Rate my DIY stand progress thus far....

[skol]

this looks great, is the whole thing just sitting on a flat piece of ply on the bottom?

 

[JayM]

this looks great, is the whole thing just sitting on a flat piece of ply on the bottom?

Yep. 3/4” ply with about a half dozen ribs underneath.

 

[lbacha]

If you plan on keeping the door closed all the time you may want to add a bit of ventilation, possibly with a humidity and heat sensor like AC infinity makes. You are going to get a lot of moisture and warmth building up otherwise. If your epoxy coat is really good that may not be an issue but definitely don’t put any controllers in that part of the stand.

 

[JayM]

If you plan on keeping the door closed all the time you may want to add a bit of ventilation, possibly with a humidity and heat sensor like AC infinity makes. You are going to get a lot of moisture and warmth building up otherwise. If your epoxy coat is really good that may not be an issue but definitely don’t put any controllers in that part of the stand.

All electronics are going on the left side, which is separate from the sump area. I do have plans for powered ventilation, but I'm undecided on what to do. Normally I'd just cut some holes in the back and call it a day. The problem is that I built this stand with the intent of placing it directly against the wall, which leaves me with cutting the ends, which is not ideal aesthetically unless I can find a grille that will look good and not be ridiculously priced.

 

[lbacha]

All electronics are going on the left side, which is separate from the sump area. I do have plans for powered ventilation, but I'm undecided on what to do. Normally I'd just cut some holes in the back and call it a day. The problem is that I built this stand with the intent of placing it directly against the wall, which leaves me with cutting the ends, which is not ideal aesthetically unless I can find a grille that will look good and not be ridiculously priced.

If you are putting the power bricks in that area you will need some form of ventilation (make sure you have an intake to outside the stand on the electronics side or it may pull air from the sump area). Look into AC infinity as they started out making fans for stereo and home theater equipment. They have some nice fans with grills that are temp controlled. You will also want to look into sealed cable glands between the electronic area and the sump otherwise the humidity will make it into the electronics area. Most stands don't have as much of an issue with this since they are open backed and allow lots of air flow, even these stands have issues with electronics though if there is no ventilation (unfortunately most of the equipment for the aquarium trade is not rated for higher humidity usage). I have built quite a few large stands for aquariums and terrariums and ventilation is something I don't skimp on if long term life of the setup is a goal (if you plan on upgrading in a year or two then what I'm saying is probably overkill). My latest build is a 300g that will have floor to ceiling cabinets around it. I installed a humidity and temp controlled ceiling fan (like you use in a bathroom only way higher CFM) to pull all moisture and heat out of the sump and canopy.

 

[JayM]

If you are putting the power bricks in that area you will need some form of ventilation (make sure you have an intake to outside the stand on the electronics side or it may pull air from the sump area). Look into AC infinity as they started out making fans for stereo and home theater equipment. They have some nice fans with grills that are temp controlled. You will also want to look into sealed cable glands between the electronic area and the sump otherwise the humidity will make it into the electronics area. Most stands don't have as much of an issue with this since they are open backed and allow lots of air flow, even these stands have issues with electronics though if there is no ventilation (unfortunately most of the equipment for the aquarium trade is not rated for higher humidity usage). I have built quite a few large stands for aquariums and terrariums and ventilation is something I don't skimp on if long term life of the setup is a goal (if you plan on upgrading in a year or two then what I'm saying is probably overkill). My latest build is a 300g that will have floor to ceiling cabinets around it. I installed a humidity and temp controlled ceiling fan (like you use in a bathroom only way higher CFM) to pull all moisture and heat out of the sump and canopy.

My plan is to put an intake on the electronic side, fan(s) on the partition, and exhaust the air on the opposite end.
Hopefully that will push moisture away from the electronics and out the other side as the partition isn't going to be 100% sealed. I just need to keep looking for sone grilles that don't look too cheesy.

 

[lbacha]

My plan is to put an intake on the electronic side, fan(s) on the partition, and exhaust the air on the opposite end.
Hopefully that will push moisture away from the electronics and out the other side as the partition isn't going to be 100% sealed. I just need to keep looking for sone grilles that don't look too cheesy.

Here is a picture of the fan I installed for my wine fridge. This fridge isn’t designed to be enclosed as it uses radiant heat dissipation. The fan pulls air from below the fridge up around the compressor I. The back and out the fro t of the cabinet. It has been running 24/7 for over 4 years.

 

[JayM]

Here is a picture of the fan I installed for my wine fridge. This fridge isn’t designed to be enclosed as it uses radiant heat dissipation. The fan pulls air from below the fridge up around the compressor I. The back and out the fro t of the cabinet. It has been running 24/7 for over 4 years.

Is that an AC Infinity fan? I did a really quick search and it looks as if most of their fans are inline duct. Which is fine, but I like the idea of fan and grille in one unit.

 

[JayM]

Actually, disregard. I just looked at my Amazon “aquarium list” and see that I actually have a similar fan to yours by AC Infinity saved. I’m assuming it’s quiet?

 

[lbacha]

Actually, disregard. I just looked at my Amazon “aquarium list” and see that I actually have a similar fan to yours by AC Infinity saved. I’m assuming it’s quiet?

It is AC infinity and it is silent (can't hear it unless you put your ear next to it) the white cover plate is a separate purchase since it only comes in black. They are transitioning to focus more on grow tent setups vs AV cabinets which is really smart on their part

 

[JayM]

It is AC infinity and it is silent (can't hear it unless you put your ear next to it) the white cover plate is a separate purchase since it only comes in black. They are transitioning to focus more on grow tent setups vs AV cabinets which is really smart on their part

This is the one I was looking at. It will theoretically move all the air out of the cabinet about 1 1/2 times per minute at the max speed. My thought is to set it for intake rather than exhaust and mount it on the electronic side to pull in cooler dry air from outside the cabinet and push it out the other side. I'm kind of leery using it to pull air out as opposed to pushing it through because I'm not sure how well it will hold up pulling damp air through it 24/7.

 

[FUNGI]

Outstanding......

 

[lbacha]

This is the one I was looking at. It will theoretically move all the air out of the cabinet about 1 1/2 times per minute at the max speed. My thought is to set it for intake rather than exhaust and mount it on the electronic side to pull in cooler dry air from outside the cabinet and push it out the other side. I'm kind of leery using it to pull air out as opposed to pushing it through because I'm not sure how well it will hold up pulling damp air through it 24/7.

I use those in my vivariums ( I actually have that exact fan on my 200g paludarium pulling humid air out of the tank a couple times a day), you don't need to worry about humidity with them. I have some in 95% humidity and only replace them every few years. I change them more to be safe than because they die. AC infinity makes really good fans.

Pushing dry air into the electronics space will work to keep the humidity down the only issue is you will be pushing warm air (from the power blocks) potentially into the sump area which may warm the tank water. Not sure if you have concerns about high water temps where you live but it is something to consider.

 

[JayM]

I use those in my vivariums ( I actually have that exact fan on my 200g paludarium pulling humid air out of the tank a couple times a day), you don't need to worry about humidity with them. I have some in 95% humidity and only replace them every few years. I change them more to be safe than because they die. AC infinity makes really good fans.

Pushing dry air into the electronics space will work to keep the humidity down the only issue is you will be pushing warm air (from the power blocks) potentially into the sump area which may warm the tank water. Not sure if you have concerns about high water temps where you live but it is something to consider.

Heat is a concern during the summer. I usually see a rise from 78° to 80° from about July to September on my current setup. That's with no mechanical means to move air, and only about 6 or 7 2" diameter holes on the back of an otherwise completely enclosed stand. Not the end of the world, but it's definitely noticeable on a thermometer. Livestock doesn't seem to care.

I guess I need to decide on the lesser of two evils. Moving warm air over the sump, or moving humid air over bricks and controls. I will have about 40 gallons more water volume, so tank temp swings will take longer to occur. In theory anyway. I suppose the best way to determine which is best is to move the warm air over the sump for a week or so and see if there's a noticeable increase in tank temp.

 

[lbacha]

Heat is a concern during the summer. I usually see a rise from 78° to 80° from about July to September on my current setup. That's with no mechanical means to move air, and only about 6 or 7 2" diameter holes on the back of an otherwise completely enclosed stand. Not the end of the world, but it's definitely noticeable on a thermometer. Livestock doesn't seem to care.

I guess I need to decide on the lesser of two evils. Moving warm air over the sump, or moving humid air over bricks and controls. I will have about 40 gallons more water volume, so tank temp swings will take longer to occur. In theory anyway. I suppose the best way to determine which is best is to move the warm air over the sump for a week or so and see if there's a noticeable increase in tank temp.

The one benefit of warm dry air over the sump is you may actually increase evaporation and therefore cool the tank. I usually try to avoid power bricks in my stand if I can, on my newest build there will be a cabinet next to the stand for all the power bricks and most controllers (the controllers and bricks will be separated to keep heat away from the electronics).

 

[kfries]

Looks really nice. I would make sure you get good ventilation on the sump side. I built a stand out of poplar and ply. Over time the wood soaked up moisture and it seemed down the legs into my hard wood floors.