aggieMEDIC Posted February 24, 2007 Share Posted February 24, 2007 So i got permission to finally set up my 55g it is tempered so i can drill it, im going to have dual overflows, haven't decided on the pump yet something inexpensive yet reliable. going to have either a 20 or 30 gallon sump havent decided on the size of the fuge yet. the stand i will be building to custom fit the area between the couch and the wall (kind of as a behind the couch table) but the stand will be built so i can upgrade to a bigger tank later. it will be 33"tall 6'6" long and 18" deep. the stand will also be upgradable with additional parts to expand to 24" deep for an even bigger tank. I am not going to put a "fancy" face on it just one that will protect the back of the couch. i will post a pic tomorrow of the plans that i drew up. Looking for t5 lighting 4 bulbs at first but i would prefer 8 (half atinic) this will be a reef tank with some fish any thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GKarshens Posted February 24, 2007 Share Posted February 24, 2007 I thought you couldn't drill tempered glass. My tank had a sticker that said "Bottom is tempered glass. Do not drill!!!" Other than that the stand idea sounds great. It is always a good idea to make things upgradeable if possible. Talk to John at Kingfish about the T5 light fixtures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomanero Posted February 24, 2007 Share Posted February 24, 2007 I have to agree with Gabriel. I've been looking into drilling a tank and everything I've read says you can only drill through NON tempered glass. I found this link helpful. http://ozreef.org/diy_plans/techniques/cut...s_in_glass.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieMEDIC Posted February 24, 2007 Author Share Posted February 24, 2007 sorry the keyboard and i had a miscommunication, you are right i can't drill it , that is why i plan on overflows sorry my mistake stand design and i was thinking about lap jointing all 8 corners as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Headless_donkey Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 I have heard dual overflows can be hard to balance, but places let us know how it goes. It might be cool to make the stand wider then the tank so you can have some room to set things. while you are working on the tank. How did the acrylic work out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jroescher Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 Balancing overflows really isn't a problem. I have my dursos set at about the same height (eyeballed) and they both flow water. If one flows a little faster than the other, I would never be able to tell. You could even use one drain with a valve to feed your fuge low flow and other drain to your sump. The main thing to keep in mind is that each overflow must be able to drain at least as much as your return pump can deliver to your tank. That way if something were to ever go wrong with one drain, your not flooding. Like Headless suggested, you should build the extra width and out to the 24" now. It's really convenient. You will really like having the edge around your tank to set things on. Food, glue and epoxy, test kits, the TV remote and just about anything else that collects where there's room. If there's one thing I would do different if I built another stand it would be to build a bigger edge around the tank. Mine's only about 2 1/2 inches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieMEDIC Posted February 28, 2007 Author Share Posted February 28, 2007 the plan right now is to have the tank sitting flush on the front but with 6 inches in the back to have room for the overflows so the stand can sit against the wall. i dont think i have a problem with not having a lip around the front because if you look at the measurements the stand is 6'6" and the tank is only 4' so i will have 15" on either end of the tank for "stuff" I am going to need help with plumbing though, because i know nothing about how it works. I know the basics water goes in this end and out the other. i know how i need to have it set up but when it comes to putting that plan into action i dont know the first thing. headless the acrylic worked great. needed to cover 1/2 of the 5 gallon hex then i'm using the scrap to learn to bend it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Headless_donkey Posted February 28, 2007 Share Posted February 28, 2007 Bending is pretty easy. I use a heat gun and patience. If you bend to quickly it will break. Trust me. I broke a perfectly good over flow box in half. Heat it up so hot it almost bends it's self. The trick is getting the bend straight. Using a piece of wood on the top and on the bottom of the acrylic works well. It becomes kind of a "break" and the bend happens almost effortlessly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GKarshens Posted February 28, 2007 Share Posted February 28, 2007 When you are ready to actually start plumbing let me know I could probably come and help. For bending acrylic I use a propane torch. Works great but you have to keep it moving or it catches fire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieMEDIC Posted February 28, 2007 Author Share Posted February 28, 2007 Gabe i may take you up on that. as for the acrylic: i have a heat gun that i used and it worked ok but like headless said its getting it straight that is the hard part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieMEDIC Posted March 1, 2007 Author Share Posted March 1, 2007 what kinda of wood should i build my stand out of? i think i remember reading somewhere that i should not use your basic pine from home depot. if not what kind of place should i go to? remember i'm not in the austin area, but i will be building it in houston at a buddy's woodshop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GKarshens Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 Depends on how much you want to spend. I used regular 2x4s and sheeted it with Blond wood from Lowe's. Blond wood resembles Maple but is only about $25 for a 4x8' sheet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieMEDIC Posted March 2, 2007 Author Share Posted March 2, 2007 ok this is the final stand plan any suggestions I should add there will be a plywood on the bottom then a layer of pond liner to prevent damage to the carpet. and hold any water in should there be an overflow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dark8nge1 Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 Correct me if im wrong but it looks like the top frame and the legs will only be held together by whatever you use to attach them. Personally i wouldnt do it that way because you are then relying on the strength of the screw or whatever what not, but not the 2x4 itself. Dont know if that makes sense or not. I'll try and find a pick to illustrate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Entropy Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 It should be fine that way assuming a sheet of ply is going on top? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharkbait33 Posted December 1, 2007 Share Posted December 1, 2007 ok this is the final stand plan any suggestions I should add there will be a plywood on the bottom then a layer of pond liner to prevent damage to the carpet. and hold any water in should there be an overflow I have a tempered tank that I'm in the process of making into a saltwater aquarium, and I was just wondering how your tank turned out. I'm also having trouble understanding the whole plumbing process. So any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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