Lunchbucket's 48"x48"x20" Reef

[melev]

I would get a very good wood sealer and paint the wood on both sides, and especially on the edges and that seam. Keeping the water out of the edges is important since that is primarily where it ends up and attempts to enter.

If you do think you'll have to move those sumps at some point, putting them on rubber will make it impossible to slide. I doubt you'll move them unless something major comes up.

To paint your concrete floors, you should probably clean it first with some type of muriatic & water solution to get it very clean, then let it dry out for a solid 24 hours before you paint. Keep it clean for the 24 hours (no dog tracks or human footprints) and the paint should adhere well.

 

[jnarowe]

this is true. even a high quality deck sealant/or oil might perform better than paint.

But I do want to point out something about this design: Unless you completely seal the seam and all edges to the stand, water (and salt) will get under the plywood. This will then conspire to rust your stand and will provide a wicked electrical path.

Since you will not be able to clean under it without removig the equipment, I would give this more careful thought. And I can't really come up with a good solution other than fiberglassing the entire bottom or installing a drip pan of some sort.

I have had a LOT of water flow under my stand, but my case is different in that it is not in my living space. And as Marc stated before, over time the salt will erode a variety of materials including cement.

 

[DiazE]

Sorry to hijack.

I thought you might want to check this drip pan out.

http://www.plasticfabinc.com/

 

[jnarowe]

very nice, but that dog ain't digging it!

 

[DiazE]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12401490#post12401490 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jnarowe
very nice, but that dog ain't digging it!

I guess it doesn't like yellow!

 

[melev]

If that really was an issue (the stand getting electrified), grounding it would seem to be the safest option.

 

[jnarowe]

yeah I don't think electricity is the main issue, but just something to think about. My biggest problem is with water getting under the plywood. In my case I have decent access and can shop-vac up the water. But in this situation, that would not be an option if I am seeing it correctly.

 

[melev]

I think any water that gets under the stand would evaporate on its own over time, as he's not sealing the stand to the concrete. Eric has mentioned several times that the floor is uneven so perhaps any water that does get under there could leach out and be mopped up.

If the stand was powder coated, it should be pretty durable to exposure to water.

 

[jnarowe]

yes, but anything the water touches will get a sal residue build up.

 

[erics3000]

Hey lunch i painted my garage floor with a 2 part epoxy kit from home depot. It was that expensive, and came with the acid cleaner. You can purchase it for a 2 1/2 car and 1 car kit. it evan came with some sprinkles to give it a little pop. It has held up pretty good

You aint kiddn the $$$$ never end..At least you have some live stock to transfer when your tank is stable.

 

[Lunchbucket]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12401093#post12401093 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
I would get a very good wood sealer and paint the wood on both sides, and especially on the edges and that seam. Keeping the water out of the edges is important since that is primarily where it ends up and attempts to enter.

If you do think you'll have to move those sumps at some point, putting them on rubber will make it impossible to slide. I doubt you'll move them unless something major comes up.

To paint your concrete floors, you should probably clean it first with some type of muriatic & water solution to get it very clean, then let it dry out for a solid 24 hours before you paint. Keep it clean for the 24 hours (no dog tracks or human footprints) and the paint should adhere well.

Already painted the floors

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12401302#post12401302 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jnarowe
this is true. even a high quality deck sealant/or oil might perform better than paint.

But I do want to point out something about this design: Unless you completely seal the seam and all edges to the stand, water (and salt) will get under the plywood. This will then conspire to rust your stand and will provide a wicked electrical path.

Since you will not be able to clean under it without removig the equipment, I would give this more careful thought. And I can't really come up with a good solution other than fiberglassing the entire bottom or installing a drip pan of some sort.

I have had a LOT of water flow under my stand, but my case is different in that it is not in my living space. And as Marc stated before, over time the salt will erode a variety of materials including cement.

Seal the contact from the stand to the subfloor piece? You mean like a layer of calk on all stand furfaces so that it wont sit between the wood and the stand in that little crack?

DiazE - Nice...wonder how much they are?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12402202#post12402202 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
I think any water that gets under the stand would evaporate on its own over time, as he's not sealing the stand to the concrete. Eric has mentioned several times that the floor is uneven so perhaps any water that does get under there could leach out and be mopped up.

If the stand was powder coated, it should be pretty durable to exposure to water.

I don't believe that the floor is very uneven at all! I'm just concerned that it is level enough to sit a bare glass tank on. It might be because it looks pretty level. I can pull out a level and check but it is nice and smooth.

There will be room from the bottom of the stand braces to the floor. Probably 1/2"-1" depending on how high up the adjustable feed (bolts screwed into the stand legs) have to be up to get the stand level. I could get a fan blowing under the stand to dry stuff up under there pretty easy

The stand was supposedly powder coated but it looked like hammer town rustoleum paint. When it was chopped up and rewelded into two separate pieces the guy put a coat of grey scherwin williams spray paint in it. He used paint that they use for industrial fans (Twin city fan is the company he works at). So it has some coats of paint on it.

I do think that I should seal off the open ends of the stand so no moist air gets inside the tubes where there is no coating.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12404871#post12404871 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by erics3000
Hey lunch i painted my garage floor with a 2 part epoxy kit from home depot. It was that expensive, and came with the acid cleaner. You can purchase it for a 2 1/2 car and 1 car kit. it evan came with some sprinkles to give it a little pop. It has held up pretty good

You aint kiddn the $$$$ never end..At least you have some live stock to transfer when your tank is stable.

I decided to buy the porch and flor paint not the epoxy garage paint when I painted the tank room floor blue. It is a satin latex epoxy paint that is for concrete, wood, porches, interior or exterior but not recommended for garage floors or where automobiles park. Was the next thing closest to that garage kit w/out paying soooo much for the kit. Work or not for the stand shelf??

Lunchbucket

 

[jnarowe]

I am doubting you could get a 100% seal between the plywood and the stand but I suppose it's worth a try. It's a tough situation but as Marc says, maybe not that big of a deal.

I would be thinking about it a lot if it were me. Of course, I would coat the ply, lay it in, add equipment, and then one day when a spill happened, wonder how much of it is under the stand. You now, 'cause that's how I roll! :lol:

 

[Lunchbucket]

Jon - How do other people deal w/ the ply on stand situations? I can't be the first w/ this situation.

I'm trying to wrap my mind around this whole wood shelf sealing thing. I'm just wondering what everyone else does as 99% of stands have a plywood or at least wood bottom on the stand.

I would think that two coats of bathroom primer and 2-4coats of porch paint would be sufficient but I'm completely open to ideas and disscussions.

Anyhow I'm going to get 2 coats of primer on the pieces for now as it needs to get done anyhow. We'll figure out what else to do soon I hope Would like to make some progress on it this weekend. Plumbing would be nice to get a start on this weekend.

Lunchbucket

 

[JCTewks]

I plan on building a "tray" out of ply with 3" tall sides, then sealing it all with the same epoxy that folks building "woodies" use.

 

[Goodwin9]

Eric...my three metal stands all have Formica covering the bottom shelf and there doesn't seem to be any problems. The big tank has a 180 gallon sump/refugium sitting on a 1" oak shelf covered in Formica with just a center metal brace similar to your stand. Again, no problems after the first year of operation.

 

[jnarowe]

Yeah, formica is good, cheap, and easy to apply so that's not a bad idea. I think resin alone will have some probability of delaminating BTW. Ther are so many ways to do it, but I am not really concerned with the wood itself but stuff getting under it.

 

[Lunchbucket]

Hmm....formica isn't a bad option but could water get under there?

jnarowe - You are more worried about where the wood touched the stand water getting in there and not drying out? Hmm...maybe I should have the wood sit about 1/4" above the steel so I can get air flow over it.

Lunchbucket

 

[melev]

It will be fine on the steel, and the solid contact with the stand is what will keep the board true. You wanted a solid surface for the sumps.

Your stand has adjustable feet, so there is a tiny bit of clearance underneath. It seems that you'll be fine.

 

[Lunchbucket]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12410526#post12410526 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
It will be fine on the steel, and the solid contact with the stand is what will keep the board true. You wanted a solid surface for the sumps.

Your stand has adjustable feet, so there is a tiny bit of clearance underneath. It seems that you'll be fine.

I would think that they would be ok but I don't want my stand getting all eaten up either.

The porch paint ok though?

I really can set them on the concrete floor I'm pretty willing to bet that it is true. Then It can cool the water via the direct contact w/ the floor and I don't worry about the stuff touching the metal stand.

Lunchbucket

 

[erics3000]

I am sure famica might be fine but If I had the option I would not use it around water..I am pretty sloppy when it comes to water.

After saying this I thought to my self I dump a few gallons of water a week on my floors and they wipe up fine...