JustinReef
New member
Cool...its a beautiful tank! Do you have an idea of what kind of stand your going to build for it?
Modern Reef Aquariums
- Thread starter CamBarr
- Start date
- Status
Cool...its a beautiful tank! Do you have an idea of what kind of stand your going to build for it?
GSMguy
New member
Thank you, you should see what a monstrosity it replaced, 50g breeeder with a big black brace and all hang on equipment no sump it was horrid.
the stand will match my lights. whatever the lights i end up with will match the stand, i think i will shoot for all black or all white smooth plain simple.
we move in 4-5 months so i have some time.
cerreta
Premium Member
I have been contemplating this design for about a year. My intent was not to make a modern aquarium, but rather to create a work of art. I think I have a touch of both, but I would like to get the input from the critics and your interpretations.
I will only try to describe my concepts with the artsy flair, because like I said, I did not intend to make a modern aquarium, but rather an expression of my creative nature in alignment with a current office theme.
My office is nothing special, but a recent trip to Africa netted some great photographs. I framed the photos on the wall above the tank. Black, and brushed aluminum is the influence along with consistent geometric shapes accented by an African voodoo board (or so the guy told me). I wanted to believe him, so I do.
The concept of the aquarium was originally conceived separate of this wall. However, the two grew together as time progressed and I wanted to incorporate vertical lines, geometric shapes, and circles. All aspects of the Artsy-Cube fit this theme. I later recognized the lines, shapes and circles of the voodoo board blend well with the aquarium. So this was incidental, but important nonetheless.
This, like many art projects is custom made and a product of multiple failures. Nothing here is perfect, and I really like it to be that way. I chipped some glass. I redid the bottom plate twice. I redesigned the internal overflow more than once. I painted the sump area three times, etcetera.
To see all the photos of the build, it is best to visit that thread.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1379150&perpage=25&pagenumber=1
This project was conceived last summer. The work began in October 2007, I took a long break, as a failure in design left me baffled and frustrated. New concepts developed and I was reenergized. As any artist would attest, this is often a familiar pattern of one becoming unsatisfied with a work of art that goes awry.
Here is a summary of . . . da RC Artsy-Cube:
I am building a 15 gallon starfire rimless “RC Artsy-Cube.†The main display is a 14†cube tank. The internal Closed-Loop Sump is 5 Gallons
Being in the hobby for several years has given me the opportunity to build relationships with many people in the hobby. In Tucson I have helped many reefers with their aquarium projects, including aquascaping and helping newbies by supplying them with free or very low cost corals to get them started in the hobby.
The objective of this project is to use those relationships developed here on Reef Central and build this project with materials and labor from the RC people.
Although a small aquarium, my budget for this project is $1500. I plan to use high end equipment and exotic corals. Luckily I have plenty of frags to stock this tank, but I am looking for “show-piece†colors for this project.
I have asked several people for their assistance with this project. These people have offered to help at no cost, frag trades, or even for chocolates. I have a very good connection with that. I wish to keep these people anonymous since their contributions are so generous and they could get a flood of offerings for helping out with TOO many other projects. However, if they wish to announce themselves here on this thread, then that is cool!
Currently, the tank has been assembled, but nothing has been drilled or tested at this point. I am definitely open for suggestions and more ideas. If anyone has an expertise, equipment, or a skill they are willing to share, please help. The more the merrier.
Here are some of the ORIGINAL (October 2007) design ideas: (CAPS REPRESENT NEW COMMENTS MADE TODAY)
BASICS:
The artsy look comes from using classic colors black and silver with geometric shapes predominately squares and circles. The entire project from light to plumbing has been chosen to accent the colors and shapes. If it does not look like art, then it will not be used.
The premise is a stylish tank with no external sump, no skimmer, no chiller, no extensive filters or media, no live rock, and no exposed wires or equipment of any kind. It must be ultra quiet and produce no appreciable heat. It will be an sps display tank with a few snails and one high dollar fish. I am considering a Helfrichs or Red Frog fish Angler. I sure could use more ideas for a solitary cool fish. I will rely on weekly water changes and Oceans Blend 2 Part to export nutrients and maintain Alk / Ca, respectively.
TANK:
The tank features starfire glass and it is trimless. I used clear silicone to seat the glass with a very generous bead. After 24 hour curing all the excess silicone was cut away. Therefore the only silicone holding this tank together is what lies within the joints. With the exception of the bottom pane.
WATER CIRCULATION
The internal sump sits directly in the middle of the cube. It has a fixed bottom portion and a rotating top. The top houses two Tunze nano stream 6025 pumps. The pumps are connected to a wavemaker (I am leading towards a Neptune Aquacontroller Jr) and alternate on/off in a one minute intervals. When one pump cycles on, the top rotates from the propulsion of flow 180 degrees to a stop point. In one minute, it shuts off and the other pump cycles on and rotates the top back the other direction. The pumps should provide adequate flow, maybe even too much. The top rotates smoothly on a sealed bearing from a Cervelo bicycle headset (I just changed the bearings and this was a handy extra part). THIS DESIGN FAILED. IN ORDER TO INCORPORATE THE PUMPS, THE TOP WAS TOO LARGE AND THE CORALS WOULD NOT GET ADEQUATE LIGHT. I MAY ATTEMPT THIS DESIGN IN THE FUTURE WITH A 24†CUBE.
HIDING DEVICES
All electrical devices will be stored inside the internal sump. All wires are routed through the 1 1/4" PVC pipe which leads through a single bulkhead into the custom stand where the electrical boxes, controllers, and auto-top off device are located. In order to keep the cords dry, the PVC pipe extends above the surface of the water. The rotating top also extends several inches above the water’s surface to hide the plumbing.
TANK INHABITANTS
A one inch black sand bed is used on the bottom of the tank. Four sps Acropora corals are mounted to each of the four sump walls. A Starfire glass ring is mounted in a suspended fashion around the sump walls and suspended by 1/2" clear acrylic tube. Four sps Montipora caps are mounted to the ring aligned with the corners of the sump walls. The tank is stocked with eight corals twelve snails, and one fish. Again, this is the plan at this point. I am sure things will change during the build process.
STAND:
The stand will be custom built from an 8" steel pipe mounted to a 14†square top and bottom metal sheet. A section will be cut from the pipe lengthwise to make the tube a C shape. A couple of shelves will be placed inside the tube for storage of supplies and electrical equipment. An idea I have been considering is to mount a large bearing on the top and bottom of the tube so that it can rotate 360 degrees. Since this will be in my office, it will be nice to have the C-tube closed so that no supplies are visible, then when I need something, I can just spin the tube to position the opening at the front and I can access the goods. Any thoughts? I FIGURED IT OUT. MORE LATER.
LIGHTING:
At this time, the light fixture will be the brand new Solana brushed aluminum Orb with 150 watt HQI 14k lamp. I will likely change to a Radium 20K lamp. However, I am very hot for the new Solaris I4 LED lamp. The new series includes a 14†model which would fit perfectly over this Artsy-Cube. It features the same computer and all its functions as its bigger brothers: dimming, color temp adjust, cloud cover, moonlighting and seasonal settings, etc. It also has more power than previous generations and provides equal PAR compared to a 15K lamp 400w MH !!! STICKING WITH THE SOLANA FOR NOW.
Project Contributions:
TANK DESIGN:
A fellow RC reefer and I were driving back to Tucson from a Phoenix fish store shopping spree. A boring 2 hour drive led to the development of this tank. Originally we talked about building a 24†50 gallon cube, but with my limited office space, we are going nano! We conceived the idea of building a starfire trimless tank with no exposed wires. We actually had several great ideas and this is the one that surfaced. The rotating powerheads was not a part of that brainstorming. We had originally designed using a powerhead at the bottom of the internal sump and using a 4-way splitter to propel water out of each side of the baffle walls. If the rotating idea fails, this is what I will likely do. NOPE, I CAME UP WITH AN EVEN BETTER PLAN.
STARFIRE GLASS:
Custom cut by an RC member. I traded zoanthids and some chocolates and cashews for the starfire glass. I think he got the better deal. . . just kidding.
BLOWN GLASS:
Suspending the starfire glass ring in the tank will be tricky. Instead of mounting it flat, I will angle the glass to break the conventional lines and perspective. I will use some custom blown glass to anchor the ring and maybe some additional shapes where needed. I LOST MY CONNECTION FOR THE BLOWN GLASS, SO I OPTED FOR CLEAR ACRYLIC TUBE.
STAND:
A fellow RC reefer is experienced with welding and steel pipes. We will try to build a stand that accentuates the geometrical shapes contiguous through the project. We have yet to work out the details, I have lots of chocolates for you, your kids and even their friends. THE IDEA CREATED FOR THIS STAND IS JUST AS COOL AS THE TANK!!! I HOPE IT CAN BE DONE.
CORALS:
I received one coral that was especially donated for this project. It is a brilliant bright blue Acropora sp. Others that will go in there are a Acropora yongei (Green Slimer), Acropora acilles (sp), Acropora tort (Cali blue tort), Montipora capricornis (Idaho Grape, Green with purple rim, Orange-Red) and I am in need of one more Monti cap. Anyone willing to trade something with unusually brilliant colors?
Project Reignited April 2008:
Well, there was a chance that I had to relocate, so I placed this project on hold. I also hit a snag with the design and was lacking creative thought for awhile. Katherine and I will remain in Tucson for another four years, so I began working on this project again. The aquarium will be located at my office.
In lieu of the internal rotating Closed-Loop Circuit (CLC), I built one at the back of the tank. The main display is 10 gallons and the CLC Sump is 5 gallons.
I kept the same idea for the electrical solution, but I relocated it to the sump. This meant that I could make the coral tube smaller. It will also be filled with black sand to aid in filtration by serving as a deep sand bed (DSB). Then, I will stick a coral on top of the open top.
I also decided to rotate the square tube to break up the vertical lines. Therefore, the angles of the tube point directly to the flat panes of glass. The glass Ring will look super cool angling from back to front in a downward angle.
Since the back wall of the tank is made of glass I chose to use Handi-Foam. I first tried painting it, but that was stupid and the paint began to pull away from the glass after two days of leak testing the tank.
I have foamed tanks before, but my technique was different this time. Working with foam is very challenging and messy. I do not like the “turd†look of foam when applying it, so I use a gloved hand and lightly stroke the foam after one minute. The cells break open and release lots of air. This will also flatten the foam and make a huge mess.
A concern I have is that the foam wall must not take up too much real estate in this small tank. So, after ten minutes the foam was firm to the touch on the exterior, but still gooey inside. So I began pressing the foam firmly towards the glass. I have never done this before! What I discovered is that a lot of air gets trapped in pockets. Pressing the foam released the air and once gone, the foam would stick better to the glass. I was also able to flatten the foam from about 1†to ¼ inch. This technique worked extremely well. A major complaint many people have about using foam is that it will separate from the back wall and begin to float. I think I found a remedy. Squash that foam after 10 minutes and release all the air pockets.
I will discuss the stand build later on. For now, I will install the tank at work on a file cabinet and relocate it to the metal tube stand after it is built.
Here are details on the stand. I think this will really complete the project. It is as creative as the tank itself. However, for now, I have to make do with the ugly filing cabinet, because after all, I am very anxious to get the corals and fish in there.
. . da Artsy-Cylinder Stand
The top and bottom plates are boxes: 14x14x5 inches.
The Top Box will receive all electrical from the tank by a hole in the back of the box. A black ABS elbow and pipe will seamlessly join the bulkhead from the sump to the Top Box. A 6¡¨ hole on the bottom of the Top Box will permit electrical wires to pass into the Center Half Cylinder.
The Bottom Box will have a hole in the back for a single power cord to run to an AC outlet. A 3¡¨ hole in the top of the Bottom Box will allow the one cord to pass into the Center Half Cylinder.
The Center Half Cylinder will be an 8¡¨ metal pipe halfed longitudinally. It will be aprox 24¡¨ long. It will be welded to the Top and Bottom Boxes. Several metal shelves will be welded into the Half Cylinder. The back of each shelf will have a 2¡¨ semi-circle cut into the shelf. This permits electrical wiring to run through the cylinder and keeps everything nice a tidy.
The Rolling Half Cylinder Door (this is the magical artsy piece!!!) will be a 10¡¨ metal pipe halfed longitudinally. It will be aprox 24¡¨ long. It will be welded to a bearing at the Top and Bottom Box. This bearing is a 12¡¨ bearing plate that can be welded to two surfaces, the Box and the Rolling Door. The bearing is shaped like a ring and fits around the 8¡¨ fixed Center Half Cylinder. This bearing is frequently used for building swivel TV stands and a Lazy Susan. So if you can image these devices, this is the bearing I will use. The Rolling Door will be able to roll 360 degrees unobstructed. This is the reason why the Top and Bottom Boxes are necessary. These keep all wiring inside the stand so that the Rolling Door can spin freely.
So, when I need to access some fish food, I just roll the door open, grab what I need and roll it shut when done. Æ'º
Adding to the Artsy theme, I continue to incorporate vertical lines and square shapes with the boxes offset with a round cylinder in the center. Of course this will all be black and I will likely not have a handle on the Rolling Door. However, if I choose to use one, it will be a brushed aluminum ball handle mounted dead center in the Rolling Door.
Here are my current thoughts with this project. I could definitely use some help with these ideas.
The Artsy-Cylinder stand will take a month or so to build. So in the meantime, I hate the look of the oak wood disrupting the black and brushed silver. I need some help choosing a fish. I want something exotic and unusual. I would really love to find a scarlet red Frogfish Angler. I have seen one once. This color morph is rare. The cool thing about this fish is that the fins are shaped like feet as the fish hops along the substrate and the tips of the fins are white. It made the fish look like it had feet with painted toenails. It was soooooo cool. Anyhow, my thought here is that I will paint the oak trim the same color as the chosen fish. This will contrast nicely with the black theme.
I keep changing my mind with the corals, but I truly believe, especially after reading comments on this thread, that the beauty of this tank will be magnified if I keep the appearance tidy and simple. For this reason I will only have 6 corals. Four sps will be affixed and growing out of the square tube walls. The top of the tube will have one coral, likely a really colorful organ pipe. And the ring will have GSP continuously around the entire ring. Along with simplicity, I also wanted movement. I think the choice of these two wavy corals above and below the non-moving sps will be marvelous.
I could use some help here. Any thoughts about the modernism? Any thoughts about fish and coral selection? What about the trim until the stand is built?
BTW, this project is far from done.
I will only try to describe my concepts with the artsy flair, because like I said, I did not intend to make a modern aquarium, but rather an expression of my creative nature in alignment with a current office theme.
My office is nothing special, but a recent trip to Africa netted some great photographs. I framed the photos on the wall above the tank. Black, and brushed aluminum is the influence along with consistent geometric shapes accented by an African voodoo board (or so the guy told me). I wanted to believe him, so I do.
The concept of the aquarium was originally conceived separate of this wall. However, the two grew together as time progressed and I wanted to incorporate vertical lines, geometric shapes, and circles. All aspects of the Artsy-Cube fit this theme. I later recognized the lines, shapes and circles of the voodoo board blend well with the aquarium. So this was incidental, but important nonetheless.
This, like many art projects is custom made and a product of multiple failures. Nothing here is perfect, and I really like it to be that way. I chipped some glass. I redid the bottom plate twice. I redesigned the internal overflow more than once. I painted the sump area three times, etcetera.
To see all the photos of the build, it is best to visit that thread.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1379150&perpage=25&pagenumber=1
This project was conceived last summer. The work began in October 2007, I took a long break, as a failure in design left me baffled and frustrated. New concepts developed and I was reenergized. As any artist would attest, this is often a familiar pattern of one becoming unsatisfied with a work of art that goes awry.
Here is a summary of . . . da RC Artsy-Cube:
I am building a 15 gallon starfire rimless “RC Artsy-Cube.†The main display is a 14†cube tank. The internal Closed-Loop Sump is 5 Gallons
Being in the hobby for several years has given me the opportunity to build relationships with many people in the hobby. In Tucson I have helped many reefers with their aquarium projects, including aquascaping and helping newbies by supplying them with free or very low cost corals to get them started in the hobby.
The objective of this project is to use those relationships developed here on Reef Central and build this project with materials and labor from the RC people.
Although a small aquarium, my budget for this project is $1500. I plan to use high end equipment and exotic corals. Luckily I have plenty of frags to stock this tank, but I am looking for “show-piece†colors for this project.
I have asked several people for their assistance with this project. These people have offered to help at no cost, frag trades, or even for chocolates. I have a very good connection with that. I wish to keep these people anonymous since their contributions are so generous and they could get a flood of offerings for helping out with TOO many other projects. However, if they wish to announce themselves here on this thread, then that is cool!
Currently, the tank has been assembled, but nothing has been drilled or tested at this point. I am definitely open for suggestions and more ideas. If anyone has an expertise, equipment, or a skill they are willing to share, please help. The more the merrier.
Here are some of the ORIGINAL (October 2007) design ideas: (CAPS REPRESENT NEW COMMENTS MADE TODAY)
BASICS:
The artsy look comes from using classic colors black and silver with geometric shapes predominately squares and circles. The entire project from light to plumbing has been chosen to accent the colors and shapes. If it does not look like art, then it will not be used.
The premise is a stylish tank with no external sump, no skimmer, no chiller, no extensive filters or media, no live rock, and no exposed wires or equipment of any kind. It must be ultra quiet and produce no appreciable heat. It will be an sps display tank with a few snails and one high dollar fish. I am considering a Helfrichs or Red Frog fish Angler. I sure could use more ideas for a solitary cool fish. I will rely on weekly water changes and Oceans Blend 2 Part to export nutrients and maintain Alk / Ca, respectively.
TANK:
The tank features starfire glass and it is trimless. I used clear silicone to seat the glass with a very generous bead. After 24 hour curing all the excess silicone was cut away. Therefore the only silicone holding this tank together is what lies within the joints. With the exception of the bottom pane.
WATER CIRCULATION
The internal sump sits directly in the middle of the cube. It has a fixed bottom portion and a rotating top. The top houses two Tunze nano stream 6025 pumps. The pumps are connected to a wavemaker (I am leading towards a Neptune Aquacontroller Jr) and alternate on/off in a one minute intervals. When one pump cycles on, the top rotates from the propulsion of flow 180 degrees to a stop point. In one minute, it shuts off and the other pump cycles on and rotates the top back the other direction. The pumps should provide adequate flow, maybe even too much. The top rotates smoothly on a sealed bearing from a Cervelo bicycle headset (I just changed the bearings and this was a handy extra part). THIS DESIGN FAILED. IN ORDER TO INCORPORATE THE PUMPS, THE TOP WAS TOO LARGE AND THE CORALS WOULD NOT GET ADEQUATE LIGHT. I MAY ATTEMPT THIS DESIGN IN THE FUTURE WITH A 24†CUBE.
HIDING DEVICES
All electrical devices will be stored inside the internal sump. All wires are routed through the 1 1/4" PVC pipe which leads through a single bulkhead into the custom stand where the electrical boxes, controllers, and auto-top off device are located. In order to keep the cords dry, the PVC pipe extends above the surface of the water. The rotating top also extends several inches above the water’s surface to hide the plumbing.
TANK INHABITANTS
A one inch black sand bed is used on the bottom of the tank. Four sps Acropora corals are mounted to each of the four sump walls. A Starfire glass ring is mounted in a suspended fashion around the sump walls and suspended by 1/2" clear acrylic tube. Four sps Montipora caps are mounted to the ring aligned with the corners of the sump walls. The tank is stocked with eight corals twelve snails, and one fish. Again, this is the plan at this point. I am sure things will change during the build process.
STAND:
The stand will be custom built from an 8" steel pipe mounted to a 14†square top and bottom metal sheet. A section will be cut from the pipe lengthwise to make the tube a C shape. A couple of shelves will be placed inside the tube for storage of supplies and electrical equipment. An idea I have been considering is to mount a large bearing on the top and bottom of the tube so that it can rotate 360 degrees. Since this will be in my office, it will be nice to have the C-tube closed so that no supplies are visible, then when I need something, I can just spin the tube to position the opening at the front and I can access the goods. Any thoughts? I FIGURED IT OUT. MORE LATER.
LIGHTING:
At this time, the light fixture will be the brand new Solana brushed aluminum Orb with 150 watt HQI 14k lamp. I will likely change to a Radium 20K lamp. However, I am very hot for the new Solaris I4 LED lamp. The new series includes a 14†model which would fit perfectly over this Artsy-Cube. It features the same computer and all its functions as its bigger brothers: dimming, color temp adjust, cloud cover, moonlighting and seasonal settings, etc. It also has more power than previous generations and provides equal PAR compared to a 15K lamp 400w MH !!! STICKING WITH THE SOLANA FOR NOW.
Project Contributions:
TANK DESIGN:
A fellow RC reefer and I were driving back to Tucson from a Phoenix fish store shopping spree. A boring 2 hour drive led to the development of this tank. Originally we talked about building a 24†50 gallon cube, but with my limited office space, we are going nano! We conceived the idea of building a starfire trimless tank with no exposed wires. We actually had several great ideas and this is the one that surfaced. The rotating powerheads was not a part of that brainstorming. We had originally designed using a powerhead at the bottom of the internal sump and using a 4-way splitter to propel water out of each side of the baffle walls. If the rotating idea fails, this is what I will likely do. NOPE, I CAME UP WITH AN EVEN BETTER PLAN.
STARFIRE GLASS:
Custom cut by an RC member. I traded zoanthids and some chocolates and cashews for the starfire glass. I think he got the better deal. . . just kidding.
BLOWN GLASS:
Suspending the starfire glass ring in the tank will be tricky. Instead of mounting it flat, I will angle the glass to break the conventional lines and perspective. I will use some custom blown glass to anchor the ring and maybe some additional shapes where needed. I LOST MY CONNECTION FOR THE BLOWN GLASS, SO I OPTED FOR CLEAR ACRYLIC TUBE.
STAND:
A fellow RC reefer is experienced with welding and steel pipes. We will try to build a stand that accentuates the geometrical shapes contiguous through the project. We have yet to work out the details, I have lots of chocolates for you, your kids and even their friends. THE IDEA CREATED FOR THIS STAND IS JUST AS COOL AS THE TANK!!! I HOPE IT CAN BE DONE.
CORALS:
I received one coral that was especially donated for this project. It is a brilliant bright blue Acropora sp. Others that will go in there are a Acropora yongei (Green Slimer), Acropora acilles (sp), Acropora tort (Cali blue tort), Montipora capricornis (Idaho Grape, Green with purple rim, Orange-Red) and I am in need of one more Monti cap. Anyone willing to trade something with unusually brilliant colors?
Project Reignited April 2008:
Well, there was a chance that I had to relocate, so I placed this project on hold. I also hit a snag with the design and was lacking creative thought for awhile. Katherine and I will remain in Tucson for another four years, so I began working on this project again. The aquarium will be located at my office.
In lieu of the internal rotating Closed-Loop Circuit (CLC), I built one at the back of the tank. The main display is 10 gallons and the CLC Sump is 5 gallons.
I kept the same idea for the electrical solution, but I relocated it to the sump. This meant that I could make the coral tube smaller. It will also be filled with black sand to aid in filtration by serving as a deep sand bed (DSB). Then, I will stick a coral on top of the open top.
I also decided to rotate the square tube to break up the vertical lines. Therefore, the angles of the tube point directly to the flat panes of glass. The glass Ring will look super cool angling from back to front in a downward angle.
Since the back wall of the tank is made of glass I chose to use Handi-Foam. I first tried painting it, but that was stupid and the paint began to pull away from the glass after two days of leak testing the tank.
I have foamed tanks before, but my technique was different this time. Working with foam is very challenging and messy. I do not like the “turd†look of foam when applying it, so I use a gloved hand and lightly stroke the foam after one minute. The cells break open and release lots of air. This will also flatten the foam and make a huge mess.
A concern I have is that the foam wall must not take up too much real estate in this small tank. So, after ten minutes the foam was firm to the touch on the exterior, but still gooey inside. So I began pressing the foam firmly towards the glass. I have never done this before! What I discovered is that a lot of air gets trapped in pockets. Pressing the foam released the air and once gone, the foam would stick better to the glass. I was also able to flatten the foam from about 1†to ¼ inch. This technique worked extremely well. A major complaint many people have about using foam is that it will separate from the back wall and begin to float. I think I found a remedy. Squash that foam after 10 minutes and release all the air pockets.
I will discuss the stand build later on. For now, I will install the tank at work on a file cabinet and relocate it to the metal tube stand after it is built.
Here are details on the stand. I think this will really complete the project. It is as creative as the tank itself. However, for now, I have to make do with the ugly filing cabinet, because after all, I am very anxious to get the corals and fish in there.
. . da Artsy-Cylinder Stand
The top and bottom plates are boxes: 14x14x5 inches.
The Top Box will receive all electrical from the tank by a hole in the back of the box. A black ABS elbow and pipe will seamlessly join the bulkhead from the sump to the Top Box. A 6¡¨ hole on the bottom of the Top Box will permit electrical wires to pass into the Center Half Cylinder.
The Bottom Box will have a hole in the back for a single power cord to run to an AC outlet. A 3¡¨ hole in the top of the Bottom Box will allow the one cord to pass into the Center Half Cylinder.
The Center Half Cylinder will be an 8¡¨ metal pipe halfed longitudinally. It will be aprox 24¡¨ long. It will be welded to the Top and Bottom Boxes. Several metal shelves will be welded into the Half Cylinder. The back of each shelf will have a 2¡¨ semi-circle cut into the shelf. This permits electrical wiring to run through the cylinder and keeps everything nice a tidy.
The Rolling Half Cylinder Door (this is the magical artsy piece!!!) will be a 10¡¨ metal pipe halfed longitudinally. It will be aprox 24¡¨ long. It will be welded to a bearing at the Top and Bottom Box. This bearing is a 12¡¨ bearing plate that can be welded to two surfaces, the Box and the Rolling Door. The bearing is shaped like a ring and fits around the 8¡¨ fixed Center Half Cylinder. This bearing is frequently used for building swivel TV stands and a Lazy Susan. So if you can image these devices, this is the bearing I will use. The Rolling Door will be able to roll 360 degrees unobstructed. This is the reason why the Top and Bottom Boxes are necessary. These keep all wiring inside the stand so that the Rolling Door can spin freely.
So, when I need to access some fish food, I just roll the door open, grab what I need and roll it shut when done. Æ'º
Adding to the Artsy theme, I continue to incorporate vertical lines and square shapes with the boxes offset with a round cylinder in the center. Of course this will all be black and I will likely not have a handle on the Rolling Door. However, if I choose to use one, it will be a brushed aluminum ball handle mounted dead center in the Rolling Door.
Here are my current thoughts with this project. I could definitely use some help with these ideas.
The Artsy-Cylinder stand will take a month or so to build. So in the meantime, I hate the look of the oak wood disrupting the black and brushed silver. I need some help choosing a fish. I want something exotic and unusual. I would really love to find a scarlet red Frogfish Angler. I have seen one once. This color morph is rare. The cool thing about this fish is that the fins are shaped like feet as the fish hops along the substrate and the tips of the fins are white. It made the fish look like it had feet with painted toenails. It was soooooo cool. Anyhow, my thought here is that I will paint the oak trim the same color as the chosen fish. This will contrast nicely with the black theme.
I keep changing my mind with the corals, but I truly believe, especially after reading comments on this thread, that the beauty of this tank will be magnified if I keep the appearance tidy and simple. For this reason I will only have 6 corals. Four sps will be affixed and growing out of the square tube walls. The top of the tube will have one coral, likely a really colorful organ pipe. And the ring will have GSP continuously around the entire ring. Along with simplicity, I also wanted movement. I think the choice of these two wavy corals above and below the non-moving sps will be marvelous.
I could use some help here. Any thoughts about the modernism? Any thoughts about fish and coral selection? What about the trim until the stand is built?
BTW, this project is far from done.
cerreta
Premium Member
Here is a sketchup of . . . da Artsy-Cylinder stand.
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=396b33d7be760f806e8a10e5095f9ab6
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=396b33d7be760f806e8a10e5095f9ab6
JustinReef
New member
Quick question...thought since this thread is all about tank aesthetics, this would be a good place to ask about a bracing problem I am having.
I bought a tank from a friend with very similar dimensions to my 72"x20"x20" tank. Unfortunately during our move, the bottom of my tank cracked
Anyways, this tank is made by the same company that I had my old tank made by, so I know its very well built...only thing is, it was eurobraced originally but he removed the eurobrace and had intended to use the tank without bracing or rimless.
Personally I don't think the tanks glass is thick enough to be braceless. Its 72"x19"wide and 15-1/4" tall. Its actually a bit taller but the overflow only allows water to reach 15-1/4" high. So being so shallow, I see why he though rimless would work but heres the thing, the glass is only 3/8" I thought even at 15" tall, it should be 1/2" but maybe Im wrong?
Anyways, Im just looking for opinions and options here. This tank will NOT have a canopy, so ugly bracing is out! I have a few options in mind but Im sure theres many I have not thought of...
Option #1- Eurobrace it again...Ugly
Option #2- Crossbrace in middle...Not as ugly maybe because less materials seen but still ugly
Option #3- Those little triangle corner braces that are siliconed on top of all four corners...also ugly and does this do anything anyways????
Option #4- The overflow is glass and I could remove it and replace it with an even shorter one. If the water level is lower, I figured I could go braceless. Im just not sure how low I would have to go. I have seen a tank like this that was rimless and filled about 2/3 of the way up and it looked great. I would have LR columns coming out of the water this way and most likely some mangroves, since I want to set this up as a lagoon again.
That got long...
I bought a tank from a friend with very similar dimensions to my 72"x20"x20" tank. Unfortunately during our move, the bottom of my tank cracked
Anyways, this tank is made by the same company that I had my old tank made by, so I know its very well built...only thing is, it was eurobraced originally but he removed the eurobrace and had intended to use the tank without bracing or rimless. Personally I don't think the tanks glass is thick enough to be braceless. Its 72"x19"wide and 15-1/4" tall. Its actually a bit taller but the overflow only allows water to reach 15-1/4" high. So being so shallow, I see why he though rimless would work but heres the thing, the glass is only 3/8" I thought even at 15" tall, it should be 1/2" but maybe Im wrong?
Anyways, Im just looking for opinions and options here. This tank will NOT have a canopy, so ugly bracing is out! I have a few options in mind but Im sure theres many I have not thought of...
Option #1- Eurobrace it again...Ugly
Option #2- Crossbrace in middle...Not as ugly maybe because less materials seen but still ugly
Option #3- Those little triangle corner braces that are siliconed on top of all four corners...also ugly and does this do anything anyways????
Option #4- The overflow is glass and I could remove it and replace it with an even shorter one. If the water level is lower, I figured I could go braceless. Im just not sure how low I would have to go. I have seen a tank like this that was rimless and filled about 2/3 of the way up and it looked great. I would have LR columns coming out of the water this way and most likely some mangroves, since I want to set this up as a lagoon again.
That got long...
JustinReef
New member
Oh yeah I forgot to mention that I had already. They told me that I should bring it back to them for bracing. I said I just wanted an opinion but they refused to give me saying it was something that should be done by a professional. I called two other builders and got a similar response from one and the other said he would build a tank 6'longx15" tall rimless no problem but with 1/2" glass...and then he gave me a quote
EDIT:Im leaning towards making the tank water level even shallower by shortening the overflow. I really want that lagoon feel to my tank again and having rocks breaking the surface would really give it that feel.
I would just need to figure out how low I would need to go.
JustinReef
New member
I actually have the eurobrace pieces from my old tank that was the same length as this tank. I could use those to do something like what you have shown above. I just really did not want to see that. Probably the best option though.
Anyone have any idea how strong the tank would be if I were to lower the water level to say 14" high? That would make the tank:
72"x19"x18"tall with 3/8" glass but only a water level of 14"...could I go braceless do you think? Seems like it would be fine but I really have no idea. Is there the same amount of water pressure on the glass if the water level is lower? Does the extra height of the glass (4" above the water line) help relieve some of the pressure or does it do the opposite?
Sorry I know this is not very modern and maybe a little off topic but I know you guys are all about aesthetics and that is the priority with this tank.
I will try to post pics soon.
Anyone have any idea how strong the tank would be if I were to lower the water level to say 14" high? That would make the tank:
72"x19"x18"tall with 3/8" glass but only a water level of 14"...could I go braceless do you think? Seems like it would be fine but I really have no idea. Is there the same amount of water pressure on the glass if the water level is lower? Does the extra height of the glass (4" above the water line) help relieve some of the pressure or does it do the opposite?
Sorry I know this is not very modern and maybe a little off topic but I know you guys are all about aesthetics and that is the priority with this tank.
I will try to post pics soon.
DheereCrossing
New member
I like the artsy cube. You have some creative ideas. Being an art major myself I can appreciate the passion for design.
The whole thing strikes me like the stories you hear of rich people buying a hiacynth macaw because it goes with the drapes or the hired designer going to a fish store and wanting wall sized tank full or purple tangs because it brings out the colors in the furniture but no one in the home knows or has any passion for keeping pets.
I'm not accusing you of the same thought process - The posts just make it sound umm.. superficial?
Oh, and I like the solana orb - I have that myself!
The whole thing strikes me like the stories you hear of rich people buying a hiacynth macaw because it goes with the drapes or the hired designer going to a fish store and wanting wall sized tank full or purple tangs because it brings out the colors in the furniture but no one in the home knows or has any passion for keeping pets.
I'm not accusing you of the same thought process - The posts just make it sound umm.. superficial?
Oh, and I like the solana orb - I have that myself!
JustinReef
New member
Yeah that should be interesting to see how it grows out. I really prefer the modern or artsy elements to be outside the tank (ie. tank itself or stand) and a much more natural environment inside the tank but its interesting. And there is something about those lights that I just don't like...Im not really sure what it is though. I think its because I LOVE arco lamps and this reminds me of one but just not quite as appealing. I think if it were more like a scaled down arco lamp, it would look amazing and I would go out and buy one for my tank right away!
Im interested to see how his turns out though...
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