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You guys are on a roll! I have always wanted to do something like this. I think the two biggest things are water in and out in terms of nice things to have. Fan above the tank is not a bad idea and then have vents out some where above it that look nice. Also I like the idea of having it be something that you can take the tank out and patch up the slot if you want to someday. Good luck and keep us up dated!

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

That's awesome! I think I might try to do something like that when I get the new tank underway.

The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. - Oscar Wilde

Yea, that's a good idea i hadn't thought of... it's a great idea too! That'd give the circulation i'd be looking for without putting undue pressure on the pump. Thanks

As you can see, the hood is very large but that is the only way I could build it and still get by with the el cheapo lighting that I used.

Well, I guess I could have mounted the bulbs around the sides of the hood, but I liked it better this way. It makes for a bigger opening also.


Not trying to jack this thread, just givin some ideas.

Here's ya some pics.

http://webpages.charter.net/bucky/spraybarreturn/

tek,

Do you happen to have pictures? I think I understand what you are saying but pictures would take me over the top.

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric

I have a 75G that is set up as a room divider. I had the same situation when trying to get the return from my 404 to go where I wanted.

Solution:

Get one pvc piece with a barbed end to couple the return hose to, get a couple 1/2" pvc elbows,(put spacer in between them), put another elbow on, and attach a 4 foot length of pvc tubing. Cap the end, and drill about 8 or 10 holes of 1/16" or 3/32" in diameter. You can experiment in the exact hole placement/size.

Now, I get a good return all the way across the 4 foot tank.

Been like that for a couple years now, and I have zero complaints.

Sweet, thanks

I would be happy to take a photo of my hood, but I don't have my camera at the moment ]:| still at my boyfriend's friend's house. I also can't get my phone to download photos into my computer at the moment. I am besieged by technical problems!

As soon as I get my camera back, or get a new one for my birthday in 3 weeks I'll take a few pics.

The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. - Oscar Wilde

Yea, that's neat. I'm thinkin' of doing a 180 with a sump underneath, so i was going to do what your tank has, but i want some flow/filtration on the other side of the tank, so i'm debating weather or not to run tubing along the hood, or make some type of cabinet for the other side of the tank to run tubing...

any chance we can get a shot or your hood? Open? Inside? None if you don't want to? Thanks!

Side of the tank:



just beginning attached this image:


The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. - Oscar Wilde

Just a Fluval 404, nothing special. The tank is pretty well designed for a canister - it has holes in the side of the hood for the in and out tubes as well as leads for the filter, heater and lights. The tubing runs down the side of the tank where it could fairly easily be hidden if it was butted right up against a wall, then runs into a hole in the side of the cupboard where the actual canister sits. Admittedly there are a few problems with getting the flow right through the tank, but for my fairly minimal stock it does just fine.

just beginning attached this image:


The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. - Oscar Wilde

JB--- i'm thinking about getting a larger tank to use as a room divider... how is your current tank filtered?

We've decided to renovate our kitchen, which is open-plan into the living room and currently L-shaped across the back and left wall. There is a half-wall just in front, and currently an 80 gallon divider tank, visible from both sides, comes out from that wall to give the appearance of seperation between the two rooms (see pic below to see what I mean).

While discussing the kinds of things we'd like to change in there, the idea came up to have an island bench where that tank is now, so that the kitchen is more of a U-shape (we really need more bench space). We would probably knock out the half-wall visible in the pic to do this. Problem - where to put the tank, as it's the only place it fits in our small apartment? Solution - build it into that bench.

I don't think we would use the current tank for this, as the rounded edge wouldn't really work well, so I'll probably buy a new 4x1.5x2 or something, and use that. The tank would no longer be visible from both sides, on the kitchen side would be cupboards and on the living room side the tank, with a broad frame flush with the tank to make it look really tidy.

I'm really excited by the idea, as it's always been my dream to incorporate tanks into walls/furniture somehow. But there are a lot of technical logistics that need to be worked out, and I want to get things planned before we go ahead with the kitchen. If anyone has experience with building tanks into walls or furniture, or just knows a bit about this kind of thing, your suggestions on the following issues would be appreciated.

1. Filtration. I have a Fluval 404 on this tank at the moment and don't really want to change it. Of course, as everyone knows, canisters need to be below the water level to work. The bottom of the tank would probably be about 6"-1' above floor level - not really enough. My partner has some crazy idea about cutting a hole in the floor and making a lower platform for the canister to sit on (our garage is underneath). Not sure about this, especially as it would be difficult to patch when we sell the place.

2. Stand - I suppose we would have to have a really low stand custom-built - is this going to be a problem when it comes to supporting the weight? I don't really see how it would, but then I know very little about this kind of thing.

3. Access for feeding and cleaning. Obviously the benchtop above would need to move somehow to get access into the tank, without affecting its appearance. Is there a way to make a hinged part on the benchtop and have the hinging and join fairly invisible?

4. Lights and evaporation - I think there might need to be a full hood underneath the bench top to contain the lights and maybe stop evaporation and humidity from affecting the benchtop. Unless the lights just sat above the tank and the underneath of the benchtop made water-proof.

That's about all I can think of right now - if someone else can think of a possible problem that hasn't occurred to me, let me know!

The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. - Oscar Wilde

You've really got me thinking now Dan! Built-in drainage...overhead tap...easy waterchanges . This may not be out of the realms of possibility because I think we may be putting the dishwasher in that general area as well, so would have to rearrange the plumbing anyway *hopes that partner knows some plumbers who may do it on the cheap! *

The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. - Oscar Wilde

since the tank has an enclosed hood try it and see, should be ok, anyway if you keep an eye on things you can put a fan in if needed but i still think the sealer is a good idea.
also if you are redoing the kitchen a drain in the cupboard would be a good idea, imagine being able to gravel clean straight into the drain in the cupboard and then fill the tank from the tap above it , no buckets , no mess
your lighting would be able to be mounted staight to the underside of the bench but make sure to put a sheet of fibro between the flouros and the chipboard as after 12 hours the ballasts in the lights wiil get pretty hot

ps the idea of cutting a "window" out of the bench for the tank to sit against is great, you wont have to see the ugly bit of substrate at the front of the tank.

Last edited by dan76 at 26-Oct-2005 04:57

OH TOLEEDY!

Build a box for the tank to sit in, not a stand as such, but an enclosed wooden frame strong enough to hold up the benchtop without having it anywhere near the tank.

The tank itself could just slot in behind the front panel, giving you room to hide unsightly edges and any filter garbage
A removable (hinged?) benchtop gives perfect access for cleaning and if you put some sort of hydraulic doobies on there, like a car bonnet, it wouldn't be too heavy to lift either really.

This also gives the option of taking the tank when you leave, and filling in the veiwing hole in the frame with a decorator piece or nice wood grain etc.

Last edited by Callatya at 26-Oct-2005 03:12

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

Hey all - thanks for the replies.

Just to clarify - this isn't going to be a bench as in a place where people sit, it will be a kitchen counter with cupboards on one side, the tank on the other.

It's hard to explain the vantage point from the living room, but it would be very easy to view the tank from the living room and the couch. I've attached a pic I took of the room a little while ago - it's blurry but kind of shows the layout.

Where you see the stand in that picture and the other one above, is where the actual tank would be. I think we could probably make it so there is 1' of stand height - would this help with vibrations Keith? (I have to say though, these fish have always been subject to fairly vibration-heavy environments and it's never seemed to be a problem...although having said that I plan to convert this into a discus tank and they may be more susceptible).

We kind of devised a plan for when we sell the place, where we build the cabinetry back around that space. I don't think it'll be too much of a problem.

Dan - Would ventilation be much of a problem? The reason I ask is because at the moment the tank has a fully enclosed hood that is only opened for feeding and cleaning. Another option might also be to have a kind of ventilation grill at the top.

Babel - The floors are indeed hardwood, with a floating laminate floor over the top. But Dan's point about only needing two holes for the in/out tubes is a really good one. I think that would work well.

Feel free to keep adding your thoughts everyone - it all helps to fine-tune.

just beginning attached this image:


The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. - Oscar Wilde

I'd be worried about someone swinging their feet and kicking the tank.

pps believe everything your partner tells you ,electricians never lie

OH TOLEEDY!