Tank setup update

Graeme Robson · Post by **Graeme Robson** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 2:26 pm

Superb work Keith!!

Looking forward to the next installments of pictures.

Keith Wolcott · Post by **Keith Wolcott** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 5:15 pm

Wolfram- Sorry that your dinner got cold.

Loachmom- Feel free to visit.

Connor- I'm not sure if you are serious or not. I think not because of your PS. In any case, it is interesting to note that the details of this design make a big difference. The position of the outer supports is critical. Move them inward or outward and you get problems real fast. This cantilever bridge design requires that the correct balance point is achieved.

It is interesting historically that when bridge designers first used steel with the cantilever design, longer spans than were previously possible, became possible.

From a practical point of view, I have built quite a few bookcases and a few tables, etc, but I have never until now built something that I could not flex in any way. It just feels rock solid and does not give at all. That's a good thing, because if I could flex it, then 3600 lbs on it would probably break it.

Dutch- Thanks for the compliment on the hinges and knobs.

Graeme- Speaking of the next installment of pictures, I thought that it would be quite awhile, but I had mentioned to the LFS that I was in the market for some large pieces of bogwood. They called me and said they had some in. They almost never get any in so I was surprised. It is pretty nice stuff so I bought all they had. The wood is expensive, but I bought a new dog bed for our Corgi at the same time and told my wife that I got some wood and that the dog bed was kind of expensive. She saw through that one!

I plan to stack it with some on rocks so that there are many, many places to hide.

connor · Post by **connor** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 5:16 pm

Keith Wolcott wrote:

Keith,
I noticed the water level on this picture. What did you do to make the stand perfectly level?
Superb work.

-Connor

connor · Post by **connor** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 5:22 pm

Keith Wolcott wrote:Connor- I'm not sure if you are serious or not. I think not because of your PS. In any case, it is interesting to note that the details of this design make a big difference. The position of the outer supports is critical. Move them inward or outward and you get problems real fast. This cantilever bridge design requires that the correct balance point is achieved.

I was absolutely teasing you! This thing is MASSIVE!
One question: Why not adding diagonal bars at every possible 90° angle for even more stability? Or is this simply not necessary?

-Connor

Tinman · Post by **Tinman** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 5:50 pm

Thats great. You won't even see it when the tank hits the wall on top of it. Thats when she realizes the stand is not dominating the room any more

Keith Wolcott · Post by **Keith Wolcott** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 6:19 pm

Connor- I have done nothing to level it yet except build it very square. Just sitting on the floor it is about 1/8" higher on the right end than the left end. After removing the carpet, I can shim it with 1/8" shims on the left and 1/16" shims in the middle, etc.

Extra bracing is certainly not necessary front-to-back since each of the three supports have 1/2" plywood glued and screwed to them. Right-to-left bracing could be increased, but I think I have enough. This is hard to judge. As my brother the engineer said, "It requires almost no bracing if the supports remain vertical. But, if they start to tip over, there will be no stopping them." Thus, you just need enough to keep it in position. The eight triangular pieces of plywood glued and screwed on the eight back corners are quite strong. The four smaller diagonal supports on the four top corners on the front are not nearly as strong, but should keep it from starting to tip, which is all that matters. It will be interesting to monitor everything when I fill the tank.

Tinman- Yes, the tank itself will be what dominates the room.

Dutch · Post by **Dutch** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 1:37 am

Keith Wolcott wrote:Dutch- Thanks for the compliment on the hinges and knobs.

How does the saying go... "The devil is in the details."

Nice (bog)wood, is that Mopani?

mickthefish · Post by **mickthefish** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 4:32 am

i thought it looked like mopani wood, if it is that stuff never stops leaching tannins into the water.

mick

Dutch · Post by **Dutch** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 6:53 am

Do you mean it affects the water color? I thought mopani was one of the few types of wood that doesn't do that. At least some shops here list it as such.

mickthefish · Post by **mickthefish** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 7:05 am

yup dutch it's like tea water in no time, in fact ive thrown it out now.

mick

Keith Wolcott · Post by **Keith Wolcott** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 7:51 am

Yes Mick, it is mopani wood. It does leach tannins into the water and makes it a tea color at first. My experience is that after about six months it is pretty much gone. With this much wood, it will leach a lot at first. My experience and understanding is that it does not harm the fish and I think the tea color looks kind of nice. Mick, have you had an experience where it leaches a lot after many months?

mickthefish · Post by **mickthefish** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 8:06 am

yes Keith, that piece of wood i through out wasn't that big but it leached for years, at least 5 yrs as i used to use it in a cory rear on tank.
yours might be fine and stop leaching pretty fast.

mick

Dutch · Post by **Dutch** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 9:54 am

How about using a carbon filter, or (for the small pieces) boiling it first?
Those are two tips I seem to come across regularly.

I do think a little color in the water makes the tank look more natural than crystal clear water.

shari2 · Post by **shari2** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 10:01 am

I like the tannin affect, too. I have several mopani pieces that did leach somewhat, but it wasn't a very dark effect, even when I had it in a 30g tank. X 10 I think it would be much lighter. Though you do have a lot of pieces.

After about 6 months or so, there wasn't much color to notice. Even doing water changes into a white bucket I saw very little difference in color.

mick, you must have gotten a very rich piece.

newshound · Post by **newshound** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 3:05 pm

wow Ive been missing out on (another) crazy thread!!!!
just a quick question.
what are the steel supports under the floor resting on?

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