My Aquarium Rack Build

[aquachris]

So I've been working on this build for a while... I'm getting close to starting to finish the rack system, its installed in its location, just doing some touchups with stain/etc on some alterations I had to do... So I thought maybe I'll share my experience with y'all.   As a background, I've never built anything even slightly close to this before.  But recently I went head first and caught MTS, so I started needing more efficient ways to store tanks!  

First, here are my original plans:

There are some changes on the tank sizes I decided to go with and placement.  I built it with the intent I could always put a 75 in the middle and top if I wanted to.  Decided 75 is going in the middle.

Here's the lumber.  Note the gas cans behind it.  Many times I have debated through this project just to burn it down with the gas... LOL

Rack built, turns out this is the easiest part of the whole thing.. Still hadn't cut the plywood shelves, but those are to come.

Problem is for it to be in the living quarters of our home, my wife insisted it had to be stained.  This is when things slowed WAY down.

Sanded and prepped

Poly time:

Shelves are on

Weight testing. Note the aquarium.  That is a 75gallon that I'm going to use in the middle.  You'll see pics in the future of a transformation of it.  

So now that it was finished.. brought it into the house.  Planned on installing it in my office.  I could not get it through the doors in my office.  I just had no way to maneuver it.  So I cut the top off and will reconnect using heavy duty stainless steel lag screws later.  

This was heart breaking to do.  I worked so hard on this thing, to cut it, was like cutting my own child.

But, it worked and I got it in.  Now time to fix it up.

First step in the "repair"

And here is the side view with the lag screws

Now with shelves

So in the meantime, I completed the 75 gallon makeover

So that brings us to today.  Today I'm working on cutting out a small notch on the side of the rack as I apparently wasn't as long on the rack as I thought for the 75 gallon.  I thought I would have enough room - somehow I thought it was 48-1/4" to the edges of the trim.  Nope, 48-1/2".  It fit, as I had EXACTLY 48-1/2" but it had to go in perfectly and it scrapes the sides.  As I painted over the trim, I didn't want to ruin it, so I notched out about a 1/4" on the inside and am restraining it to fix it up the best I can.

[aquachris]

Oh most recent photo, I moved my biocube over to its destination and now you can see the full wall of this.  It was in the midst of moving the biocube over. I will be getting another pic once the 75 is installed.

 

[Justin Campbell]

Who knew 2x4s could look so good when stained! Nice job.

[aquachris]

3 hours ago, Justin Campbell said:

Who knew 2x4s could look so good when stained! Nice job.

Yeah I was quite surprised. I didn't want to bother but at the end it does look nice. 

Edited October 17, 2020 by aquachris

[aquachris]

Slid in the 75 gallon today.  A bit of touch up needed on trim, will have to wait to move biocube in the future.  

[aquachris]

Light is installed on the 75.  Now time to clean up 🙂