DIY stand, canopy, shelf combo

[Hannys_Papa]

OK i posted a few Qs about this project in the regular FW forum and got some - but not too many replies. So i am hopeing to find a few more answers to the other Qs that popped up along the more detailed planning

Here is a sketch - the dimensions are off and there will be more detail to things but its there to give you a general idea of what i intend to do.
The idea is an "L" corner stand with 2 seperate tanks.

The details are:

Long tank 48x13x16 high (AGA)
Short tank 20x12x16 high (AGA)

There will be an empy space in the corner so if i wanted i could always replace the shorter tank by one thats longer (24 or 36" length) and just have it push behind the long tank.

The stand under the tank will be made of 2x4s, in some areas slightly ripped down to actual 1.5x2 or 1.5x3.
For ease of installation, transport the stand will actually be 2 parts (1 part under each tank) with one piece of (thick) plywood covering both parts once they are set up and held together by screws/ bolts.
Rest of the stand will also be covered in plywood (thin) and i will use plenty of trim.
It'll all be stained and finished in 1 light wood colour.

The canopy/ shelf will all be one piece and mounted to the wall. Canopy painted white inside.

Both tanks will be planted.

The questions i have are mainly related to lighting. There are so many places to buy ballasts and tubes from (besides the fact that there are 1000s of products to choose from) its very confusing.

1) What are good places to buy these things online (especially waterproof end caps - they seem rather expensive)

2) What lamps/ ballasts should i go for ? T8, T12 ?

3) What is the maximum distance between bulb and ballast ? (i want to place the ballasts somewhere with a fan to have the heat removed)

4) What (white) paint should be safe inside the canopy ? I am gonna use glass tops on the tanks but obviously cant predict if there will still be enough moisture to cause condensation and dont want anything "bad" to drip back into the tank (just incase).

Got any ideas, comments of what else i should be aware of, take care of before i start this project ?

Right now i am making the actual drawings and a list of all the material i am going to buy. Work will probably start after christmas.

If i get all Qs answered that i have right now and might come up within the next weeks i will post pictures of the progress and once everything is up.

 

[Walker_]

Lights!!!!!!!

Hey man, nice looking set up!!! be sure to post pics when your done!!!!
My thoughts on the setup... If you are going to all the troubble of building such a nice set up and you are interested in having planted tanks, then I would be inclined to say get away from tubes, and make the jump to Metal Halide.... This is the company that I bought a twin 400W setup for my 90 gal planted tank, and I coudnt be happier....

Cooltouchlighting.com

I bought finished canopies and balasts all in one shot, and then simply hung the balasts Inside a wood canopy on the top of the tank....
depending on what sort of WPG you are looking at Id say Twin 250 would look great for the 48" and a Single 250 for the 20-24" tank...

You could also just go to 150s instead, but hey why go small when you can go allout!!!! :dance:

Anywho, my 2 cents, I just liked the idea of getting everything done in one shot, IE no buggering about end caps etc.... just hang it and leave it... be sure to watch for heat though....
my $.0016
-walk

 

[ghinksmon]

T-12's are the "old school" tubes and generally inefficient when compared to newer lights. Even the T-8's have largely been replaced by compact flourescents for applications where intense lighting is required (ie, planted tanks). I haven't tried it yet myself but the link below was offered on a similar post.

http://www.ahsupply.com/

Have you tried shortening your post to just the lighting question and posting it in "Plants"? That is really what you need to know. IMO you'd be wasting your time with T-12's or T-8's. The metal halide posted earlier is certainly bright but thats a lot of heat and energy to deal with.

 

[sardesign]

If money is no object!!!! get the new RT5 flourescents... very efficient and amazing light output... but EXPENSIVE. I believe (with the ballast and shell) they are about 150 USD.

 

[Hannys_Papa]

Thanks everyone for your replies. Fact is i am doing this DIY because

a) i like to work with wood
b) i want to save some money

(in this order)

So MH just seems way more than i want to spend. Another problem is that recently i've been experimenting with different K ratings for bulbs and it seems its very hard for me to find one i like. At least with regular flourescent i can use several 48" bulbs but mix colours to achieve the look that pleases my eye.

I really didnt want to go super high light - so if i use 4x32W that would give me about 130W over a 45G tank -almost 3WPG.
I've seen beautiful 55G tanks (the 45 is actually shallower and should be easier to light) with less light than that.

Am i really that off the right path with my ideas about lighting here ? lol

Still leaves my Qs concerning paint and ballasts unanswered. Anyone ? Pleeease....

 

[beviking]

Hey Hannys_Papa,
"old school" doesn't mean it doesn't work. I'm with you on using tubes = saving $ (I prefer T8's) and you should be able to light those tanks adequately. If not, you can overdrive the bulbs.

You are going to keep glass lids on the tank correct? This will alleviate two concerns. One, the water-proof endcaps imo are a wast of money in this case. Next time you're passing through Syr. give me a call. You can stop in and see how I have the generic shoplight endcaps screwed into my hood and have no problems (no signs of rust even) for 2yrs. Yes, I run a fan on my hood too, but only in the summer. Two, paint shouldn't be much of a concern either. I used Kilz ext/int. primer (the higher end stuff...Kilz One I think it was). With my hood open, the door provides a nice shelf to hold my plant trimmings (and the water dripping off of them) and when I'm done, I just wipe it up with a towel, close the lid. Even latex paint when dry will work.
As for the ballast/light distance, I'm not 100% sure on this, but I don't think it matters as long as the ballast is grounded. My ballasts are screwed to the underside "cieling" of the tank stand (under the tank) and the tank is 24" tall.

You're on a path (there are many) and imo, it's the right one for you.
Keep us updated!

Bill

 

[angrytodd]

have a listen to the old viking,for he knows of what he speaks!Saw his setup and was very impressed,great tank setup with excellant plant growth.My hope is to aspire to his heights.LOL{plant heights]Thanks for the help Bill,keep in touch. :thm:

 

[Hannys_Papa]

No doubt angrytoad. In fact i was hoping he'd add his 2 cent to this thread.

Thanks Beviking. I indeed planned on using glass tops and also wanted to make the canopy part fairly high in order to have plenty of room above the tank to do maintenance.

So the endcaps should be far enough away from the water ... i forgot to actually check out Home Depots lighting section the last time i went there so i dont even know yet what they have that i could work with.

I thought about mounting the ballasts either in the corner and have a fan suck air out of that corner - or i might go your route and place them under one of the tanks and have a fan push the air out the side.

Thanks for your input.

 

[beviking]

Do you remember those Frog and Toad books? They were so peaceful. That typo (angrytoad instead of angrytodd) just put a wicked twist on the storyline...

Thanks a.t., glad I could help! Left alone, we are rockclimbers slowly picking our way to the top...with ALL the fine folks here at A.C....well, it's like riding a ski lift!!! Yeah, I like cheese!

H.P., the inside height from glass to bulbs is 4 3/4". Since the bulbs run parallel to the front of the tank (the front bulb is set in a few inches), I can remove the front bulb if I want for additional clearance, which I almost never do (only to remove a pc of driftwood). The work is done IN the tank so you really only need clearance to get the gravel vac, algae magnet, arm, etc...into the tank. I just can't stand seeing a tank looking like it's going to fall over because the hood is the height of the stand! Just personal preference. Oh, another tip. Not sure if the width of the front panel of glass on the lid is wide enough, but using T8 bulbs, when you lift the glass panel up via the plastic handle, at the right spot, it will clip onto the bulb! At least with the handles that came with my glass. Those for your tank may be smaller...something to think about. I have to slide my glass forward just a little to get it to stay (just remember you're dealing with glass!) but it'll hold the hinged glass up!
My current setup has the fan sucking air out of the hood. It works. Talking with the fine folks at ahsupply, they suggested the better way (more so when dealing with higher heat bulbs) is to have vents high up (or on top)where natural convection will aid in getting rid of the heat, and having the fan blow air in.
Well, now that I've added my 2 cents...where's my change?