Debdp's 24g Aquapod update

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debdp

Premium Member
Well after much thought I've decided to build a stand for my 24g AquaPod (I picked up on this forum) even though it came with a stand. I'll post pics as I go. The bottom frame is 2x4's and the top braces are 2x3's, and I'm using 3/4" birch plywood. I was planning to put angled 2x4s in the corner to brace it but it feels really sturdy as it is so I might not. Maybe I'll use metal angle brackets instead, not sure about that yet. Current dimensions are 24 1/2" deep by 19 1/2" wide.
 
What kind of loser keeps an Aquapod? JK. Looks good. Anything beats that POS that comes from Current stock. I put at least 6-8 braces on ours before I put the tank on it. Horrible looking, no storage space, I wanted to run a refugium but didn't have space in this stand. Oh well....
 
I'm glad you mentioned that. I kept thinking about your setup when I debated on building a stand. It looked like yours was set up on the AquaPod stand and it seemed to be doing okay... and, why would the company build a stand that wouldn't support the tank. I had no idea you added bracing to the stand. The other additional reason for me to build was it's giong to sit under a cabinet and since I'm putting the Aquafuge on the back I have to put the Tunze skimmer in the Aquafuge and the height of everything on the knockdown stand leaves no room for removing the skimmer cup. I'll post updates as I go.
 
Deb, you're a gal of many talents! With all of teh good propogation you have going on, I'd keep an eye on that stand and not let it get too close to any scrap wood, it just might multiply!

How thick is the plywood that you are using?
 
@Darby wrote:
Deb said:
Thanks for the compliment. The plywood is 3/4" sanded birch. I bought the 2x4 precut sheets at Lowe's and tried to scale the stand with minimal cuts on the plywood. For edging on the plywood I picked these 3/4" x 1/2" pieces in the molding area. And because I want the same curve pattern on the top that the tank has I'm going to take a 1x2 and use biscuit joints to mount it to the front of the top and then cut the curve on that so no plywood seams.

I posted a question under DIY and based on the reply and my own thoughts I've decided to add vertical bracing on the inside at the back and sides using 2x3s as well. I'll probably use 1/4" plywood to layer the inside and hide the support pieces.
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@PhilliePhil wrote:
Stand looks great! [quote="I'd keep an eye on that stand and not let it get too close to any scrap wood said:
:lol:"]

Thanks. You guys are tooo funny. lol
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Here's some updates on the stand and where the Aquapod will go. The top is just 'sitting' there. I'll use L brackts to mount it to the base. I used a spray cans for the primer, and gloss black in a can for the interior. I painted it flat black but used a clear satin polyurethane sealer on the exterior. I got lucky and finished up a job early yesterday so spent all day and last night getting it finished. I'll start on the door hopefully this weekend. I'll wait until Friday night to put the tank on & give the sealer one more day. Besides I need to go to Rockler and see if they have a white grommet that I can modify to go over the cord opening under the cabinet before I put the tank there. My top off water system-a 2 gallon Rubbermaid water jug and Kent Aquadose hose kit sits above and so will all electrical. I mounted a Current moonlight under the cabinet.
 
Thats a fantastic finishing job! Looks professional and truly fit for a false perc :lol: (couldn't resist the cheesy joke)

Everything looks great Debbie!
 
@pineappleface wrote:
FWIW I used the same 2 gal container to drip kalk said:
Wow, sorry to hear that. I have two I've been using for 2 months now for my 10g and 20g and so far no problems. But another container I used to mix Kalk with also cracked so it's the Kalk that's causing the problem for some reason. In these I'm only using RO water and no additives.
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Well my 12g NanoCube arrived today. I took the canopy off the 12 and will use a 70W HQI. I'm using the 24g Aquapod stand for the 12g and it works perfect.

Well, I had everything all put together to set both tanks up. I had picked up sand from the same people I got my rock. I had kept the sand in a container with a pump and heater. Because it was scooped up from the tank, when I got home I moved it from the bucket to a tub carefully removing all the snails & hermits of which some were dead. Well tonight I took one scoop of sand and thought uh-oh that smells BAD. Tested it... ammonia as green as green can be. So... guess I can't use the sand. Now I've got to wait till tomorrow and go buy some.

The moonlight is on over the 24 and you can see all the old coraline on the back. More to come.
 
Well yesterday I spent all day moving and setting up both tanks until really late. I'm pretty satisfied with the 24g because I already knew in my mind how I wanted it set up. the main rock in the center is about 25 pounds misses the sides by about a couple inches either side, has a great cave feature in the center. It's resting on the glass and the sand is built up around it as I'm planning for a pearly jawfish. The 12g I need to rearrange but it was pretty late by the time I got to that tank and couldn't see as well. But I'll wait till the zoas get accustomed to the tank before I go rearranging everything. I usually try and keep one packet each of Biospira marine and for freshwater and since I had one for marine I used it on both tanks. I also used most of the water and most of the sand from their previous tanks. I used CaribSea Ocean Direct sand as the website said it's good for both DSB and burrowers. I'll post another pick after I rearrange the zoo tank. The Xenia were all pulsing within an hour of the move and the GSP came out as well. I expected the GSP to close up a couple of days. I have sand and water in the CPR Aquafuge but no chaeto and no skimmer running yet.... just carbon and a polyfilter right now... for both tanks. I think the 12g zoanthid only will be pretty simple. No skimmer, no refugium. Just regular water changes and charcoal filtration. One of the rocks has some red macroalgae and this stuff absorbs a lot of nutrients so that'll help, too.

The 24g has a glass top that came with it but the 12 g had a canopy which I removed. Right now I'm using a sheet of acrylic (Home Depot Lexan) and that's okay for now. It's keeping the temp in both tanks stable... best any of my tanks have ever been. The 24g is at 79.5 and fluctuates a few tenths in either direction and the 12 is at 78.5 and also only fluctuates at few tenths either way. Rearranging of 20 gallon long next.
 
Update: Well I picked up this sweet little girl from PhilliePhil at the meeting. So here's a couple of pictures. I named her Sweetie. Also a week or so ago I needed something quick at Petco so I stopped by and ended up wandering into their saltwater section. The one near me is changing.... added live rock to their display for sale. Nice rock of mushrooms, different fish and this gorgeous Hawiian feather duster so I figured it needed a good home. Impulse buy but I like it and it's doing well. It took a few days of moving the little thing around to find a place where it looked somewhat happy (how can you really tell) but at least it wasn't getting totally blown to one side.
 
The clownfish is doing great and she's so cute... she and my shrimp have sort of paired up. The shrimp found a good hiding spot in the back behind the rocks... nice and dark. At night the shrimp would come out and hang out by the intake with Sweetie. Well yesterday I found Sweetie back there behind the rocks with the shrimp. And when she comes out, the shrimp follows her and vice versa, if he goes back she'll go back with him. It's cute to watch. But I've not seen him attempt to clean her or anything... but I've probably missed it if he has. I normally hand feed my shrimp or use a feeding tube. Well with this glass top it's a pain to take the light off, glass off then feed so I just use a feeding tube and Sweetie sees the tube and comes right to it and bites on the end waiting for food to come out.
 
Here's an updated pic on my 12g Zoa tank. Moved things around. Some have lost color, changed color. Blues have all browned out. Some lost color under my lighting and are now starting to come back. The lighting here is 2x28 actinics and 1x70 HQI.

The close up of the left side shows what I think are Eagle Eye... they totally lost their color after about 2 weeks in my tank and are just now starting to color up again after 2 months. The close up of what's noted as Mohawk Paly is one I got from Ultimate frags but I'm really not sure if that's what it is. It's the only pink paly I ordered and this is super bright fluorescent pink but not showing in picture and it still hasn't full opened yet.
 
Update on my 24 gallon tank:

24 gallon Aquapod
CPR Aquafuge
Tunze Nano Skimmer 9002
Eheim Canister Filter
Current 6x18 T5 HO light fixture

Fish:
False Perc clown pair
Yellowhead jawfish
Yasha goby (somewhere in there)

Corals, etc.
Pulsing Xenia
Green Star Polyps
Ricordia Mushrooms: Orange, Blue, Green
Green Stripped Mushrooms
Blue, purple & red mushrooms
Yellow star polyps
Red zoas, green zoas, dark blue zoas, neon blue zoas
1 Hawiaan Feather duster
2 Astrea snails
1 Mexican Turbo
2 hermit crabs



FULL FRONT VIEW

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View as the jawfish redecorates her home.

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MUSHROOMS AND ZOAS

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FISH FUN

Clownfish pair

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Female clown stirring things up:
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Jawfish in crater size home:
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Clown ignoring jawfish threats
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