innovative marine canopy

[paul17]

hi i am getting a IM ext. 75 super stoked does anyone have ideas about a canopy maybe some one has built one thx

 

[Sean Clark]

I used more APS stands to build my canopy. It looks like this same thing could be built out of an APS stand for a Fusion 20 Encore 20 stand that would fit your 75 EXT.

 

[paul17]

wow that looks real nice but there must be a lot more to it then just setting a stand on top

 

[Sean Clark]

wow that looks real nice but there must be a lot more to it then just setting a stand on top

Thanks, as for there being a lot more to it... well not really. I did take what would be the side panel (which is now the bottom) and cut it down to fill in what would normally be the to back and top side, other than that they are just stands turned sideways and set on top. Just an idea for you to consider.

 

[paul17]

ok well i do appreciate your help in this i am also using white
how does it secure to the top how do you hold the door open when feeding /doing maint.
details please if you have time thx it does look like its ment to be a canopy

 

[paul17]

it looks like its 30.06 in width so i guess it would hang off the back is this right

 

[paul17]

the 75 ext is almost 24 front to back

 

[paul17]

sorry i think you said encore that would be a better fit but one door would fold down the other lift up wondering if the bottom one would make it hard on maint.what do you think

 

[paul17]

i just looked at your build nice job sean

 

[Sean Clark]

ok well i do appreciate your help in this i am also using white
how does it secure to the top how do you hold the door open when feeding /doing maint.
details please if you have time thx it does look like its ment to be a canopy

My pleasure to help.
It is not really secured to the top, just set in place. I put this 1/8"x2" foam on the bottom to protect the glass and to act as a seal to stop light spill.

To hold the doors open I just use the tried and true "stick method". It works well. I was going to install these plastic cabinet door struts, but decided the stick was simpler. For deeper maintenance I just remove the whole thing with the lights still attached. It is pretty light.

sorry i think you said encore that would be a better fit but one door would fold down the other lift up wondering if the bottom one would make it hard on maint.what do you think

This is the stand that I was thinking matched up pretty well to your 75 when laid down on its side. You may need to leave to doors on top if they won't be a direct fit for the side panels. I did not look through all of their stands. Maintenance can be a bit harder, but like I said, I just remove the whole thing.

i just looked at your build nice job sean

Thank you

 

[jkcoral]

Are you thinking about a fully enclosed canopy, or maybe a more open set up (like for hanging lights from a rail, etc.)?

A couple of people here on R2R have been doing some really cool stuff with t-slot aluminum lately, like building your own stands/canopies and so on (the IM stands are made of the same material). It’s cheaper to buy than the APS stands, and you can have the company make precise cuts to the exact length you’d need. You could probably make something pretty cool!

 

[paul17]

hi sean can you please explain this.... You may need to leave to doors on top if they won't be a direct fit for the side panels...... i spoke with a tech at IM Omar he seen your pics and really likes your set up ....paul

 

[paul17]

Are you thinking about a fully enclosed canopy, or maybe a more open set up (like for hanging lights from a rail, etc.)?

A couple of people here on R2R have been doing some really cool stuff with t-slot aluminum lately, like building your own stands/canopies and so on (the IM stands are made of the same material). It’s cheaper to buy than the APS stands, and you can have the company make precise cuts to the exact length you’d need. You could probably make something pretty cool!

thank you i will check that out

 

[Sean Clark]

Are you thinking about a fully enclosed canopy, or maybe a more open set up (like for hanging lights from a rail, etc.)?

A couple of people here on R2R have been doing some really cool stuff with t-slot aluminum lately, like building your own stands/canopies and so on (the IM stands are made of the same material). It’s cheaper to buy than the APS stands, and you can have the company make precise cuts to the exact length you’d need. You could probably make something pretty cool!

I was going this route initially too. So many options when you use the t-slot stuff.

 

[jkcoral]

thank you i will check that out

No worries! I haven’t tried it yet, but it’s something I’ve been researching for a bit.

Here is a pretty great thread about building with tslot aluminum. The thread contains links to the companies/suppliers to buy from among some other helpful info. Other threads on R2R talk about different ways to put “skin” or “dressing” on the tslot stands/canopies which are pretty cool and creative

Guide to DIY with T-Slot Aluminum

Guide to DIY with T-Slot Aluminum By Zach Friedrichs (@polyppal) T-Slot aluminum extrusion is an ideal material for building modern, strong tank stands and canopies. And it isn’t as difficult as you might think, essentially you are playing with a supersize Erector kit! Using simple fastening...

www.reef2reef.com

Good luck on your project!

 

[jkcoral]

I was going this route initially too. So many options when you use the t-slot stuff.

Yeah, no kidding! The possibilities seem endless, but it is sometimes a little difficult to make sense of it all when I start thinking about what types of brackets/fasteners/etc I’d need haha.

The tank you posted above looks great. I wouldn’t have thought of using another APS stand, but it certainty has a clean look to it!

 

[Sean Clark]

hi sean can you please explain this.... You may need to leave to doors on top if they won't be a direct fit for the side panels...... i spoke with a tech at IM Omar he seen your pics and really likes your set up ....paul

Paul is the one that helped me purchase my tank. Great guy.
To make that stand work as a canopy it will need to be laid down on its side with the door side (now the top) facing up and the back side (now the bottom) facing down towards the tank.
The short sides become the front and back of the canopy.
You wind up with a "hood" that is 35.81 inches left to right and 23.81 inches front to back and 15.12 inches tall.
The 75 ext is 35.4" x 23.6" x 19.7" so the "hood" will be 1/8 inch oversized on the left and right and front to back. You could push it back so the front lines up perfectly and it overhangs 1/4 inch in the back if you want. Trust me, you won't even notice the 1/8 inch.

From what I can tell, the doors are about 9.4" wide but the side panels are going to have closer to an 11" opening. So from my estimate the doors won't be a direct replacement for the side panels on this stand. So just acces it from the top.

 

[paul17]

ok i get you thank you for explaining

 

[paul17]

if i go the one that you have i realize it would over hand in back do you think it would be possible to shorten it cutting down with proper tools ....or not wort the trouble

 

[Sean Clark]

if i go the one that you have i realize it would over hand in back do you think it would be possible to shorten it cutting down with proper tools ....or not wort the trouble

You could, but not worth the trouble. The profiles are pre-drilled for the fasteners. If you shorten them then the fasteners won't line up and the holes are way bigger than the 1/4" you would need to cut off so they would interfere with the new holes that you would need to drill.