lowww stand

[mgk]

you may not be able to have a canister filter, there supposed to be a certain distance from the water level.

I think you probably be ok for most but it may be pushing it if you ever get a big one like a fx5

 

[TheCanuck]

you may not be able to have a canister filter, there supposed to be a certain distance from the water level.

I think you probably be ok for most but it may be pushing it if you ever get a big one like a fx5

I ruined an fx5 by doing this..... I was filtering a bucket that was on the ground, 2 days later the filter failed... I realized what had happened later....


Here cool idea, because the tank is so low you should have a tiny stand and big canopy with a sump / wetdry built in the canopy. Have a pump pushing water into the sump and gravity fall back into the tank with a pipe or somthing. It would look like a tank upside down, it would be sick! Somone please agree with this idea... i want to see it happen lol

 

[kallmond]

I'll try to grab a full shot tonight. And yea, 3/4" cheap-o grade ply, no internal structure.

I predrilled screw holes every 1.5", and covered the screws with moulding. The door moulding was by far the most expensive part of the build,

Dollar amounts are estimated:
Tank -- Free (Pulled it out of some guys backyard where it was full of nasty water)

Stand
10 sticks door moulding $80
1 piece of plywood $25
Screws $4
2 tubes liquid nails $15
Caulking gun $10
Paint 1quart $8
Cabinet door handles $2
Hinges $5
Speed square $8

Total Stand = $167

Canopy
Xenon 3 level dimmer light kit $35
3 1x12 48" long $25 (sides)
1 1x8 48" long $6 (Fixed top, w/lights attached)
1 1x6 48" long $5 (Hinged top that opens
Handle $1
Piano Hinge $9

Total Canopy = $81

The lights put off a lot of heat, but with a 12" canopy its not that bad. I drilled a 2" hole near the of the back and most of the heat vents there. This is on the ground floor of our house which we keep pretty cool, without the heater running the tank stayed 73 degrees if I ran the lights 10 hours a day on the "high" setting

The stand is solid, not a hint of a shimmy or shake.

The only tools I own are a drill, a jig saw, a hammer and (now) a speed square and a caulking gun. I've done a fair amount of carpentry work as a hobbiest, and took 4 years of wood shop 20 years ago in high school. Cutting the angles in the moulding was a challenge with only a jig saw. I had Lowes cut all the lumber to size. Despite their protestation, the cuts were very accurate and they never charged me for any cutting. (They give you 2 cuts free per piece of wood at my Lowes) That saved me from having to buy a circular saw.

Phone pics (sorry) to follow once they send from my phone to my gmail.

 

[kallmond]

Thecanuk,

The canister is actually below the water level, it fit in the stand, so the pump isn't having to 'draw' the water. It is a bit tight to get it in and out, and servicing it is a pita, since you have to tip the canister to get the lid to latch down (once its latched it sits level). Every time I open the canister though about 2 cups of water drains out into the stand, so I have to have a towel there for servicing.

If I had it to do over again i'd have made the stand 22" instead of 21". The canister is 17" to the tips of the inlet/outlet pipe where you screw the hose on. I didn't figure in the hoses having the valve assembly, when I was measuring I was thinking they were more like garden hoses that would flex almost immediately after the screw fitting.

Phase 2 involves building a refugium of sorts on top of the canopy, with emersed plants and a powerhead pumping water through a layer of gravel and the plants roots. So thats sort of like your idea

 

[turtlesrock]

very nice build

 

[kallmond]

Finally a couple of horrible quality phone pics.

Showing off my jigsaw prowess My wife said a real man would have used a chainsaw..

The tank painted black (really bad photo) And one before I got the moulding on the canopy.