# DIY Hood, stand, LED lights



## reybie (Jun 7, 2007)

Great wood-working skills! I'm not being mean, it was just first impression... the last pic looked like the top of a casket to me.


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## moonshinetheslacker (Sep 13, 2010)

LOL, I didn't even think about it looking like a casket. That's pretty funny. Thanks for the wood working complement. Here's a quick schematic of what it will look like when complete.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

This is going to be extremely interesting! Please keep the pictures coming. I have to say I have never seen an aquarium setup like that.


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## 2in10 (Feb 8, 2011)

Very interesting design


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## TAL (Aug 22, 2011)

So asiany. Yup I just made that up.


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## moonshinetheslacker (Sep 13, 2010)

"asiany" Good word!

Here's a few pics of what I've been able to get accomplished this weekend, and tonight. The router work is certainly a pain without a guide. I keep having to use clamps and pieces of wood. It works, but it's pretty difficult setting everything up to have that _perfect_ snug fit.








I decided not to go with the 4x12 idea namely due to the fact that the only cheap 4x12s I could get were actually 3x12s, AND by the time I ground away all the wood rot, there was so much curve to the sides/edges, that I would end up spending a TON of time to make them look... decent. And decent isn't really what I'm going for. So I decided to sandwich two 2x12s together for the legs.























This one ^ is my LED floodlight experiment. It's a 20 watt, single diode, flood light. I have it set up about two feet above my 5 gallon bucket with a few plants and some dirt in it. We'll see how the plants do by the time I'm ready to get everything started.


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## Bradleyv1714 (Jul 25, 2011)

This is going to end up looking awesome!


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## moonshinetheslacker (Sep 13, 2010)

Hit a bit of a snag yesterday night as I was _just_ about to begin glueing the butcher board together. I'm not sure if Home Depot got a bad lot of 2x6s, but the ones I got are apparently 1x3/8s, instead of 1x1/2 so my board was 3/4 of an inch too short. I'm REALLY glad I checked before glueing everything together. Otherwise I would have assembled the entire stand, and it wouldn't have had the proper depth for the aquarium! In any event, I'm hoping on having the stand completed by sunday evening.


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## mach_six (Sep 12, 2005)

Where did you get those 10W flood lights and how much?

Are they the ones that come with bare wires and all you have to do is wire it to a power plug or source?


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## reybie (Jun 7, 2007)

I got mine from Amazon for $30 a while back and it came bare. I had to wire it using spare computer cord.


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## londonloco (Aug 25, 2005)

:bounce: subscribed


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## moonshinetheslacker (Sep 13, 2010)

The 10W I got from amazon. 32 dollars, I believe? And the 20W I had to order from Ali Baba express. It's basically an amazon.com set up for international purchases. I had to sign some customs forms for a package coming in from China. The single 20W LED emitter is about an inch in diameter! A LOT of light.

I finished glueing the butcher board about half an hour ago, and I stained a couple pieces of practice wood. The practice wood is to figure out which exact stain/mix of stains I want to use, and how many coats to put on there.

Also, yes, the flood light just comes with bare wires. Just pick up a small junction box at Home Depot, to make your wiring connections in, and use wire nuts + electrical tape.


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## moonshinetheslacker (Sep 13, 2010)

So I've managed to get some headway on a few things, but back tracked on others.

First off, the success! The DIY pine butcher block is coming out really well. I still need to stain the underside, and poly all sides, but it's looking good. There was a lot of angle-grinding going on in order to make everything sit together just right.
















And after everything is sanded...







A little stain...







And the final coat of stain.


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## moonshinetheslacker (Sep 13, 2010)

And a pic of the legs after being stained.







But there's a problem... First, I was wondering whether or not to put another coat of stain on the legs, or if they would look good being a little lighter. So I set the legs in front of the butcher block. LOOKED GREAT!! So I then put some of the bamboo flooring between the legs. Oh.. My... Um... That looks... terrible? Great... so, I just got done sanding ALL the stain off all four legs, with 60 grit sandpaper. Then 120, then 220, then wood conditioner, and 220 again. MAN! I hate losing an entire night's worth of work... but hey, this thing needs to look good.








Tomorrow will consist of re-staining the legs, staining the bottom of the butcher block, and polyacrylic coating some of the smaller trim-bits which will be going in the notched out areas of the legs.

Anybody have any ideas as to what level of gloss I should use? I would imagine most stands have a satin finish, as the glass of the tank will be pretty shiny, and be the main focus. I was thinking about using a high gloss on the butcher block, and satin or semi-gloss on everything else. The bamboo flooring has a satin finish.

P.S. Do NOT use my method for creating an actual butcher block. The pine will soak up moisture, bacteria, etc. This is not for eating on, just for holding a tank, and looking cool. Also, if I had more clamps, and hardwood, then I wouldn't have had to use the angle grinder to make everything sit properly. I think this is coming out pretty well, considering I'm using my front porch, and dining room to build this beast (thanks, honey. I owe you)


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## SmoothSailor (Mar 15, 2010)

Excellent job!! I would like to suggest a small orbital sander if you don't already have one. They are wonderful tools. If you use a belt sander at be EXTREMELY careful. First time I used one of these, it took a big chunk of wood out of my project. 
Lastly, I would encourage you to explore the different types of polys out there. Recently I discovered a wipe on poly by Minwax. 
http://www.minwax.com/wood-products...-wipeon-poly?gclid=CLPNutyRmKsCFULe4AodvULOvA
I would use the high gloss one. It doesn't come out looking extremely glossy and it very easy to apply. Due to the manner of application to your project you can almost guarantee an even coat of poly onto your project. 
My husband built me a wooden stand, and used the liquid poly. He was extremely frustrated. It was hard for him not to get runs in the poly. If you do choose this type of poly, I would use those disposable sponge brushes. Buy some at the dollar store. 
Multiple applications are a must!! It will help preserve your piece, especially from water.
Take care.
Cary


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## redfishsc (Aug 29, 2010)

Very nice work! 

I love that thick slab top. 

Since you used S.P.F lumber, you may notice some surprising amount of expansion as they equalize with the humidity in your home. I've glued up spruce/pine/fir lumber before to make "cheap" woodturnings with, and they always "move around"--- the wood just didn't keep a smooth glue joint over time. 


If that happens, it won't affect the integrity of the thing at all but might give you a fit where any expanded wood may show a light, wood color streak that contrasts with the stain.


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## moonshinetheslacker (Sep 13, 2010)

redfishsc said:


> Very nice work!
> 
> I love that thick slab top.
> 
> ...


Thank you for the complement on the top. It really made the look that I'm going for. Something very *substanial*.It's kinda funny you mention the glue. Two days after I glued the thing together, I moved it to my front porch so I would have space to work on everything else in my dining room.

It rained a couple nights later...

all my nice, smooth, sanded glue joints popped up AFTER I put on all three coats of stain. Can't sand them down without sanding the stain off... URGH!! Ohwell. I'm moving to CA in about a year or so. Nice and dry! The glue will settle down out there, and go back to being smooth again, I'm sure.

****
Excellent job!! I would like to suggest a small orbital sander if you don't already have one. They are wonderful tools. If you use a belt sander at be EXTREMELY careful. First time I used one of these, it took a big chunk of wood out of my project. 
Lastly, I would encourage you to explore the different types of polys out there. Recently I discovered a wipe on poly by Minwax. 
http://www.minwax.com/wood-products/...FULe4AodvULOvA
I would use the high gloss one. It doesn't come out looking extremely glossy and it very easy to apply. Due to the manner of application to your project you can almost guarantee an even coat of poly onto your project. 
My husband built me a wooden stand, and used the liquid poly. He was extremely frustrated. It was hard for him not to get runs in the poly. If you do choose this type of poly, I would use those disposable sponge brushes. Buy some at the dollar store. 
Multiple applications are a must!! It will help preserve your piece, especially from water.
Take care.
Cary 
*****

I actually did use a poly from minwax. The block is covered in gloss Polycrylic, and the legs are coated in polycrylic satin.

Oh, and I do have an orbital sander. The 90 degree grinder was used for leveling everything out. It would have taken 30+ hours with my orbital. Also, the ridgid orbital that I have began smoking. Silly me. I didn't register it for the lifetime warranty, and had to buy another one (burnt the motor coils). I've since learned... register for the lifetime warranty for those bloody things!

I'll get a couple pics up in a few days. Everything is turning out REALLY well. I have the block attatched to the legs, and pretty much all the load bearing stuff is in place. The table holds me, my wife, and my son, without a problem. No creaking, no racking. Tonight I'm going to put the bamboo on both sides, and begin construction of the bamboo doors.

My filter came in yesterday too. It's an "aquatop" canister... looks just like the sunsun, and comes with a built in 9W UV sterilizer, which you can turn on and off as you please. It also was less than 100 bucks with shipping! MAN I'm getting excited! I hate going to work because it takes time away from working on my aquarium, lol.


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## moonshinetheslacker (Sep 13, 2010)

A few more pics... I'm getting there. Just assembled the doors today, but no pics on them yet.
Here's a pic of my son, and I.







These aren't in the greatest order...





























If anyone has any recommendations on better angles or whatnot for pics of the stand, I'd appreciate it. And if there's anything y'all might like a closer look at, feel free to say something.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

That's awesome, mostly because it is a totally different approach to the appearance of an aquarium. I'm looking forward to the bamboo being added!


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## Calmia22 (Aug 20, 2011)

I am already in love with your stand.. If I wasn't limited on room (and I am very limited) I would do something similar for my 55g


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## moonshinetheslacker (Sep 13, 2010)

Thanks to both of you, I really appreciate the comments. I am actually thinking about building/designing something fairly similar to what I am building now, but for a 20L. Not that I have a 20 long mind you, but I was thinking that this design would look really cool if it was only 12 - 18 inches high. Build some kind of locking mechanism for the hood, and it would be perfect for a little kid.

I sometimes crouch down on the floor, to get a look at life from my son's perspective. I remember not thinking very highly of fish tanks when I was little, and now I know why. They are all too darn tall! Of course, this stand is WAY taller then your typical stand, but it will actually be pretty much eye-level with most adults. The average person looks down, at an angle at aquariums, but I found that the most pleasant way of looking at my 10G, was when I was sitting at the kitchen table. So... why not raise everything up by a good foot or so? I hope the impact won't be too over bearing. I'll have to use a step ladder just to scape, and do general maintenance.

In any event, I'm getting off track. I think this style would look way cooler if it were much, much shorter. Use the 2x12s for the legs, and leave them at 10 3/4 inches wide at the base. It will be a much lower angle, and give the appearance of something far more squat. Think sumo wrestler, in a ready-pose.

Nonetheless, I just got back from the solar decathlon in Washington DC, and am currently glueing, sanding, and staining, before going to bed. Tomorrow, the doors should be on this baby!


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## Calmia22 (Aug 20, 2011)

Very nice! I think you have started and almost finished your stand before I have even gotten the chance to finish the legs on mine lol. I am very short (5'2") and after having a 65g cichlid show tank in the past I will put my tank on the floor before having another tall stand, or tall tank. It was just too much of a hassle for me. I have always loved pulling a chair up to the tank and watching the fish for hours. I designed my stand so that I can reach inside every part of the tank without having to be on a step stool.


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## moonshinetheslacker (Sep 13, 2010)

Well Calmia, now you have my interest peaked. Where's the pics of your stand legs? Or at least a general sketch of your idea? Get with the program already! Start a thread, and show me some pics!
And I really hope that the stand isn't so tall that I dislike it. I suppose if nothing else, I could build a new one, and use this stand as a bar (perfect height)


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## Calmia22 (Aug 20, 2011)

I have a few pics of what I have done so far, but I figured I would wait till I am done, or close to it. I can't get the panels for the sides or front or even consider staining it until the 7th  My stand is going to be very plain, but I am trying to figure out little touches here and there that I can do for some personality. It will definitely be personalized to what I need. On the bright side I have spent a total of $26 on it, and don't have a whole lot more to get! I found a pair of cabinet doors at a re-shop store for $4 (I was not looking forward to making doors what so ever so yay!) I am currently sanding the doors down though.


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## reybie (Jun 7, 2007)

Now that is one sweet looking stand!


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## moonshinetheslacker (Sep 13, 2010)

Reybie, thank you very much! I am almost finished with it as of last night (up past midnight finishing everything, makes for a real early 5 AM) I just have a few small things to do. I need to stain a couple places that got rubbed a little too much, or had to be filed down to be just the right size. And I have one or two pieces of trim to put on in select locations, etc.

Calmia, are you referring to the habitat for humanity re-stores? Because those places ROCK!! Talk about some cheap stuff! I replaced 12 windows in a house of mine a while back for about 300 dollars with re-store windows.

A note on little touches, trim will do you wonders! Even cheap vinyl trim has it's place, in my opinion. And a lot of the time with the vinyl stuff, you don't even have to nail it. Just use super glue!


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## moonshinetheslacker (Sep 13, 2010)

Alright folks, here is the completed stand. Still working on the hood (obviously) but here are some pics.
Before laying down the MTS, some folk get all this dolomite and potash, and stuff that can be a real PITA to find. I'm a bit more of a risk taker, and am willing to put a couple guppies lives in danger to ensure my tank isn't going to poison my fish. So I first covered the bottom with steel wool. 6 pieces, which were stretched out a bit to cover the tank. These will rust in a matter of days, and will continue to produce plenty of iron oxide for the plants. There are certainly some bad chemicals on this stuff, but by the time it leaches into the water, it won't be any worse then the chesapeake bay. I also threw in a few tablets of TUMS. I hear there is some magnesium in them, and they are mostly calcium, so the plants will have plenty of that.
A few expired multi vitamins were also thrown in there. I'm sure there's stuff in there that plants will like, right? I also tossed in probably over 100 egg shells which had been dried, smashed, and ran through a coffee grinder. Again, calcium carbonate. I was also eating a banana. What the heck? Plants might like the peal. So I tossed that in also. Some no-salt was thrown in there for a replacement to the dolomite. So all my bases should be covered. We'll see how it works.








I'm planning on sticking a black ghost knife fish in here eventually, so I figured he should have a nice big cave. I made this out of a 2 litre soda bottle.








After the mineralized topsoil was in, it was capped in washed playsand. I found some really grey playsand at home depot that I liked a lot, so I tossed out the yellow stuff I already had, and got the grey stuff. This next pic shows my LED flood lights. The wiring isn't currently the safest, but it'll be fine as long as the front isn't on the hood. Once the hood is completed, the wiring connections will be made inside of sealed boxes, so moisture can't accumulate on them, and there will be an extra layer of insulation between the connections and wooden hood.








And without further ado, here is the completed stand!








I still have a couple finishing touches, but I learned a really good trick from Hoppy. It's a secret that he posted on the forums. Stand far enough away, so people can't see your mistakes!

And I will post pics of the hood, and top rim cover once they are complete.

One more pic... I call this my ark of the covenant!








I suppose I should probably put a pic of the stand over on the official sticky stand thread as well.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

Very interesting looking stand! (I'm sure you aren't looking for comments about the substrate, so I will pass on that for now. Bananas?) I'm trying to figure out what would make the stand look better to my eyes, but I'm not there yet. Maybe a bigger tank???


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## reybie (Jun 7, 2007)

moonshinetheslacker said:


> One more pic... I call this my ark of the covenant!


I was trying to figure out what it looks like before I read your comment... I like it!  :thumbsup:


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## DogFish (Jul 16, 2011)

moonshinetheslacker said:


> .... I know a lot of people like rimless, or de-rimmed tanks, but I got to thinking. Why not show off the rim, instead of get rid of it?


I think you've accomplished your goal. Normally I don't care for design like this however you have done such an OUTSTANDING job, I really like it. It also fits that space very well.

Well Done!


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## Dragonfish (Apr 28, 2011)

I also REALLY dig it! How do you like the 20w LEDs? I was thinking about a pair for my 55 gallon low-light.


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## moonshinetheslacker (Sep 13, 2010)

Reybie, thank you for all your complements thus far. I really like how well folks on TPT are ready to give out complements, or advice, as needed.

Hoppy, I think you'll like it much more once all the finishing touches are complete.

Dogfish, if you look on page 1, you will see something that looks like a picture frame, made out of 1.5 inch crown moulding. I still need to stain it, but that's going to be what covers up the black frame on top. And as far as it fitting the space, I can scan the prototype pics that I drew up at work (if I can find them) and I measured, checked aquarium sizes, and re-measured, to figure out exactly how big of a tank and stand I could have. The limiting factors being the light switch on the left hand side, and the bathroom door on the right. That door doesn't open all the way as it is, so I didn't want to make it too much of a squeeze to get through. But thank you very much on the complements, I greatly appreciate it.

Dragonfish, The LEDs are pretty awesome, but I don't think they produce much PAR for the plants. We'll see how things grow. So far I know it's enough to keep crypt parva, java fern, and some stem plant alive. But none have done much growing. I'm going to put at least one more 10w LED in there, and possibly two more after that (one on each side of the hood) The shimmer effect is awesome, and without the front of the hood attached, the shimmering on the ceiling is beautiful. If I ever build another stand (what am I saying? Of course I will!), I'm going to make one that is a lot more industrial looking, and juse use conduit with the LED flood lights, so you can see the entire light, and the ceiling shimmer. It looks like I have a swimming pool in my dining room! It will pain me somewhat to finish the hood, and close it all up.
A note on the 20W floods. The only place I could find them online was through alibaba.com, or aliexpress.com I paid $75 for the two 20W floods, with free shipping. But then the bill for customs tax came about a month later, for 30 dollars. So they were approx. a dollar per watt. Also, the emitters on those 20W LEDs are HUGE!! Like, a full square inch!

Also, I'm going to need a TON of aquascaping advice. I have EXTREMELY limited knowledge on aquatic plants (come on, I threw a bloody banana peel and multi vitamins into my dirt!) so I don't know what will look right, how fast it will grow, how big things will get, etc. All I know about is the really long grass that grows in the northernmost portion of the chesapeake bay, anubias nana, and crypt parva. Oh, and I also know that I can't keep glosso alive to save my life. I'll get some pics of the way I laid the substrate out once the tannins clear up a bit. I'll need knowledge on rocks, driftwood, etc. I'll make a new thread in the aquascaping forum, and link to it from here. In the mean time, where would be a good place to research rocks? It seems like there aren't too many great rocks around me, but maybe I'm not looking in the right places?


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## Calmia22 (Aug 20, 2011)

It looks awesome! Although I will be very curious about how well fish do in your tank with that substrate lol.


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## sns26 (Mar 29, 2010)

Very nice. Kudos on doing something different than "ADA knockoff" or "2x4 madness"!


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## moonshinetheslacker (Sep 13, 2010)

I totally laughed at the "2x4 madness!" comment! Thanks for that! Here are a few pics of the stand and hood, at 95% complete. I just need to build the caps for the legs. But that's about it.

I used three switches for the 6 LED flood lights, so I can turn on either the outer two, middle two, or two most center. It makes for a very dramatic scene, when the sides are lit up, but the center is dark. When I get the chance, and maybe after the water clears up again, I'll put up some pics of the tank with just the side lights, or just the center lights on.

The water is all yellow, I think due to the tannins leaking out of the mineralized topsoil... at least, I hope that's what the problem is. If anyone knows, feel free to let me know.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

My wife just walked by and saw this. She was very impressed! That is quite an accomplishment. So, I just did some "redesign" and decided I think the proportions would be better with a taller tank.









I think the only imperfection is the low tank - otherwise a very good looking furniture quality tank setup.


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## moonshinetheslacker (Sep 13, 2010)

Hhhhmmmmmm... I'm not sure whether I like it tall, or short. My original plan was to have the stand about 6 inches shorter. I wanted something very squat looking. Which is probably why it doesn't quite look right. It should either have a shorter stand, or a taller tank. Maybe when I move I'll sell the 75 gallon, and pick up a 90. They're about 4 inches taller, yeah?

And thanks for the complements. They are very appreciated. I'm thinking about making a similar stand for the first 5 tanks listed on this page: http://alysta.com/books/fishtank.htm
But I want to make it out of two 8 foot 2x12s. Maybe do a how-to on it. Something small, easy to make, but still look different.

But that will be much later. AFTER I fix the roof, the window sills which have rotted due to the roof leaking for years, leveling the curtain rods, finishing the trimwork on all the base boards on the first floor, along with all the windows. re-painting the second floor, and finish painting the third floor... etc... etc... etc... :help:


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## silvawispa (Oct 11, 2011)

*cough* trim around bottom(and top maybe) of tank *cough*

Why fall just short of perfection?

 Great job.


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## moonshinetheslacker (Sep 13, 2010)

Heh, I guess you didn't bother to.. um.. look? At the top? It IS covered in trim. :flick: I am considering putting trim around the bottom... but I sort of like the straight angles. I might put something very flat around it, just to cover the black... maybe... we'll see.

Short of perfection? I think I'll take that as a compliment. Thank you!


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