At that point you're getting into the whole pets vs. attempt to create a realistic replica of their environment kinda thing.

It would be interesting in a study sort of way, but definitely not if you're looking to keep specifics, and nicely.

Hi Wyite....
I was looking at your stand structure, and am not sure how the lower level of your two level stands is supported. I don't see any verticle support under the middle section, it looks like they are screwed sideways into the vertical support. Could you show or explain how it is supported? I am concerned that they may not be strong enough once the water is in them, hate to see an accident.
Great looking room, keep us posted.

The vertical supports are fir 2x6s. The top and middle shelves have a 5/8", grade 8 bolt going through them at each 2x6 (one bolt at each corner), in addition to a coupla screws to prevent any flex or rotation. I can't remember exactly what the bolts are rated for now, but IIRC shear strength was like 7,000 PSI and breaking strength was over 30,000 lbs for coarse threaded bolts. So my biggest concern actually was that the bolts would hold, but that the weight of the tank pushing down on the bolts would be too much for the compression strength of the wood, causing the wood to split or crack, and ultimately fail. So I talked to one of the civil engineers at work, showed him my design, gave him the list of materials and he crunched the numbers. He actually had just taken his PE exam, so it was all fresh in his memory. He figured that there shouldn't be any issue with the wood, so when he gave it a thumbs up, I proceeded.

I'm not exactly the trustin' type, though. So even though he said the design was solid and there should be no issues, that's on paper and after 18+ years in the refining business, I've learned to take anything an engineer says with a smidgeon of caution, because paper and reality aren't always the same. I'll be monitoring them for a good while looking for signs of any problems. I'm not worried about a catastrophic failure at this point; I'm more cautious about possible small problems that magnify over time. I am well aware this is an untried design, but I liked the flexibility it gives me for tank placement.

Thanks for the concern.

WYite

Bout time for updates!!!!!

You're right. Been meanin' to. I'll take some pics and post tomorrow.

WYite

Alright. In the next day or two. I'm kinda embarrassed , I have pieces of versa-top, filters, glass (been cuttin' replacement pieces for versa-tops that broke), egg crate, bags of gravel and sand, and miscellaneous aquaria paraphanelia spread from one end of the room to another. I'll clean it up tomorrow and take some pics.

I'm missin' one whole box of stuff. All my box filters, the canister part of one of my Magnum 350's and two Penguin HOBs are MIA. Scoured the garage today lookin' for the missin' box. Kinda POed, I'm gonna hafta buy a coupla more filters than I thought.

WYite

Until you get us some pics...

I have some extra whispers if you want them?

I have nothing to add!

I have a big box of misc parts and bits depending on what you need too.

Pics my next set of days off. I didn't wanna stop to take pics. Found three leakers today, all small tanks. Started after they'd been filled for a day or three. On the bright side, the refugium I built for my dwarf cichlid tanks, an experiment to try to provide a constant supply of live food, didn't leak.

I may compose a list of oddball parts that I could use and hit ya up on that offer, saint.

I'll send ya a PM in the next day or two, Trent. I actually like the older Whispers, though I know a lot of folks didn't.

WYite

The updates:

Half the CA tanks,



the space that is the future home of the 225 gallon tank,


and two shots of the other half of the CA tanks.



Pay no attention to the goofy little girl...

CA tanks on the right, Asian in the middle bank, and African tanks on the left.


Another shot of the African tanks, a couple still to come...


And the SA tanks.


The 180 is gonna go between the SA and African tanks. Thinkin' it should be a Tanganyikan tank, but then again West Africans sound kinda cool, too...

And finally, the 20L and two 10s I'm converting to vertical frog tanks.


The 15 in the SA stands is gonna be a poison dart frog tank, thinkin' of puttin' a pair of Dendrobates tinctorius "powder blue" in it.

I have the two stands for the big tanks to build, then I hafta find some poor suckers to help me move 'em in. Have a stand to build for the vertical frog tanks, easy project that I can complete in an afternoon.

I ordered a coupla versa-tops and some light strips, decided I wasn't gonna make due with what I had, too-small light strips and poorly illuminated tanks. I was afraid it would give the impression of things just thrown together when it came to the lighting, so I just ordered 'em. I'm so close to havin' it the room of my dreams that I decided not to cut corners now. (Watch for a check from Foster & Smiths, Paul. I linked from here and it was a pretty penny I spent today.)

I wanna head out and bring in rocks for aquascaping. But the wind chill has been below zero and most of my rocks are under 2" to 15" of snow. Gonna hafta wait until the weather is a bit warner, at least in the 30s. Several tanks are cycled now, the rest I'm just bein' patient 'bout. However, I am officially in the market for fish as of now. Hooray!

Sorry some of the pics are blurry. Been shaky all day, not sure why.

WYite

Cool, pics finally, stands look good, tanks too. Looking good though can't wait till you have some fish.