evening
I will draw up a picture tommorow to show you what a header is, how to support everything and everything you need to know if you would like.
you don't need any 3/4" plywood. if the opening is to be about 6' I would use a 3 ply 2x10 header. 2 ply is probably enough but I don't know what is above.
I have been a builder for 16 years. I actually just built the new retirement home in Naniamo right above the firehouse bar. (good sushi):mrgreen:

Hey, thanks. I had my husband explain some of it tonight. He said that he was going to go with 3 2x6s which had a certain width and because the 3 2x10s had a different width when put together that for some reason both sets of 3 had to be the same width?

I think he knows what he's doing, its just me that doesn't :razz:

I am not an engineer, but I think 2- 2x10s will hold more weight than 3- 2x6s
Its the depth of beams that hold more weight. I am sure someone here will enlighten.

um ok, so it was explained to me like this. Currently there are 2x6's running vertically (ie. holding up the floor). To beef up support on either side of "the hole" my hubby is going to put 3-2x6's. Then for the actual header part (or what I think of as the header, which is the horizontal part) he is going to use 3-2x10s).

Does that make more sense? You guys are probably better off waiting for the photos to see what I mean, I'm sure my crappy explanations are just creating more questions rather than answers :razz:

Makes perfect sense to me(Im a carpenter).....gonna be sweet when its done looking forward to this build....is this the tank the euro-reef is for, or are you already using it?

It makes perfect sense. The wall has 2x6 studs and the new header will be 3x2x10's.

I'm lost. The tank's a wood build now? 2x6 panels with starphire 2x4 viewing panes?

of course, sheesh that was what I was trying to say all along! wasn't I clear enough :razz:

yeah for the new tank, I'd be using it already but it wouldn't fit in my sump cabinet. No sump cabinet on the new tank so we're golden!:biggrin:

What euro-reef do you have?