I'm not sure I am seeing this right. So you cut the corners off your frame? Why not mount a few full extension drawer slides vertically so the top frame piece slides up and out of your way?

Yeah that kinky hose was just temporary to get the tank going. I'm going to replace it, likely with a piece of the same hose, unkinky and covered in electrical tape. Cuz thats how we roll here :razz:

My light rack builder is MIA, hopefully he emails me in the next few days or I'm gonna have to find me a pro-fessional.

To keep up the canopy door, you could try one/two of those small gas shocks that hold up your hood on your car or canopy for your truck etc.
Princess auto has them as surplus and cheap

Yeah apparently that wasn't an option. Unless its something I can buy ready made by myself, I just get what I get. This is what I got.

I really like the colours on the panels and trim. Very nice. You should be able to find some kind of heavy duty hinge to hold up the canopy lid. I don't like the stick idea: too easy to knock it loose and have the lid come crashing down on you or the tank.

Nice progress Christy. Just wondering on the same lines as Brett, are the corners that were cut out screwed and glued back in then, or are they gonna be permanently missing. Your husband didn't have to use dowels, he could've just used some nails.

I bet you're glad you have front access though right?

Aww that looks so good, i am going to get my tank soo, i ordered a 180 gallon with external baffels and a sump, can't wait to get some tips and tricks from ya , love it you did such a nice job!

Josh

The corners were cut out and are removeable. I have to remove them before I flip the lid up. Its really not a huge deal just annoying. The frame is painted dark enough (and the room has crappy lighting) so you don't really notice it.

I had suggested that we square off the edges in a more contemporary design having the top overlap only one of the sides and rest on the other (bloody hard to explain). IMO it would have looked better and been more functional but oh well, like I said, I get what I get.


Yeah the front access is nice, I wouldn't have gone this route if I couldn't have access to the front, the tank would have stuck out into the room in that case.

You explained it well. I know exactly what you mean because I was going to do the same thing without mitres on the corners, just flat. I sort of illustrated it at the beginning of my tank journal. But I got what I got as well seeing that Ikea made it :biggrin:

Looking forward to seeing this reef grow!

Oh you put the missing pieces back later. See that's no biggie at all. Just a really quick extra step =) Frame looks really nice!