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07/29/2018, 08:14 PM | #1 |
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Location: St. Peters
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Pre-School Tank Build
I was encouraged by some teachers to build and design a tank for a classroom. My local club, SLASH, has helped by donating a tank and supplies for the build.
Every teacher is "highly encouraged" to have a classroom pet. Mrs Douglas used to have pet toads but they have not done well this summer. She is down to her last toad(s). She fears she will not have any toads left before the tank has a fish in it. I have told her that things happen slowly with saltwater tanks and she may not get her first fish until after the semester has started.
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180 DT w/ sps & lps 75 tank w/ softies and nems Learn from the mistakes of others... it's cheaper Current Tank Info: 180 Gallon Glass Cages w/ some personal modifications |
07/29/2018, 08:18 PM | #2 |
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Teachers have a small classroom budget to use each semester on pets and extra enrichment for the students. Anything over $200 will have to be granted by the PTA. So far the tank has a ReefBright light, return pump, aqua c romora skimmer, 20 sump, off brand DJ strip, small fan, eshopps overflow.
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180 DT w/ sps & lps 75 tank w/ softies and nems Learn from the mistakes of others... it's cheaper Current Tank Info: 180 Gallon Glass Cages w/ some personal modifications |
07/29/2018, 08:19 PM | #3 |
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This weekend I worked on a teacher approved stand.
Teacher did not approve of the first attempt... too tall... she wanted their faces to be in the middle of the tank not at the bottom. So we went to work again and came down 5 inches and got a way sturdier stand design anyway.
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180 DT w/ sps & lps 75 tank w/ softies and nems Learn from the mistakes of others... it's cheaper Current Tank Info: 180 Gallon Glass Cages w/ some personal modifications Last edited by Lance A. Lot; 07/29/2018 at 08:26 PM. |
07/29/2018, 08:29 PM | #4 |
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This is going to be a peninsula style build. If you have examples I should see let me know. I am just going to wing it as far as building a canopy and side cabinet goes.
This is going to divide the reading and story time area from the writing and letters area of the classroom.
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180 DT w/ sps & lps 75 tank w/ softies and nems Learn from the mistakes of others... it's cheaper Current Tank Info: 180 Gallon Glass Cages w/ some personal modifications |
07/30/2018, 09:00 PM | #5 |
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Great start Tim.
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Brandon I'm not saying let's get rid of all the stupid people.* I'm just saying let's remove all the warning labels and let the problem work itself out. Current Tank Info: 150g DT plumbed to an 80g frag tank and 220g sump in the basement. ~6-MP40s ~ 12 ATI powered t5s ~ Reefbrites and Radions supplementing ~ Custom GEO Skimmer ~ GEO CA Reactor 6x24~ Iwaki 70 Return ~ |
07/31/2018, 07:10 AM | #6 |
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Progress on a canopy
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180 DT w/ sps & lps 75 tank w/ softies and nems Learn from the mistakes of others... it's cheaper Current Tank Info: 180 Gallon Glass Cages w/ some personal modifications |
07/31/2018, 07:29 AM | #7 |
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I hope your going to put a sheet of plywood on the top of stand, And I would get support under the horizontal cross members, All the weight is on the top of the 2x4 legs. That canopy looks like it's going to be pretty heavy also. There is a thread called Rocket Engineers stand or something like that in the DIY forum. Might want to check it out. IMHO
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08/01/2018, 02:21 PM | #8 | ||
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Quote:
Quote:
You definitely want some lateral bracing. Some examples of wood stands can be found in this thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=1330053
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- Shaginwagon - Current Tank Info: 550 Gallon SPS Reef l 200 Gallon Sump l Skimmer: Vertex Alpha 250 l Return Pump: Reeflo Hammerhead l Tank Circulation: (2) Maxspect Gyre XF280 l Lighting: (3) 400w Halides & (3) AI Hydra 52 HD |
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08/03/2018, 09:28 AM | #9 | |
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Quote:
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180 DT w/ sps & lps 75 tank w/ softies and nems Learn from the mistakes of others... it's cheaper Current Tank Info: 180 Gallon Glass Cages w/ some personal modifications |
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08/03/2018, 09:32 AM | #10 |
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More stand updates:
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180 DT w/ sps & lps 75 tank w/ softies and nems Learn from the mistakes of others... it's cheaper Current Tank Info: 180 Gallon Glass Cages w/ some personal modifications |
08/03/2018, 09:43 AM | #11 |
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Late night stand updates
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180 DT w/ sps & lps 75 tank w/ softies and nems Learn from the mistakes of others... it's cheaper Current Tank Info: 180 Gallon Glass Cages w/ some personal modifications |
08/03/2018, 10:16 AM | #12 |
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- Shaginwagon - Current Tank Info: 550 Gallon SPS Reef l 200 Gallon Sump l Skimmer: Vertex Alpha 250 l Return Pump: Reeflo Hammerhead l Tank Circulation: (2) Maxspect Gyre XF280 l Lighting: (3) 400w Halides & (3) AI Hydra 52 HD |
08/03/2018, 10:22 AM | #13 |
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I can cut some 45s into some 2x4s and put those in the corners. Would that be enough?I really do not want to add a center brace. The sump would not fit.
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180 DT w/ sps & lps 75 tank w/ softies and nems Learn from the mistakes of others... it's cheaper Current Tank Info: 180 Gallon Glass Cages w/ some personal modifications |
08/03/2018, 10:32 AM | #14 | |
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Again, its just my .02 cents. I see your point about having the sides open for your sump access, but if you were planning to finish the bottom with doors, normally the center piece for where the doors meet, also doubles as that center bracing.
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- Shaginwagon - Current Tank Info: 550 Gallon SPS Reef l 200 Gallon Sump l Skimmer: Vertex Alpha 250 l Return Pump: Reeflo Hammerhead l Tank Circulation: (2) Maxspect Gyre XF280 l Lighting: (3) 400w Halides & (3) AI Hydra 52 HD |
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08/03/2018, 11:09 AM | #15 | |
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Quote:
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180 DT w/ sps & lps 75 tank w/ softies and nems Learn from the mistakes of others... it's cheaper Current Tank Info: 180 Gallon Glass Cages w/ some personal modifications |
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08/03/2018, 01:28 PM | #16 |
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You do not need corner braces. Nor a center brace. IMHE. Are you adding a piece of plywood to the entire top? That would be a good idea and you will be surprised how much it firms it all up. Just read the diy stand thread. Your stand is already stronger than store bought stands.
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Midwest Custom Acylic 180 gallon, 2 AI Hydra Twenty Six HD, Tunze 6055, remote custom 75 gallon sump with chaeto refugium, Pan World pump, Reef Octopus INT 200 skim |
08/03/2018, 02:04 PM | #17 |
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There is a 3/4 inch plywood sheet covering 4/5 of the top of the stand. I have the saw and extra wood so I will add some lateral bracing. It won't be in my way and the wood is already a sunk cost anyway.
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180 DT w/ sps & lps 75 tank w/ softies and nems Learn from the mistakes of others... it's cheaper Current Tank Info: 180 Gallon Glass Cages w/ some personal modifications |
08/03/2018, 08:13 PM | #18 |
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Literal Lateral support
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180 DT w/ sps & lps 75 tank w/ softies and nems Learn from the mistakes of others... it's cheaper Current Tank Info: 180 Gallon Glass Cages w/ some personal modifications |
08/04/2018, 08:44 AM | #19 | |
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Quote:
This is not a welded steel stand and wood and screws over time loose some of how 'tight' they are as wood expands, contracts. This tank is also in a classroom (unassumingly) with kids that will sometimes lean against the tank which will cause some lateral forces that again you do not want, and over time, affect the integrity of a wood stand. You don't want your stand to be the weak part in your tank design, especially when there are kids around and the tank could fall. Even steel stands are 1,000% over engineered, but its for a reason, you want to make sure that there is almost no chance over time the stand buckles on you. OP: Must better with the additional bracing. Are you planning to paint/coat the wood with anything? Not required but would help seal in the moisture and seal out any salt especially under the tank where the sump is.
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- Shaginwagon - Current Tank Info: 550 Gallon SPS Reef l 200 Gallon Sump l Skimmer: Vertex Alpha 250 l Return Pump: Reeflo Hammerhead l Tank Circulation: (2) Maxspect Gyre XF280 l Lighting: (3) 400w Halides & (3) AI Hydra 52 HD Last edited by shaginwagon13; 08/04/2018 at 08:51 AM. |
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08/04/2018, 07:32 PM | #20 |
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The teacher is picking a stain and polyurethane out right now. That will be her contribution to this build.
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180 DT w/ sps & lps 75 tank w/ softies and nems Learn from the mistakes of others... it's cheaper Current Tank Info: 180 Gallon Glass Cages w/ some personal modifications |
08/04/2018, 08:12 PM | #21 |
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I still don/t like that design integrity, Still no vertical support under top frame.Screws can shear but in softwood pine 2x4 they will sag/loosen their grip. Laterally test it by bracing/securing the base on the floor and I bet you can shift the top side to side, The long way. A sheet of plywood on one side would give a lot of stability against racking.
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08/04/2018, 08:18 PM | #22 |
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With the lateral support I added it became more sturdy. I'm not changing it any more. It's done now.
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180 DT w/ sps & lps 75 tank w/ softies and nems Learn from the mistakes of others... it's cheaper Current Tank Info: 180 Gallon Glass Cages w/ some personal modifications |
08/04/2018, 08:19 PM | #23 |
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Door panels
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180 DT w/ sps & lps 75 tank w/ softies and nems Learn from the mistakes of others... it's cheaper Current Tank Info: 180 Gallon Glass Cages w/ some personal modifications |
08/04/2018, 08:20 PM | #24 |
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Light on done for the night
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180 DT w/ sps & lps 75 tank w/ softies and nems Learn from the mistakes of others... it's cheaper Current Tank Info: 180 Gallon Glass Cages w/ some personal modifications |
08/05/2018, 07:13 PM | #25 |
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In the classroom now. Staining sealing and plumbing this week.
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180 DT w/ sps & lps 75 tank w/ softies and nems Learn from the mistakes of others... it's cheaper Current Tank Info: 180 Gallon Glass Cages w/ some personal modifications |
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