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Cutter
08-12-2005, 04:37 PM
Ok time for some tank stand discussion.

My current set up is something I picked up from a friend in Calgary. When I picked it up he gave me, the tank, lights, protein skimmer, power heads, Live Rock (100lbs), and a tank stand.

When I saw the stand in Calgary I knew right away that it was going to be a problem in terms of a sump in the future. But I took it anyways...of course.

When I got everything home all this complete newbie knew was I had to get these rocks into water asap or they were going to rot. So I set everything up.

Knowing what I do now I realize I didn't have to set it all up right away as there were alternatives to keeping the rock alive.

On to present day. Now my tank is doing quite well and I'm starting to think about getting a sump set up.

The problem is i need to remove two large structural pieces of my tank stand in order to put a sump under it any bigger than 10g.

So her is my plan to get rid of those sections.

I was thinking about friction fitting 2x4's around the perimiter of my tank stand then screwing it all together. I'd imagine hammering nails would cause problems with the animals and dislodging rock.

After everything is screwed together I was going to cut out the two middle supporting pieces of MDF to make room for a sump. Cut a few more sections of 2x4 to fit along the front of the stand after the sump is installed. Then sheet the entire thing with 1/4" plywood.

Is this a viable idea or would it just be easier to bite the bullet and build a new stand and tear down my entire set up?



http://www.pechert.ca/images/tankstand.jpg

scotchy
08-12-2005, 05:19 PM
The big thing that I would suggest from experience is to know exactly what size sump you will be putting in there. Then modify accordingly or build new to fit the sump with plenty of room to spare. I modified mine on my old 33 (built by me) to fit my old sump, but The sump fit in so tightly I could not get my hands in to change filter media. I think you are on the right track with your modification ideas, sounds like it should work. It would be easier than tearing the system down just to replace the stand. If you need a hand let me know, I'll come help.



Scott