# "Hood" and "Stand" for Fluval Spec V ! PIC HEAVY!!



## jbrady33 (Jun 7, 2012)

Hi All,

Have a Spec V (tank journal), but just not thrilled with the plastic lid that Fluval provides, and personally I have come to like LED bars right on a glass top - not up on brackets. Also thought that a wood base would help keep the shelf it is on from getting damaged, and look nice too.

Here is the final product, the steps in my very amateur woodworking are below :smile:

Mine:









The stock tank for comparison (still on my wood base though):










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The how:

Already had a handheld circular saw, drill and jigsaw, a chisel, and no-name small router (really a laminate trimmer, but it works)

A trip to Lowes, a 4' x 10" 'select' high grade pine board (pine, fir, something like that). You can get the base and the top out of one board. , cut to length with a circular saw, put a little bevel on the top with a small router, sand and finish with red chestnut stain, and rattle can Spar urethane satin (3 coats). Buff with really fine steel wool, little felt stick on feet/pads underneath keeps it slightly off the shelf. Tada! One Spec V stand with a fairly water resistant finish. Nice contrasting look too.

One hint - don't get an 8" wide board, it isn't wide enough. The Spec V plastic base is a little bigger than the tank and wood is measured in "before finishing" dimensions. your 8" board is under 7" by the time you buy it and not wide enough (found that out the hard way, started off with an 8" oak board) 










The top: Cut the outside to size with circular saw, mark the inside to the INNER dimension of the hole, drill an access hole and cut out the rectangle with a jigsaw.

















Using your router, put a flat lip on the inside, at curved relief area for the pump and heater cord, and I added a bevel to the outer top edge just for looks (all with roller guided bits). The inner lip to hold the glass needs square corners (the router leaves them round), cleaned them up with a chisel. I also cut a small groove with a handsaw for the light's power cord to lay in.









Same stain as the base, a day to dry. 4 or 5 coats of spray Spar Urethane, dry for a couple of days and buff with really fine steel wool.









Now a trip to Home Depot - get a replacement window pane glass. I'm very comfortable cutting glass (used to do stained glass) so I got one too big and cut it. Cheap - like $3. (Note to any other glass people, that Kobalt glass cutter from Loews is a piece of crap) You can also go to Lowes (I think the cut to size for free) or any glass shop - just be sure your measurements are right on. If I was doing this over I would get the glass cut and put the edges on BEFORE I stained the wood, just in case it is a little off 

So I cut mine to size, and put these black edges on - they are car door edge molding, a small pack of 2 strips was only like $4 at AutoZone. Since the glass doesn't have polished edges I didn't want them to show (or cut me when working on the tank). It is a bit of work to get them on - I worked the groove open with a metal edge before working it on to the glass edge. If the black edging were warmer it might have been easier.










I didn't attached it to the wood, it just lays in the groove. Totally by accident mine is just snug enough to hold it in place.









Take the bracket off the stock light (it's just a few little screws holding the light halves together) 









And done!


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## jbrady33 (Jun 7, 2012)

PS: Also did a simple hack to force the blue & white lights on all the time (disabling the switch completely)


http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/sh...d.php?t=469633


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## awesometim1 (Oct 31, 2013)

Nice Tank and DIY skills! roud:


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## GreenBliss (Mar 7, 2012)

Looks great with the tank. Great job!


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## TheTruthAndretti (Nov 19, 2013)

Wow I love the way this tank looks classy I wanna start a nano tank soon


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## jrh (Sep 9, 2007)

It's gorgeous. You could sell those.


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## Aqguy (Oct 30, 2013)

Thats sweet nice master carpenter skills , I like acrylic aquariums but the tops leave soothing to be desired looks great


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## Ghostryder (Nov 16, 2013)

I was thinking about doing something like this just the other day. I was thinking of routing a slight recess in the base plate so the tank stays in place. Did you do that? I can't tell from the pics.


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## jbrady33 (Jun 7, 2012)

Ghostryder said:


> I was thinking about doing something like this just the other day. I was thinking of routing a slight recess in the base plate so the tank stays in place. Did you do that? I can't tell from the pics.


no, its just flat but the weight of the tank seems to keep it in place. Good idea though if you want to slide it around a desk.


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## Ghostryder (Nov 16, 2013)

To be honest I wasn't really worried about the tank moving. But I thought having a slight recess would make sure the tank was always positioned squarely and the reveal of the wood was uniform.

Or if you don't like the black plastic "base" one could make the recess deeper to hide / make it less noticeable.

But seriously, I am so doing this to my spec V. And my wife's spec II.


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## Balkai54 (Jan 14, 2014)

I would pay good money for a top like that for my Fluval Spec V. I HATE the plastic top that it came with. It gets disgusting. If at all possible how much would you charge to make another?


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## NanoDave (Feb 25, 2013)

Nicely done, I myself have been getting into wood working and tanks. Definetly a good combo


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## Waterchilde (Jan 25, 2015)

*Gorgeous spec v!*



jrh said:


> It's gorgeous. You could sell those.


I certainly would buy one. I have NO talent with woodworking, much less any kind of glass work. That is utterly beautiful. I would be very interested if you do decide to sell copies of the 'hood and stand' for the Spec V. 

If you do decide you would be willing to make some for sale, I would hope you would let me know?


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## Mariostg (Sep 6, 2014)

Vert well done. That gives me ideas


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