2 Tier Stand And Hoods

[vix]

Hi all,

Have just recently bought 2 4ft tanks (4ft x 1ft x 1.5ft), however, we have decided we would like to build a 2 tier stand for them, because otherwise we would only be able to fit 1 in .

So my question is, although i have already been given some very good advice (cheers andywg), i'm wondering if anyone has kept a photo diary or has detailed instructions of constructing the stand and hoods. After all i'm a woman, and i need instructions complete with pictures .

 

[Tolak]

I've built something similar, a 55 with a 13"x48" footprint below a couple of 20 gallons that each have a 12 1/2"x24" footprint;

These are plain fishroom quality racks, but could be dressed up. If you look at the pic, there is a center leg beneath the bottom 55. The top rack has about 3/16" deflection, which isn't a problem with 2 tanks. It would be with 1 tank, the same thing could be built with 2"x6" lumber, as opposed to the 2"x6" lumber in the picture. This would eliminate the need for a center leg to support the top rack.

You could also spin the legs out to the side, instead of in front as in the pic. This would give a better view of the bottom tank if you are looking for more of a show tank look. Mine has enough room to slide in a few milk crates for storage, you could go a little lower, but not too much, as low tanks can be tough to siphon. You also don't want to go too high, as this can make working on the top rack difficult, unless you are 6'8" tall, which I am not.

As far as dressing it up, you could put plywood around the bottom with a couple of doors, or even around the outer 3 sides of the bottom tank, to hide the legs going up. A little paint or stain & varnish, and it looks more show quality. This is the same design underneath, skinned with some nice plywood, stain & varnish;

Post the size of the bottom of the tanks, as well as how high you are willing to go with the top tank or how low you want to go with the bottom tank. Just to let you know, some power tools are needed, unless you want a real serious workout, along with a level, tape measure, square, & some clamps.

 

[And_Hef]

I built a 2 tier style for my 90 (on bottom) and 55 (on top).

It turned out very nice (though I don't have any pics here at work, so I'll have to upload them when I get home tonight).

My basic design centered around 2x4 legs and a total height of less than 60".

I have basically the same design as Tolak though mine is a little small and I finished out with old wood soaked in polyurethane.

I plan on building a canopy for the 55 out of 1x2 and the same finish as the base. The support for the 55 is the canopy for the 90.

I guess you'll just have to see it.

 

[And_Hef]

Ok, now that I'm at home and my girls are in bed I finially got a change to find the pictures.

Sorry I'm new to the photo editing stuff, so the resolution may be a little low, but they should be nice for the net. If interested I can e-mail you large pictures.

Here's the front. I originally wanted hidden hinges, but didn't build the doors correctly to accommodate them.

Here's one side. The other side looks the same. You can see the very top of the stand has a section which I can remove so that I can feed and maintain the lower tank from the front. The edge of the 55 wiil come up to that split.

Here's the back showing the support structure. There is a thin piece of wood that will be under the 90. I just took it out so you could get a better view. I did run the design through a stress program and it passed with flying colors. Every vertical 2x4 is doubled up. The lower structure is put together with 2.5" water proof deck screws and the top is held together with 3" SS lag bolts.

And finially, here's the underside of the 90 canopy (which the 55 will be sitting on top with it's own matching canopy). I plan on covering the underside with reflectors then wiring in 4, T5HO fluroescent tubes (54 watts each) and 3 tubes for the 55.

I am going to staple black felt directly behind the 90, so you won't see wires and tubes from the filtering equipment, lighting, etc. and I'm going to build a 3D background for each tank, so everything should be hidden pretty well.

If you have any questions please ask and I'd be glad to answer them.

Also if you'd like I can do a complete parts list with drawing(s). Just let me know.