Greg's 75g

[Reef Pilot]

I use lexan covers for all my tanks. So much simpler and more effective than egg crate or mesh. Covers can be in multiple pieces, doors, holes, or any way you want. Can't get any easier for access and maintenance. Very easy to bend, shape, drill and cut (just with tin snips, no saw required), and doesn't crack or warp like plexi.

And dramatically cuts down your evaporation, which is better for your house, too. Also great light transmission (different than plexi), and easy to keep clean (I just remove and wipe mine down about once a month, or longer).

I also have built in vented canopies, which is great for lighting.

Just another idea for your consideration...

[gregzz4]

Originally Posted by Reef Pilot

Just another idea for your consideration...

Thanks

[neoh]

You have a nice tank, Greg!

[gregzz4]

Originally Posted by neoh

You have a nice tank, Greg!

Well thanks, but it's still going through some growing pains. Or rather, I'm still learning

I got the canopy/light surround cut yesterday and half glued together tonight. I hope to glue the 2 halves together tomorrow night, fit the door hinges maybe on Wed and cut the trim, then sand it all down and get some primer/sealer on it by the weekend
Looks like I have to work Sat, so maybe I'll get it painted on Sun, and then be able to install it by the end of next week after the paint cures some

I'll be using a pair of 80mm fan guards for the fresh air intakes, and a 140mm fan for exhaust, with a piece of fiberglass mesh covering the fan
The semi-massive rectangular opening will be my access behind a pair of doors
Hopefully, when it's all done, it will sorta match the Aqueon stand, but only by the door widths and the outside dimensions
The wife didn't want it exactly the same as she doesn't like the stand much, so I had to tone down the build and make it a bit sleeker than a bunch of verticle pine planks
Except now it's just big, horizontal pine planks

This new surround will also allow me to raise the lights another 3", so hopefully I'll be able to turn on some of the other colors I've been missing since the corals started to bleach
It will put the bulbs about 10-1/2" (guesstimate) above the water

[gregzz4]

I won't bore you all with the rest of the build pics for the surround
The basic idea was to have it semi-match the stand, but be a bit sleeker to satisfy the wife
The door widths match the stand when closed, but open fully without a center brace
I used a primer/sealer and then 3 coats of zero VOC gloss white on the inside, and 2 coats of satin black on the outside
If I ever make another one, I'll use a satin black Minwax stain on the outside

I have the light 'just' resting on it on foam to block light bleed, while still having some tension on the support cables
The whole thing comes off in less than a minute if I wanna get crazy 'arms deep'

Here it is all done





I had to add a bunch of black weather-stripping to the insides of the doors to block light bleed



I had to add a support front to back as the thin horizontal face wants to warp inwards

[gregzz4]

And because it's been over a year ...

June 7, 2012



June 7, 2013



I'm off to make my first batch of home-made fish food

[daplatapus]

Originally Posted by gregzz4

I won't bore you all with the rest of the build pics for the surround

Du'oh! I feel cheated! JK. Build pics are half the reason I come on here

The finished project looks great though! Good job! I like the weather striping idea to prevent the light bleed. Nothing worse than sitting down and that one crack shining right in your peripheral vision.

[gregzz4]

Originally Posted by daplatapus

Nothing worse than sitting down and that one crack shining right in your peripheral vision.

Ya
One last touch up will be to add some deflectors on the end of the light fixture, the air intakes and the fan
Then the only light will be from the glass and we can re-hang our picture without a big stipe of light through it