acrylic layer will also be sealed together and have silicone around the edges. But to get into the canopy? Well you might recall from other posts in various sections that I'm using a canister filter for this tank, the output being on the right side. Therefore I will build the right side of the canopy to flip open so I can drop food in that side and the flow will bring it as far as the middle of the tank, I won't have to worry about any being wasted because the input is 7' away!
> 
> I realize I won't be able to work in the tank at all (other than feeding) when the canopy is on and that it will take 2 people to lift, but since I don't have a 7' wing span I was always going to use 2 people to lift it anyways!
Click to expand...

Thanks. I hope the 8 are enough to grow those plants. Anyways what thickness acrylic are u going to use? From what I read it will be siliconed to the canopy. If that's the case you should be fine otherwise your acrylic will sag and warp over time if just resting on the tank due to moisture, if its a thin piece. I found out the hard way with my sump cover and had to glue a frame to it. That sounds like a lot of lights for your tank. Will you need that many?


----------



## Agridion

Sounds like cantrell00 beat me to it while I was typing on my android phone.


----------



## The King Crabb

Agridion said:


> Anyways what thickness acrylic are u going to use? From what I read it will be siliconed to the canopy. If that's the case you should be fine otherwise your acrylic will sag and warp over time if just resting on the tank due to moisture, if its a thin piece. I found out the hard way with my sump cover and had to glue a frame to it. That sounds like a lot of lights for your tank. Will you need that many?


It's close to 1/8", a little less thick than that. It will actually be screwed on (I wasn't too clear there) and then silliconed to ensure that no moisture will get into the lights!

I know it's a lot of lights and I can almost guarantee I won't need that many, but like was mentioned in your thread I want to have some light over all of the aquarium not just 4' of lights centered in the middle.


----------



## Agridion

The King Crabb said:


> I know it's a lot of lights and I can almost guarantee I won't need that many, but like was mentioned in your thread I want to have some light over all of the aquarium not just 4' of lights centered in the middle.


Yeah those bathroom vanity lights will save u a ton of time and if you don't want a few of them I would just disconnect them from the back.


----------



## The King Crabb

Agridion said:


> Yeah those bathroom vanity lights will save u a ton of time and if you don't want a few of them I would just disconnect them from the back.


That's what the current plan is! I'm going to have all the lighting wiring going to one switch so I'll just have the 2 bulbs I don't want lit at the end of the wire so the I can just snip that wire, should work right?


----------



## cantrell00

Agridion said:


> The King Crabb said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> cantrell00 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Agridiron's suggestion is a good one re; water proofing. If this is an enlosed canopy - there is risk of moisture intrusion causing a short...
> 
> If the canopy is well ventilated, I don't think it will be an issue. Mine hasn't.
> 
> 
> 
> Agridon, that's only 8 lights? Wow these do a lot more lighting than I thought! Love the lighting and the tank by the way =D>
> 
> The canopy isn't planned to be even able to receive any moisture from the tank, but there is always a chance I mess something up. The canopy will be made like this (I'll draw up a 3D model later, when I have more time) Like all canopys it will basically be a fancy box, but mine will have a little twist to it. The 8" tall canopy will have a small 1"x2" strip of wood going around the inside, for the canopy to rest on, and then there will be a thin layer of acrylic on top of that (covering the whole tank and because it's on top of the 1"x2" strip there is no weight on the acrylic except for it's own). But what's in the chamber above the acrylic you might ask? The lights! All 14-16 (depending on fit) CFLs will be placed horizontally on the hood (the fixture will be placed on the side of the canopy) to prevent them from moisture, remember the acrylic layer will also be sealed together and have silicone around the edges. But to get into the canopy? Well you might recall from other posts in various sections that I'm using a canister filter for this tank, the output being on the right side. Therefore I will build the right side of the canopy to flip open so I can drop food in that side and the flow will bring it as far as the middle of the tank, I won't have to worry about any being wasted because the input is 7' away!
> 
> I realize I won't be able to work in the tank at all (other than feeding) when the canopy is on and that it will take 2 people to lift, but since I don't have a 7' wing span I was always going to use 2 people to lift it anyways!
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Thanks. I hope the 8 are enough to grow those plants. Anyways what thickness acrylic are u going to use? From what I read it will be siliconed to the canopy. If that's the case you should be fine otherwise your acrylic will sag and warp over time if just resting on the tank due to moisture, if its a thin piece. I found out the hard way with my sump cover and had to glue a frame to it. That sounds like a lot of lights for your tank. Will you need that many?
Click to expand...

Silicone won't bond with acrylic... I assume this canopy is wood?

I like the idea of running a rail on the ID of the canopy mirroring the footprint of the top of the aquarium. I would drill/countersink holes around the perimeter of the acrylic & screw it in place. One screw every 1.5" should keep it taught and relatively water tight.

As for lighting, Crabb I would be really suprised if you needed more than 4 - 100 watt equiv. CFL's.

Your tank is loooooooong for sure buy it is only 12" deep and more importantly only 12" tall.

Unless you are going to run a reef, 400 watt/4800 lumen CFL's (4X100) should be more than adequate.

Simply based on my experiences with the CFL's in my fish room... Just saying...


----------



## Agridion

cantrell00 said:


> As for lighting, Crabb I would be really suprised if you needed more than 4 - 100 watt equiv. CFL's.
> 
> Your tank is loooooooong for sure buy it is only 12" deep and more importantly only 12" tall.
> 
> Unless you are going to run a reef, 400 watt/4800 lumen CFL's (4X100) should be more than adequate.


I assume you mean 400 Watts equivalent or 92 actual Watts. From papers that I have read online most refer to actual watts when talking about lights. For me it gets confusing when refering to lighting, especailly when you get into PAR, PUR, LUX, Lumens, and Focused Lumens. I have found this site to have a great deal of information on lighting requirements for a planted tank, although I still have not read it all or completely understand it all yet... http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Aquarium_Lighting.html


----------



## cantrell00

Agridion said:


> cantrell00 said:
> 
> 
> 
> As for lighting, Crabb I would be really suprised if you needed more than 4 - 100 watt equiv. CFL's.
> 
> Your tank is loooooooong for sure buy it is only 12" deep and more importantly only 12" tall.
> 
> Unless you are going to run a reef, 400 watt/4800 lumen CFL's (4X100) should be more than adequate.
> 
> 
> 
> I assume you mean 400 Watts equivalent or 92 actual Watts. From papers that I have read online most refer to actual watts when talking about lights. For me it gets confusing when refering to lighting, especailly when you get into PAR, PUR, LUX, Lumens, and Focused Lumens. I have found this site to have a great deal of information on lighting requirements for a planted tank, although I still have not read it all or completely understand it all yet... http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Aquarium_Lighting.html
Click to expand...

400 watts equivalent.

For these type plant you have in mind (and I assume Crabb) - they really don't require much.

As an example, I am running 200 watts on my 180 with a square footage of 12 feet, 24" deep.

This tank is only 7 sq ft. & very shallow. The rule of thumb I have seen past around is 2 watts of lighting per every gallon of water for a moderately planted tank.

The problem is that Crabb's tank has a very unusual (custom) footprint so the conventional wisdom doesn't really apply. His will require significantly less IMO.

I don't blame you for being thorough in researching everything. I do the same, but only to the extent where the knowledge has practical application..

Intersting topic though, certainly.


----------



## Agridion

You could also coat the inside of your canopy with something like this to reflect and diffuse more light back into your tank.

http://www.orcagrowfilm.com/
http://www.sunlightsupply.com/p-13874-orca-grow-film.aspx

I'm looking into this and possibly using Tyvek as a reflective diffuser as well.


----------



## The King Crabb

cantrell00 said:


> Silicone won't bond with acrylic... I assume this canopy is wood?
> 
> I like the idea of running a rail on the ID of the canopy mirroring the footprint of the top of the aquarium. I would drill/countersink holes around the perimeter of the acrylic & screw it in place. One screw every 1.5" should keep it taught and relatively water tight.


The silicone isn't intending to keep the wood in place at all, only to make sure no moisture can sneak around the edges. I feel I should also mention this acrylic won't be purchased as a single sheet, it will be seven sheets that I plastic-weld together.

Both of you have given great suggestions and insight on lighting but at the end of the day I just want whatever will be easiest because I don't have any electrical experience and I don't want to have to rip apart my canopy to fix things. I assume that the bathroom lighting is still easiest?



Agridion said:


> You could also coat the inside of your canopy with something like this to reflect and diffuse more light back into your tank.


I definitely thought about using something like that, I looked more into mirrors though. I was actually going to bring this subject up after the lighting :lol: I'd figured down to a few options. Both of those (I actually looked at them both before you posted them, ironic!) are basically just glorified tin foil. Or if I don't want the canopy to look so ghetto I was planning on using rust-proof (not sure on fish safe, I need to look into it) reflective paint for the inside of the canopy, although I've heard that glossed paint works just as well. Thoughts on that?


----------



## Agridion

The King Crabb said:


> I definitely thought about using something like that, I looked more into mirrors though. I was actually going to bring this subject up after the lighting :lol: I'd figured down to a few options. Both of those (I actually looked at them both before you posted them, ironic!) are basically just glorified tin foil. Or if I don't want the canopy to look so ghetto I was planning on using rust-proof (not sure on fish safe, I need to look into it) reflective paint for the inside of the canopy, although I've heard that glossed paint works just as well. Thoughts on that?


We must be thinking the same. The ORCA is suppose to diffuse and reflect the light so that it lights the tank evenly as apposed to a mirror, chrome paint or Mylar which just reflects light. But I'm sure all of the mentioned above is better then wood. LOL If I pick up a roll I'll keep you posted on how it works. Any new pictures yet? I know we are all waiting. opcorn: opcorn:


----------



## The King Crabb

Agridion said:


> Any new pictures yet? I know we are all waiting. opcorn: opcorn:


Sadly, no. But I've definitely got some open time coming up so I'm hoping to at least purchase wood before Saturday and almost assuredly start once I have it, since the big thing for me is actually going to purchase it! Once I actually have the wood I love working :thumb:


----------



## vann59

The King Crabb said:


> I realize I won't be able to work in the tank at all (other than feeding) when the canopy is on and that it will take 2 people to lift, but since I don't have a 7' wing span I was always going to use 2 people to lift it anyways!


Ok, just to complicate things...

It is a seven foot long tank, and that's pretty long, especially for a one foot deep tank. So what if you were to build the canopy in sections, which could swing back separately on piano hinges, with "legs" that would swing out from behind to hold the canopy at about a 90 degree angle so that you have access to the tank to do maintenance?

This may present some new challenges with your current plans, but I just thought I might throw that into the mix here, as I think being unable to get into it easily will get old soon enough.

Although this tank should look really cool when done either way.


----------



## The King Crabb

I think I get what you mean, and that wouldn't be a whole lot harder, but what would the piano hinges connect to?


----------



## vann59

The King Crabb said:


> I think I get what you mean, and that wouldn't be a whole lot harder, but what would the piano hinges connect to?


I was thinking you would connect the piano hinges to the back edge of the tank, if it is acrylic. Stainless screws would work for that, or if you have a background, you could make a wooden wall behind the tank, that the canopy hinges on.

The idea being to be able to tilt back the canopy so you have sufficient access to clean the tank, and yet don't have to find a place to put down a large canopy and have a helper to do so. Basically just a tilt back type design, where the weight rests securely and isn't going to tip the tank back or stress anything.

As long as you aren't making it a see through tank, it seems like you should be able to do that.


----------



## zade

That's a pretty good idea, would look different. But overall would look pretty crisp, I wouldn't look into screwing it into the tank itself, but rather the latter. Can't wait for the updates! :fish:


----------



## The King Crabb

Interesting idea, sounds like it could be hard though since I'm trying to make the canopy all one piece. I'll fiddle with the idea and see what I come up with!


----------



## vann59

Ok, here is a very basic drawing of what I am thinking, subject to modification as needed.

http://db.tt/3P2KP3ca


----------



## The King Crabb

That makes it much easier to see! Wouldn't the hinge itself hold the canopy up? It would also be next to a wall so that will help too!

I know we're all clamoring for updates, but I couldn't make it out tonight. We got hit with some crazy surprise snow (been snowing for 2 hours now, close to 5") and if you've never driven in the snow in Utah I can tell it you it's the equivilent of trying to balance a top on a soapy surface - not easy. So I stayed home tonight and drank more hot chocolate than is probably healthy, I'll try to get out to Home Depot tomorrow when it stops snowing!


----------



## vann59

The King Crabb said:


> That makes it much easier to see! Wouldn't the hinge itself hold the canopy up? It would also be next to a wall so that will help too!
> 
> I know we're all clamoring for updates, but I couldn't make it out tonight. We got hit with some crazy surprise snow (been snowing for 2 hours now, close to 5") and if you've never driven in the snow in Utah I can tell it you it's the equivilent of trying to balance a top on a soapy surface - not easy. So I stayed home tonight and drank more hot chocolate than is probably healthy, I'll try to get out to Home Depot tomorrow when it stops snowing!


Yes, the hinge should be a very stable point upon which it can rest. I would section off this long canopy into two or three sections. That would make it easier to open, and would also relieve some of the torque stress as you tilt it back.

I went to Salt Lake City several years back on business, and it was both hot and cold (sleet and flurries) within the first 48 hrs. I would love to have had more time to see the state.


----------



## The King Crabb

vann59 said:


> Yes, the hinge should be a very stable point upon which it can rest. I would section off this long canopy into two or three sections. That would make it easier to open, and would also relieve some of the torque stress as you tilt it back.
> 
> I went to Salt Lake City several years back on business, and it was both hot and cold (sleet and flurries) within the first 48 hrs. I would love to have had more time to see the state.


So after some serious thinking, shopping, and searching I've decided to make it into a single portion of canopy; if I try to do 3 the odds of it looking good are slim to none.

I've also officially decided that I'm going to wire 5 CFLs into the hood on the back, anybody want to help me out with some wiring knowledge? I have literally 0 knowledge of electrical wiring.

:lol: Yes Utah's weather is basically the definition of bipolar! Last year we got 8" in June and it was melted before nightfall!


----------



## vann59

The King Crabb said:


> I've also officially decided that I'm going to wire 5 CFLs into the hood on the back, anybody want to help me out with some wiring knowledge? I have literally 0 knowledge of electrical wiring.


If you use only one hand to work on the electrical, then at least the voltage won't be able to travel through your heart.


----------



## cantrell00

The King Crabb said:


> vann59 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Yes, the hinge should be a very stable point upon which it can rest. I would section off this long canopy into two or three sections. That would make it easier to open, and would also relieve some of the torque stress as you tilt it back.
> 
> I went to Salt Lake City several years back on business, and it was both hot and cold (sleet and flurries) within the first 48 hrs. I would love to have had more time to see the state.
> 
> 
> 
> So after some serious thinking, shopping, and searching I've decided to make it into a single portion of canopy; if I try to do 3 the odds of it looking good are slim to none.
> 
> I've also officially decided that I'm going to wire 5 CFLs into the hood on the back, anybody want to help me out with some wiring knowledge? I have literally 0 knowledge of electrical wiring.
> 
> :lol: Yes Utah's weather is basically the definition of bipolar! Last year we got 8" in June and it was melted before nightfall!
Click to expand...

You just need a length of 2 conductor wire... Attach a plug on one end and wire all five in a daisy chain - terminating the circuit on the last one.

There are two screw lugs on the back of the socket, white wire on one, black wire on the other.

You really can't wire it up wrong to be honest.


----------



## Dominateprimate

does this tank have any braces on the top? Just wondering. Hope it's not a dumb question...


----------



## cantrell00

Dominateprimate said:


> does this tank have any braces on the top? Just wondering. Hope it's not a dumb question...


Doesn't. I think I remember him debating the need to add some..


----------



## vann59

cantrell00 said:


> Dominateprimate said:
> 
> 
> 
> does this tank have any braces on the top? Just wondering. Hope it's not a dumb question...
> 
> 
> 
> Doesn't. I think I remember him debating the need to add some..
Click to expand...

Well you know, with this being a shallow 7' tank, it might be wise to add braces. How thick is the glass?


----------



## The King Crabb

vann59 said:


> cantrell00 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Dominateprimate said:
> 
> 
> 
> does this tank have any braces on the top? Just wondering. Hope it's not a dumb question...
> 
> 
> 
> Doesn't. I think I remember him debating the need to add some..
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Well you know, with this being a shallow 7' tank, it might be wise to add braces. How thick is the glass?
Click to expand...

No braces, and I doubt there is any need to add any. The glass is quite thick, close to 1/2". I haven't done a "wet test" yet but I doubt there will be any bowing.

I really wanted to get some work done on this today, so I went to several lumber yards. Apparently today is national "terrible wood day" and I didn't want my canopy to be made with some of the worst wood I've seen in quite some time. I'm going to be heading out to the lumber yard(s) again as soon as possible to get good wood! Also looking at lighting for 4 hours today, definitely going with the CFLs!


----------



## Clink51

any updates dude?

opcorn:


----------



## vann59

The King Crabb said:


> No braces, and I doubt there is any need to add any. The glass is quite thick, close to 1/2". I haven't done a "wet test" yet but I doubt there will be any bowing.


Ok, that sounds good. With it being only a foot deep, you may not have any bowing. If you make the canopy to allow easy access, it should be an easy tank to keep.


----------



## The King Crabb

Clink51 said:


> any updates dude?
> 
> opcorn:


Sadly not yet  I've been away for Thanksgiving so I had no opportunities to work this week, but I did have an epiphany! I've decided that I'm going to add doors to the bottom section! I realized I had almost all the supplies (at least enough to make a smaller test door) and I'm going to tinker with the idea a bit. I was hoping to get wood today, but the 1x4s (main wood in canopy) weren't looking like very good option; I'm going to check it out when I get some more supplies for the doors!


----------



## dsouthworth

Updates? problems? procrastination's?

What's goin in King crabb?


----------



## Steve C

You ever get anymore done on this tank King Crab? I was looking forward to seeing how it was coming along.


----------



## Aulonocara_Freak

Steve C said:


> You ever get anymore done on this tank King Crab? I was looking forward to seeing how it was coming along.


same here


----------



## Dominateprimate

Same


----------



## cantrell00

Can I get a 3rd?


----------



## Steve C

Okay...I say we get torches and march to his house! :lol:


----------



## Dominateprimate

haha I second that!


----------



## KraKstar

i believe he lives a half hour away from me. ill go knock on his door.... :lol:


----------



## tim_s

Looks pretty cool - a lot of fun for decorating but where is this tank going to sit in the house - standard height stand will look awkward. I would almost build it into a cabinet or other.


----------



## Cichlid_Expert

Waiting......... waiting........... waiting............ :zz:


----------



## The King Crabb

SO SO SO sorry about this huge delay, I've been unbelievably busy lately (one of my teachers deleted me from the system, I basically did 3 months of schooling over again). I plan to start the canopy on Thursday, I've already purchased all the wood. I've got some wiring that I found in my house but it looks like just about the most heavy duty wiring in the world, is that a bad thing? I will be getting the sockets soon, I've been shopping for them so I now just what I want. Does it matter where I attach them to the sockets, so long as it's on one of the two dedicated spots for wiring?

I had a bit of an accidental experiment the other day, a lamp fell into my 29G fry tank (don't worry, the fry weren't electrocuted). Amazingly, the lamp still works and the only thing that doesn't is the bulb. So this got me thinking that I might not even need anything covering my 5 CFLs, thoughts on that? If I do need to cover them would a 5"x5" piece of acrylic just under the bulb do the job?


----------



## cantrell00

The King Crabb said:


> SO SO SO sorry about this huge delay, I've been unbelievably busy lately (one of my teachers deleted me from the system, I basically did 3 months of schooling over again). I plan to start the canopy on Thursday, I've already purchased all the wood. I've got some wiring that I found in my house but it looks like just about the most heavy duty wiring in the world, is that a bad thing? I will be getting the sockets soon, I've been shopping for them so I now just what I want. Does it matter where I attach them to the sockets, so long as it's on one of the two dedicated spots for wiring?


Not cure if I am following you here..



> I had a bit of an accidental experiment the other day, a lamp fell into my 29G fry tank (don't worry, the fry weren't electrocuted). Amazingly, the lamp still works and the only thing that doesn't is the bulb. So this got me thinking that I might not even need anything covering my 5 CFLs, thoughts on that? If I do need to cover them would a 5"x5" piece of acrylic just under the bulb do the job?


Will there be glass lids on the tank? Will the canopy be completely enclosed?


----------



## Pizzle

The King Crab, there is no need to apologize. Work at your own pace. Don't worry about people asking for updates. Post when you feel like it. After all, you are kind enough to share your experience with us. Whatever you share with us is like a gift and we should treat it as such and not expect anything. All that being said, I am looking forward to seeing the finished project because it is such a cool and unique tank.

I don't have any advice on diy lighting.


----------



## Steve C

Nope I say we tar & feather him! :x :lol: :wink:

Glad to hear the build is still a go, thought maybe something had happened. Nice to see you back again as well.


----------



## The King Crabb

cantrell00 said:


> The King Crabb said:
> 
> 
> 
> SO SO SO sorry about this huge delay, I've been unbelievably busy lately (one of my teachers deleted me from the system, I basically did 3 months of schooling over again). I plan to start the canopy on Thursday, I've already purchased all the wood. I've got some wiring that I found in my house but it looks like just about the most heavy duty wiring in the world, is that a bad thing? I will be getting the sockets soon, I've been shopping for them so I now just what I want. Does it matter where I attach them to the sockets, so long as it's on one of the two dedicated spots for wiring?
> 
> 
> 
> Not cure if I am following you here..
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I had a bit of an accidental experiment the other day, a lamp fell into my 29G fry tank (don't worry, the fry weren't electrocuted). Amazingly, the lamp still works and the only thing that doesn't is the bulb. So this got me thinking that I might not even need anything covering my 5 CFLs, thoughts on that? If I do need to cover them would a 5"x5" piece of acrylic just under the bulb do the job?
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Will there be glass lids on the tank? Will the canopy be completely enclosed?
Click to expand...

When you look at the sockets there are two screws, correct? And there are two wires, the white one and the black one. Does it matter which screw each color of wire goes on?

And no, there will be no glass lid on top if the tank if I can help it! The price estimation on it was more than the tank so I'm hoping to be able to skip it :lol:


----------



## cantrell00

The King Crabb said:


> cantrell00 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The King Crabb said:
> 
> 
> 
> SO SO SO sorry about this huge delay, I've been unbelievably busy lately (one of my teachers deleted me from the system, I basically did 3 months of schooling over again). I plan to start the canopy on Thursday, I've already purchased all the wood. I've got some wiring that I found in my house but it looks like just about the most heavy duty wiring in the world, is that a bad thing? I will be getting the sockets soon, I've been shopping for them so I now just what I want. Does it matter where I attach them to the sockets, so long as it's on one of the two dedicated spots for wiring?
> 
> 
> 
> Not cure if I am following you here..
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I had a bit of an accidental experiment the other day, a lamp fell into my 29G fry tank (don't worry, the fry weren't electrocuted). Amazingly, the lamp still works and the only thing that doesn't is the bulb. So this got me thinking that I might not even need anything covering my 5 CFLs, thoughts on that? If I do need to cover them would a 5"x5" piece of acrylic just under the bulb do the job?
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Will there be glass lids on the tank? Will the canopy be completely enclosed?
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> When you look at the sockets there are two screws, correct? And there are two wires, the white one and the black one. Does it matter which screw each color of wire goes on?
> 
> And no, there will be no glass lid on top if the tank if I can help it! The price estimation on it was more than the tank so I'm hoping to be able to skip it :lol:
Click to expand...

OHHH.. Ok..

It doesn't really matter, no. It would only matter if you were wiring a grounded circuit. If it were grounded, you would have to make sure that the ground wire was attached to the ground prong on the plug end.

The only thing I fear with these lights in the canopy is condensation accumulating in the socket of the lamp. If you have plenty of air circulation in your canopy, it shouldn't be a issue though..


----------



## The King Crabb

cantrell00 said:


> The only thing I fear with these lights in the canopy is condensation accumulating in the socket of the lamp. If you have plenty of air circulation in your canopy, it shouldn't be a issue though..


Could this help the situation? http://www.lowes.com/pd_158898-1571-201 ... facetInfo=

Or this? http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R ... key=Search

The one at Lowes is weather resistant and the one at Home Depot is weather proof, I'd prefer to get the Home Depot one but I can't find it in the store, would the Lowes one still work with the acrylic condensation guards?

Quick update- The framing is being built! No pictures could be put up yet so I'll put them on later when I have a little more time


----------



## vann59

The King Crabb said:


> And no, there will be no glass lid on top if the tank if I can help it! The price estimation on it was more than the tank so I'm hoping to be able to skip it :lol:


If you would like to have lids to keep them from jumping out and slow water loss, I would suggest you get some thin lexan sheeting from a home improvement store. I had some in the garage and used it to make my own lids, and they work great, and are very light and easy to handle. So much better than glass lids. You don't need to make hinges, they lift out very easily, so just attach a grab tab, or cut a finger hole in each one. You can cut lexan with a straight edge and a razor knife (by scoring it repeatedly and breaking on the deep cut line), or use a jigsaw for almost any kind of special cut. It will never break or wear out.


----------



## cantrell00

vann59 said:


> The King Crabb said:
> 
> 
> 
> And no, there will be no glass lid on top if the tank if I can help it! The price estimation on it was more than the tank so I'm hoping to be able to skip it :lol:
> 
> 
> 
> If you would like to have lids to keep them from jumping out and slow water loss, I would suggest you get some thin lexan sheeting from a home improvement store. I had some in the garage and used it to make my own lids, and they work great, and are very light and easy to handle. So much better than glass lids. You don't need to make hinges, they lift out very easily, so just attach a grab tab, or cut a finger hole in each one. You can cut lexan with a straight edge and a razor knife (by scoring it repeatedly and breaking on the deep cut line), or use a jigsaw for almost any kind of special cut. It will never break or wear out.
Click to expand...

Did they warp over time? I have considered these for my tanks in my fish room but feared they would warp?


----------



## The King Crabb

As to wiring the lighting, could anybody draw me a diagram or explain how each wire will connect to each bulb socket, how the wiring then continues, how to end a circuit, and how to make a plug on the end?


----------



## cantrell00

The King Crabb said:


> As to wiring the lighting, could anybody draw me a diagram or explain how each wire will connect to each bulb socket, how the wiring then continues, how to end a circuit, and how to make a plug on the end?


Ground? 2 wire or 3 wire?

If 2 wire - black & white wire will go to the two wire lugs on the back of the bulb mount and also the two prongs on the plug.

If 3 wire - the green wire will go to the ground lug on the bulb mount and the ground prong on the plug.

You really can't hook it up wrong assuming you keep the ground prong on the plug isolated to the ground lug on the bulb mount.


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## vann59

cantrell00 said:


> vann59 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The King Crabb said:
> 
> 
> 
> And no, there will be no glass lid on top if the tank if I can help it! The price estimation on it was more than the tank so I'm hoping to be able to skip it :lol:
> 
> 
> 
> If you would like to have lids to keep them from jumping out and slow water loss, I would suggest you get some thin lexan sheeting from a home improvement store. I had some in the garage and used it to make my own lids, and they work great, and are very light and easy to handle. So much better than glass lids. You don't need to make hinges, they lift out very easily, so just attach a grab tab, or cut a finger hole in each one. You can cut lexan with a straight edge and a razor knife (by scoring it repeatedly and breaking on the deep cut line), or use a jigsaw for almost any kind of special cut. It will never break or wear out.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Did they warp over time? I have considered these for my tanks in my fish room but feared they would warp?
Click to expand...

I have them under a dual HO t5 fixture, with about an inch or so distance between the light fixture and the lexan lid, and have had no problem. High heat might make a difference though. There is only a very very slight sag from gravity because I have HOB filters and have cut out a large section of the back to allow room for them. If the back was not cut out for the filters there would be no sag at all. My lights do not create high heat though.


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## cantrell00

vann59 said:


> cantrell00 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> vann59 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The King Crabb said:
> 
> 
> 
> And no, there will be no glass lid on top if the tank if I can help it! The price estimation on it was more than the tank so I'm hoping to be able to skip it :lol:
> 
> 
> 
> If you would like to have lids to keep them from jumping out and slow water loss, I would suggest you get some thin lexan sheeting from a home improvement store. I had some in the garage and used it to make my own lids, and they work great, and are very light and easy to handle. So much better than glass lids. You don't need to make hinges, they lift out very easily, so just attach a grab tab, or cut a finger hole in each one. You can cut lexan with a straight edge and a razor knife (by scoring it repeatedly and breaking on the deep cut line), or use a jigsaw for almost any kind of special cut. It will never break or wear out.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Did they warp over time? I have considered these for my tanks in my fish room but feared they would warp?
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> I have them under a dual HO t5 fixture, with about an inch or so distance between the light fixture and the lexan lid, and have had no problem. High heat might make a difference though. There is only a very very slight sag from gravity because I have HOB filters and have cut out a large section of the back to allow room for them. If the back was not cut out for the filters there would be no sag at all. My lights do not create high heat though.
Click to expand...

Thanks.. My concern actually had more to do with moisture. Acrylic actually absorbs water. maybe Lexan is different.?


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## The King Crabb

cantrell00 said:


> Acrylic actually absorbs water.


That may put a damper on my new plan... I did a little research, talked to some physicists, and finally came to terms that I absolutely need to keep the bulbs away from moisture at all angles. My latest hair-brained idea? A glass enclosure, somewhat like a smaller tank around each bulb.

I talked to the glass people, estimation for the piece I need was over $200 (has to be thick) which happens to be more than I've spent on the tank and stand combined. So I'm looking into Home Depot smaller acrylic sheets (which might not work with warping and, apparently, water absorption). They also have Lexan 10"x8" sheets that I'm just now seeing and I don't think that will be a bad idea. I'd guess that for the boxes to work I need a mere 4 sheets, but I'd buy 5 just to be safe. Only one flaw (that I see so far) would be heat. My worry be that the heat would build up in the CFL chambers and warp glass/ burst the bulb; would drilling holes above the bulb into the wood solve that problem?

For you not following too well on the math:

Lexan from glass store: $200
Lexan sheets from Home Depot: $20 (+$5 for silicone)

Should I try out the Lexan boxes? I assume that a 2 coats of exterior paint and 3 coats of polyurethan will be enough to protect the wood as well?



Cantrell00 said:


> You really can't hook it up wrong assuming you keep the ground prong on the plug isolated to the ground lug on the bulb mount.


The wiring does have a ground. I'm not sure where to attach it, the bulbs only have the white and black cords hanging off the back; other than that they're all coated in rubber. To connect a bulb and keep the wiring going, do I just strip that section of wiring and sauter on the wire hanging off the bulb? All wiring will be on the OUTSIDE of the canopy and probably coated in silicone, I'm not taking any chances. How do I attach a plug to the end of the wiring?

As to the canopy - I have stopped working at the frame just in case I absolutely need to buy the $200 Lexan sheet, the framing would be the ideal place to hook that on and I don't want to have to undo some of my handy work just to get an overpriced slab of glass on there.


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## quentin8

I am actually using lexan sheets as covers for my 2 smaller tanks They have been in use for almost a year with no flaws. My question is y couldnt you use the lexan to cover the whole tank and then not have to worry as much about moisture getting to the lights or wood? Also I have used acrylic sheets as covers in the past and all i did was flip them over every other month or so to prevent warping and they worked like a charm. It just seems like a lot of trouble making boxes for the bulbs. I would be worried about heat from the bulbs and yellowing being so close to the bulb


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## cantrell00

The King Crabb said:


> cantrell00 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Acrylic actually absorbs water.
> 
> 
> 
> That may put a damper on my new plan... I did a little research, talked to some physicists, and finally came to terms that I absolutely need to keep the bulbs away from moisture at all angles. My latest hair-brained idea? A glass enclosure, somewhat like a smaller tank around each bulb.
> 
> I talked to the glass people, estimation for the piece I need was over $200 (has to be thick) which happens to be more than I've spent on the tank and stand combined. So I'm looking into Home Depot smaller acrylic sheets (which might not work with warping and, apparently, water absorption). They also have Lexan 10"x8" sheets that I'm just now seeing and I don't think that will be a bad idea. I'd guess that for the boxes to work I need a mere 4 sheets, but I'd buy 5 just to be safe. Only one flaw (that I see so far) would be heat. My worry be that the heat would build up in the CFL chambers and warp glass/ burst the bulb; would drilling holes above the bulb into the wood solve that problem?
> 
> For you not following too well on the math:
> 
> Lexan from glass store: $200
> Lexan sheets from Home Depot: $20 (+$5 for silicone)
> 
> Should I try out the Lexan boxes? I assume that a 2 coats of exterior paint and 3 coats of polyurethan will be enough to protect the wood as well?
> 
> 
> 
> Cantrell00 said:
> 
> 
> 
> You really can't hook it up wrong assuming you keep the ground prong on the plug isolated to the ground lug on the bulb mount.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> The wiring does have a ground. I'm not sure where to attach it, the bulbs only have the white and black cords hanging off the back; other than that they're all coated in rubber. To connect a bulb and keep the wiring going, do I just strip that section of wiring and sauter on the wire hanging off the bulb? All wiring will be on the OUTSIDE of the canopy and probably coated in silicone, I'm not taking any chances. How do I attach a plug to the end of the wiring?
> 
> As to the canopy - I have stopped working at the frame just in case I absolutely need to buy the $200 Lexan sheet, the framing would be the ideal place to hook that on and I don't want to have to undo some of my handy work just to get an overpriced slab of glass on there.
Click to expand...

If were me, I would focus my efforts on ventilating the canopy moreso than than trying to absolutely keep the light fixtures isolated from moisture. If properly ventilated, moisture shouldn't be a concern.

As for the grounding, there really isn't anywhere to attach a ground on the bulb mount/socket - so I wouldn't worry with it...


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## vann59

quentin8 said:


> I am actually using lexan sheets as covers for my 2 smaller tanks They have been in use for almost a year with no flaws. My question is y couldnt you use the lexan to cover the whole tank and then not have to worry as much about moisture getting to the lights or wood? Also I have used acrylic sheets as covers in the past and all i did was flip them over every other month or so to prevent warping and they worked like a charm. It just seems like a lot of trouble making boxes for the bulbs. I would be worried about heat from the bulbs and yellowing being so close to the bulb


Acrylic is pretty good about non yellowing as opposed to a cheaper type of plexiglass, but the lexan is hard to beat and it probably won't warp, at least mine haven't yet.

I agree that making lids would be better than boxing in the lights. Lids on the tank, and ventilation to carry out water vapor from the canopy would be my suggestion.


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## limpert

Any updates on this build?

What are the stocking plans?


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## dsouthworth

opcorn:


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## ryencok3

dsouthworth said:


> opcorn:


 opcorn:


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## quentin8

What happened? my popcorn is getting stale waiting on an update. opcorn:


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## BrendanMc

Sooooo how'd it turn out?


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