STAND AND CANOPY CONSTRUCTION

 

I built the stand and canopy myself. The stand is constructed of 2x4 internal bracing. The bottom of the stand is plywood that was stained with outdoor deck waterproofing, to protect it from spills and other water damage. After, I sealed all corners will silicone sealant. The side and front are made out out 1/2 Birch plywood. The molding is pine. The exterior was then sanded stained with minwax gel-stain and sealed with polyacrylic. On the outside top molding I used stainless steel bars, used for cabinets, to touch up the look. If you look you will notice the entire front of the stand is removable. I really wanted the front of the stand to look very clean, with no doors visible. By doing this I also find it very easy to work under the tank. The front panel id held on with industrial strength Velcro, which holds the front very securely to the stand. Before the tank was added I bought some Styrofoam and added it to the top of the stand. This way when the tank is added, any defects in the top of the stand will be absorbed by the foam and not cause any pressure points on the tank itself. The whole stand was then leveled after the empty tank was put in place.



The canopy is build similar to the stand, internal bracing was done using 2x2s for the sides, the rest using 1x2. Sides and finish are the same as the stand. The inside of the cap sanded, primed and painted with gloss white outdoor water based paint. All the corners and edges were then sealed with silicon sealant. The front of the cap opens up and out. I bought some hinges used for the inside of cabinets, these hinges keep the hardware inside the cabinet. I purchased them at Home Depot. The cap holds (3) 250watt MH bulbs as well as (2) 140watt VHO bulbs. There are (4) 1 1/2" holes near the corners of the reflectors as well as two 4 1/2" fans installed in the top of the canopy to remove heat. On the bottom of the canopy I also installed weather stripping so the cap forms a seal with the tank to help eliminate any salt creep from water splashing.



I've received many e-mails asking for plans. Sorry I never made any when I built the stand. So I've taken various question asked of me through email and posted them. Hopefully they will answer any questions you have on the canopy and stand, if not e-mail me.

Basically the hood is a frame made of 2x2 posts with the rest framed using 1x2. the top is 1/2" plywood. the sides and front are 1/2" birch plywood that was stained then sealed with polyacrylic. The raised wood framing the outside is pine, stained and sealed as well. All inside corners and gaps are sealed with waterproof sealant. The inside is primed and painted with gloss white paint

A. The MH bulbs are about 9 inches away from the surface water. I tried to make it so that the MH bulbs would be approximately 32" from the bottom of the tank.

A. I am presently using (2) 11w blue incandescent bulbs for the moonlight. The sockets were bought at Home Depot, they are plastic.

A. The panels next to each of the bulbs are to cover the 3 1/2" holes I have drilled into the top of the canopy. I drilled two holes in the top of the hood. Put a fan outside the hood and use them to pull hot air out of the hood. The panels are there to minimize the light leakage and are painted white to help reflect light back into the tank. It is set up with a hole in the top then a 1" plastic spacer available at home depot then a square piece of 1/4" wood.

A. The way I have the VHOs, I have no problem getting in the hood. I have easily removed and rearranged the rock work with little trouble. For very large pieces I take out the VHO bulb. But for the most part have had no problems.

A. Heat. I definitely had heat problems. The stand and hood were made to look like furniture and blend in with the semi modern look of the room it is in. It was my first attempt and making a stand for an aquarium and looks were first thoughts. That said, the problem with the hood IMO is that it is sealed on three sides. This allows a good amount of heat to build up. Here on Long Island on the North Sore of the island, it can get fairly humid as well as hot during the summer. This combo sucks as far as keeping thing cool. I have two fans on the cap blowing across the water and two fan on top of the hood puling air out, and I still broke down and bought a chiller. Opening the front door of the hood a bit helps a lot. I also think you might want to drill holes in the sides and put fans there blowing in and out to help out as well. If you are planning a chiller you can keep the same clean look as I have on the hood, but for cooling purposes it's not the most efficient. That said the fans definitely cool the tank down, but with 400w MH you might want to change the design a bit. An open top is great for evaporative cooling, might be something you want to look into. I think you could easily modify this hood to still look great and function as an open top.

A. Temps on the tank were 84-85 which is about as high as I want to go. This was in June, outside temps in the high eighties, once in a while ninety, I got a chiller in July. I estimate the bill to go up about $18-25 a month during the summer. I just didn't feel like air-conditioning my whole house all summer long. So I bought the chiller. Humidity was really the issue, like I said, the area where I live gets pretty humid during the summer.

A. They are made of plastic, so that should not present a problem. All the wiring is pulled up through the top on the hood, so it is outside of where I would worry about any moisture or salt creep getting in.

A. I believe it was 4" it measures out to 3 3/4". Mine are 3/8" thick.

A. I both glued and nailed the trim. I used finishing nails.

A. Yes

A. The stain color is Honey Maple from Minwax. It is a gel stain that I used mainly because it matched my hardwood floors. The gel stain was much easier to use than their standard stains. I finished it with polyacrylic not polyurethane. The polyacrylic dries clear, and it water based.

A. I think you are referring to the squares on the inside of the canopy. Behind the squares are holes to dissipate heat. I bought spacers at the hardware store and after I drilled holes in the top I used the spacers to put a gap of about 3/4" between the top and square to minimize light escaping from the top of the hood.

A. No problems with the wood at all. Inside and outside seem to be the same as when I first put it on.

A. No. I had the same initial concern but the braces don't seem to get very hot.

A. yes. I believe it is 3/4" square strip trim that I cut to the proper length.

A. I might make the back a little more open. To help release a little more heat. Other than that, no, I really like the whole design. Maybe this will help. Before I built it I went home improvement centers that sold modern/contemporary kitchens and looked at the different designs they had for the cabinets. Found a design I really liked and tried to copy it as best I could making a few modifications. If you have anything near you, maybe want to check them out, you can come up with some cool ideas!

A. If it ends up being too much you can alway add a back on later.

A. The lights don't really add any weight. The 1/2" plywood is actually quite strong when put on the top. I don't think you should have any problem.

A. It works just like stain only it's bit thicker, meaning it doesn't run like stain can. I found it much easier to work with that their normal stains. Didn't need to use a graining tool. You can see the grain no problem under the stain, I think I put three coats on.