Just curious...I'm about to set my tank(s) up on a new cabinet bank and was wondering what folks do to help protect the wood. This is a first for me--REAL WOOD cabinets as opposed to the traditional fiberboard/veneer junk tanks usually sit on.
I was going to get 1/4" sheets of lexan cut to the size of the cabinet tops where the tanks will sit to help guard against water and the like...good idea? bad idea? better idea?
Thanks all...
setting up tank...
-
DonkeyFish
- Posts: 1783
- Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2007 4:42 pm
- Real Name: Jen Williams
- Location: Alexandria, VA
- Contact:
setting up tank...
It is not murder if you're killing snails.
Hmm, never put much thought into it. Water can still get under the Lexan, but I guess not as easily. I would probably coat the wood with polyurethane or something like that. Better yet, don't spill any water 
Michael Hill
Proud Member of the
Capital Cichlid Association
American Cichlid Association
Aquatic-Photography Forum
Proud Member of the
Capital Cichlid Association
American Cichlid Association
Aquatic-Photography Forum
-
Ltrepeter2000
- Posts: 1555
- Joined: Mon Aug 01, 2005 8:22 am
- Real Name: Rob Peterson
- Location: Sterling, VA
- Contact:
Is this a wood stand or what?
Use Poly, try not to let water sit on the wood or pool under the tank.
If you do have a larger spill, open the door and let it air out after sopping up as much of the water as you can with a towel or similar.
Do NOT use Lexan if you have the tank sitting on a solid piece of wood with no gap (I.e. a board), the lexan will hold the moisture in even more then the tank would and you will end up with issues after a while (you'll not see anything till you lift the tank).
Use Poly, try not to let water sit on the wood or pool under the tank.
If you do have a larger spill, open the door and let it air out after sopping up as much of the water as you can with a towel or similar.
Do NOT use Lexan if you have the tank sitting on a solid piece of wood with no gap (I.e. a board), the lexan will hold the moisture in even more then the tank would and you will end up with issues after a while (you'll not see anything till you lift the tank).
The other Jeff
Master of growing algae and getting better at plants
Master of growing algae and getting better at plants
-
DonkeyFish
- Posts: 1783
- Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2007 4:42 pm
- Real Name: Jen Williams
- Location: Alexandria, VA
- Contact:
Should I assume that you speak from experience "Other Jeff"?
That was pretty much my concern, that any water spilled would leech between the wood and lexan by suction and never get a chance to dry out...or at least not in any timely fashion.
So other than polyurethane, do you folks set your tanks on anything other than straight on the cabinet? I've always used something like the cushy stuff you put in your kitchen cabinets for the dishes to sit on so they don't move around or sit directly on the shelf. It's kinda a tiny waffle pattern, rubbery, and thin. Thoughts, oh gurus?
That was pretty much my concern, that any water spilled would leech between the wood and lexan by suction and never get a chance to dry out...or at least not in any timely fashion.
So other than polyurethane, do you folks set your tanks on anything other than straight on the cabinet? I've always used something like the cushy stuff you put in your kitchen cabinets for the dishes to sit on so they don't move around or sit directly on the shelf. It's kinda a tiny waffle pattern, rubbery, and thin. Thoughts, oh gurus?
It is not murder if you're killing snails.
-
FrannyB
- Posts: 768
- Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2003 3:00 pm
- Real Name: Francine Bethea
- Location: Gwynn Oak, MD 21207
- Contact:
All my tanks are on a painted stand with styrofoam under each tank. The planted tank aficianado may not consider .25" styrofoam for aesthetic reasons, but I know the stuff you're talking about. I use it as well...in my cabinets.
Maybe you could use the styrofoam and paint the edges black with acrylic paint.
Perhaps you could get a piece of plywood cut to the footprint and sit the tank on that.
Truly if you are really concerned about the furniture, don't put a tank on the woodwork 'cos you will spill more water, drop more bottles of chemicals and tools than you would normally do if it was on a stand. Murphy's Law.
Maybe you could use the styrofoam and paint the edges black with acrylic paint.
Perhaps you could get a piece of plywood cut to the footprint and sit the tank on that.
Truly if you are really concerned about the furniture, don't put a tank on the woodwork 'cos you will spill more water, drop more bottles of chemicals and tools than you would normally do if it was on a stand. Murphy's Law.
Are these cabinets that you've built yourself? I built my 75 gallon stand and I built it such that the platform for the actual tank is lower than the front of the cabinet. This helps to hide the bottom plastic rim of the tank and also any foam underneath the tank. I didn't use the foam this time though since the tank is on carpet I figured it was pretty well padded from vibrations.
I am definetely speaking from the better part of 30 years of being around fishtanks.DonkeyFish wrote:Should I assume that you speak from experience "Other Jeff"?
That was pretty much my concern, that any water spilled would leech between the wood and lexan by suction and never get a chance to dry out...or at least not in any timely fashion.
My father had a 30g tank back in the early 80's on his desk and the wood under the tank was warped and pretty ruined when we moved.
The other Jeff
Master of growing algae and getting better at plants
Master of growing algae and getting better at plants
-
DelawareJim
- Posts: 1249
- Joined: Tue Dec 02, 2003 4:25 pm
- Real Name: Jim Michaels
- Location: Southeast PA
For my 110, I did the same thing Aaron did, built the cabinet with a skirt around the top front and sides to hide the plastic frame. The tank sits directly on the cabinet top. No protection to the cabinet other than poly. Drips catch at the skirt edge.
On my smaller tanks sitting on chest-type stands, I put small pieces of self-adhesive felt strips at the corners. I used the furniture felt you can get at HD or Lowe's and cut it to the width of the bottom of the plastic frame. It raises the tank about 1/16 - 1/8 inch and keeps the water that sometimes runs down the front glass from running under the tank.
All my furniture quality cabinets get 3 coats of poly.
This stand was used for a 20 long for 15 years, then as an end table for 20 and now for my 29 gallon Endler's tank for the last couple of years. Surface is as good as when it was built.
Cheers.
Jim
On my smaller tanks sitting on chest-type stands, I put small pieces of self-adhesive felt strips at the corners. I used the furniture felt you can get at HD or Lowe's and cut it to the width of the bottom of the plastic frame. It raises the tank about 1/16 - 1/8 inch and keeps the water that sometimes runs down the front glass from running under the tank.
All my furniture quality cabinets get 3 coats of poly.
This stand was used for a 20 long for 15 years, then as an end table for 20 and now for my 29 gallon Endler's tank for the last couple of years. Surface is as good as when it was built.
Cheers.
Jim
