My 30IM EXT display

[Sea_Monkey]

hey r2r, this time around I decided to make a nice display stand for my 30IM ext. I’ve been keeping corals for a long time but never really had a display tank with a nice stand.

I picked up this tank used, it only came with some used plumbing. I need a stand, need a sump, I pretty much need everything else but the tank.

I had some solid half round radius mahogany wood with tiger stripes and solid Purple Heart wood laying around from my previous projects. I decided to use what I ha to make a display stand for this awesome 30IM.

it all started with a drawing…

I have everything I needed except for the plywood, went to Home Depot and picked up 1 sheet of 4’x8’x 3/4” maple plywood for this stand. 3/4” thickness would be plenty strong where I don’t need to use 2x4.

still be on good terms with my ex boss that allow me to come in to build whatever I want using his machinery’s. This is where the fun begin, turning my 2d vision into a 3d object. Enjoy.

I did a 45 degree cut on the corners so it can hide the layers of the plywood when I bond the 2 side panels to the front panel.


Did a dry fit before I pull out the wood glue and nail gu

After I glue the plywood panels together and secure it with nails, I then moved onto the half round radius solid mahogany trim piece. I have a very limited supply of this, I measure twice and cut once. No room for error.

 

[Sea_Monkey]

After measuring out the door opening, I cut out the door and trim the edge of the plywood with solid wood to high the plywood layers.

opening is cut, now it’s time to figure out an accent I want to do with the solid Purple Heart wood. After placing the Purple Heart in different areas of the stand. I’ve decided I like them to be vertical insert accent. Definitely not exactly how I had it on drawing.

at this point I held up the solid Purple Heart stripes with headless pin nail. Did a 360 walk around to make sure that’s what I like before I insert them into the plywood.

next, time to route out the plywood where my Purple Heart wood will be inserted into the plywood.

as you can see, my solid Purple Heart wood is now flushed with my plywood.

Now that all of the Purple Heart wood is inserted, time to make the door panel, just plywood and thin strip of solid wood along the plywood edges to hide the plywood layers. I ran out of the 4’x8’ 3/4” maple plywood. So for the door I just grab a piece of 3/4” birch laying around.

 

[Nano_Man]

Nice base going to follow your progress

 

[alpburakozbay]

Good job. I don't know about wood glue. Wood glue is better tahn nails?

 

[Sea_Monkey]

Before taking it home, had to celebrate with a cold one! Cheers!!!

too excited had to do a tank dry fit, even though I know it’ll fit.

after dry fitting, it’s time for the fun part. The finishing touch. Taped out the plywood and only leaving the solid mahogany/Purple Heart wood expose. Added some clear coat to the solid wood since I only want the wood to show its natural wood colors.

Check out the tiger stripes in the mahogany, clear coat made it more pronounced! Love it!!

after allowing the clear coat on the solid wood to dry, it was time to remove the blue tape.

Retapping the stand again, this time, I am tapping over the solid wood leaving the plywood exposed for white painting.

Giving it the first layer of white

after the second layer of white, I sanded the whole white paint with 220 grit sandpaper

I sand in between layers to remove and imperfections.

the final white coat of paint, there’s 6 layers of white paint.

after allowing the white paint to dry for a couple of days, it was show time…. Pulling off all tape/paper to expose the finish of the solid wood and plywood!!!!!!!! I am digging it!! It’s hard to tell in the pic, but when the lights hit it at an angle. The solid Purple Heart wood accent give off a nice deep natural purple color. Same with the half round radius solid mahogany, nice rich red color with tiger stripes dancing all along the wood trim.

 

[Sea_Monkey]

Good job. I don't know about wood glue. Wood glue is better tahn nails?

wood glue plus nails or screws, when dry, it’s a very strong bond.

 

[Sea_Monkey]

Once everything is dry, took the stand inside and did some plumbing work.

im the type of reefer that enjoy minimal rock work and leaving a lot of empty space for corals to grow in. I reached out to Zenreef to make me a custom magnet with a radius base plate. Then I find me a suitable dry rock, grind the rock until the zenreef fit to my liking. I then bond the rock to the zenreef mag.

this is how my freshly set up 30IM EXT looks like sitting on my one of a kind stand built with love and elbow grease. Only two rocks In the tank, the float shelf one will only hold OG high end sps. The big one piece rock on the sandbed will hold selected gonis, HG torch, and some very selected zoas. Sandbed will be for my selected OG poletti, TDF, Andre jawbreakers along with my Og/high end lps.

I love Dat stand!!!!!!!! To be continued as I sit and wait and wait for my new paradise to finish cycling.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Once everything is dry, took the stand inside and did some plumbing work.

im the type of reefer that enjoy minimal rock work and leaving a lot of empty space for corals to grow in. I reached out to Zenreef to make me a custom magnet with a radius base plate. Then I find me a suitable dry rock, grind the rock until the zenreef fit to my liking. I then bond the rock to the zenreef mag.

this is how my freshly set up 30IM EXT looks like sitting on my one of a kind stand built with love and elbow grease. Only two rocks In the tank, the float shelf one will only hold OG high end sps. The big one piece rock on the sandbed will hold selected gonis, HG torch, and some very selected zoas. Sandbed will be for my selected OG poletti, TDF, Andre jawbreakers along with my Og/high end lps.

I love Dat stand!!!!!!!! To be continued as I sit and wait and wait for my new paradise to finish cycling.

Stand looks amazing!!

 

[Sea_Monkey]

Released the gems into their new paradise.

current left view

current front view

current right view

 

[Sea_Monkey]

7 months of Dat love and tank is looking fuego!!!

7 months later. Enjoy

 

[reefluvrr]

I have been very impressed with the primo colors of LPS and mushrooms you have collected and successfully grown.
Do you mind sharing your success so that I can replicate trying to grow shrooms and blastos?

I had an OG that just shrank and lost its bubble. Nice looking blasto that slowly died. You obviously can keep higher end colored specimens and make them grow new heads or split.

Any help would be appreciated!

 

[Sea_Monkey]

I have been very impressed with the primo colors of LPS and mushrooms you have collected and successfully grown.
Do you mind sharing your success so that I can replicate trying to grow shrooms and blastos?

I had an OG that just shrank and lost its bubble. Nice looking blasto that slowly died. You obviously can keep higher end colored specimens and make them grow new heads or split.

Any help would be appreciated!

Hey, I keep my system simple. I only run a calcium reactor on a kamoer pump, skimmer, ato, apex to control my equipments. I feed heavy, spot feeding my lps with frozen lrs, and whatever fish poop they get from my fish. I do a 10% water change every week.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

7 months of Dat love and tank is looking fuego!!!

7 months later. Enjoy

Great progress!

 

[reefluvrr]

Hey, I keep my system simple. I only run a calcium reactor on a kamoer pump, skimmer, ato, apex to control my equipments. I feed heavy, spot feeding my lps with frozen lrs, and whatever fish poop they get from my fish. I do a 10% water change every week.

How about your shrooms? What about your PO4 and NO3?

Thank you for your reply!

 

[Sea_Monkey]

I haven’t checked my no3/po4 in awhile.