Hex Tank Build

[n2585722]

Here are some photos of the canopy when removing side panels to add the covers to the back of the doors and add covers for the hinges. I also replaced the hinges at this time. This was done about 4 years ago. The first photo is with the lid open for removal. The lights were on during this process. As you can see I never mounted the driver boards or the DA modules. The driver boards on the left and right of the light assembly are in use. The one below the light is a spare with some spare drivers. I use the Meanwell LDD drivers which require a PWM control input. The Archon just happens to have 2 PWM outputs and I also have an AVC module that has 4 outputs that can be configured as either 0-10v, 10v PWM or 5v PWM. It is the one without a label. It was a preproduction module. The other module is a MLC for moon light control. You can also see the screws that are used to mount the upper outer frame to the inner frame.

Below is a photo with the lid removed. You can see the top of the back cover in the back. The hole in the top of it has the ventilation fans for air flow through the stand and canopy in the area that is exposed to water. These fans pull air out of these areas. The ventilation fans in the areas with electronics blow air into those areas with the exception of the area with the LED's. The cooling fans are also the ventilation fans for this area and they expel air out the top.

The photo below show the upper area with the outer frame assembly off. There is quite a bit of dust on top of the vent slits. Also it show how the sides mate together to form the column. This also gives a better view inside the back cover where the ventilation fans are at.

Below is a photo of the bottom of the upper outer frame assembly.

Below is a photo with the front panel removed. You can see the fish feeder and overflow in the background.

Below is a closer look. Not too bad for a few years of use.

Below is the front panel removed. Other than the hinges there is not too much touch up needed.

Next will be the updates to the panel assembly's.

 

[n2585722]

Below are the parts used to cover the back of the doors and the hinges. The hinge covers are shown in varying degrees of finish. The upper left is the top and bottom of one block before it has been on the router. There is also a acrylic template and just below it a wooden template. The one to the left of the wooden template is with the first cut done with the template. The two to the left of it are completed covers. The parts to the right of the templates are the parts used to assemble the door cover. The bottom two are are a completed door cover. Once completed they were painted white.

Below is a side panel with the new hinges and the parts to be added.

The two photos below are of a completed side panel ready to be installed back on canopy. This the same panel assembly as above. There are two types. The difference is which side the hinges are on.

Below are two photo of a side panel with the hinges on the opposite side.

Below is a photo of the canopy with the side panels back with the doors open.

Below is a photo from the side with the doors open.

Photo from the other side with doors open.

Below is a view from above.

 

[n2585722]

Stand Build Inner Frame:

This will be on the stand inner frame. The inner frame is the actual stand for the tank.The outer frame and side panels attache to the inner frame. Below is a photo of the parts for the stand.

Below are the sections of the bottom inner frame before assembly. These are made from 2x4's. There is a pattern cut for the post. The two side post are different than the other four. This is to allow for a little wider sump. The some dan be place in two positions. There is also cuts for the floor of the stand.

Below is the assemble bottom inner frame.

Below is the bottom outer frame with the post attached. The inside edges of the side post are trimmed on both side at an angle.
The other four post are just trimmed on one inner side. The side panels are meant to mate with 3/4" post instead of the 1.5" 2x4's. So the outer edge of the post had to be trimmed to match a 3/4" post. Also if you look close at that edge on each post there are four inserts used to mount the side panels.

Below is the upper frame assembled it is the same as the bottom without the cutout for the floor.

The inner frame with the top inner frame assembly attached.

Below is the bottom view of the assembled floor. The pocket holes will be plugged but it is still on the bottom.

Below is the top of the floor.

Below is the inner frame with the supports added at the top and bottom.The front does not have the support at the bottom but there will be a panel attached to the back of both front post in the back to form a front cabinet area for some electronics. Access to the sump is through the four side openings. The floor is also installed in this photo. all the pocket holes will be plugged to seal the area with the screws. The bracing under the top inner frame lines up with the bottom trim of the tank to give the 2X4's extra support under the tank but also to help stabilize the inner frame since it is the actual tank stand.

Below is the assembled panel that will be attached to the back of the front post.

 

[n2585722]

The next two photos I didn't get in the previous post so I will post them here. The first one is the sections of the top inner frame before assembly and the second one is the inner frame without the floor installed.

Below is the assembled inner frame with pocket holes plugged and sanded, bottom view.

Below is the assembled inner frame from the top. The cutouts in the top are to help drain any spill back into the stand.

Below is the inner frame from the front. The rectangular hole near the bottom is the passthrough for cables from sensors in the sump. It is purposely higher than the bottom supports to help keep water and moisture out of the electronics area. Also there are inserts installed to mount the controller modules. The lower support bracing also has an angle cut at the top so it is angled down toward the inside of the stand. The supports at the top also have the bottom angled down toward the inside of the stand. This is to help keep minor leaks inside the stand and mot on the floor.

Below is the inner frame with the sump placed in one of the positions it can installed. Also you can see the two holes at the top of the front panel assembly. These are for the conduit that will run from the front electronics area to the back cabinet with the other electronics area.

Below is a view from the top with the sump in place.

 

[n2585722]

Below are some photo of the inner frame after primer was added. The outer trim around the edge of the top was also added here.

Below is the front view with the inner frame painted. Also here the areas in black are for electronics or the outside bottom. The areas with water exposure are painted white. The area where it transitions from white to black will not be seen once the outer frame and side panels are installed.

The photo below is from the back. The holes for the conduit are visible here. Also you can see the slit above the pass through. This is for a flap that will be installed to keep splashes from entering into the electronics area.

Side view of the painted inner frame. Once it was dry I filled the bottom area with water and let is sit for several hours to make sure there were no leaks. Of coarse once the sump is in place it would not be a lot of water, but in the past most spills that happened it would be a big help. Since there will be leak sensors that should shut off all pumps that should keep a small leak from getting out of hand. I think it would be very hard to protect against a major leak, but this should catch any minor ones and major ones when they are still slow enough to take action before a catastrophic failure.

 

[reefing102]

Now that’s a lot of dedication. It’s coming along great!

 

[n2585722]

Thank you.

 

[n2585722]

Stand Build Outer Frame:

Below is the sections for the top outer frame assembly and back cabinet. This is a view of the bottom.

Below is the top outer frame assembled. This is the bottom view.

The photo below is the top outer frame top view. The cutout in the back is for the back cover that sits on top of the back cabinet.

Below is a bottom view of the back section of the top with the top for the back cabinet attached. The back cabinet will be attached to the back side panel.

Below are the sections for the bottom outer frame assembly.

Below is the bottom outer frame assembly top view.

Below is the bottom outer frame assembly bottom view. There are pocket holes two on each section to attach it to the base of the inner frame assembly. When attached it will be high enough that carpet will slide under it. This frame will also be glued to the inner frame at the base and will not be removable.

 

[n2585722]

The photo below is the top view of the finished top outer frame assembly. The area painted white can be exposed to water.

Below is a closeup of the top outer frame and top of the back cabinet. The trim added around the outside of the white area is to make sure any spill will drain to the center hole. There will be a pass through in the top of the cabinet for tubing an hoses to and from the overflow. This is sealed off from the electronics area and any water will end up in the bottom of the inner frame or stand instead of the floor.

The photo below is the bottom of the top outer frame assembly.

Below is a closeup of the cabinet area of the top outer frame bottom view. The trim here is around the center hole and keeps the water from running to the sides and instead will drop into the pass through.

Below is a closeup of one of the corners of the top outer frame, bottom view.

I didn't get any photos of the bottom outer frame finished before it was attached to the inner frame or stand. I had the back cabinet and side panels off after it was placed where it was going to be setup. So the photos of the bottom outer frame are after it was installed. The photo below is the back where the cabinet will go. There are two drain holes in the cutout of each section. If water were to get in there I would rather it end up on the floor than pool in the cutout. The holes were drilled and straws were glued into the hole to keep water from entering the wood when flowing through the holes. The straws extend below the bottom surface so the water falls to the floor instead of staying on the bottom of the section.

Below is a side view. Sorry for the blurry photo. I am not sure what happened. The side panels were removed and the cabinet removed to make some improvements before starting up the tank.

Below is a photo of the other side. The sump was removed also during this time To make some final changes and add the plumbing for attaching the overflow hoses up. Here it was run but not up to the tank and back.

Below is a photo of from the front with the side panels off. The controller area is behind the front door when the panel is on. In this photo the drain holes are easier to see on the section on the right in this photo.

 

[n2585722]

Now to the side panels. They are the same as the ones for the canopy as far as width. The only difference is the vertical parts are considerably longer. The photo below is of the parts to a side panel.

Below is a side panel assembled without the door.

Below are the parts for the door.

Below is an assembled door. The door here has the 1/4 round cuts done on all four sides.

Below is a assembled side panel with the door installed. The difference in the stand from canopy other than height is that the vent slit is at the bottom of the assembly instead of the top.

Below is a side panel on it's side with the door open. You can see the cuts in the side where it mates with the next side panel. There are four screws used to attach the two panels when they are in place. The cuts allow the washer and head of the screw to be recessed so the insert will lay flat against the two panels also the cuts allow the threaded part of the screw to clear the panel. There are 8 areas where the cuts are made on each side. The reason is all the parts were made at the same time and were made to attach to either side on the panel. It didn't take that much more time once the router was setup to do the cuts.

 

[n2585722]

Below is a sanded and stained side panel ready for install.

Below is the side panel from the back. The top is to the right. I have where they go on the left. This area cannot be seen once the panel is installed. There are two of the same one on each side. The front and back are different. The bar on the left of the photo at the door opening is to block water from splashing into the area between the inner frame and the panel. That is where air is drawn into the stand with the fans in the back cover. The bar across the right side with the seal mates with the outer trim on the inner frame to keep water that is spilled down the side of the tank from getting between the side panel and the inner frame assembly. The back of the door has the protection panel attached. Also the hinge covers are attached. The hinge cover on the right which is the top one had a cut out in the top back of it to clear the brace for the inner upper frame.

Below is with the door open from the front. Top to the left. You can see the cutout in the back of the top hinge cover. That is to clear the brace under the upper inner frame.

Finished side panel with the door open. Bottom is on the left side. This is one has door hinged on opposite side from the one above.

Below is the back of a side panel.

Below with door open from the back.

Below is the original front panel assembly. Now the raised panel has been replaced with one without the hole for mounting the RKE head unit since it was never used, but the stand was originally made for using it.

Below is the front panel from the back. The only part that may be exposed to water is at the top which is on the left side.

Below is the front panel with door open. The vent on this panel is for the ventilation for the electronics compartment only.

 

[n2585722]

Stand Build Back Cabinet:

Below is a photo of the center partition. It has inserts to mount two PC4 power bars on each side. The reason for the two narrow parts is for mounting to the back of cabinet. There is a fan near the bottom in the center that the partition has to clear enough so it can be changed when needed. It also will attach to the back panel.

Below is a view of the partition assembled.

Below is a view of the parts to the back without the acrylic panel.

Below are the two assembled sides and assembled back for the back cabinet. These photos were actually taken during disassembly after testing. So that is the reason for just the one AC outlet. When finished there will be one on each side of the partition. Originally I had them attached to the bottom outer frame in the back but added a place to mount them to the partition that set them at more of an angle so it was easier to get the plugs in and out and reset the GFIC if needed. There are plates for up to twelve keystone couplers and up to six 1/4" tubing bulkheads fittings. There are five installed here. The clear acrylic will be painted black on the inside for final assembly.

Below is a photo with the two sides and partition attached to the back of the cabinet. The back panel is above the assembly.

Below is a photo of the cabinet with the back panel installed.

Below is parts for one of the side doors. The big difference is since they are so narrow I could not make a raised panel so a 1/4" flat panel is used instead.

Below is both side doors assembled. Access to the electronics area on each side is through these doors.

Below is a photo of the back panel with cabinet assembled. The section of the upper outer frame with the top frame of the cabinet was placed on top for the photo. There are some items that are not installed in the back panel along with the passthrough.

Below is a view from the back. The tubing bulkheads are for getting water to and from the sump and also air and CO2. The CO2 was never used as of yet. I was going to keep the CO2 bottle with regulator and solenoid in the garage, but I never ended up using the CO2 reactor. I use All for Reef at this time so I removed the reactor form the stand for now.

 

[n2585722]

Below is the back cabinet during assembly after staining and painting.

Below is the partition painted and ready for install. Also the conduit bulkhead is to the right of it.

Below is a view of the back panel attached to back cabinet. The bottom hole is a passthrough for the cords from pumps, heater and other devices used in the sump. The upper hole will house the passthrough to the tank and the bulkhead for the conduit from the front electronics cabinet.

Below is the passthrough painted. This was 1/4" wood cut and glued together. I did not get a photo before it was painted unfortunately. Behind it is the top outer frame for the stand.

Below is the same passthrough from the bottom.

Below is the back cabinet assembly with the passthrough and bulkhead installed.

Below is the passthrough from a top view before the top trim is added.

Below is a top view of the back cabinet assembly with the trim around the top of passthrough added.

 

[n2585722]

Below is a photo after the bulkhead and passthrough was sealed and painted. The sealant can be removed if there is ever a need to remove the pass through for some reason. The flap and flap cover are also installed over the bottom passthrough.

Below is a closeup of the passthrough. You can also see the holes on each side for the conduit that runs from the back cabinet to the canopy.

The view below is a closeup of the bottom passthrough with the flap and flap cover installed.

Below is a view of the top of the cabinet with the conduit to the canopy installed.

Below is the back of the cabinet with the acrylic panel painted black and installed.

Below is one side of the cabinet with the door open. At the bottom of the partition you can see the angled block where the outlet will be installed. Also you can see the hole for the conduit that goes to this side of the cabinet.

Below is a photo of the other side with the door open. It also has a block for mounting an outlet on this side at the bottom.

Below is a fiew of one side with the door closed.

Below is a view of the other side with the door closed.

 

[n2585722]

Stand Build Back Cover:

I will go over the back cover here. This hides the overflow, tubing, hoses a conduit that goes from the tank or the canopy and the sump or back cabinet. It has two access doors on on each side. It can be remove for better access but the canopy has to be lifted some to get it off. This will keep it from accidentally getting knocked off. It is also on the back where is less likely to get bumped anyway. Below is the parts for the original back. This was change so it did not use a panel since it has the chance of getting wet. It was changed to all 3/4" wood all the way across.

Below are the parts for one of the sides on the back cover. The shorter part will go between the bottom of the canopy and the top of the stand to fill the gap between the cover and the tank.

Below is a photo of the parts to other side of the cover.

Below is one side assembled.

Below is the other side assembled.

Below is the back assembled along with both sides. The assembled doors are on the right.

Below a phot of the door parts. This like the ones for the back cabinet are too narrow for a raised panel.

The photo below is of an assembled door.

Below is a assembled top frame to the back cover. The notches in the lower corners is for clearing the columns on the canopy.

Below is the bottom side of the top frame.

 

[n2585722]

Below is the parts for the mount where the ventilation fans will be mounted. They pull air from the canopy area above the water surface and from the stand area where the sump is located. The fans were eventually replaced with a different type. The original fans are shown in the photo.

The photo below is of the assembled back cover. This was actually assembled for testing and the photos were taken when it was disassembled for final changes and reassembly.

Below is the back cover assembled with the doors open.

Below is the back cover assembled doors closed.

 

[n2585722]

Ok, now for the back cover stained and painted. The fans have been changed in this photo. The original fans did not hold up to the environment. These fans you can remove the blade assembly. I packed the coil and electronics area with RTV. That keeps the electronics safe from any mist and salt spray. I have photos of doing this I will show later on. I also found some fans this size that have a IP67 rating that I am trying out for a cooling fan at the sump. So far the one I have has been holding up without any issues. So as I have fan failures I will be switching out to the new fans. The new fans are by Cooler Guys.

Back cover with the doors open.

Below is the back cover top view. The back cover was off for some reason when the photos were taken. The tank had been up and running for a while so there is some dust that has collected here.

Below is the back cover from the back with the doors open.

Below is the back cover from the back with doors closed.

The photo below is the bottom view.

Below is a closeup of the bottom. The trim around the inside mates with the trim on the back of the top outer frame of the stand. This will hopefully keep and splashed water inside instead of getting into the cutout the back cover sits in.

 

[n2585722]

I also added the door protection and hinge covers to the back cover like I did on the canopy. The stand had them from the start. I was testing everything setup and had it filled with salt water. I was intending on draining it before final setup. I had placed some old dry rock I had from a previous tank I had setup years ago just so the tank didn't look bare. The tank started to cycle so I just let it. After the cycle was complete I added a cleanup crew. I added three fish about three weeks later. So that is why they were not in place at the beginning. Below is one door cover assembled and also the parts for the other door cover.

Door covers and hinges painted and ready for install in photo below.

Below is a photo of the back cover with the door covers and hinge covers installed with doors open.

Below is a photo with the doors close.

 

[n2585722]

Now is a good time to show what was originally in the back cabinet. Below is a holder ai made that holds the fan speed controller on one side and up to a couple of RKE type modules on the other side. These are make out of some extra acrylic I had after building my sump.

I also made some holders for the power supplies that were used. They are shown below.

Below is the mounting bracket with their power supplies inserted. The upper left is the 25v supply. The lower left is the 12v supply. The two on the right are the two for the MP10's.

The photos were taken with the back cabinet removed from the stand. Here the fan speed control is mounted to the bracket just below the passthrough. The wire were just in the hole for the conduit to get them out of the way for the photo. There is one PC4 mounted in the center. To the left of the PC4 is the 12v power supply for the lighting and fans. The one on the right is a 25v power supply for the lighting. At the bottom the outlet is mounted to the partition. The MP10 controller is attached to the door with velcro.

This side has a HUB module mounted to the bracket just below the passthrough. There are two PC4's mounted side by side in the center on this side. To the right of the PC4's is a power supply for one of the MP10's. The other MP10 supply is to the left of the PC4's but cannot be seen. You can see the edge of the mounting bradket. There is a little better view of the outlet on this side below the PC4's.

 

[n2585722]

Here are some photos of the stand during the build. This is the stand partially assembled. In this photo you can see the screws used to attach the side panels to the inner frame.

Stand with canopy sitting on top of it.

The stand below has some of the panels stained but the backs have not been painted yet.

Another photo below of the stand partially complete.

Below is a closeup of the insert before it was stained. I believe I got these from Home Depot. Almost everything used was from either Home Depot or Lowes as far as wood and hardware.

The photo below shows the conduit between the cabinet in front and the cabinet in back. The PVC offset in the center is the return manifold.

Below is a view through the side opening of the conduit. Some of the side panels still have just the primer on the back here. Also you can see the part attached to the panels to keep water from splashing into the area between the bottom of the panel and the inner frame assembly. There is still a slight opening for air flow.

Below is a view from the front of the stand.

Below is a closeup of the top. The return manifold was moved above the braces after the photos were taken. It cleared the bottom of the tank in the higher position and allowed for easier access to the sump for placing and removing things in the sump.

Below is the conduit entering the front cabinet.