DIY Aquarium Stand Resources
November 12, 2008
There are quite a few reasons as to why an aquarist would consider building their own aquarium stand.
- The current financial climate is one that springs to mind. It is a lot cheaper to build your own than purchase ‘off the shelf’
- The challenge and satisfaction of designing and building your own stand
- The actual enjoyment of doing a bit of do it yourself
From a personal point of view I believe that I am a mixture of the above. I like to save a bit of money where I can, I like the challenge and I enjoy doing it.
There are some people who are capable of building things without the need for plans or looking at ways in which other people have built similar items however I believe that it is a good idea to see how other people have done things. There may be a better way of achieving the same result. An example that springs to mind is the creation of an aquarium stand for an in-wall aquarium – does this need to be made from wood – it could be made from builing blocks, metal etc.
Anyway for this reason I thought it might be useful to create a list of website resources where information on DIY aquarium stands can be located. Some of these site detail plans to build your own stands, others detail how the owner of the site actually built their stand and others simply give ideas.
I hope that you find this list useful. If you know of any other sites which provide this type of information which is not listed either let us know so that we can add it to the list or leave a comment below so that others can benefit from it.
Anyway on with the list…
Aquarium Stand Plans – Cost Associated eBook
How To Build An Aquarium Stand
Building Your Own Stand Calculator
Build An ADA Style Aquarium Stand
How To Build A DIY Aquarium Stand
Build A Strong, Inexpensive Aquarium Stand
DIY Aquarium Stand – First Ever Woodworking Project
Tips For Creating A DIY ADA Stand
Constructed DIY Aquarium Stand Projects
Easy, Inexpensive DIY Aquarium Stand Project
Double 55 Gallon Aquarium Stand
DarkDep’s DIY Sturdy Tank Stand And Canopy – Part 1
DarkDep’s DIY Sturdy Tank Stand And Canopy – Part 2
DarkDep’s DIY Sturdy Tank Stand And Canopy – Part 3
DarkDep’s DIY Sturdy Tank Stand And Canopy – Part 4
Building Your Own Aquarium Stand For Tanks 10 To 125 Gallons
Build Your Own Aquarium Stand For Tanks Up To 500 Gallons
Build Your Own Aquarium Stand For Large Tanks
DIY Protein Skimmers
July 27, 2008
The protein skimmer is considered to be an essential piece of equipment nowadays and assists greatly in the maintenance of high quality seawater. The device removes much of the dissolved organic material (DOM) that could accumulate. Anyone who has seen the dark stinky ‘yuk’ in a protein skimmer collection cup will never be without one.
All protein skimmers work on the same principle and manufacturers do not have any secret methods. What they do have is the expertise and mechanization to mass produce. There isn’t a need to buy a commercial unit however, provided the aquarist has some confidence in his/her DIY ability, and also has access to the required materials. Most have this access nowadays, if not locally through the internet.
If the aquarist takes a little time and carefully looks at a protein skimmer in a shop or at a friend’s it will be seen that they are basically simple. Seawater is moved from the aquarium and through a bubble chamber where the DOM is removed and collected in a cup. The method of moving the seawater and creating the bubbles vary.
This is not an attempt to advise that commercial products are poor – many are very good indeed and do the job well. However, they’re not the cheapest devices on the market! A basically competent DIYer can save money and still have a skimmer that does a good job, and also have the pride of ‘I did that.’ Most aquarists go for the commercial products and fair enough, but some…well, why not?
Seeing some of the skimmer plans for the first time can be a little daunting, but they’re not as bad as they first appear. Here’s a link and there is useful information here too in addition to plans:
http://saltaquariums.about.com/od/diyskimmerplans/DIY_Protein_Skimmer_Plans.htm
Can You Build A Fish Tank From Plywood?
July 24, 2008
Aquariums get more expensive as they get bigger. Well, there’s a pretty obvious statement to start with! However for the aquarist who is not keen to meet the price of a large aquarium but is able to deal with the cost of everything else there is a way around the problem. It doesn’t have to be a large aquarium really, any size applies, but the cost of smaller commercial glass or acrylic tanks makes the need to ‘get the tools out’ diminish considerably.
The way around the cost is for the aquarist to make the tank using plywood. It stands to reason the aquarist, or a DIY competent friend, should be reasonably good at cutting a straight line. The use of power tools is a great help.
The job is not as daunting as it could appear. Also, the end product is not going to look like a box that doesn’t leak with some water in plus fish. Ok, for the comedian at the back – yes the livestock can be seen as the tank has a glass front!
The first item required is a plan and once again the internet comes to the rescue. The plan here is for a 140 gallon tank, but these dimensions could be reduced or increased if ratios are kept accurate.
Here’s the link:
http://cichlid-forum.com/article/diy_plywood_aquarium.php
Save Money and Have Fun By Making Your Own Live Rock
July 2, 2008
Live rock is a wonderful bio-filtration media. The shapes of the individual rocks are attractive and very useful in the construction of an ‘open’ reef structure. There is a disadvantage however, and that is cost.
Though different types of live rock vary in weight, this weight causes transportation to be expensive. In addition, the rock is usually transported uncured, and further cost is added for the curing process (curing is where organisms that are dead are dying are cleared from the live rock so that pollution will not occur).
Another downside to live rock is the collection itself. Hopefully collection is done responsibly and only rubble and other loose rock is collected, and nothing is prised from the reef itself. There are companies that are creating live rock in the wild by leaving non-reef rocks in the sea near a wild reef until the rock is seeded. This has to be applauded, but the cost of transportation is still there.
There is a way that hobbyists can get around the high cost of natural live rock and that is to make it themselves. There are two ways to do this.
The first way involves the purchase of live rock from the retailer. However, the quantity is ¼ to ½ of what would have been purchased if the aquarium were to be furnished with all natural live rock. When the live rock goes into the aquarium, the shortfall is made up with inert porous ordinary rock. Given time, this inert rock will become live – bacteria will take up residence and other marine life will also do the same. It is a very satisfying process but is slow and that certain virtue is required – patience. 6 months plus is the time scale being looked at. If the aquarist is to use live rock as the sole bio-filtration method, for a period care is needed to make sure there is sufficient bio capacity for the livestock. It could be that if the aquarist is concerned about the size of the bio load a canister filter could be incorporated to assist for a while. When the canister filter becomes redundant it can be used for mechanical filtration.
The second way is to make the rocks themselves. This is not as difficult, or perhaps as silly, as it could sound. For this method a link is provided so that the idea can be investigated:
When at the website, expand the ‘How To Pages’ on the left hand side list (click on the + sign). Then click on ‘Aragonite’ or ‘Aragocrete’. A list will appear and a selection can be made.
It would really be good to view a healthy, vibrant fully stocked captive reef and be able to say ‘I made that, entirely, A to Z.’
Here’s A Place For A Spot Of Aquarium DIY!
June 2, 2008
There’s a lot of aquarists around who like DIY. Not surprising really – anything can be built in this hobby from a stand and canopy to various devices, such as protein skimmers, calcium reactors, sand beds etc., even the aquarium itself.
One of the biggest problems is the pre-work. By this I mean working out what is required in material. Then of course there’s the procedure of actually building it.
Here’s a website that brings all that pre-work on many items together, so that the aquarist doesn’t need to. Plus a ‘how to proceed’ section.
For example, if a stand is to be built, then type in the length, width and height of the aquarium it will support, advise what the aquarium will be constructed of (glass, acrylic etc) and the rest will be done. Advice is given on aquarium glass thickness, and a cutting list for timber provided. Then there is a ‘follow this procedure’ advisory.
There are quite a few items that could be of interest to the aquarist who is into DIY.
Just go to the website given below. On the left hand side scroll down to ‘DIY’ and expand the section. Then pick and away it goes.
Elevate Your Reef!
February 19, 2008
Aquarists aquascaping a reef aquarium, or fish only aquarium with live rock, carefully consider design options, with careful regard for efficiency and visual acceptability.
A properly researched marine aquarium will run very well with just a fairly small input from the aquarist – routine water changes are an example. There are other simple actions that can be taken that will enhance the health of the reef significantly and at the same time reduce dirt accumulation in, and particularly below, the reef.
The rocks of the reef, particularly if live rock, need good water flow through them for oxygenation and cleanliness. This is well known. The aquarist has probably spent quite a lot of money, again particularly if live rock is used, so a little extra effort for little extra outlay and significant advantage is clearly worthwhile.
Whatever rock is used, when the reef is constructed consider placing it on an elevated base. The rocks should be 1″ to 1½” or so above the aquarium base. If a spray bar is to be used (see below) then ensure the gap is sufficient.
To achieve this obtain some 1″ to 1½” diameter seawater safe plastic piping. Cut the pipe into short lengths all equal to the height of the base of the reef rocks. The aquarist will know where the reef is to extend to in relation to the base area of the aquarium. Place the cut pipes 4″ or so apart in a line at the front and end boundaries of the reef. The pipes on the boundaries should be in straight lines, but do not need to be parallel to the aquarium sides if the aquarist does not want this. Then, again the same distance apart, place short pipes vertically over the whole base of the reef within the boundaries. Now obtain aquarium grade silicone sealant, and carefully fill each short pipe right to the top with silicone. This is very easy to do and achieves two objects – when dry the pipes will not move, and dirt will not accumulate within the pipes. Leave the silicone to dry.
The next part is to prepare the base that the rocks will stand on. This base will rest on the short pipes already in place. This base is constructed of a white plastic material commonly called ’egg crate’. It has nothing to do with eggs of course! The plate looks like many joined up squares, with the square sides around ½” or so in length. I believe (rightly or wrongly) that the original purpose was lighting diffusion. This material is well known and well used in the marine hobby, and can often be purchased from the local retailer. Obtain an amount, in one piece if possible, that will cover the whole area of the base of the reef. Allow a small overlap to extend beyond the front support pipes. Cut the ’egg crate’ carefully to shape, and avoid any straight ’bits’ left sticking out. If the material is to be cut at an angle, to keep it neat it is best to stagger the cuts by going along the edges of the small squares so that what is left is a neat continuous edge.
Place the cut base on the pipe supports. There isn’t any need to glue it in place, the rocks will hold it still.
If a decorative sand bed is required in the aquarium, then place plastic r/angled edging of sufficient height in front of the outer pipe supports. Silicone this in place, again a very easy job. This edging will prevent sand entering the under rock space that has been created.
The aquarist could stop there but there is one more move that could be considered and is recommended. Though water can move much more easily under the rocks now, the movement will not be large, and dirt can still accumulate. There is a very simple remedy.
Obtain a standard spray bar. Drill holes in the opposite side to the existing holes and the same distance apart. Temporarily remove the rock base support and place the spray bar in position using the sucker cups provided. The holes should point horizontally in each direction. In a standard smaller aquarium the correct position is with the spray bar laying across from front to back of the aquarium, not down its length. In a larger aquarium spray bars can be laid end to end down the length of the aquarium. The spray bar can effectively deal with about 18″ of void on each side.
Fixing the spray bar in position is where some care is needed – it must not come loose when the reef is in position! To do this, take the silicone sealant and put a good large smear on the underneath of the spray bar suckers (make sure the spray bar holes are correctly aligned). Then press the suckers into position. Next, lay a really good amount of silicone all over the top of the suckers, and extending well beyond them onto the glass. Don’t worry, this is not exactly art but will not be seen. Allow the silicone to thoroughly dry.
The final action is to run tubing from the spray bar(s) to where a powerhead will be positioned. A bend can be used if necessary, but ensure this is what I call a gentle bend as a r/angled one will resist water flow. Again, ensure that the tubing is well fastened to the spray bar – wiping the end of the spray bar with silicone sealant will help achieve this. Remember that the powerhead can be put in as unobtrusive a position as possible, but check accessibility. The spray bar can deal with an area around 18″ on each side, this requires a powerhead of 1000 litres an hour or more (264 US gallons or more). This rating is not an absolute but indicates the general flow requirement.
When using a powerhead the only absolute requirement is to put a filter over the powerhead intake for obvious reasons, or the system could eventually fail. A foam overlay on the intake will suffice as long as it is effective and secure. If an internal filter of sufficient power can be fitted, then filter wool could be placed inside this.
The base support can now be replaced (with a small cut-out for tubing if required) to await the aquarist being ready for a tank fill.
Once the aquarium is running the above actions require no extra maintenance, except that the filter material on the powerhead intake must be kept clean, and replaced if necessary.
Depending on the cleanliness of the seawater, once every two weeks, or even less, could
suffice. A quick and easy job.
The DIY work required is not difficult at all, and should present no problems to anyone.
Elevating the reef from the base of the aquarium is worth while. Pumping water under the reef is even better. The base should remain relatively clean with the pumped version, and oxygenated water will move steadily throughout the reef. The plastics used, if any can be seen when the reef is in place, will soon disappear under a covering of coralline algae or similar. I have a pumped arrangement as above that has been in action for 5+ years, and the base under the reef is generally clean, and the reef thriving.
Take Your Time When Designing Your Sump
February 7, 2008
In my opinion a sump is an extremely important addition to a [tag-tec]saltwater aquarium[/tag-tec]. Not everyone chooses to use one which is fair enough as this is down to personal preference but for me a sump has so many uses that the pros outweigh the cons.
Hide Equipment Out Of View
Without a sump then you would need to install the protein skimmer, heaters, nitrate filters (if required) etc either in or hanging on the display aquarium. You could of course partition a part of the display aquarium to hide this equipment but then you will be losing valuable space in the display aquarium. With a sump all of this equipment can be installed hidden from view in the sump.
Increase Water Volume
The more water that you have in your aquarium the easier it is to maintain [tag-self]water quality[/tag-self]. With a sump, dependant upon the size you will be increasing the amount of water in the system, therefore as long as you are careful it should be easier to maintain the excellent water quality which marine life requires.
Add Addition Filtration Or Nutrient Export Mechanisms
Aquarium filtration can be provided in many ways. There are preferred methods (like live rock and deep sand beds) and there are other methods (like canister filters, fluidised filters etc). I have my own preference but I would never push someone into using a type of filtration which they are uncomfortable with. All filtration works – it is the efficiency that counts. If your fish, corals etc are happy and thriving then who cares what filtration you are using.
With a sump however, no matter what type of aquarium filtration you are using you have the option to be able to add addition filtration to the aquarium system. You could install a deep sand bed into a partiton, perhaps a [tag-ice]refugium[/tag-ice] or you could even install a cryptic zone area if you so wish. The most common is the refugium as this acts as a fantastic device to reduce phosphate and nitrate levels in the aquarium.
So you’re sold – you want a sump – what next?
First of all you need to work out where the sump is going to be sited. The majority of aquarists choose to locate the sump underneath the display aquarium hidden from view in the aquarium cabinet. It does not have to be installed there though it can be installed anywhere where you can get water to it from the display aquarium and back again. It could be in the adjoining room, above the aquarium, next to the aquarium – your choice.
Once you have selected where the sump is to be located the next aspect is what size, shape and type of sump. Personally I would recommend that you go for the largest sump as you can fit. There are many aquarists nowadays who have a sump (in some instances more than one) which is larger than the actual display aquarium itself. The benefits of a sump as detailed above merit the reason for the choice of a large sump. Next is the shape – again this is up to you and need to be relevant to where the sump is to be located. The type of sump is a strange one as a lot of people believe that a sump has to be an aquarium (glass or acrylic). A sump can be made from anything which is classed as ‘food grade’. Being of ‘food grade’ quality means that it will be safe for use with saltwater and should not leach anything detrimental into the water.
Once the above is decided and possibly the sump has been purchased then the next thing to do is decide if you want to partition the sump at all. If the sump is to be used purely for hiding equipment and/or for increasing water volume then there will probably be no requirement to partition the sump. If, however you want to utilise the sump to increase filtration capabilities or add additional nutrient export mechanisms then your sump would benefit from partitions.
There are no set rules when it comes to partitioning the sump. The rule of thumb I use is that I want to achieve the largest possible surface area for the filtration/nutrient export. What I normally do it split the sump into three separate chambers. The first is where the water enters the sump from the display aquarium, the second is the filtration/nutrient export area and the final chamber is where the equipment including the return pumps is located.
I size the first partition so that the overflow pipes just fit. I then move onto the third chamber. I measure all the equipment which is to be housed in this area and move the equipment around until I have a suitable design which takes up the least space whilst still allowing me to gain access to the aquarium. In then size this third partiton to be this size. Between the first/second chamber and the second/third chamber I then either install a baffle or an overflow. The reason for this is that the one between the first and second prevents any bubbles getting into the second chamber. The one between the second and third chambers prevents any large particles (algae etc) from getting to the return pumps.
Sizing the sump this way allows me to have the largest possible surface area for the filtration/nutrient export. No matter how the partitions are placed I will still get the same amount of water volume increase so I want to ensure that I get the maximum amount of filtration space as possible.
Considerations
If you choose to design and partition your sump yourself then take your time in the planning stage. If you find out at a later stage when the sump is full of water etc then it is to late to change it. I personally use a product called Google Sketchup for this. You can create various designs based upon various measurements and then build your sump based upon the plan.
Remember when sizing your final chamber where the equipment is going to be located that you are going to need a return pump (unless the sump is above the display aquarium). You don’t want to partition it all up – install the skimmer etc and then find that you do not have enough room for your return pumps!
Using [tag-self]aquarium sealant[/tag-self] is not that hard as long as you take your time. If you really struggle at DIY then pop along to your local fish shop. I am sure that either they will be able to do it for you – if not then they will probably know someone who will.
Remember that when you fill the sump that if the power goes off in the display aquarium that water will still continue down to the sump via the overflows until the water level drops beneath the overflow. Therefore make sure that you do not fill the sump right to the top otherwise you are risking a small flood if a power cut does happen.
For inspiration here is a link to a sump design which I believe is fantastic :
http://www.reef-eden.net/diy_4.htm
And from the site another type of sump design which is called a tower sump :
http://www.reef-eden.net/2006_reef_2.htm
Interesting Reading From Across The Blogosphere
diy reef sump build – This made it a very simple DIY sump. (We ordered the glass from Torstenson Glass. If you are in Chicago, we highly recommend them.) To start we cleaned all the glass with rubbing alcohol to remove any oils from our hands. …
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