New Nano

That's very kind please let me know your banking details etc I would gladly pay for the shipping

 

Cool, will let you know over the weekend and send it Monday.

 

ok small update sort of. i got my glass, its 6mm so this is going to be one strong heavy little tank. guys would a 20mm hole be enough for the overflow or would i need 2.

 

Sounds big enough. You cant keep big fish in here so make sure you put something in front so they do not go into the overflow.

 

cool will do will put some mesh over the intake, or maybe even a pipe elbow with some mesh over that. by the way "VIS" checked your tank with the tree out, do you have any pics of the hood you built, and what lighting do you have under there.

 

Its actually a whole cabinet I build. http://www.tropicalaquarium.co.za/showthread.php?3234-My-Breeding-Tank-(Remodelled)/page3

Light: 14W Daylight CFL

 

u can actually shove a piece of black filter foam (the more porus ones) in the filter where the hole is. i had an elbow and it really restricts flow..

 

- that cabinet is stunning will give it a try but doubt i will get it to look anything like that .

that sounds easier too i have a couple of old filters lying around, thanks

 

oh and are u going to leave the filter section's glass see through?

 

well thats what im thinking about now. i like the look of moss walls so maybe will try that will take time to fill in but will look great when done. the other option was to do something similar to what "zoom" had done with the pebbles but was thinking of silicone on the glass and putting some gravel onto that, will get a nice gritty look to it, and being rough the moss can still take hold onto that.

 

ok had a little time so was playing around on my computer, what do guys think. @ "Vis" hope you dont mind me using your idea

 

I love this cabinet. I plan on making one for my nano one day

 

you r rite really is a nice idea all credit to vis for sharing with us.

google skecthup is awesome to use basically work out the exact size of the timber/ glass needed then get it cut.

 

Hi Linga

One sugestion. Make the base taller, the same as the lid. You do not need to make it deep, just like it is now but the side of the base taller. So the floor will stay were it is. Hope that sort of make sense. Will make the cabinet look more balnced.

Mine is on a black stand so it all blends together and you do not notice it. If you put it somewhere else it looks kinda funny.

 

Linga can you change something on your drawing?

You see the side of the cabinet that looks like a L. Make the top of the L shorter.
The tank should now look higher then the cabinet, meaning that when you close the lid it goes over the tank with how much you lowered it with. This way you will not see the water level.

 

Changed this in my design when I first sketched it out. Noticed that it was a bit to high in your finished product. That's what prototypes are for. When we used to design stuff in Mech Tech we used to make a prototype first then make a fully working model.

I basically changed your design and everything you mentioned so far to change was already in my design. We think alike.

Another thing I added was support bars at the front 2 corners of the lid (so that the support bars sit on the glass when the lid is closed) so the weight is distributed evenly and doesn't damage the hinge and so the lid remains level over long term stress.

TM

 

ok guys thanks very much for all the suggestions it helps greatly. have changed the drawing a little. @ vis yeah i see what you mean the entire height will be dropped by about 10-15mm so the cabinet closes over the tank to cover the water line, also increased the bottom timber to look more uniform to the lid. @ TM thanks man, i am actually planning the support bars at the front i too think the weight will be too much stress on the hinges and the timber uprights. thats why its awesome to have drawings (and not real prototypes), can keep changing

 

Ok Linga.

I think that the other design was more balanced and dynamic. Clearly you have design knowledge and know about leading lines and structure dominance.

The following is my opinion:

The bottom part is now too thick and makes the whole design "flat" without any "stylish edge"

I assume you are raising the tank off the bottom and not just increasing the height of the wood. This would just limit your display area and make it look "squashed" between the 2 pieces of wood.

[Looks for pic on Google and finds nothing......gets SMS...]

Well, structurally, it may benefit. Maybe my whole aim is different with regard to design. I want to achieve the balance of a Juwel tank. So thin at the bottom and at least 2X the thickness at the top.

Oh! and I'm loving the internal sump idea!

Look's good but don't limit your viewing area. I was also thinking about adding 2 slits on the back-sides of the lid for wiring. But I don't own a router.

What color/finish are you going with?

 

cool TM, i totally get what you are saying with the comprimise of viewing space, thats why i went with the thin bottom look, but having some proportion does also make sense, were the top does not look out out balance and being too large to the base. plus by making the base bigger i wont lose any viewing space as i would raise the entire tank/ cabinet to maximise the view, the tank will be 300 high so i should get a 250-260 mm viewing area when cabinet in place. well guess i just have to try it out now. the wood is all pine so i will go either cherry or mahogony, to get a nice look. i would love to try this cabinet idea on my 4 foot tank lets see how its goes

 

Great stuff! I am actually designing my tank a bit taller to compensate for the parts under the wood. So the height is 450mm + Xmm (X being the total height of glass covered). This way I still get 450mmX770mm viewing area.

When are you starting yours? I'm building the tank in November and will be completely set up by the 20th Nov. Enough time to see the second build by @Vis

Might be importing the Fluval U4 and Fluval E100 if I cant get them in SA.

TM