75 Gallon Hexagon Tank/Stand/Canopy - Build Thread

XStroX · 05/08/2013, 04:05 PM

First I want to thank everyone because over the last few weeks it is incredible how much I have learned just from reading these forums. What an awesome group of people! An extra thank you to those that responded in my first thread looking for initial input as well.

I am brand new to saltwater and I will continue to update this thread as I go. I am also brand new to wood working so building a stand and canopy will certainly be a challenge. I do have help around me if I need it though.

I have attached 2 pictures, showing everything I have figured out so far. Please comment/critique/question. I'm sure there are things I'm not thinking of. The acrylic tank is on the way and should be here in 1-2 weeks max. At that point I will be starting the stand.

One disclaimer up front. I will not be changing the tall/skinny design even though I know it is not ideal and makes things more difficult. The nice thing about this is that it doesn't take up much floor space and will be easy to look at while standing. I also need to keep all wires and plumbing hidden inside
Looking forward to your input!

Stro

Aquarium Build Plan 1.jpg

Aquarium Build Plan 2.jpg

XStroX · 05/22/2013, 03:52 PM

YES!! The tank finally arrived meaning I can get started building the stand. See the attached pictures. I'm hoping someone can help with the below though.

Since this acrylic tank has a partially covered top (3/8" acrylic), I want to verify my order of installing the internal 29" tall overflow and plumbing as shown in the pictures on the previous post.

1. Drill 4 holes in back bottom of tank. Should align nicely with the cutout at the top of the tank. I am very nervous for this but will likely wait until stand is coming along.
2. Install bulkheads and PVC risers. How do the PVC risers needs attached to the bulkheads? I feel like I read somewhere they don't need to screw in and don't need taped but I can't figure out why.
3. Attach 29" tall acrylic trapezoidal internal overflow permanently using acrylic adhesive. I'm a bit worried about not having much room to work due to the partially covered top when doing this. Any pointers?

Thank you all! I'll be sure to post pictures as I build the stand starting next week.

If anyone has any comments on the sump/refugium Kit I planned on ordering, please let me know as I plan to order that in the very near future.

XStroX

New Tank Front.jpg

New Tank Top No Flash.jpg

Andyf30 · 05/22/2013, 04:21 PM

Woah. This is a pretty sweet tank. Looking forward to this build

XStroX · 06/12/2013, 05:29 PM

Well it has taken me a few weeks, but I believe I have the frame for the stand just about complete. It is 42" tall and 29" wide corner to corner. Take a look at the pictures. Keep in mind this is my first major wood working project.

I'm still very uncertain how to decide if this thing is sturdy enough for a 75 gallon tank other than to test it when complete. I'm certain it the the vertical strength. Stability for such a tall stand has me a bit worried although I will be wrapping it in 1/2 or 3/4" plywood or solid wood (which I can stain) and that will certainly help and also provide a bit of additional strength.

Also, should I add additional 2x4" supports under the top cover? Right now there is just one across the middle. I'm leaning towards 2 more. The top cover is 1/2" plywood if that helps.

Straight On.jpg

Angle From Above.jpg

Side View Under Top.jpg

Bottom.jpg

RJS8540 · 06/12/2013, 05:57 PM

I believe once you have skinned the cabinet you will have nothing to worry about. Also looking forward to seeing this come together. I'll follow.

HunterBryan · 06/12/2013, 07:21 PM

Im just now in the process of cycling my 75 gallon tank. very exciting and im along for the ride! hope it comes along good

XStroX · 06/12/2013, 08:15 PM

Anyone know if there are any disadvantages/advantages to skinning the cabinet with plywood vs solid wood? I can get 1/2" plywood like I used for the 3 hexagons for very cheap compared to buying enough solid wood to do the same.

XStroX · 06/16/2013, 06:14 PM

Finished the skin today. Sorry for the poor picture quality. There will be a trim at the top and bottom which covers the visible screw heads. I used finishing nails everywhere that won't be covered by trim.

I need to buy custom sized doors here soon (won't be making those). Anyone know if there are any advantages to leaving the back open? I'm debating whether I need 3 or 4 doors.

Front Close.jpg

Front.jpg

Left Side.jpg

Right Side.jpg

XStroX · 07/03/2013, 09:09 PM

Just about finished with the trim!!! Just need to put a nice piece around the top of the trim. I ordered cabinet doors and they should be here next week. I also ordered a 24x9x15 acrylic refugium kit which should also be here next week.

Next step will be to decide how to paint/stain this thing. My current thought is that stain will not look right seeing that I've used many different types of wood. Current plan is to do a distressed type look with one color of paint under a dark brown paint. I'll then sand the brown away on edges/corners to reveal the color underneath. Thinking maybe gold but no idea how that will look. Or i could just go with the bare wood underneath but not sure how the light wood will look.

Any ideas? I've never distressed something.

DSC05818.jpg

DSC05821.jpg

DSC05822.jpg

DSC05823.jpg

DSC05825.jpg

RJS8540 · 07/03/2013, 09:34 PM

Looking very nice. Will you be staining this or paint?

XStroX · 07/11/2013, 04:09 PM

Decided on stain. Going with Kona colored Rust-Oleum. Hopefully going to start that Saturday or Sunday. The trim is now done. I will post updated pictures of everything before staining. The doors also arrived and look great.

I do have a more important question though. I just received 4 1" bulkheads from glass-holes.com and I am certainly nervous that these are all that is going to prevent a leak under my tank. Are standard bulkheads okay or should I be nervous I didn't spend $15-$20 a pop for SCH 80 bulkheads?

Also, can I place them as close as the flange will allow? I'd like to place them as shown in the below picture. This is going through acrylic...

The good news in my mind is that even if a leak forms, my refugium will be directly under the bulkheads and therefore the refugium should catch any leak hopefully giving me time to find it.

Bulkheads.jpg

Meldrath · 07/11/2013, 07:10 PM

Looking really nice!

XStroX · 07/12/2013, 07:10 PM

I've been thinking about getting an Ocean Runner 3500 for the return pump. Max flow rate is 925 gal/hour but at the 6-7 feet head it will need to fight against in my tank this lowers to 500-550 gph.

Is this enough if i don't mind getting some sort of powerhead in the tank as well? Or should I be looking for something bigger?

XStroX · 07/13/2013, 09:59 PM

Added the top trim piece and my cabinet doors were delivered!

Today I finished the stain. Haven't decided if I'm going to sand a bit and give it a more distressed look or leave it be.

Either way, I have plenty of coats of polyurethane in my future.

IMAG0652.jpg

IMAG0654.jpg

Just realize the picture quality (tried taking these from my phone) isn't the greatest. I'll post real camera pictures tomorrow. Hopefully won't be so blurry.

XStroX · 07/14/2013, 03:49 PM

Added 2 more pictures that should be a bit better quality.

Stand.jpg

Top.jpg

RJS8540 · 07/14/2013, 04:10 PM

Looking good, keep the photos coming.

XStroX · 07/15/2013, 04:31 PM

Thank you for the compliments! I'll certainly keep the pictures coming. I have a long ways to go before I even get to think about fish sadly.

My sump/refugium kit should be arriving in the next day or two. I just ordered an Ocean Runner 4000 return pump.

I think I'm going to sand/distress the stand around the corners a bit in the next day or two. Then I'll need to put 2 or 3 coats of polyurethane down to protect everything. I'm not looking forward to that but will hopefully have it done by the end of the weekend.

I am also heading to Lowes in the next few days to get the PVC piping I need for the plumbing, some rubber padding for between the stand and ground and for between the aquarium and stand and a plastic tube I can use as a siphon to drain the aquarium. Once I have the plastic tube, I'm going to do a quick weight test and fill the aquarium with water on the stand while in the garage. Just a quick sanity check!!

My hole saw should be arriving soon to drill the aquarium as well.

Starting to get exciting!

XStroX · 07/19/2013, 09:20 PM

I just posted the below in the BeanAnimal drainage thread. Now that I have figured out how to post pictures, I may go back and repost the above photos so they show up without clicking the link. The clear coat on my stand is coming along nicely. I should have pictures of the weight test Sunday and finished stand pictures shortly after.

___________

I am working on a custom build and trying to go buy the necessary plumbing tomorrow. Can someone take a look at the pictures I have attached and answer a few of my questions? It would be greatly appreciated as this is my first time getting into the aquarium hobby. There are not near as many posts about using BeanAnimal setup with an internal overflow and risers coming up from bottom of tank.

1. For the return. Should I stick with standard PVC or would it make more sense to go with flexible PVC?

2. For top of vertical risers, I only have 2 elbows at top of main and open channel. For open channel I will drill a small hole and glue in air tube. Is this sufficient? Trying to avoid plumbing not needed.

3. Are my distances from top of tank and overflow top and distances below sump water level okay?

4. Am I okay gluing everything possible? Right now I only will have threads at Return pump. I only am going to buy a single ball valve for main line. I figure if I need to do anything else with the others, I can lower water level and turn off pump so the area behind internal overflow is dry.

5. I have left top of emergency drain as just the vertical riser, no elbow. Is this okay?

Thanks!

XStroX · 07/21/2013, 01:50 PM

Lots done this weekend!!!

Here is a weight test on the stand. I filled it with water and then added 100 pounds on top of that. Sturdy as a rock!

And here are pictures of the refugium I am building from a kit. No clue how this is going to turn out,

The stand is now complete as well and in the house but I don't want to post too many good pictures the same day! I'll post pictures of the finished stand with doors tomorrow.

Sn8kbyt · 07/21/2013, 11:55 PM

Looking great!!

As far as plumbing I would go with solid versus flexible. It looks cleaner and is more durable. I know many people use flexible without issue but I worry about turning valves and putting strain on hoses versus a solid plumbed system for longevity.

Keep the pics coming I will be following this thread!

One quick question though..the stand looks to small to get the refugium into through the available openings? Maybe it was just the photo's....

XStroX · 07/22/2013, 04:08 PM

Thanks for the comments Sn8kbyt. I bought all solid PVC over the weekend so we agree in that regard!

The refugium is 9" wide and 15" tall and 24" deep. The front and back door openings are 9.25" with door and hinges attached and the stand is 24.25" deep. So it should just barely fit. One thing I'm worried about is whether I'll be able to get the skimmer in after the fact or if the shelf may get in the way. The refugium is just about done (if it holds water) and I'll post a picture of it inside in the next few days. The shelf is 23.5" tall so that gives me 8.5" of clearance above.

I was going to actually drill the tank tonight but I think I may take 1 day off after 3 days straight of working on everything.

However, I'll give two pictures of the final stand in the meantime!!

photo StandinRoomZoomOut_zpsd715704a.jpg

photo StandinRoomCloseUp_zps2a3c8980.jpg

nemosworld · 07/23/2013, 06:00 AM

This is a very nice build, great work on that stand!

XStroX · 07/23/2013, 01:28 PM

Thanks Nemo!

I'll try and upload a picture with the tank on top tonight. I'm also hoping to drill the holes in the bottom of the tank tonight as well which has me very nervous!

XStroX · 07/23/2013, 07:41 PM

Crappy picture quality but wanted to show the tank on the new stand.

I tested out the refugium for leaks as well and no exterior leaks but one of the baffles has a leak. I'll fix it up in the next few days.

Also I hit a snag with my BeanAnimal setup but I posted in the BeanAnimal thread to hopefully get some ideas there. I think I have an idea that will take care of my concerns though.

photo.jpg

XStroX · 07/29/2013, 07:25 PM

Tested the final refugium:

Let the water sit for half an hour. No leaks detected. I sure hope that is all I needed to do as I'm a bit nervous having built this myself.

Should have the dry plumbing done by the weekend. I'm going to have lots of questions though. Trying to squeeze a BeanAnimal drainage system into a tank with Euro style bracing is not the greatest idea I'm now realizing.

05/08/2013, 04:05 PM	#1
XStroX Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 214	75 Gallon Hexagon Tank/Stand/Canopy - Build Thread First I want to thank everyone because over the last few weeks it is incredible how much I have learned just from reading these forums. What an awesome group of people! An extra thank you to those that responded in my first thread looking for initial input as well. I am brand new to saltwater and I will continue to update this thread as I go. I am also brand new to wood working so building a stand and canopy will certainly be a challenge. I do have help around me if I need it though. I have attached 2 pictures, showing everything I have figured out so far. Please comment/critique/question. I'm sure there are things I'm not thinking of. The acrylic tank is on the way and should be here in 1-2 weeks max. At that point I will be starting the stand. One disclaimer up front. I will not be changing the tall/skinny design even though I know it is not ideal and makes things more difficult. The nice thing about this is that it doesn't take up much floor space and will be easy to look at while standing. I also need to keep all wires and plumbing hidden inside Looking forward to your input! Stro Aquarium Build Plan 1.jpg Aquarium Build Plan 2.jpg

05/22/2013, 04:21 PM	#3
Andyf30 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Maine and Florida Posts: 675	Woah. This is a pretty sweet tank. Looking forward to this build __________________ Nothing but a FW tank owner now :/

06/12/2013, 05:29 PM	#4
XStroX Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 214	Well it has taken me a few weeks, but I believe I have the frame for the stand just about complete. It is 42" tall and 29" wide corner to corner. Take a look at the pictures. Keep in mind this is my first major wood working project. I'm still very uncertain how to decide if this thing is sturdy enough for a 75 gallon tank other than to test it when complete. I'm certain it the the vertical strength. Stability for such a tall stand has me a bit worried although I will be wrapping it in 1/2 or 3/4" plywood or solid wood (which I can stain) and that will certainly help and also provide a bit of additional strength. Also, should I add additional 2x4" supports under the top cover? Right now there is just one across the middle. I'm leaning towards 2 more. The top cover is 1/2" plywood if that helps. Straight On.jpg Angle From Above.jpg Side View Under Top.jpg Bottom.jpg Last edited by XStroX; 06/12/2013 at 05:35 PM.

07/23/2013, 06:00 AM	#22
nemosworld Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Houston TX Posts: 1,411	This is a very nice build, great work on that stand! __________________ Felix Nice to meet you! Current Tank Info: 60 Gallon Cube

05/22/2013, 03:52 PM	#2
XStroX Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 214	YES!! The tank finally arrived meaning I can get started building the stand. See the attached pictures. I'm hoping someone can help with the below though. Since this acrylic tank has a partially covered top (3/8" acrylic), I want to verify my order of installing the internal 29" tall overflow and plumbing as shown in the pictures on the previous post. 1. Drill 4 holes in back bottom of tank. Should align nicely with the cutout at the top of the tank. I am very nervous for this but will likely wait until stand is coming along. 2. Install bulkheads and PVC risers. How do the PVC risers needs attached to the bulkheads? I feel like I read somewhere they don't need to screw in and don't need taped but I can't figure out why. 3. Attach 29" tall acrylic trapezoidal internal overflow permanently using acrylic adhesive. I'm a bit worried about not having much room to work due to the partially covered top when doing this. Any pointers? Thank you all! I'll be sure to post pictures as I build the stand starting next week. If anyone has any comments on the sump/refugium Kit I planned on ordering, please let me know as I plan to order that in the very near future. XStroX New Tank Front.jpg New Tank Top No Flash.jpg

06/12/2013, 05:57 PM	#5
RJS8540 Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Lambertville, MI Posts: 140	I believe once you have skinned the cabinet you will have nothing to worry about. Also looking forward to seeing this come together. I'll follow.

06/12/2013, 07:21 PM	#6
HunterBryan Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 370	Im just now in the process of cycling my 75 gallon tank. very exciting and im along for the ride! hope it comes along good

06/12/2013, 08:15 PM	#7
XStroX Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 214	Anyone know if there are any disadvantages/advantages to skinning the cabinet with plywood vs solid wood? I can get 1/2" plywood like I used for the 3 hexagons for very cheap compared to buying enough solid wood to do the same.

06/16/2013, 06:14 PM	#8
XStroX Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 214	Finished the skin today. Sorry for the poor picture quality. There will be a trim at the top and bottom which covers the visible screw heads. I used finishing nails everywhere that won't be covered by trim. I need to buy custom sized doors here soon (won't be making those). Anyone know if there are any advantages to leaving the back open? I'm debating whether I need 3 or 4 doors. Front Close.jpg Front.jpg Left Side.jpg Right Side.jpg

07/03/2013, 09:09 PM	#9
XStroX Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 214	Just about finished with the trim!!! Just need to put a nice piece around the top of the trim. I ordered cabinet doors and they should be here next week. I also ordered a 24x9x15 acrylic refugium kit which should also be here next week. Next step will be to decide how to paint/stain this thing. My current thought is that stain will not look right seeing that I've used many different types of wood. Current plan is to do a distressed type look with one color of paint under a dark brown paint. I'll then sand the brown away on edges/corners to reveal the color underneath. Thinking maybe gold but no idea how that will look. Or i could just go with the bare wood underneath but not sure how the light wood will look. Any ideas? I've never distressed something. DSC05818.jpg DSC05821.jpg DSC05822.jpg DSC05823.jpg DSC05825.jpg

07/03/2013, 09:34 PM	#10
RJS8540 Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Lambertville, MI Posts: 140	Looking very nice. Will you be staining this or paint?

07/11/2013, 04:09 PM	#11
XStroX Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 214	Decided on stain. Going with Kona colored Rust-Oleum. Hopefully going to start that Saturday or Sunday. The trim is now done. I will post updated pictures of everything before staining. The doors also arrived and look great. I do have a more important question though. I just received 4 1" bulkheads from glass-holes.com and I am certainly nervous that these are all that is going to prevent a leak under my tank. Are standard bulkheads okay or should I be nervous I didn't spend $15-$20 a pop for SCH 80 bulkheads? Also, can I place them as close as the flange will allow? I'd like to place them as shown in the below picture. This is going through acrylic... The good news in my mind is that even if a leak forms, my refugium will be directly under the bulkheads and therefore the refugium should catch any leak hopefully giving me time to find it. Bulkheads.jpg

07/11/2013, 07:10 PM	#12
Meldrath Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 86	Looking really nice!

07/12/2013, 07:10 PM	#13
XStroX Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 214	I've been thinking about getting an Ocean Runner 3500 for the return pump. Max flow rate is 925 gal/hour but at the 6-7 feet head it will need to fight against in my tank this lowers to 500-550 gph. Is this enough if i don't mind getting some sort of powerhead in the tank as well? Or should I be looking for something bigger?

07/13/2013, 09:59 PM	#14
XStroX Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 214	Added the top trim piece and my cabinet doors were delivered! Today I finished the stain. Haven't decided if I'm going to sand a bit and give it a more distressed look or leave it be. Either way, I have plenty of coats of polyurethane in my future. IMAG0652.jpg IMAG0654.jpg Just realize the picture quality (tried taking these from my phone) isn't the greatest. I'll post real camera pictures tomorrow. Hopefully won't be so blurry.

07/14/2013, 03:49 PM	#15
XStroX Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 214	Added 2 more pictures that should be a bit better quality. Stand.jpg Top.jpg

07/14/2013, 04:10 PM	#16
RJS8540 Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Lambertville, MI Posts: 140	Looking good, keep the photos coming.

07/15/2013, 04:31 PM	#17
XStroX Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 214	Thank you for the compliments! I'll certainly keep the pictures coming. I have a long ways to go before I even get to think about fish sadly. My sump/refugium kit should be arriving in the next day or two. I just ordered an Ocean Runner 4000 return pump. I think I'm going to sand/distress the stand around the corners a bit in the next day or two. Then I'll need to put 2 or 3 coats of polyurethane down to protect everything. I'm not looking forward to that but will hopefully have it done by the end of the weekend. I am also heading to Lowes in the next few days to get the PVC piping I need for the plumbing, some rubber padding for between the stand and ground and for between the aquarium and stand and a plastic tube I can use as a siphon to drain the aquarium. Once I have the plastic tube, I'm going to do a quick weight test and fill the aquarium with water on the stand while in the garage. Just a quick sanity check!! My hole saw should be arriving soon to drill the aquarium as well. Starting to get exciting!

07/19/2013, 09:20 PM	#18
XStroX Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 214	I just posted the below in the BeanAnimal drainage thread. Now that I have figured out how to post pictures, I may go back and repost the above photos so they show up without clicking the link. The clear coat on my stand is coming along nicely. I should have pictures of the weight test Sunday and finished stand pictures shortly after. ___________ I am working on a custom build and trying to go buy the necessary plumbing tomorrow. Can someone take a look at the pictures I have attached and answer a few of my questions? It would be greatly appreciated as this is my first time getting into the aquarium hobby. There are not near as many posts about using BeanAnimal setup with an internal overflow and risers coming up from bottom of tank. 1. For the return. Should I stick with standard PVC or would it make more sense to go with flexible PVC? 2. For top of vertical risers, I only have 2 elbows at top of main and open channel. For open channel I will drill a small hole and glue in air tube. Is this sufficient? Trying to avoid plumbing not needed. 3. Are my distances from top of tank and overflow top and distances below sump water level okay? 4. Am I okay gluing everything possible? Right now I only will have threads at Return pump. I only am going to buy a single ball valve for main line. I figure if I need to do anything else with the others, I can lower water level and turn off pump so the area behind internal overflow is dry. 5. I have left top of emergency drain as just the vertical riser, no elbow. Is this okay? Thanks!

07/21/2013, 01:50 PM	#19
XStroX Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 214	Lots done this weekend!!! Here is a weight test on the stand. I filled it with water and then added 100 pounds on top of that. Sturdy as a rock! And here are pictures of the refugium I am building from a kit. No clue how this is going to turn out, The stand is now complete as well and in the house but I don't want to post too many good pictures the same day! I'll post pictures of the finished stand with doors tomorrow.

07/21/2013, 11:55 PM	#20
Sn8kbyt Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Manitowoc, WI Posts: 607	Looking great!! As far as plumbing I would go with solid versus flexible. It looks cleaner and is more durable. I know many people use flexible without issue but I worry about turning valves and putting strain on hoses versus a solid plumbed system for longevity. Keep the pics coming I will be following this thread! One quick question though..the stand looks to small to get the refugium into through the available openings? Maybe it was just the photo's....

07/22/2013, 04:08 PM	#21
XStroX Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 214	Thanks for the comments Sn8kbyt. I bought all solid PVC over the weekend so we agree in that regard! The refugium is 9" wide and 15" tall and 24" deep. The front and back door openings are 9.25" with door and hinges attached and the stand is 24.25" deep. So it should just barely fit. One thing I'm worried about is whether I'll be able to get the skimmer in after the fact or if the shelf may get in the way. The refugium is just about done (if it holds water) and I'll post a picture of it inside in the next few days. The shelf is 23.5" tall so that gives me 8.5" of clearance above. I was going to actually drill the tank tonight but I think I may take 1 day off after 3 days straight of working on everything. However, I'll give two pictures of the final stand in the meantime!!

07/23/2013, 01:28 PM	#23
XStroX Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 214	Thanks Nemo! I'll try and upload a picture with the tank on top tonight. I'm also hoping to drill the holes in the bottom of the tank tonight as well which has me very nervous!

07/23/2013, 07:41 PM	#24
XStroX Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 214	Crappy picture quality but wanted to show the tank on the new stand. I tested out the refugium for leaks as well and no exterior leaks but one of the baffles has a leak. I'll fix it up in the next few days. Also I hit a snag with my BeanAnimal setup but I posted in the BeanAnimal thread to hopefully get some ideas there. I think I have an idea that will take care of my concerns though. photo.jpg

07/29/2013, 07:25 PM	#25
XStroX Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 214	Tested the final refugium: Let the water sit for half an hour. No leaks detected. I sure hope that is all I needed to do as I'm a bit nervous having built this myself. Should have the dry plumbing done by the weekend. I'm going to have lots of questions though. Trying to squeeze a BeanAnimal drainage system into a tank with Euro style bracing is not the greatest idea I'm now realizing.