SnakeIce

I alluded to the fact that 4x4s were used for legs in a previous post. Here, for those that like to read , is the rest of the details on the stand

The stand has 4x4 legs, and double 2x4 top rails. The outside front and back 2x4 rails are full length with the ends butt jointed inbetween. The inside 2x4 rails are mitered so a part of each rests on the corner legs. I used two 2x4 sill plates to spread the weight and tie the bottom of the legs together. I used pocket set screws to hold the top to the leggs so I didn't have to drive extra length screws down from the top.

The paneling is 1/8" oak veneer plywood, I grabbed 1/8" instead of 1/4" by mistake but used the 1/8" anyway. The doors are 1/4" oak plywood. Solid oak trim: top and bottom is backsplash, panel trim is 1.5"x3/8" bevel edge, and 1" corner trim covers panel edges.

Tool list: circular saw, compound miter saw, drill, Kreg pocket hole jig, hammer, level, bar clamps, square, measure tape, wood filler and putty knife, 100 and 220 grit sandpaper, wood wrasp, stain, polyurethane, paintbrushes, and an understanding wife who lets me use the front porch and liveing room as a workshop. I build and she sands and puts the finish on.

SnakeIce

At this rate there is no way I could ever get paid to do this type of thing. But I suppose that is why it is my entertainment and not for a liveing.


Here I am engrossed in the details of my project (pun intended).



One last look at the back of the stand, showing the frame, and the floor, door sills, hardware and shelf I installed since the last pictures. Not shown is a pedestal for the canister filter I made to raise it up off the floor. The light colored ovals are where I drilled pocket set screw holes after the peices had been stained.



Just setting the tank on the stand where it is going to be feels like a bigger accomplishment than any of the other steps there have been along the way.

SnakeIce

Today I put the substrate in and started placeing the driftwood.

I put some mulm from another tank, about 2 cups worth, and about a quart of peat moss under the SMS. I did use almost all of the 50lbs. I kept a small amount out to use to level out those areas that end up messed up when I am planting.

View from front room



Liveing room angle



Most viewed end




I am not quite done with the right side. It is to symetrical the way the "roots" are at the moment. I think I will rotate it towards the end to solve some of the current angle problems

John N.

Looking good SnakeIce. That Soilmaster Select looks very good with the driftwood pieces. I think you're right about inverting the right driftwood the other way. It'll open up the tank with some new angles. I'll check back later to see how things fill in!

-John N.

SnakeIce

I have been torn between waiting to set it up till I can order the plants I want for it and getting it running for the pet fish that is feeling neglected away from the main liveing areas. The latter won out, so I cleaned out my lfs of hygrophila and set it up with that adding to what I have already. I have a bacterial bloom waneing that is much worse now that the unrinsed SMS made the water when I filled the tank.

I did rotate the right drift wood structure a little counter clockwise to open it up more towards the end of the tank. Plantings may shrink a little after I get the rest of the flora for the tank, especially in the case of the Crypt beckettii, but except for the stems ocupy the areas I intend them to.

The back section of crypt beckettii will be changed out for a taller crypt species, an anubius coffefolia will go behind where the bedraggled rotala is and more java fern will cover the extreme left driftwood. I would like to have several forground plants for variety, probably chain sword and glosso or HC depending on how much I can spend.

This first picture shows the angle I will view the tank the most often, and the second is more true to color.

SnakeIce

I want to share a little about why I have fishtanks and what this process of setting this tank up means to me. I am going to share some things about who I've been, not to incite concern or pity, but simply to acknowlege information that is as defineing for me as an refugee's country of origin is to those sojourning in a strange country.

One side of my family is very abusive, controling and participated in some of the most awefull twisted stuff I know of(look up project paperclip and Gelli for hints at the kinds of behaviors). My imediate family is away from that now but still harrased on a daily basis. The first portion of my life was either trying to deal with the abuse or liveing on the run with my parents. The specifics of the abuse are still unrecalled due to blocking it out, but that effort really messed with who I am and my ability to keep continuity from day to day. I was paranoid, fearful and unable to do anything but survive. My first year in highschool really drew a contrast between how I was exsisting and the pleasant appearing lives of my classmates. I was failing all my classes due to stress but only had to crack the book to get the highest score on a test. The next 5 years of school I only managed to get through day to day things without completely looseing it. I dropped out of college to try to get space to work on something I had the inkling was very disturbing to me. It has taken me 8 years to go from a complete multiple personality complex to (mostly) back in my right mind. The dream and goal I've had all along was that I would be a contributeing member of society and have a healthy interaction with others in the space I call home. For the longest time the only plants I could keep alive were cacti since they could deal with however long I spaced out on them. I knew I wanted an aquarium even then, but being as mobile and poor because of that as I was there was no way to even think of it.

This tank is big enough to not move easily, and as a symbol of a permanent resting place means alot to me. The experience with it has also been something that has taught me lessons I've needed to learn.

I have found things to be for me much like this rotala. It has exsisted for some time in poor conditions, algae covers all the old growth and it is stunted and ugly because of that. Once the step is made to face up to what is needed to be healthy new growth can occur, but that doesn't make the old parts go away. Indeed without the old new cannot arise. In time the new growth may be enough to replace the old, but until then it is a moment by moment, cell division by cell division process that has to move forward to bring about that renewal. Each day I have to make the choices to allow that process to continue or ignore reality and let things stagnate.

So while I may have the tank set up, the journey is only just begun. I still have some rough edges but I know He is faithful and sure to complete the good work He began in me.

LunchBox

John N.

Great journal and background for the idea. Very interesting. Overall the tank looks like it has a nice start, I'm sure there will be more pruning and replanting along the way. What are your plans for the patches of moss on the left, foreground?

-John N.

SnakeIce

Those are java moss covered stones that I've added to increase the plant mass in the tank. I will be moveing them to the 20 long at some point. They are sort of an experiment with the technique... at this point I don't really have a thought out place to use it in this tank.

Or it might stay. I'm not sure at this point without any other forground plants on hand to use.

SnakeIce

The tank came through a week's vacation without to much trouble as far as algae. I still had some growth that stalled but that can be remedied.

I got some Crypt. balansae in a fish store where I went and brought them back. Here is a photo with those in place and straightened up some. They need to grow in.




Most of the fish I thought to put in it are in now. My pet angel, sheriff, surpprized me by laying eggs last weekend on the filter intake in the other tank. That delayed the move over a few days.

Plants
Hygrophila
Crypt. balansae
Crypt. beckettii
Crypt. wentii
Crypt. willisii? visible on the right side
Rotala rotundifolia
java moss
java fern
Anubius barteri var. nana

Fish
Angelfish
6 variatus platys
6 cardinal tetras
5 harliquin rasboras
2 ottos