The 110 Tall (48x18x30) Project. Picture Intense!

[cerreta]

This Project will be done to replace a current 80 gallon reef tank. The foot print is the same, but I want to rebuild the furniture, canopy, stand, and chiller cabinet. The furniture will be made of pine and feature a Watco stain that matches other furniture in the home. The project trimwork will also match that of the other furniture. I will also replace the present 20 gallon nano tank sitting atop the chiller cabinet with a 30" tall nano. Most of the glass to build this nano will come from the busted 110 I inherited from Jason.

This build will occur over several months. If you have any comments or suggestions for improving this system, please help, I am open to ideas.

ââ"šÂ¬Ã‚¦and the project begins.

Step one is to build a canopy. It will feature cabinet style pocket holes, trim to match other furniture in the home, and a Watco dark stain. The wood is select Pine for the trim and Sanded Pine Plywood for the sides and top.

The canopy has two swing-out front doors to facilitate front entry into the canopy. The top is solid, no lid there. The canopy also features an open back with three fans for cooling. Black eggcrate is used on the open back to prevent fish from leaping out and light from escaping. The interior was treated with highly reflective 1 mil metallic mylar film.

Lighting is provided by two 250watt HQI Phoenix 14k bulbs in PFO pendants mounted lengthwise under the canopy, powered by electronic Reef Fanatic ballasts. They are fixed to the top with Ã"šÃ‚½Ã¢â"šÂ¬Ã‚ aluminum spacers for ventilation purposes. MH will be run about 4-6 hours a day. The canopy also features four 46.5ââ"šÂ¬Ã‚ URI VHO bulbs (two actinic and two 50/50) powered by an IceCap 660 ballast. This light rack will be mounted on a ball bearing drawer slider so that the lights can be moved out the back of the canopy while reaching in from the front doors.

PICTURES:

1. I purchased a complete Kreg K2 pocket hole jig on ebay for $80. It was cheaper than buying a $150 biscuit joiner. Boy am I happy with this! It works great and the best part is that you drill the holes, screw, and move on. No wait time necessary, unlike letting the biscuits which need time for the glue to set and the bicuit to swell and seat in place.

Here is wat the drilled holes look like. These pocket holes are used to build professional kitchen cabinets.

The door frame and other parts that will be stained were fitted with Pine Pocket Hole Plugs.

This is the pic before sanding

This is the pic after sanding the plug flush with the door frame:
http://members.cox.net/sdcerreta/CanopyInterior 021.jpg


I do not like the look of paint, so I chose to avoid painting the interior of the canopy white as a reflective surface. Instead I am trying to use 1 mil highly reflective mylar film. This is commonly used in hydroponics.

The cost was $20. I already had the adhesive, which I bought three years ago at HD for about $25. The jug is still 3/4 full. This phase of the project was accomplished in about 4 hours. The panels were sanded then cleaned with a sticky sawdust remover. Mylar film was oversized precut for the two sides, the two doors, the back and the top panels. Then the surfaces were rubbed with adhesive. It was applied with a cut up T-shirt, no cost there.

I used a foam pad and an algae scraper to work the mylar film into the corners of the canopy. The application of mylar was easy. The film is sold in 12mil and 2 mil thickness. The 2 mil stuff cost $40 and I went cheap. I'm glad. The film was durable and did not tear during the application process. It was also very easy to work with this thi material. I think the thicker stuff may have been too difficult to work into the corners. The final look was decent. I say it was not great because the mirror finish was lost. This film was not intended to be glued to wood, thus it has rippling due to the glue and wood surfaces. However, the reflective surface is far better than reflective white paint!

PICTURES:
The 1 mil mylar film sold in a 25ft roll for $20 from a local hydroponics store:

Tools for application include a razor blade, foam pad, and plastic algae scraper:

Lockweld contact adhesive bought at Home Depot several years ago for about $25.00

These are pictures of the mylar film during application to the canopy. Spreading the mylar with foam pad:

Working mylar into the corners with an algae scraper:

This is a picture after applying mylar to all canopy surfaces desired:
http://members.cox.net/sdcerreta/CanopyInterior 039.jpg

Here is a reflective picture. You can see my blurred image. It is not the mirror image that reflectors are capable of, but it cost me much less!!!
http://members.cox.net/sdcerreta/CanopyInterior%
20043.jpg


As a final note, I have no idea if this stuff will last. It may be fine, or it may fall off in a week. I will let you all know how it holds up after the next couple months of use. The adhesive does seem to be working though.

 

[cerreta]

ooops, here are the four pics that did not work.

The door frame and other parts that will be stained were fitted with Pine Pocket Hole Plugs.

This is the pic before sanding

This is the pic after sanding the plug flush with the door frame:

This is a picture after applying mylar to all canopy surfaces desired:

Here is a reflective picture. You can see my blurred image. It is not the mirror image that reflectors are capable of, but it cost me much less!!!

 

[cerreta]

This is a picture after applying mylar to all canopy surfaces desired:

 

[jeasley]

Wow! very nice work, Scott.
I wish I had the talent/time to build stuff like that. Somehow adding three more kids to the house has sucked down my freetime. Still not sure why....

 

[rob352]

WOW Looks Great Keep Posting The Pics As Your Along We All Want To

WooHoo 100 Posts For Me

 

[Satori]

Looking great Scott! Love those joints. Keep us updated and let us know when you're ready for the heavy lifting.

 

[Aquatic Oasis]

The mylar was a good idea. Another trick that some people use is engine paint. This is the reflective paint that is used in car engines. It is reflective and can handle temperatures of up to 600 degrees without running. Everything that I have heard says that it is safe for fish once dry.

 

[BonesCJ]

Aluminum tape that is used for pipes also works really well as a DIY reflector, I used it in in a 2*40 watt shop light I have over my 55 gallon plant tank and it works wonderfully.

 

[Roll221]

Looks like you got a good start there Scott. You should post a pic of the tank that goes with the stand and canopy.

Ed

 

[cerreta]

Chris, I have used the alum tape before too. It is great for small applications, but it is not practical for large areas. It is not as reflective as the mylar either.

Good idea Ed, I will pull that thing out a few feet and snap some photos.

I have been having troubles with the canopy doors of late. I did not like the look of a panel just stuck right into the door frames. It leaves gaps for potential light to penatrate.

So, I did some brainstorming and decided to use a rabbeting bit on the router to cut a 3/8" channel on the back of the door frame. This would allow an oversized panel to fit into the back. The finished look is very nice. However, I already made the door frame and used those pocket hole screws. I tore a $30 rabbeting bit to shreds as it drove through the metal screws! I was a bit upset.
I have to redo the mylar on these larger panels too.

Pics to follow.

BTW, I am still in search of ideas for a closed loop circuit. If you guys could post some pics of yours, that would be helpful.

 

[cerreta]

Here are those pics. First two are of the back then front of doors. Last two are of the tank, a 110gallon tall.

 

[cerreta]

More progress made today.

The doors are finished. Mylar film was applied to the back of the doors. A 4"lip was made and attached to the left door. This will to give a finished look, but the design allows maximum entrance into the canopy without struggling around a center pillar.

The right door is a bit twisted (top of door meets frame but bottom of door sticks out 3/8"). Does anyone have ideas on how to straighten it out? I was considering spraying the door with a bit of water then clamping the doors with a wedge under the top, in hopes of getting the correct realignment of the door. Will this work?

I also routered a 45degree edge on the back of the doors to permit easy opening of the doors. Euro hinges used. The canopy has a very rigid and solid feel to it. When I lift it to move it around, it does not flex one bit. This reassures me that it will hold the lighting fixtures and not need any sort of center bracing.

I placed it on the tank today and the fit is dead on! I was excited about this. There is 1/8" room on either side of the tank. It also hangs a perfect 1/2" below the black lip of the tank, thus hiding the black tank trim for an elegant canopy look.

Here are some pics and design descriptions:

Canopy atop of tank with doors closed

Canopy atop of tank with right door open. This is the door I will open to do simple things in the tank, like feeding the fish. Not the 4" lip, which is attached to the left door. This is common in kitchen cabinets where a center brace is not used. The left door cannot be opened without opening the right door first. Note the reflective mylar film on the door.

I built this canopy for maximum entry into the tank. It is a 30" tall tank and I must be able to reach in there to move things around when necessary. Note the Euro hinges. The bottom face frame is exactly the same height as the black trim of the tank. This maximizes my ability to reach deeper into the tank.

Here is a view into the canopy from the rear. Note all the mylar film on the big surfaces.

Another design feature I wanted was to incorporate a breathable surface in the back for maximum ventilation. I built the canopy 1/2" longer than necessary to slide in a piece of black eggcrate. This will also serve to keep fish from leaping out of the tank.
This is a pic before the eggcrate

This is a pic with white eggcrate in place. I have not cut the black stuff yet, so I just used a piece of white stuff I had laying around for picture purposes.

You can see that the canopy extends 1/2" beyond the black trim. It has a nice finished look without viewing the ugly tank trim. You won't be able to see the surface of the water level either, very important for a clean viewing tank.

Empty tank shot. I will paint the back wall blue for this setup. However, in the future when I move to a new home, I will still have the ability to setup this tank in a peninsula style arrangement. That is the bonus of having the overflow on one side of the tank. Furthermore, the Closed Loop (CL) circuit will be drilled into the bottom, not the back wall, for the same reason.

 

[cerreta]

The stain went on today. Boy it looks great. I have tried Minwax in the past and never liked it. It is too dificult to apply. The Watco stain is super easy and foolproof. No way to put this on too think like the Minwax.

I also prepared all the lighting fixtures to transfer into the new canopy. Tomorrow, I will post the pictures and reassemble the canopy. The stain should be dry by then.

I am a fan of waxed furniture and will give this a go. It will also match some of the waxed bookshelves and furniture. Waxing is more commonly seen with antique furniture. I have considered sealing with spar urathane, but nothing beats the beauty of wax. It should offer plenty of protection too. I wonder if anyone else has waxed aqaurium furniture?

 

[cerreta]

Here is an update to the work I have done in the past two days.

The canopy is finished. I decided not to have a movable rack for the VHO lights. The bulbs hang high enough in the canopy to permit my access into the tank, so I decided not to have a movable rack. If the bulbs do get in th eway, I can remove them or take the canopy off.

I also have an update on using mylar film. It was applied several days ago and I have noticed a few pieces that did not stick. I have found a solution to applying he mylar. First, the glue manufacturer recommends applying glue to both surfaces to bond. This is too difficult to do, since the bond does not allow you to spread the mylar even.

However, I have found a solution. Apply glue to the canopy surface, then cut an oversized piece of mylar. When th eglue is ready, fit mylar and smooth the edges with a foam pad and algae scaper. Next, trim the mylar film on all sides except two oppisites. Allow glue to dry overnight. On the next day, peel the mylar film back half way with one of the two untrimmed edges. Then apply more glue to both surfaces this time. When ready pull the mylar back down and smooth quickly. Next, repeat this step with the opposite untrimmed end. When finished, trim the overhanging mylar and you are done. This technique proved to provided and much better looking and longer lasting bond.

Here mylar has been peeled back and the glue applied to both surfaces.

Here, the mylar is placed back onto the surface and smoothed with tools.
http://members.cox.net/cerretasaquahut/CanopyProject 055.jpg

Pics of the WATCO Dark Walnut stain application
[url]http://members.cox.net/cerretasaquahut/CanopyProject%20042.jpg[/url]

Here one can see the stain which has flooded the top surface. The wood soaks up the stain, then excess is wiped off following a 30 minute break.
[IMG]http://members.cox.net/cerretasaquahut/CanopyProject%20043.jpg

Finished with staining
http://members.cox.net/cerretasaquahut/CanopyProject 045.jpg

Installing MH lamps and incadescent moon light

Wiring for MH and moon light
http://members.cox.net/cerretasaquahut/CanopyProject 061.jpg

Mounting plate for the VHO bulbs.
http://members.cox.net/cerretasaquahut/CanopyProject 051.jpg

Here, the MH, moonlight, and vho's are in place.

Mounted the fans with soldered connections.

Doors are back on:

Here you can see teh good reflection given off the myalr film. Look at the reflection of the incandescent blue bub.

Canopy on top of 80gallon tank. Please note that the canopy does not fit well with this tank. It was made to fit the 110tall , and I forgot to make it a tad bit wider to fit the old tank for a month or so.
http://members.cox.net/cerretasaquahut/CanopyProject 073.jpg

Canopy doors are open
http://members.cox.net/cerretasaquahut/CanopyProject 070.jpg

The reason why I did not build an open top canopy.
http://members.cox.net/cerretasaquahut/CanopyProject 077.jpg

 

[nurjrk]

Hey Scott, Jeff here (from work) finally found the thread you were talking about. Dude that canopy looks awesome, build me one...oh wait, I don't have a tank....yet. I've never seen that mylar stuff used before, hope it works out for you. For your closed loop, you meantioned that you were going to drill the bottom of the tank, you doing that yourself? Have you thought about a manifold? I personally don't like the look of it but if you don't want to risk drilling the bottom...just a thought. The blue incandescent bulb, is that for additional blue? You said that you are having 2 actinics didn't you, or will that be on when the actinics are off? Sorry, don't mean to take up your thread with a bunch of questions. Holler at me if you need any help.
Jeff

 

[cerreta]

Hi Jeff, the blue bulb is for moon lighting. It is controlled by a Neptune controller to replicate the lunar cycle, so it comes on at night and a few times during the day too when our moon is out.

I will drill the bottom myself. I have to call the manufacturer to make sure it is not tempered, but I have the bits and I'm ready to go.

I will make a manifold, but it will not hang overhead. I will either place it under the tank with three to five drilled holes (3/4" bulkheads) or the other option, in which I am leaning towards, is placing the manifold in the bottom of the tank with only one large hole (1.5" bulkhead).

I have diamond bits if anyone would like to borrow them after I complete the project. I can also provide info where you can buy them in any size for about $6-$10 each plus shipping.

Jeff, glad to see you join the club site. Be sure to check out the thread for our March Auction / Picnic. BTW, even though you are not ready for the big tank, you can probably setup a 10-20 gallon nano with some cool frags and stuff from the auction. Plus, I have a ton of stuff and base rock and such, may be some LR too, after the project tank.

Next step will be designing the stand and adjacent chiller cabinet. Can't wait! :smurf:

 

[cerreta]

This is the reason I could not build an open top canopy for cooling purposes:

 

[cerreta]

 

[cerreta]

crap, just click this link
http://members.cox.net/cerretasaqua...oject 077.jpg

 

[Senn]

Linky no worky