Glass Doors & Open Stands: What are your thoughts?

[revhtree Verified Admin]

With all the cool equipment and gadgets available these days one trend in the aquarium industry is glass doors and open stands! Clean wiring, colored PVC, LED cabinet lighting and more can make for a complex looking and beautiful equipment cabinet. I personally like it! Let's talk about it!

1. Do you have an open stand or cabinet with glass doors to show off your equipment area?

2. Do you like to keep your sump/equipment area clean and tidy?

Let's see a photo of your open sump/equipment area!

New build images via @Clownreef

 

[RMS18]

I don't have the time to keep the sump clean enough to where I'd like to show it off with glass doors. I have seen crazy super clean sump areas that would do well behind glass doors, just not for me. In addition with a 1 year old running around, the glass doors would be more work to keep clean vs my wood skinned stand.

 

[Sump Crab]

Nope. Not for me. Especially with kids around.

 

[Doctorgori]

….in making the sump area look nice you also in a way make it functional. Clean and neat usually equates to operational functionaliy

Like interior designs, Aquarium looks also trend….I can see open sumps or equipment appearance designs trending soon

 

[Gtinnel]

If my sump was worth showing off I think glass doors are a great idea. My sump is so disorganized I won't even show a picture of it online. It's a huge mess of wires and diy projects.

 

[CMMorgan]

My sump is pretty but it won't stay that way. I have the doors and I will get them mounted soon enough. Personally, I could make a case that my dog finds the sump area fascinating but the honest answer is that noone wants to see what runs under Disney World. You want to see the fantasy, not the mechanics. Keep the technical stuff a mystery, it's all about the DT.

 

[Nate Chalk]

My stand is open no glass, I do catch our cat checking out the water flow occasionally. But otherwise it's pretty cool/easy to access. The cable management is minimalist?

 

[burningmime]

Got a fish room. If someone wants to see the mechanics, they just need to pop downstairs.

Not sure how I feel about having that stuff on display all the time in the middle of the living room. I love the technical side of the hobby; that's my favorite part. But it's not really the most visually impressive thing even when you do know what you're looking at, let alone when you don't.

 

[Greybeard]

Another vote for not putting equipment under the tank.

Old fat man here... Working from my knees just isn't an option anymore.

Sump closet. It's not nearly as attractive as some of the setups I see around here, but I can get to everything, don't need to assume any yoga positions to reach equipment... works for me.

Want it to look clean and shiny for company?

Close the door.

 

[hllb]

I have a hard enough time keeping the cords organized. Zero chance I could keep the sump organized enough to have glass doors. I do like the look of visible control boards. I can only hope to be that organized one day LOL.

 

[burningmime]

Another vote for not putting equipment under the tank.

Old fat man here... Working from my knees just isn't an option anymore.

Sump closet. It's not nearly as attractive as some of the setups I see around here, but I can get to everything, don't need to assume any yoga positions to reach equipment... works for me.

Want it to look clean and shiny for company?

Close the door.

I like the colored dosing tubes. Where did you get those?

 

[NDIrish]

I think it would depend on where the tank is located, then wife's opinion and if you have any young children.

 

[dbowman5]

I am a yes!! it is called a basement!

 

[Cool tangs]

No but eventually a fish shed/room will be the only thing showing off my equipment.

Personally i dont find looking at equipment pleasing underneath my main display

 

[X-37B]

Yes open stand. Just never got around to adding doors. Kids are gone along time ago.
May one day add them but the wife likes the ipennlook and it has grown one too.
I also have the same setup on my frag system.
Last pic I just took with no lights.

 

[KStatefan]

I debated having an open stand when building mine just was not sure if it would look good long term.

 

[Quietman]

I can barely keep my display tank worthy of the name let alone my sump. If anything maybe I'll get a 'display closet'.

 

[Ocean’s Piece]

I have an open stand. It does have its downsides but I have solved these downsides so it’s not that much of a hassle. All the stands that fit my tank didn’t fit the style of my house, so we had to make one. This is what it looks like. I keep all the things I use often in a drawer across the tank on the other side of the room and the junk I use every month to practically never but still good to have stays in a black box in another room.

 

[ultraArcite]

1. Do you have an open stand or cabinet with glass doors to show off your equipment area?

Nope! I think the fiancé would throw a fit if everyone could see the protein skimmer and filter socks ;Hilarious

2. Do you like to keep your sump/equipment area clean and tidy?

I like to, but it doesn't always seem to work that way... getting the Hydros Wave Controller should help a bit... I need to wrangle some cables.

 

[Trouble1375]

I am second owner of this stand/tank/hood. It was completely stripped down when we bought it. The hinges were rusty so I took them off and we wound up replacing them with magnets so the doors can come off completely (they are out of way for water changes, cleaning, etc). I’m OCD so cord management was key in the setup even with the doors on the stand. Most of the time the doors are off and stashed behind the stand but if we are expecting company I put them back on. The hood has been modified to get our lights 15” off the water. Ideally we will wind up hanging the lights and making a screen top for the tank since I have several jumpers (most adept is the Scrawled Cowfish - how is a box so aerodynamic? He also spits water at me anytime I am by the tank).