This One Goes Out To All Those Whos Wife Said NO!!!

[oneoffcustom]

Another legit update!!!

Another legit update!!!

Ok, so i have began the process of the stand. I have never considered myself a master craftsman, but i do ok. I pre drilled and counter sank all the holes, so when skinning time comes the plywood will lay flush. Here are some pics, and i need to add some more support.

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[michealprater]

Lookin good! Does your overflows go through the bottom of the tank? If so, dont forget it as far as they way it will sit on the stand.

Also, are you considering some support in the middle?

 

[oneoffcustom]

I think it will be very close on the overflows, may even have to figure something else out. In the middle on the front i plan on adding three 2x4s, just need to figure out my cabinet doors, such as how big and placement. I will also support the back, but want to see how i will get sump in the stand. I was thinking maybe two about a foot from each end on back. With what extra room i have i want to build an outlet panel for all cords and plugs. I just really need to get more stuff to figure out how it will work.

 

[melev]

When you say "skin" the stand, do you mean 3/4" plywood screwed to it? It is very important that the stand can't rack to the side, nor front to back. Right now, it isn't strong enough and could begin leaning to an eventual collapse.

If you remove those horizontal pieces in the ends, that's another way to get the sump into the stand, and afterwards you would screw plywood over the end to strengthen it.

 

[oneoffcustom]

Yes 3/4 or 1/2 or 5/8 plywood. I planned on skinning the sides completely, then the front on top and bottom with enough room to have openings for the doors. In the back i had no plans to skin it. Do you think i will need that as well??? or would sides and most the front be ok after bracing it with 2x4s in front and back???

 

[melev]

If you don't cover the back, you need some panels (large triangles) secured to the back so the legs stay square. You really should cover the back though. You can drill holes to pass cords or plumbing through it, but it keeps salt creep off the sheetrock and any plugs behind the tank stay (more) dry.

 

[oneoffcustom]

Well shoot, glad to hear b4 I only slinned the sides and front, thanks again melev for good advice. Great to see someone I respect in the hobby to be personally helping me.

 

[Reefaddict79]

I can attest to the salt creep on sheet rock. When the 210 comes inside I was think about attaching some sort of moisture barrier to the sheet rock since the tank would hide it.

 

[michealprater]

Macro tank shots for oneoffcustom

Sorry for the poor quality of the pics. I have a nice camera, but I am finding out, taking pics of aquarium inhabitants is very difficult.

All comments and advice welcome.

 

[oneoffcustom]

Just a small glimpse!!

Just a small glimpse!!

So me and my dad worked a little on the skinning. I used 3/4 finished oak plywood on the sides. It really sturdied up the stand so far. I also got the front and bottom for sump area but have not finished it yet. I plan on using two sets of double doors in front, but subject to change. I still need to add in the support for the front and back. I will be taking melevs advice and skinning the back with 1/4 plywood. Enough yaking and some pics.

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[melev]

If you skin it with 1/4", please be certain to use wood glue on the entire four sides so it bonds to the stand, then tack it or screw it in place. The glue will do a great job if you seal it well so that water can't melt it later.

For the double doors plan, I would suggest you make the center post removable. Some type of slide bolt at the top and bottom is all you need (you know, the cheesy locks they put on doors to keep people out) to keep that post in place, but if you need to remove it to get the sump in and out, you can.

 

[oneoffcustom]

Sorry the front and two sides will be skinned with 3/4, only the back will be covered in 1/4. And we did use liquid nails on this skins. Also i was thinking along the same line just not sure where to get what you speak of. I love that you frequent my page though. Keep the good advice coming.

 

[melev]

Those slide bolt locks are available at Home Depot near all the door knobs. People use them on shed doors, and even gates. The come in huge beefy types, and cute tiny ones.

Do you know what I'm talking about? It is a metal bracket that screws to the framework with a sliding pin that has a small handle sticking off the side. You hold that bit of metal and slide it into the catch piece, screwed on the other half of the project you are trying to secure. Usually, they are made of brass or steel.

 

[oneoffcustom]

i totally understand now and thats a great idea, that will be used now.

 

[michealprater]

I have to ask.... with a sealed stand, that contains a sump, wont it be a soggy mess in there. I really think you would have to seal the inside of the stand with something to avoid rotting. I have always used open backs for venolation.

 

[melev]

Houston is already humid as can be. This won't make much of a difference. :lol:

When I built the stand for my 29g, I sealed it three or four times with polyurethane, both inside and out. It held up for seven years. And that was only using stained oak plywood.

His project is made of 2x4s and regular A/B plywood (so far anyway). Once is has been sealed or painted, it will hold up well. Some people prop the doors open slightly during the daytime. Others drill a large 3" hole in the ends and use computer fans to vent the air out of the stand, or blow in fresh ambient air from the room into the cabinet and let the air find its own way out.

 

[michealprater]

You want to see humidity, visit St. Louis in late July LOL.

Anyway, the fan idea is a really good one, I can see that. Otherwise I would leave the back open, otherwise everything will be covered with condensation.

 

[oneoffcustom]

hey melev

could you give me any help as far as sump tank goes. we have determined my skimmer to be an out of sump mount only. I would syill like the f -style like on your site. Only question is is the glass measurements as far as the baffles and the end piece to seperate the refugium. Will that last compartment work, being i would not have the knotches like you have. I would only sheet it off, but not skilled enough to knotch the glass.

 

[melev]

Why do you want the skimmer outside of your sump? What skimmer are you using? I highly recommend in-sump skimmers because if they overflow, the water stays in the system and off of the flooring.

You can use eggcrate on the top of the baffle instead of cutting teeth, and it doesn't even have to be glued. If you cut it to gently wedge in there, you can remove it for cleanings, or swap it out with a new piece.

Are you making it from scratch, or are you using a glass aquarium and plan to insert cut glass pieces? If the latter, the baffles should be a 1/4" less wide than the internal width of the aquarium. This will leave you with an 1/8" gap on each end of the baffle, which the silicone will fill. Because it isn't touching the walls of the aquarium, it doesn't put pressure that would lead to a cracked sump. Be sure to use Aquarium-Safe silicone, available at your LFS for $7. If you are building it yourself and saving all kinds of money, don't be cheap and try to use something from Home Depot that was $3 less, seriously.

The glass should be 1/4" or thicker, and wherever it is cut, pay them to polish the edges so you never get cut when working in the sump. Four baffles cut and polished should run about $36. Do NOT use window pane glass. The taller the baffle, the thicker the material.

The height of the baffles in my sump are 9" and 13". The 13" tall baffle has teeth cut down 1", so the water level is 12". The triple baffle bubble trap has the baffles spaced 1" apart. 1.5" apart is fine too. However, nothing less than 1". The middle baffle is raised up 1.5" so water has to travel under it.

If you want to incorporate a bubble tower in the corner of the skimmer section, that will help with microbubbles. That can be made with glass pieces and some eggcrate around the bottom 1". Glue the eggcrate to the glass you siliconed into an L-shape, then install it in the sump's corner with silicone. You'd simply copy this very fancy version, and you absolutely do not have to go to all that trouble with the upper section. PVC tubing going into the tower is simple and works:

 

[michealprater]

Melev, torn on the skimmer. It is a Precision Marine but we cannot find any information on it anywhere. There is pics of it on 1 and 2 I believe. All PM skimmers we looked at only recommended external pumps only, leading me to believe it may not be possible to use it in sump. I agree, insump is the only may to go, but we may not have a choice here.