Anybody ever build their own canopy?

[progman]

I want to build a canopy for a tank I'm purchasing - I know I could build one that would look a hundred times nicer than the ones typically sold at the LFS and at a fraction of the price. Any woodworkers out there that have already done this? Any suggestions on wood and/or stain to use or not use?

[bigpoppax2]

All depends on the stand, but I did an oak stand and a oak hood. Looks awesome. If someone can tell me exactly how to post a picture I'll post some of my setup.

Definatly make sure it gets plenty of good coats of poly. You don't want to get water damage.

[cdawson]

Home depot sells pieces of pre-cut pine (I know, lazy...) boards, I put together a canopy for my tank for about 30 bucks. Which is a hell of alot better than paying 200 bucks for one.

[progman]

very cool... and the poly isn't harmful for the fish?

[TomFromStLouis]

Polyurethane is an ideal finish for moist environments. Obviously, let it dry before bringing the canopy near the tank.

I built mine out of the same wood I used for the cabinet (walnut in my case). It happens to match the faux wood finish I chose on the tank trim.

Mine is basically a box shape with the front being hinged using a piano hinge. I left 1/2" betweent he three top boards for venting the ballasts. Each side includes a ledge inside for the boards which hold the compact flourescent reflectors and ballasts. this allows me to slide the lights back a bit when the lid is up and I am working inside the tank. The edge of those awesome AHSupply reflectors are sharp!

[Tim Bo]

Each side includes a ledge inside for the boards which hold the compact flourescent reflectors and ballasts. this allows me to slide the lights back a bit when the lid is up and I am working inside the tank.

Exactly what I have done and I'm glad I thought of it cause it is incrediblyl handy. One word of advice when making the canopy (although most likely obvious) is to makes sure you have adequate spacing between the ballasts and the wood.

[carpguy]

I built a canopy using 1/2" plywood, although the same thing could be done with the 1" (3/4") stock from the HD or Lowe's, etc.

It's basically a box with 3 panels across the top: a door (attached with a hidden piano hinge) at the front and back and a loose panel in the middle that has my AH lamp attached to it. There's a 3/4" gap between each panel so that the lamps can vent. There is a block of wood on the inside of each side under each panel (3 on each side, none front or back). These sit on top of the rim and also act as stops for the doors and lamp panel. One continuous strip will interfere with the doors.

The canopy is 18" wide on my 30g, so there is extra space in the back. The ballasts are mounted on the back side wall and as much of the wiring as possible is behind and below the surface of the tank. The filters and plumbing are also out of sight under the back of the canopy. A simple pair of sidewalls runs to the base of the tank and completes the width. I can access the hardware in back and the glass lid in front for feeding, basic pruning, etc. without disturbing the light or moving the canopy.

I used some sort of water-based acrylic sealer instead of polyurethane. Found it at HD. Many coats is a good thing.

Not that tricky (all straight cuts :) ). Its a bit of a tight fit and I'd modify it a bit in hindsight, but I'm very happy with the basic design.

I can try to post pics and plans if you're interested.

HTH

[elgecko]

I wanted something different when I built my stand. You can see pictures of it here.

http://www.geocities.com/elgecko1989/community.html

[Tim Bo]

I like the idea of the 'pillars' on the sides of the tank...the oak has a nice look to it.