Stand ideas for Gill's new 130g

[NetMax]

So Gill has this 130g tank and glass cover sitting on the floor until the
SO builds a stand and they figure out what they will do for lighting. I
wouldn't mind having that problem :o). As long as you're building the
stand from scratch, here are some ideas.

How about making a wall unit? Basically it's a stand which is slightly
longer and deeper, so that the back and sides continue up over the tank.
The tank sits on a shelf at the usual 30" mark (or wherever your viewing
eye level will be). Above the tank, there is another cabinet (identical
to the cabinet under the tank for symmetry). The bottom cabinet is 4
doors (with a significant frame up the middle). The upper cabinet's
bottom actually starts about 8-10" above the tank's top. It too has 4
doors for straightforward storage. Closing that 8-10" gap is a filler
panel which is on a piano hinge and has a locking arm to hold it in a
closed or open (out) position. When open, you view your hanging
fluorescent tube lighting with about 6-7" of clearance to the glass
cover.

The shelf the tank sits on is about 2" deeper than the tank. This 2" of
extra shelf is behind the tank and is drilled for filter hoses. Leaving
a string permanently attached going through the holes is how things are
brought through (the string is double the required length, so you tape
the hose/wire etc to the string, and draw it up/down through the hole in
the shelf). Note the hole diameter needed for your hose *with*
connections. I typically use about 1-1/2" diameter.

The filter system sits in one of the 4 compartments. I like to find a
square plastic tub to fit the filter in, and then I build the stand
around the plastic tub dimensions. The tub contains any water dribbles
occurring during maintenance, and slides out for cleaning if needed.

In the top of one of the lower compartments, install your GFI powerbar.
Pay special attention to its location. You do not want a leak to follow
a filter hose and then trickle across under the cabinet shelf towards a
powerbar. Installing the powerbar on the back of the cabinet well above
the bottom, and away from the drilled holes will probably work. Keep in
mind the dimensions of the light timers (the space they need, space
between them and your access to them).

Since this is custom-made and application-specific, do an inventory of
what you want to keep stored. Don't use 12" of cabinet height to store
fish food whose tallest container is 5" (add another shelf). Note that
fish food should be stored in a cool dry location, so locate this shelf
under the tank in a ventilated location (above tank lights or near filter
is warmer than needed). Fishnets are a nuisance to store, so look for a
spot (or design one in). A shelf with a 1" height works, if you're
disciplined enough to not ever put anything else in there. Alternately
some vertical storage somewhere (vertical slats in one of the cabinets,
can be used for all your thin flat objects (filter sheets, fish-nets
etc).

With electricity in the wall-unit, consider adding some small lights,
nothing fancy, just enough to comfortably rummage through. Behind the
cabinet door which holds the filter, add a hook for your towel. I use a
small towel which clips to my belt loops. Very useful for catching
runaway drips.

All cabinets should be vented (humidity differences will want to stress
the wood), especially the compartment holding the lights above the glass
cover, however this particular area is more challenging to vent as you
want to contain stray light. I recommend you install the ballasts in the
upper cabinet (away from the tank), or even above the upper cabinet
(great ventilation up there), as they are a significant source of heat.
Some ballasts protest long distances to their tubes, but adding chassis
ground wire usually fixes that.

I'll stop now :o)
ps: Gill, what are the tank's dimensions? I suspect this is an Imperial
130 which is close to a US160g (590 litre?).
--
www.NetMax.tk

[Gill Passman]

NetMax wrote:
> So Gill has this 130g tank and glass cover sitting on the floor until the
> SO builds a stand and they figure out what they will do for lighting. I
> wouldn't mind having that problem :o). As long as you're building the
> stand from scratch, here are some ideas.
>
> How about making a wall unit? Basically it's a stand which is slightly
> longer and deeper, so that the back and sides continue up over the tank.
> The tank sits on a shelf at the usual 30" mark (or wherever your viewing
> eye level will be). Above the tank, there is another cabinet (identical
> to the cabinet under the tank for symmetry). The bottom cabinet is 4
> doors (with a significant frame up the middle). The upper cabinet's
> bottom actually starts about 8-10" above the tank's top. It too has 4
> doors for straightforward storage. Closing that 8-10" gap is a filler
> panel which is on a piano hinge and has a locking arm to hold it in a
> closed or open (out) position. When open, you view your hanging
> fluorescent tube lighting with about 6-7" of clearance to the glass
> cover.
>
> The shelf the tank sits on is about 2" deeper than the tank. This 2" of
> extra shelf is behind the tank and is drilled for filter hoses. Leaving
> a string permanently attached going through the holes is how things are
> brought through (the string is double the required length, so you tape
> the hose/wire etc to the string, and draw it up/down through the hole in
> the shelf). Note the hole diameter needed for your hose *with*
> connections. I typically use about 1-1/2" diameter.
>
> The filter system sits in one of the 4 compartments. I like to find a
> square plastic tub to fit the filter in, and then I build the stand
> around the plastic tub dimensions. The tub contains any water dribbles
> occurring during maintenance, and slides out for cleaning if needed.
>
> In the top of one of the lower compartments, install your GFI powerbar.
> Pay special attention to its location. You do not want a leak to follow
> a filter hose and then trickle across under the cabinet shelf towards a
> powerbar. Installing the powerbar on the back of the cabinet well above
> the bottom, and away from the drilled holes will probably work. Keep in
> mind the dimensions of the light timers (the space they need, space
> between them and your access to them).
>
> Since this is custom-made and application-specific, do an inventory of
> what you want to keep stored. Don't use 12" of cabinet height to store
> fish food whose tallest container is 5" (add another shelf). Note that
> fish food should be stored in a cool dry location, so locate this shelf
> under the tank in a ventilated location (above tank lights or near filter
> is warmer than needed). Fishnets are a nuisance to store, so look for a
> spot (or design one in). A shelf with a 1" height works, if you're
> disciplined enough to not ever put anything else in there. Alternately
> some vertical storage somewhere (vertical slats in one of the cabinets,
> can be used for all your thin flat objects (filter sheets, fish-nets
> etc).
>
> With electricity in the wall-unit, consider adding some small lights,
> nothing fancy, just enough to comfortably rummage through. Behind the
> cabinet door which holds the filter, add a hook for your towel. I use a
> small towel which clips to my belt loops. Very useful for catching
> runaway drips.
>
> All cabinets should be vented (humidity differences will want to stress
> the wood), especially the compartment holding the lights above the glass
> cover, however this particular area is more challenging to vent as you
> want to contain stray light. I recommend you install the ballasts in the
> upper cabinet (away from the tank), or even above the upper cabinet
> (great ventilation up there), as they are a significant source of heat.
> Some ballasts protest long distances to their tubes, but adding chassis
> ground wire usually fixes that.
>
> I'll stop now :o)
> ps: Gill, what are the tank's dimensions? I suspect this is an Imperial
> 130 which is close to a US160g (590 litre?).

If it's OK with you guys, I'll just give a very general outline of the
plan...this way I can get real feedback/ideas without these being
influenced too much by what we have already thought of...

The tank is 72" long, 18" deep and 24" high. The wall is 13ft3" long. It
is a solid wall with no windows in it...

The cabinet is going to extend the entire length of the wall with the
tank mounted in to the centre. The cabinets will extend to the full
height of the tank itself on either side....

The tank itself will have to sit on polystyrene as per the
manufacturer's instructions so obviously the trim needs to hide this.

The filter is the Fluval FX5. We have measured this against the cabinet
door samples that we have purchased and it will fit happily under the
tank itself...

With the lighting SO has vetoed any type of pendant lighting but is very
keen to side light the tank from within the cabinets....

Enough clues?? - ideas please???

Gill

[Larry Blanchard]

NetMax wrote:

Since I'm currently building a stand, I have a few comments.

>
> How about making a wall unit? Basically it's a stand which is
> slightly longer and deeper, so that the back and sides continue up
> over the tank. The tank sits on a shelf at the usual 30" mark (or
> wherever your viewing eye level will be).

Notch the rear bottom of the sides so they will fit over any carpet
strips and/or baseboards and allow room for electrical cords in case
there isn't a socket directly behind the cabinet. And make the bottom
narrower than the top and sides for the same reasons.

> Above the tank, there is another cabinet
> (identical
> to the cabinet under the tank for symmetry). The bottom cabinet is 4
> doors (with a significant frame up the middle). The upper cabinet's
> bottom actually starts about 8-10" above the tank's top. It too has 4
> doors for straightforward storage. Closing that 8-10" gap is a filler
> panel which is on a piano hinge and has a locking arm to hold it in a
> closed or open (out) position.

With my big hands I'd go for 12" :-). And as a woodworker, I think the
panel would look better with some false drawer fronts on it.


> The shelf the tank sits on is about 2" deeper than the tank. This 2"
> of
> extra shelf is behind the tank and is drilled for filter hoses.

I'd make it 4" in case of an HOB filter.



--
It's turtles, all the way down

[NetMax]

"Gill Passman" > wrote in message
.. .
> NetMax wrote:
>> So Gill has this 130g tank and glass cover sitting on the floor until
>> the SO builds a stand and they figure out what they will do for
>> lighting. I wouldn't mind having that problem :o). As long as you're
>> building the stand from scratch, here are some ideas.
>>
>> How about making a wall unit? Basically it's a stand which is
>> slightly longer and deeper, so that the back and sides continue up
>> over the tank. The tank sits on a shelf at the usual 30" mark (or
>> wherever your viewing eye level will be). Above the tank, there is
>> another cabinet (identical to the cabinet under the tank for
>> symmetry). The bottom cabinet is 4 doors (with a significant frame up
>> the middle). The upper cabinet's bottom actually starts about 8-10"
>> above the tank's top. It too has 4 doors for straightforward storage.
>> Closing that 8-10" gap is a filler panel which is on a piano hinge and
>> has a locking arm to hold it in a closed or open (out) position. When
>> open, you view your hanging fluorescent tube lighting with about 6-7"
>> of clearance to the glass cover.
>>
>> The shelf the tank sits on is about 2" deeper than the tank. This 2"
>> of extra shelf is behind the tank and is drilled for filter hoses.
>> Leaving a string permanently attached going through the holes is how
>> things are brought through (the string is double the required length,
>> so you tape the hose/wire etc to the string, and draw it up/down
>> through the hole in the shelf). Note the hole diameter needed for
>> your hose *with* connections. I typically use about 1-1/2" diameter.
>>
>> The filter system sits in one of the 4 compartments. I like to find a
>> square plastic tub to fit the filter in, and then I build the stand
>> around the plastic tub dimensions. The tub contains any water
>> dribbles occurring during maintenance, and slides out for cleaning if
>> needed.
>>
>> In the top of one of the lower compartments, install your GFI
>> powerbar. Pay special attention to its location. You do not want a
>> leak to follow a filter hose and then trickle across under the cabinet
>> shelf towards a powerbar. Installing the powerbar on the back of the
>> cabinet well above the bottom, and away from the drilled holes will
>> probably work. Keep in mind the dimensions of the light timers (the
>> space they need, space between them and your access to them).
>>
>> Since this is custom-made and application-specific, do an inventory of
>> what you want to keep stored. Don't use 12" of cabinet height to
>> store fish food whose tallest container is 5" (add another shelf).
>> Note that fish food should be stored in a cool dry location, so locate
>> this shelf under the tank in a ventilated location (above tank lights
>> or near filter is warmer than needed). Fishnets are a nuisance to
>> store, so look for a spot (or design one in). A shelf with a 1"
>> height works, if you're disciplined enough to not ever put anything
>> else in there. Alternately some vertical storage somewhere (vertical
>> slats in one of the cabinets, can be used for all your thin flat
>> objects (filter sheets, fish-nets etc).
>>
>> With electricity in the wall-unit, consider adding some small lights,
>> nothing fancy, just enough to comfortably rummage through. Behind the
>> cabinet door which holds the filter, add a hook for your towel. I use
>> a small towel which clips to my belt loops. Very useful for catching
>> runaway drips.
>>
>> All cabinets should be vented (humidity differences will want to
>> stress the wood), especially the compartment holding the lights above
>> the glass cover, however this particular area is more challenging to
>> vent as you want to contain stray light. I recommend you install the
>> ballasts in the upper cabinet (away from the tank), or even above the
>> upper cabinet (great ventilation up there), as they are a significant
>> source of heat. Some ballasts protest long distances to their tubes,
>> but adding chassis ground wire usually fixes that.
>>
>> I'll stop now :o)
>> ps: Gill, what are the tank's dimensions? I suspect this is an
>> Imperial 130 which is close to a US160g (590 litre?).
>
> If it's OK with you guys, I'll just give a very general outline of the
> plan...this way I can get real feedback/ideas without these being
> influenced too much by what we have already thought of...
>
> The tank is 72" long, 18" deep and 24" high. The wall is 13ft3" long.
> It is a solid wall with no windows in it...
>
> The cabinet is going to extend the entire length of the wall with the
> tank mounted in to the centre. The cabinets will extend to the full
> height of the tank itself on either side....

Sounds good. No plans to go above the tank?

> The tank itself will have to sit on polystyrene as per the
> manufacturer's instructions so obviously the trim needs to hide this.

I found a trim with an aquatic emboss for my last set-up :o)

> The filter is the Fluval FX5. We have measured this against the cabinet
> door samples that we have purchased and it will fit happily under the
> tank itself...
>
> With the lighting SO has vetoed any type of pendant lighting but is
> very keen to side light the tank from within the cabinets....

Can you explain what you mean by side-light. If the light comes through
the tank sides, you'll get algae blocking the light. If the light comes
from above the tank, then how will you block this light from your view?

When designing, I like to look over what others have had for ideas, ie:
http://www.aquariumdesigns.com/aquariums.html
http://www.glasscages.com/?sAction=CustPictList
http://www.livingcolor.com/
--
www.NetMax.tk

> Enough clues?? - ideas please???
>
> Gill

[Gill Passman]

NetMax wrote:
> "Gill Passman" > wrote in message
> .. .
>
>>NetMax wrote:
>>
>>>So Gill has this 130g tank and glass cover sitting on the floor until
>>>the SO builds a stand and they figure out what they will do for
>>>lighting. I wouldn't mind having that problem :o). As long as you're
>>>building the stand from scratch, here are some ideas.
>>>
>>>How about making a wall unit? Basically it's a stand which is
>>>slightly longer and deeper, so that the back and sides continue up
>>>over the tank. The tank sits on a shelf at the usual 30" mark (or
>>>wherever your viewing eye level will be). Above the tank, there is
>>>another cabinet (identical to the cabinet under the tank for
>>>symmetry). The bottom cabinet is 4 doors (with a significant frame up
>>>the middle). The upper cabinet's bottom actually starts about 8-10"
>>>above the tank's top. It too has 4 doors for straightforward storage.
>>>Closing that 8-10" gap is a filler panel which is on a piano hinge and
>>>has a locking arm to hold it in a closed or open (out) position. When
>>>open, you view your hanging fluorescent tube lighting with about 6-7"
>>>of clearance to the glass cover.
>>>
>>>The shelf the tank sits on is about 2" deeper than the tank. This 2"
>>>of extra shelf is behind the tank and is drilled for filter hoses.
>>>Leaving a string permanently attached going through the holes is how
>>>things are brought through (the string is double the required length,
>>>so you tape the hose/wire etc to the string, and draw it up/down
>>>through the hole in the shelf). Note the hole diameter needed for
>>>your hose *with* connections. I typically use about 1-1/2" diameter.
>>>
>>>The filter system sits in one of the 4 compartments. I like to find a
>>>square plastic tub to fit the filter in, and then I build the stand
>>>around the plastic tub dimensions. The tub contains any water
>>>dribbles occurring during maintenance, and slides out for cleaning if
>>>needed.
>>>
>>>In the top of one of the lower compartments, install your GFI
>>>powerbar. Pay special attention to its location. You do not want a
>>>leak to follow a filter hose and then trickle across under the cabinet
>>>shelf towards a powerbar. Installing the powerbar on the back of the
>>>cabinet well above the bottom, and away from the drilled holes will
>>>probably work. Keep in mind the dimensions of the light timers (the
>>>space they need, space between them and your access to them).
>>>
>>>Since this is custom-made and application-specific, do an inventory of
>>>what you want to keep stored. Don't use 12" of cabinet height to
>>>store fish food whose tallest container is 5" (add another shelf).
>>>Note that fish food should be stored in a cool dry location, so locate
>>>this shelf under the tank in a ventilated location (above tank lights
>>>or near filter is warmer than needed). Fishnets are a nuisance to
>>>store, so look for a spot (or design one in). A shelf with a 1"
>>>height works, if you're disciplined enough to not ever put anything
>>>else in there. Alternately some vertical storage somewhere (vertical
>>>slats in one of the cabinets, can be used for all your thin flat
>>>objects (filter sheets, fish-nets etc).
>>>
>>>With electricity in the wall-unit, consider adding some small lights,
>>>nothing fancy, just enough to comfortably rummage through. Behind the
>>>cabinet door which holds the filter, add a hook for your towel. I use
>>>a small towel which clips to my belt loops. Very useful for catching
>>>runaway drips.
>>>
>>>All cabinets should be vented (humidity differences will want to
>>>stress the wood), especially the compartment holding the lights above
>>>the glass cover, however this particular area is more challenging to
>>>vent as you want to contain stray light. I recommend you install the
>>>ballasts in the upper cabinet (away from the tank), or even above the
>>>upper cabinet (great ventilation up there), as they are a significant
>>>source of heat. Some ballasts protest long distances to their tubes,
>>>but adding chassis ground wire usually fixes that.
>>>
>>>I'll stop now :o)
>>>ps: Gill, what are the tank's dimensions? I suspect this is an
>>>Imperial 130 which is close to a US160g (590 litre?).
>>
>>If it's OK with you guys, I'll just give a very general outline of the
>>plan...this way I can get real feedback/ideas without these being
>>influenced too much by what we have already thought of...
>>
>>The tank is 72" long, 18" deep and 24" high. The wall is 13ft3" long.
>>It is a solid wall with no windows in it...
>>
>>The cabinet is going to extend the entire length of the wall with the
>>tank mounted in to the centre. The cabinets will extend to the full
>>height of the tank itself on either side....
>
>
> Sounds good. No plans to go above the tank?
>
>
>>The tank itself will have to sit on polystyrene as per the
>>manufacturer's instructions so obviously the trim needs to hide this.
>
>
> I found a trim with an aquatic emboss for my last set-up :o)
>
>
>>The filter is the Fluval FX5. We have measured this against the cabinet
>>door samples that we have purchased and it will fit happily under the
>>tank itself...
>>
>>With the lighting SO has vetoed any type of pendant lighting but is
>>very keen to side light the tank from within the cabinets....
>
>
> Can you explain what you mean by side-light. If the light comes through
> the tank sides, you'll get algae blocking the light. If the light comes
> from above the tank, then how will you block this light from your view?
>
> When designing, I like to look over what others have had for ideas, ie:
> http://www.aquariumdesigns.com/aquariums.html
> http://www.glasscages.com/?sAction=CustPictList
> http://www.livingcolor.com/

by side lighting I think that we mean LEDs or such like giving some sort
of subtle lighting to the bottom of the tank....I'm always a fighter to
find the natural solution to algae though...it's in addition to the main
lighting BTW in case that wasn't clear...

As to the structure above the tank that is going to really depend on the
eventual design of the hood....either the hood has to be on the same
line as the rest of the unit or up and above....lots of thinking needed...

Gill