I hadn't found this site when I started my build so I thought I would share my experience now.. Having been a freshwater fish keeper when I was younger, I had always wanted to have a saltwater reef tank. Life always has its way so now here I am learning so many new things and meeting such wonderful people. I quickly realized I wanted a drilled tank but found it difficult to find one online that was affordable and that didn't require shipping. Pete at The Aquarium Shop had a Marineland 75gal predrilled with stand and hood that I liked. Being a skilled cabinetmaker for many years I elected to build my own stand and hood as the ones he had were overpriced for the quality of the construction. My son Rothgar was probably the catalyst that jump started this whole project. He had already started in the hobby and had asked if I could build a stand. Not having access to all the woodworking tools I needed I didn't really believe I could construct one for him. I decided I would figure out a way and the adventure began. I purchased the Marineland from Pete got it home with the help of Sean and a friend with a truck. I designed the stand to minimize the material cost as my budget is limited. I decided to use a cabinet grade plywood which I purchased from Home Depot but the challenge was getting the millwork done. I was unable to locate a cabinet shop in Huntsville that would cut my parts so I took a shot and had home depot do my cuts on their less than accurate panel saw. I purchased a porter cable router for the router table I had built and never would part with and I was in business. Although a few of the parts weren't square I corrected the problem pieces with my router. Necessity is the mother of invention after all...lol Here is a look at the stand in progress. To be continued...
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