michealprater
Aquarium Advice Addict
Im planning on building a canopy for my 100 gallon Clarity Plus flat back hex. I couldnt find any plans on the net. Could any of you guys help?
canopy help please
- Thread starter michealprater
- Start date
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loganj
Aquarium Advice Addict
canopy
Well...I don't know where there are any plans available for that particular tank. If you want to send me some measurements, I can probably design one for you. Need an idea of what you want it to look like also. May take a few days as time is short and projects are many right now. Be glad to help you if I can though.
Logan J
Well...I don't know where there are any plans available for that particular tank. If you want to send me some measurements, I can probably design one for you. Need an idea of what you want it to look like also. May take a few days as time is short and projects are many right now. Be glad to help you if I can though.
Logan J
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michealprater
Aquarium Advice Addict
ill try to post measurements as soon as possible to help you guys help me. It will be kinda of hard to get them accurate due to it being a flat back hex. It will house 4x 96w pcs, 2 250w mh and 2 regular florecent bulbs(for extra actnic, just for looks) the tank is 60 inches long and 24 inches deep if that gives you an idea of how high the canopy needs to be. plus ill need a cooling fan on each end.
anyone know where i can get the best deal on 4 inch cooling fans?
anyone know where i can get the best deal on 4 inch cooling fans?
I hear radio shack has some really good 110V 4" fans that you can wire inline with your ballasts so they come on when lights are on and off when lights are off.
What are the color specitrum of the blubs?
Could you maybe do a little drawing from the top down showing the lenght of all the sides.
What are the color specitrum of the blubs?
Could you maybe do a little drawing from the top down showing the lenght of all the sides.
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michealprater
Aquarium Advice Addict
the back panel is 59 1/2".
the side panels are 13" each
the front center panels is 42"
the two hex panels on the front corners are 10" each
http://www.aquariumsource.net/catalog/default.php?cPath=1_5
that is a link that will give you an idea of what the tank looks like.
it is basically a hexigon cut in half.
the side panels are 13" each
the front center panels is 42"
the two hex panels on the front corners are 10" each
http://www.aquariumsource.net/catalog/default.php?cPath=1_5
that is a link that will give you an idea of what the tank looks like.
it is basically a hexigon cut in half.
loganj
Aquarium Advice Addict
canopy
WOW, I bet that's a beautiful tank! I'll try to come up with some ideas ASAP. Maybe at work this weekend if it's slow. Have to figure the angles and stuff. What look are you going for? Black, stained wood....? Also, what does the stand look like? Pic of tank and stand would be great.
Logan J
WOW, I bet that's a beautiful tank! I'll try to come up with some ideas ASAP. Maybe at work this weekend if it's slow. Have to figure the angles and stuff. What look are you going for? Black, stained wood....? Also, what does the stand look like? Pic of tank and stand would be great.
Logan J
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michealprater
Aquarium Advice Addict
I want to go with wood painted black. The stand is unfinished. The tank is just sitting on the frame right now. I plan on covering it with particle board and painting it black. Ill try to borrow my moms digi and get some pics up soon. Thanks for the help Logan. Dont inconvienece yourself though. This project is not something I'm in a major hurry to do because of the money. I want to paint the inside white and get a nice reflector. Plus I will have to get the stuff to retrofit the regular flourecents into it. I already have the pcs and the halides. I have to get the cooling fans also. I can only run my halides for limited time right now because of the heat they generate, so I usually just run them when people are coming over so I can show off. In the meantime the pcs are doing just fine for my corals.
thanks again!
thanks again!
loganj
Aquarium Advice Addict
canopy
OK, I'll try to hammer out a rough plan this weekend at work if it's not too busy. Black will make it easier and cheaper since a high grade of wood won't be needed to make it look good. I'll have to sit down and bust a couple of brain cells figuring the angles
...haven't had to do anything like that in a while. I'm guessing you'll want it about 12" high so you can get those halides off the water a little? Probably use 3/4 plywood. You could use 1x12 lumber, but the plywood will be less likely to warp from the humidity. Since it'll be painted black, a well sanded piece of plywood should look nice. If I may make a suggestion on covering the stand? Particle board won't give you a nice finish. Since this is just a covering and will not bear weight, check into some lauan board. This is very thin plywood...about like raw paneling. It costs no more than particle board and will look much better. Give it a good sanding with a finish sander and prime it with two coats of a good wood primer. Lightly sand the primer just enough to smooth it out good. Then you should be able to paint it and have a nice shiny finish. You could even make some trim by cutting the angle on some lattice board. Trim out around the bottom of the tank with some 1x4's or even 1x6's and you'll have a professional looking job.
Logan J
OK, I'll try to hammer out a rough plan this weekend at work if it's not too busy. Black will make it easier and cheaper since a high grade of wood won't be needed to make it look good. I'll have to sit down and bust a couple of brain cells figuring the angles
...haven't had to do anything like that in a while. I'm guessing you'll want it about 12" high so you can get those halides off the water a little? Probably use 3/4 plywood. You could use 1x12 lumber, but the plywood will be less likely to warp from the humidity. Since it'll be painted black, a well sanded piece of plywood should look nice. If I may make a suggestion on covering the stand? Particle board won't give you a nice finish. Since this is just a covering and will not bear weight, check into some lauan board. This is very thin plywood...about like raw paneling. It costs no more than particle board and will look much better. Give it a good sanding with a finish sander and prime it with two coats of a good wood primer. Lightly sand the primer just enough to smooth it out good. Then you should be able to paint it and have a nice shiny finish. You could even make some trim by cutting the angle on some lattice board. Trim out around the bottom of the tank with some 1x4's or even 1x6's and you'll have a professional looking job.Logan J
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michealprater
Aquarium Advice Addict
thanks for the recommendations. Ill probably use plywood on canopy and stand.
G
Guest
Guest
Canopy
Michael,
How do you want to access the inside i.e. The whole top raising, the front coming up on hidden hinges? etc.. I will post a diagram of what I mean...very soon. I am going to take it your width on the tank is 18"?
Tim
Michael,
How do you want to access the inside i.e. The whole top raising, the front coming up on hidden hinges? etc.. I will post a diagram of what I mean...very soon. I am going to take it your width on the tank is 18"?
Tim
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michealprater
Aquarium Advice Addict
in the widest spot the tank is 18". Im not sure how I want it to open. Considering it is on a 2 foot tall stand and the tank is 2 foot tall, I have to stand on a chair and can barely reach the bottom for cleaning class. with the canopy being a foot tall its gonna make it real difficult. I would say I'd like the front to open, but with the 6 inch ledge on the top (acyrlic tank) that would not do any good either. I may just have to pull the canopy off every time i clean the glass. any ideas are welcome. someone has had to be in this situation before? 
loganj
Aquarium Advice Addict
canopy
Well....what I had in mind was a design similar to the AGA Modern series of canopies. On these, the top is easily removable or it will raise up. No hinges...just a couple of wood blocks. I service two aquariums that have these canopies on them and I think they are a good design. I don't, for the record, think they build them as well as they should, but that's a different subject. Anyway, once you lift the top piece off, you can easily remove the rest of it to gain access to the top of the tank. I'm still working on those plans...they bout killed us at work this week and I didn't have a lot of spare time. If several of us can submit some plans and/or ideas, I think you'll have something to work with anyway.
Logan J
Well....what I had in mind was a design similar to the AGA Modern series of canopies. On these, the top is easily removable or it will raise up. No hinges...just a couple of wood blocks. I service two aquariums that have these canopies on them and I think they are a good design. I don't, for the record, think they build them as well as they should, but that's a different subject. Anyway, once you lift the top piece off, you can easily remove the rest of it to gain access to the top of the tank. I'm still working on those plans...they bout killed us at work this week and I didn't have a lot of spare time. If several of us can submit some plans and/or ideas, I think you'll have something to work with anyway.
Logan J
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michealprater
Aquarium Advice Addict
Thats cool guys. Like I said, no big hurry. I'm just trying to plan ahead, so I'm not going into this project blind. Thanks for all your help and recommendations.
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michealprater
Aquarium Advice Addict
Im going to be doing my canopy after Xmas with the money I get. So if you guys come up with anything let me know.
G
Guest
Guest
Canopy
Micheal,
I have been so busy with the holidays and all, I haven't devoted a lot of time on it, sorry..I will also try to come up with something by the 1st though...
Logan,
I have been out scoping ideas for a canopy for my new 55 gal...I cannot belive my eyes. I have seen absolute $%#@ in the lfs.. If I ran the shops that these stands and canopies are made in, I would fire half of the staff...I have never seen so much shotty work in my life...I wouldn't let most of what I have seen out of my shop looking the way they do. And at $139.00 and higher for a canopy alone, I better see myself in the finish...
I am definately going to build my own and under cut by half of the going prices.. In your comments about AGA, I believe you see what I see...
If you build it, they will see it... He He
Micheal,
I have been so busy with the holidays and all, I haven't devoted a lot of time on it, sorry..I will also try to come up with something by the 1st though...
Logan,
I have been out scoping ideas for a canopy for my new 55 gal...I cannot belive my eyes. I have seen absolute $%#@ in the lfs.. If I ran the shops that these stands and canopies are made in, I would fire half of the staff...I have never seen so much shotty work in my life...I wouldn't let most of what I have seen out of my shop looking the way they do. And at $139.00 and higher for a canopy alone, I better see myself in the finish...
I am definately going to build my own and under cut by half of the going prices.. In your comments about AGA, I believe you see what I see...
If you build it, they will see it... He He
loganj
Aquarium Advice Addict
canopies
Well, the AGA is a fantastic and simple design. If I was building it, it would be put together a lot better though. I don't have anything close to the experience you have with woodworking though. About 50% of the stuff that gets started in my little shop ends up in the wood heater . I'm gonna hold off with any ideas until I see what you come up with for Micheal's canopy. If you build one for your 55, please post the plans for that also...I'd love to see it.
Logan J
Well, the AGA is a fantastic and simple design. If I was building it, it would be put together a lot better though. I don't have anything close to the experience you have with woodworking though. About 50% of the stuff that gets started in my little shop ends up in the wood heater
. I'm gonna hold off with any ideas until I see what you come up with for Micheal's canopy. If you build one for your 55, please post the plans for that also...I'd love to see it.Logan J
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michealprater
Aquarium Advice Addict
Well fellas,
I got enough money for christmas to do my canopy. I plan on starting on it this weekend. If you cant come up with plans by then, thats ok, Ill just wing it.
I got enough money for christmas to do my canopy. I plan on starting on it this weekend. If you cant come up with plans by then, thats ok, Ill just wing it.
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michealprater
Aquarium Advice Addict
Please view the spider reflectors thread for more detail on how I want to build this canopy.
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michealprater
Aquarium Advice Addict
Well i got started finally. Here are some pics. It looks rough, but once I paint it, seal it, put trim on and retrofit my lighting I should be in good shape. It looks like a coffin now, LOL.
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