Small electrical cabinet

[rja]

Hey all,
Setting up a new tank and wanting to fix some of my pet peeves I have with my running tank. I am currently unable to turn anything off because one power strip led to another and here we are with a massive rats nest of cables. (We are all guilty of this at one point)

Are these ADJ power strips reliable sources of power? I am considering adding another one but perhaps I keep the essentials plugged into a constant and reliable power strip or find a more expensive controllable power strip.

Also, is this cabinet a safe idea? I want to keep every single plug out of my stand and away from my sump. After buying this new tank used, I saw that there was salt spray all on the insides of the stand. Whether the previous owner just had a lot of water splashing or not, I am not confident in keeping any outlets in the tank stand.

Here is a photo of what I have so far:

I am going to cut a piece of peg board to fit inside that I can mount my kessil controller and inkbird to. Also going to add a door. Then I am going to place this cabinet as far away from the tank as I possibly can before I max out the length of the shortest wire.

Honestly, this may be overkill but better safe than sorry.

 

[Timfish]

My guess would be they are more reliable than the generic home use stuff since they are intended for industrial or commercial equipment used for critical applications.

 

[rja]

My guess would be they are more reliable than the generic home use stuff since they are intended for industrial or commercial equipment used for critical applications.

That’s my thought process but the price just screams “cheap”. However the fit and finish is phenomenal. What gives??? Seems too good to he true. Will be ordering a second one.

 

[Timfish]

Maybe it's not marketed to average consumers? Maybe interanlly it's no different than cheap power strips?

 

[rja]

Maybe it's not marketed to average consumers? Maybe interanlly it's no different than cheap power strips?

That’s my thoughts behind it. They do sell it at Guitar Center at the same price so I think that it’s fairly solid as it is sold in brick and mortar stores. I don’t think it really takes too much effort to create a power strip with individual switches. Just using high quality components! I like it

 

[BeanAnimal]

Very old article - could use some cleanup and shortening - but will help explain what to look for.

Power Strip Safety | BeanAnimal's Reef

Why most outlet strips (plug strips, outlet bars) are not suitable for aquariums and can cause injury or death. What to look for in a suitable and safe product.

beananimal.com

As for your setup - I am not sure what your space looks like or how much room you have. The biggest issue with rack mount power strips like that is that they are hard to access. They are great for permanent setups where equipment is rarely switched out.

In a server rack or similar, the wires are run in cable trays and finger duct, etc. with a lot of space. In a DJ console or similar, the cables are usually just a rats nest under/behind the rack mount equipment and blank panels. The rats nest is still there, just hidden.

For equipment that is switched out more often or has to be unplugged or power cycled often, front mounted receptacles work much better.

The rear mounted receptacles with individual front switches are somewhere in between. They make power cycling easy, but are still a pain when you need to move stuff around. In this case, they may work for you as long as the receptacles are decent quality.

Cable management tip - Don't (ever) use ZIP TIES (ever) - use velcro. Zip ties have to be installed, trimmed and remain sharp on probing hands... and have to be cut off every time you need to make a change. Zip ties have a place in permanent installations, just not here.

Finger Duct - Use it. Buy larger than you thank you need. More space means easier wire routing and changes.

 

[rja]

Very old article - could use some cleanup and shortening - but will help explain what to look for.

Power Strip Safety | BeanAnimal's Reef

Why most outlet strips (plug strips, outlet bars) are not suitable for aquariums and can cause injury or death. What to look for in a suitable and safe product.

beananimal.com

As for your setup - I am not sure what your space looks like or how much room you have. The biggest issue with rack mount power strips like that is that they are hard to access. They are great for permanent setups where equipment is rarely switched out.

In a server rack or similar, the wires are run in cable trays and finger duct, etc. with a lot of space. In a DJ console or similar, the cables are usually just a rats nest under/behind the rack mount equipment and blank panels. The rats nest is still there, just hidden.

For equipment that is switched out more often or has to be unplugged or power cycled often, front mounted receptacles work much better.

The rear mounted receptacles with individual front switches are somewhere in between. They make power cycling easy, but are still a pain when you need to move stuff around. In this case, they may work for you as long as the receptacles are decent quality.

Cable management tip - Don't (ever) use ZIP TIES (ever) - use velcro. Zip ties have to be installed, trimmed and remain sharp on probing hands... and have to be cut off every time you need to make a change. Zip ties have a place in permanent installations, just not here.

Finger Duct - Use it. Buy larger than you thank you need. More space means easier wire routing and changes.

The cabinet itself will have a removable back with hand threaded screws like a PC case so i can always access the rear plugs. also I am using individual cable clips for any removal. Thank you for the tips!