Making of the Old Chinese Garden by PJAN - Page 4 - Journals

David Hui · 01-20-2006, 10:20 AM

PJAN,

Did you make your own tank as well? Very nice setup

David

PJAN · 01-23-2006, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by javoski

Dear PJAN, one more congrats for your superb layout

I saw a article of yours about light peak, I guess, as it´s written in italian and I´m a portuguese native speaker

Is there an English version?

Sorry for the late reply.
Yep, I have somewhere the "draft" of the English version used for the Italian website. PM you about it.

Principle is very simple, in short :
3-3-3 : LHL

Meaning 3 hours low light - 3 hours high light - 3 hours low light.
The 3 hours high light are important to get the demanding plants growing healthy or to get stemm plants more redish.
In my opinion it is not necessary to use 100% light ( high light/maximum) for the whole 9 hours.

I can speed up growth by adjusting the schedule :
3-4-3
or
2-5-2
etc.

Advantages : electrical bill (..) and "mistakes" in dosing micro's/macro's ( e.g. too low) will not punish you very hard.
If I use all my 6 x 54 Watt T5 for 9 hours at 100% : I have to be on top of the macro's and micro's or otherwise the plants will show fast some defiencies. Now I can watch the tank and adjust in time to prevent algae growing etc.

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Hui

PJAN,

Did you make your own tank as well? Very nice setup

David

Thanks!

No, I ordered my rimless tank. Tanks are not very expensive overhere and the price difference is too small comparing DIY-manufactured.
I did made the stand myself

You can't buy it.

Gr. PJAN

Bavarian3 · 01-25-2006, 03:22 AM

First would like to say youre layouts are all great, and the final product turned out amazing.
The DIY stand you made is just exactly what i want to do. I was wondering if you might have some plans or more details on the build process of this? I am in the process of finding myself a rimless tank and want to build myself a simple amano style stand just like yours. Any more information on this would be very much appreciated.

-Charles

PJAN · 01-25-2006, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bavarian3

First would like to say youre layouts are all great, and the final product turned out amazing.
The DIY stand you made is just exactly what i want to do. I was wondering if you might have some plans or more details on the build process of this? I am in the process of finding myself a rimless tank and want to build myself a simple amano style stand just like yours. Any more information on this would be very much appreciated.

-Charles

Mmm, details..about the stand.
Well, I made some drawings for othe people. The stand is easy to make.

I used 18 mm MDF and 4 layers of paint ( 2x ground - 2x finish) on all sides.
If I spill water, there will be no problem because MDF can suck up water like there is no tomorrow.

The top board is placed on the sides & back :

Before glue and screw the thing together, saw the holes first :

The front of the top board is not fixed - yet. So to prevent bending I choose to use two innner planks. One for leaning the door against and the front for cosmetic reasons of course.

I used an inner frame-work to give the total construction more securiness and prevent bending in the middle. Also the inner frame is used for the doors to lean against it.

When opening the stand, it looks like this :

Left is the "wet" compartiment for the Eheim filter, CO2 reactor and UV.
Right is the "dry" compartiment for the computers etc.
The reason is to avoid water from spilling by cleaning the Eheim to enter the computers.

Gr. PJAN

Bavarian3 · 01-25-2006, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PJAN

Mmm, details..about the stand.
Well, I made some drawings for othe people. The stand is easy to make.

I used 18 mm MDF and 4 layers of paint ( 2x ground - 2x finish) on all sides.
If I spill water, there will be no problem because MDF can suck up water like there is no tomorrow.

The top board is placed on the sides & back :

[IMG]http://members.chello.nl/p.magnin2/images/tank/picture1.jpg[/IM]

Before glue and screw the thing together, saw the holes first :

[IMG]http://members.chello.nl/p.magnin2/images/tank/picture16.jpg[/IG]

The front of the top board is not fixed - yet. So to prevent bending I choose to use two innner planks. One for leaning the door against and the front for cosmetic reasons of course.

I used an inner frame-work to give the total construction more securiness and prevent bending in the middle. Also the inner frame is used for the doors to lean against it.

When opening the stand, it looks like this :
[IMG]http://members.chello.nl/p.magnin2/images/tank/picture17.jpg[/IG]

Left is the "wet" compartiment for the Eheim filter, CO2 reactor and UV.
Right is the "dry" compartiment for the computers etc.
The reason is to avoid water from spilling by cleaning the Eheim to enter the computers.

Gr. PJAN

Im a little confused on the way you put together the front, perhaps my confusion is just how you fit the inner frame with the doors like in the pic i left shown. I wont be needing an inner frame as 1" thick wood would be plenty for the size tank i will be using so that may simplify this? Perhaps if you have more pics of the front of the tank during the build it would make more sense.
Big thanks for all your help, i cant wait to get a nice setup started like yours. Keep up the good work!

-Charles

PJAN · 01-25-2006, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bavarian3

Im a little confused on the way you put together the front, perhaps my confusion is just how you fit the inner frame with the doors like in the pic i left shown. I wont be needing an inner frame as 1" thick wood would be plenty for the size tank i will be using so that may simplify this? Perhaps if you have more pics of the front of the tank during the build it would make more sense.
Big thanks for all your help, i cant wait to get a nice setup started like yours. Keep up the good work!

-Charles

No, I don't have picures of the building process.

It's perhaps confusing because I wanted a slick innerboard that had to fit.
Ok, here's another drawing :

Normally you would "only" see the side and the door ( upper drawing) when everything is painted etc.
The construction is plain simple : top board, front board and door etc. Like every stand / kitchencabinet etc.

But with heavy /long tanks you want to prevent the top board for bending.
Soooo, you will need an extra supporting frame in the middle of the stand.
Right.
But also nice is a neat and slick back-board like Amano's stand has.
Right.

Let's take a look at this drawing :

In the "normal" situation we would just put an extra piece of wood inside the stand, thick enough to use as strong frame / weight carrier.
This is a simple solution.
But if you want a slcik backboard, the frame get's in the way. Or better, there will be extra space wich will not look nice.
I took the time to saw the frame out ( ehh please forgive me my English

) to fit in the back-board.
So two solutions :
1) leave it as it is : with a slick backboard and frame behind it
2) or saw in the frame and make it nice looking

As for your question :
No, for small tanks you don't need and inner frame. You may simplify this!
If you want a slick backboard inside the stand : just put an extra board, a bit bigger in size of course ( height ) behind the front board.

Last drawing (...) :
Watch out : view from the top !

Gr. PJAN

javoski · 01-25-2006, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PJAN

Yep, I have somewhere the "draft" of the English version used for the Italian website. PM you about it.

Gr. PJAN

Received. You got a point there. Makes a lot of sense to me and it's extremely well explained. I strongly believe that you should publish it

Thanks a lot for sharing.

Bavarian3 · 01-25-2006, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PJAN

No, I don't have picures of the building process.

It's perhaps confusing because I wanted a slick innerboard that had to fit.
Ok, here's another drawing :

[IMG]http://members.chello.nl/p.magnin2/images/tank/stand_10.gif[/MG]

Normally you would "only" see the side and the door ( upper drawing) when everything is painted etc.
The construction is plain simple : top board, front board and door etc. Like every stand / kitchencabinet etc.

But with heavy /long tanks you want to prevent the top board for bending.
Soooo, you will need an extra supporting frame in the middle of the stand.
Right.
But also nice is a neat and slick back-board like Amano's stand has.
Right.

Let's take a look at this drawing :

[IMG]http://members.chello.nl/p.magnin2/images/tank/stand_11.gif[/MG]

In the "normal" situation we would just put an extra piece of wood inside the stand, thick enough to use as strong frame / weight carrier.
This is a simple solution.
But if you want a slcik backboard, the frame get's in the way. Or better, there will be extra space wich will not look nice.
I took the time to saw the frame out ( ehh please forgive me my English

) to fit in the back-board.
So two solutions :
1) leave it as it is : with a slick backboard and frame behind it
2) or saw in the frame and make it nice looking

As for your question :
No, for small tanks you don't need and inner frame. You may simplify this!
If you want a slick backboard inside the stand : just put an extra board, a bit bigger in size of course ( height ) behind the front board.

Last drawing (...) :
Watch out : view from the top !
[IMG]http://members.chello.nl/p.magnin2/images/tank/stand_12.gif[/MG]

Gr. PJAN

Ahh this all makes much more sense now, thanks a ton for the drawings and explanation. I understand now how you fit together the front of stand with the doors. I assume you needed to use a specific type of door hinge for it to swing in and out properly?
Now the last question, did you begin the build process by constructing the inner frame first, then add the outer sides? or visa versa. Thanks again

-Charles

PJAN · 01-28-2006, 08:39 AM

Hello Charles,

Door hinge : no, just the normal stuff, used for kitchen-cabinets.
You will need special tools ( drill for round holes etc).

Mmm, I made several of these stands, also for other people.
I normally start with :

1) screw the left and right side against the back.
2) place and screw the top on the sides & back
3) check the small front-board if it fits exactly
4) check the back- board if it fits
5) screw the front board / back board
6) now you have a reasonable solid construction
7) flip it over and place the bottom

middle frame : place exactly vertical
9) so now everything fits and is placed correctly
10) get the stand in pieces....unscrew
11) start putting construction glue on the sides, screw it
12) follow 2..3... etc see above

Doors :
The doors are a little smaller ofcourse.
There must be room for swinging in-out.
The space above/beneath is 4 mm.
The space between the doors itself is also 4 mm.
Place the hinges and and place the doors.

One last note : work carefully and exact. It will save you time in the end.
You always have to abrade and polish the stand to get the connection sides-top-bottom etc. smooth etc.

Submerse the screws !
Stuff the space ( screw submerged in the wood) to flatten the board.
Polish and paint inside / outside.

If something isn't clear or too difficult ( eg. hinges), please ask a local handy-man or smart neighbour...to help you out.

Gr. PJAN

user367 · 01-28-2006, 08:32 PM

Dear PJAN
I like your tank very much
There are many health plants and not one hair of algae!
And I want ask you-may be you have a problem with algae Cladophora sp and
it was Successful struggle? i have this problem
(((and I cannot decide it(((
I hope you give me advice