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Hi all, first post. Thought it'd be fine to start a new thread specifically about yugang reactors for smaller tanks, under surface area 3000cm^2 (for the most part). Guess this could be a journal to some degree, but I think this thread is more for info than sharing my tank. I know people are generally using pvc pipes and fittings to DIY their reactors and to keep the cost down. I wanted something that looked super nice and was already "prebuilt". After scouring the internet for the longest time, I found that these PC water cooling reservoirs should serve that purpose.
Maybe someone's tested this already and found out that it doesn't work, but I wanted to put this out there since I haven't seen anything on it. I don't want to gatekeep this and I hope that this gives people another option since not everyone may have tools readily available. Since this is considered a PC component, there are a number of options available for fittings that I'll get into in a bit that make this great.
There are a few downsides though:
1. Limited diameters. I've only seen options for 50 or 60mm diameters. The 50mm ones have 40mm inner diameter, and 60mm ones I assume have 50mm inner.
2. Limited lengths. I've seen them as small as 6cm long all the way to 40cm long. The caps/lids range from 6-10mm thick.
Largest I've seen is 50mm and 400mm long. Useable diameter and length, let's say are 40mm and 380mm respectively. If you want a pH drop of 1.5, largest your surface area can be is 2690cm^2. Obviously you can stretch this if you don't need that large of a pH drop.
3. Standardized G 1/4" thread. This isn't as common a fitting (in the US at least). This thread size can be good or bad.
4. Some others mentioned later.
As for the upsides:
1. Clean look, no DIY necessary, no PVC glue, certain listings come with brackets and screws.
2. Inexpensive, I got a 210mm variant for ~$15USD
3. Outlet is offset to the side. You can rotate as necessary to control in overflow mode.
4. Others mentioned later.
Again, this is for PC water cooling. 95% of the parts I've seen are made of brass. They are however either chrome or nickel plated.
As of right now, I have my ADA 60P freshly cycling on a dark start. I was able to test the co2 functionality (not measure co2 levels). I am able to get a co2 bubble to develop inside and work with overflow. My "reactor" is 210mm long and has 50mm diameter. Calculating with the inner diameter (40mm on mine) and the useable length (190mm if you take away cap length), I should theoretically be able to get a ~1.4ph drop.
The filter I'm using is the Biomaster 350 thermo. Tubing is 5/8" for this, and this is one of the downsides I want to get into. This is for PC cooling like I mentioned and they generally don't use tubing that large. If you're running a filter that uses 12/16mm tubing instead of 5/8" (16/22mm) then you might have a much easier time finding fittings to work. G 1/4" thread is roughly a 1/2" opening. I'm not actually getting less flow with this because I realized the 16/22 quick tap valves I use actually have a 1/2" opening on the inside as well. This G 1/4" thread shouldn't be an issue then. FYI, G 1/4" is the same as 1/4" BSPP. (british standard pipe parallel)
I tried making my setup as NEATLY and good looking as possible. Above is my final work (as of now). I have some tube trimming to do though to make it nicer. Another thing I want to mention, the first time I tried this, I connected my outlet straight to the yugang reactor. I saw this thread reply (below) saying that their 2" pvc (~50mm) had no issue with the flow speed after adjusting their tap valve. That was not true in my experience. My reactor should be about the same size as this one, but the water rushes through very turbently:
It slowed the flow so much that almost all water was going through bypass even though valve was fully open. (Don't get cheap Y or T splitters either...)
Here's a video of the flow WITHOUT a bypass. Video starts with tap valve already slightly shut 25% of the way and slowly getting shut more as you can see:
View attachment IMG_7536.mov
It doesn't matter where you put the valve but I think it makes more sense to put it on the reactor side. You can control how slow the flow is that way. Ff you place it on bypass side, you can never slow down water through reactor that way - only more going to it.
You might ask, where's the co2 supposed to go if you don't have the inline accessory that I have? Well there's a threaded acrylic pipe that comes with this reactor if you look at listings. All you need to do is get a 4/6mm push connect to g1/4" male thread fitting for a few bucks and your issue is solved. The threaded acrylic pipe can also be screwed off and there are more extender fittings and such to replace that if you search them online. Options like the 60mm length reservoir I posted above may only have 2 outlets, but the larger 400mm example I gave has 4 holes with different hole positions too. You can place a purge valve that slightly works (there's literally a fitting for that too). The main outlet hole is still offset as well. (another example shown below) Any hole you don't want to use? Just buy a g1/4 plug. The benefit of using this PC cooling reservoir is the amount of fittings they have that can work for your needs.
For my setup, I ended up using a $3 dollar plastic garden hose splitter that has 3/4" GHT (garden hose thread) that was two valves on it (best of both worlds). I also bought the appropriate barbs to fit into it (so hosing can attach). Because I wanted to put this is my AquaForestAquarium Archaea cabinet, everything is packed really tight. Would be nicer if tubing had more room to move and didn't kink as easily. Just a tradeoff so you see I had to use elbow barbs and keep some tubing real short.
My fittings right now are brass but I found one seller on ebay (shipped from China) that has G 1/4" male thread to 5/8" barb in STAINLESS STEEL. However, it is BSPT (british standard pipe thread) so this one tapers inwards and will probably need teflon/very tight twist to seal with the o-ring. BSPT fitting can go into a BSPP threaded hole, but BSPP cannot go into BSPT. Someone correct me if I'm wrong about that, but I'm fairly certain that is the case.
If you've read to this point, I think this should be enough to understand what you can do with this PC cooling reservoir. It has limitations size wise and a need for a bypass if you don't want to slow the flow on your tank too much (depending on your filter), but it really is a nice cheap option that we can use for our hobby.
Please correct or question me anywhere!!!
--------------------------------------------
Just links to what I bought for anyone curious. I hope links are allowed. I don't have any commission to these. Just purely for info on what I have.
You can buy these for cheaper on AliExpress. I just didn't want to wait and paid a little more for the items. They're from the same supplier, but I also recommend finding a higher quality brand. The one I have is 50mm outer diameter. I think companies like Freezemod have higher quality ones, and they might be 60mm. Do your own research on this, I didn't do enough on this side.
Some other hard to find accessories:
- If you're trying to replace inlet cap, make sure the cap you find works. Here's one I found for 50mm diameter:
shop.alphacool.com
- I believe the acrylic reservoir itself is this (please check yourself!!):
shop.alphacool.com
- This one is super nice, it's a rotatable cap replacement you can get. Set your in/outlets exactly where you want. I'm not sure if 50 or 60mm diameter though:
I also mentioned not wanting to have to drill anything. You might wonder how to attach those brackets without doing so. I bought adhesive stickers with screw ports from AliExpress, and used screws/washers that came with the reservoir:
Can probably get on Amazon as well. The adhesive first, then stack 3 washers next, bracket next, thread the screw through the bracket hole -> washers -> adhesive screw port.
-------------------------------
Random thought:
I found this one singular option that I've not tested. It looks so similar to the internal bypass option that yugang himself devised. (a prebuilt option at least) It's slotted but to be honest, I don't know if it would work well. If you search for aluminum pc water cooling reservoir, you will find this. Only comes in one size unfortunately. Again, I have NOT tested this.
Maybe someone's tested this already and found out that it doesn't work, but I wanted to put this out there since I haven't seen anything on it. I don't want to gatekeep this and I hope that this gives people another option since not everyone may have tools readily available. Since this is considered a PC component, there are a number of options available for fittings that I'll get into in a bit that make this great.
There are a few downsides though:
1. Limited diameters. I've only seen options for 50 or 60mm diameters. The 50mm ones have 40mm inner diameter, and 60mm ones I assume have 50mm inner.
2. Limited lengths. I've seen them as small as 6cm long all the way to 40cm long. The caps/lids range from 6-10mm thick.
Largest I've seen is 50mm and 400mm long. Useable diameter and length, let's say are 40mm and 380mm respectively. If you want a pH drop of 1.5, largest your surface area can be is 2690cm^2. Obviously you can stretch this if you don't need that large of a pH drop.
3. Standardized G 1/4" thread. This isn't as common a fitting (in the US at least). This thread size can be good or bad.
4. Some others mentioned later.
As for the upsides:
1. Clean look, no DIY necessary, no PVC glue, certain listings come with brackets and screws.
2. Inexpensive, I got a 210mm variant for ~$15USD
3. Outlet is offset to the side. You can rotate as necessary to control in overflow mode.
4. Others mentioned later.
Again, this is for PC water cooling. 95% of the parts I've seen are made of brass. They are however either chrome or nickel plated.
Not sure if this will be an issue since brass is ~60% copper. Hamfist's tank is also huge compared to my 60p and it may be dependent on water changes. Having the plating on the fittings will lower the corrosion rate since we are in acidic lower pH water. I honestly don't think this should be a problem at all. There are acrylic and stainless steel options out there if you look for them. I've heard nickel plating is best.
As of right now, I have my ADA 60P freshly cycling on a dark start. I was able to test the co2 functionality (not measure co2 levels). I am able to get a co2 bubble to develop inside and work with overflow. My "reactor" is 210mm long and has 50mm diameter. Calculating with the inner diameter (40mm on mine) and the useable length (190mm if you take away cap length), I should theoretically be able to get a ~1.4ph drop.
The filter I'm using is the Biomaster 350 thermo. Tubing is 5/8" for this, and this is one of the downsides I want to get into. This is for PC cooling like I mentioned and they generally don't use tubing that large. If you're running a filter that uses 12/16mm tubing instead of 5/8" (16/22mm) then you might have a much easier time finding fittings to work. G 1/4" thread is roughly a 1/2" opening. I'm not actually getting less flow with this because I realized the 16/22 quick tap valves I use actually have a 1/2" opening on the inside as well. This G 1/4" thread shouldn't be an issue then. FYI, G 1/4" is the same as 1/4" BSPP. (british standard pipe parallel)
I tried making my setup as NEATLY and good looking as possible. Above is my final work (as of now). I have some tube trimming to do though to make it nicer. Another thing I want to mention, the first time I tried this, I connected my outlet straight to the yugang reactor. I saw this thread reply (below) saying that their 2" pvc (~50mm) had no issue with the flow speed after adjusting their tap valve. That was not true in my experience. My reactor should be about the same size as this one, but the water rushes through very turbently:
And so I had to resort to making a simple bypass. One lesson I learned, don't get a cheap valve on amazon for $5. I placed the valve on the bypass initially:
It slowed the flow so much that almost all water was going through bypass even though valve was fully open. (Don't get cheap Y or T splitters either...)
Here's a video of the flow WITHOUT a bypass. Video starts with tap valve already slightly shut 25% of the way and slowly getting shut more as you can see:
View attachment IMG_7536.mov
It doesn't matter where you put the valve but I think it makes more sense to put it on the reactor side. You can control how slow the flow is that way. Ff you place it on bypass side, you can never slow down water through reactor that way - only more going to it.
You might ask, where's the co2 supposed to go if you don't have the inline accessory that I have? Well there's a threaded acrylic pipe that comes with this reactor if you look at listings. All you need to do is get a 4/6mm push connect to g1/4" male thread fitting for a few bucks and your issue is solved. The threaded acrylic pipe can also be screwed off and there are more extender fittings and such to replace that if you search them online. Options like the 60mm length reservoir I posted above may only have 2 outlets, but the larger 400mm example I gave has 4 holes with different hole positions too. You can place a purge valve that slightly works (there's literally a fitting for that too). The main outlet hole is still offset as well. (another example shown below) Any hole you don't want to use? Just buy a g1/4 plug. The benefit of using this PC cooling reservoir is the amount of fittings they have that can work for your needs.
For my setup, I ended up using a $3 dollar plastic garden hose splitter that has 3/4" GHT (garden hose thread) that was two valves on it (best of both worlds). I also bought the appropriate barbs to fit into it (so hosing can attach). Because I wanted to put this is my AquaForestAquarium Archaea cabinet, everything is packed really tight. Would be nicer if tubing had more room to move and didn't kink as easily. Just a tradeoff so you see I had to use elbow barbs and keep some tubing real short.
My fittings right now are brass but I found one seller on ebay (shipped from China) that has G 1/4" male thread to 5/8" barb in STAINLESS STEEL. However, it is BSPT (british standard pipe thread) so this one tapers inwards and will probably need teflon/very tight twist to seal with the o-ring. BSPT fitting can go into a BSPP threaded hole, but BSPP cannot go into BSPT. Someone correct me if I'm wrong about that, but I'm fairly certain that is the case.
If you've read to this point, I think this should be enough to understand what you can do with this PC cooling reservoir. It has limitations size wise and a need for a bypass if you don't want to slow the flow on your tank too much (depending on your filter), but it really is a nice cheap option that we can use for our hobby.
Please correct or question me anywhere!!!
--------------------------------------------
Just links to what I bought for anyone curious. I hope links are allowed. I don't have any commission to these. Just purely for info on what I have.
Amazon.com: uxcell G1/4 Inner Hex Head Pipe Fitting Plug, Universal 304 Stainless Steel Thread Socket Plug with Green O-Ring for Terminate Pipe Ends or Replacement Drains : Industrial & Scientific
Amazon.com: uxcell G1/4 Inner Hex Head Pipe Fitting Plug, Universal 304 Stainless Steel Thread Socket Plug with Green O-Ring for Terminate Pipe Ends or Replacement Drains : Industrial & Scientific
a.co
You can buy these for cheaper on AliExpress. I just didn't want to wait and paid a little more for the items. They're from the same supplier, but I also recommend finding a higher quality brand. The one I have is 50mm outer diameter. I think companies like Freezemod have higher quality ones, and they might be 60mm. Do your own research on this, I didn't do enough on this side.
Some other hard to find accessories:
- If you're trying to replace inlet cap, make sure the cap you find works. Here's one I found for 50mm diameter:
AGZ Alphacool Cape Coolplex Base POM 3 Bar EOL
Alphacool accessories and spare parts! The original accessories for your water cooling directly from the manufacturer!
shop.alphacool.com
AGZ Alphacool Ice Cream Cup Acrylic Tube 60x205mm
Alphacool accessories and spare parts! The original accessories for your water cooling directly from the manufacturer!
shop.alphacool.com
I also mentioned not wanting to have to drill anything. You might wonder how to attach those brackets without doing so. I bought adhesive stickers with screw ports from AliExpress, and used screws/washers that came with the reservoir:
Can probably get on Amazon as well. The adhesive first, then stack 3 washers next, bracket next, thread the screw through the bracket hole -> washers -> adhesive screw port.
-------------------------------
Random thought:
I found this one singular option that I've not tested. It looks so similar to the internal bypass option that yugang himself devised. (a prebuilt option at least) It's slotted but to be honest, I don't know if it would work well. If you search for aluminum pc water cooling reservoir, you will find this. Only comes in one size unfortunately. Again, I have NOT tested this.
17 Replies
·
960 views
Hey all,
I’m a week away from cabinet making, waiting on supplies but managed to find some great driftwood this weekend. This is in my workshop so I’ve just cut a bit of cardboard to start playing with ideas for my new 1200x450x450 rimless tank. You’ll have to look past the background and lighting for now please.
Which design do you think I should progress?
This will be a more nature style scape with limited stem plants and mostly crypts. I’m not keen on trimming all the time and prefer the form of leaves.
I will likely use some aqua soil in mesh bags in the deeper areas which will be capped with an inert blond sand as this is my best available option here.
I will start a journal for my stand build with one of these ideas.
Style 1
Style 2
Style 3
Noting that there will be a little trimming required to sort final placements.
Cheers
C
I’m a week away from cabinet making, waiting on supplies but managed to find some great driftwood this weekend. This is in my workshop so I’ve just cut a bit of cardboard to start playing with ideas for my new 1200x450x450 rimless tank. You’ll have to look past the background and lighting for now please.
Which design do you think I should progress?
This will be a more nature style scape with limited stem plants and mostly crypts. I’m not keen on trimming all the time and prefer the form of leaves.
I will likely use some aqua soil in mesh bags in the deeper areas which will be capped with an inert blond sand as this is my best available option here.
I will start a journal for my stand build with one of these ideas.
Style 1
Style 2
Style 3
Noting that there will be a little trimming required to sort final placements.
Cheers
C
Which scape idea should I progress for my new tank?
9 votes total
4 Replies
·
75 views
I’m often out and about working in the field and stumble upon breathtaking examples of often overlooked and under appreciated slices of nature that Florida has to offer.
My neck of the woods is filled with marsh/wetlands ripe with both native and invasive wildlife of all flavors; I want to start a thread where I can document and share.
I’ll update this thread whenever I capture something noteworthy. Much of what catches my eye is aquatic flora, but I try and document anything captivating. I hope you find this as beautiful and fascinating as I do.
My neck of the woods is filled with marsh/wetlands ripe with both native and invasive wildlife of all flavors; I want to start a thread where I can document and share.
I’ll update this thread whenever I capture something noteworthy. Much of what catches my eye is aquatic flora, but I try and document anything captivating. I hope you find this as beautiful and fascinating as I do.
118 Replies
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7544 views
Sponsor
Expert in Residence
Rockstar
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Supporting
I Donated 2026
Rockstar
Article Contributor
See this post regarding AR Mini trimming/planting, and this post regarding Cyperus helferi trimming and planting!
I have hardly seen this subject talked about enough, but I think that it's one of the biggest reasons contributing to beginner's algae-filled downfalls! If you're buying plants from big stores like Aquarium Plants Factory (really good btw), Buceplant, etc. 90% of the plants you are receiving are terrestrially-grown.
Here's an important fact about terrestrially-grown aquarium plants
100% of all terrestrial leaves, when submerged under water, for any plant, will eventually get algae and die.
Some can take a while (anubias, java fern, cyperus helferi), while others will either melt (Crypts) or quickly get algae (AR Mini, Staurogyne repens, stem plants, etc)
But what about buying submerged-growth plants? From hobbyists, or BurrAqua, for example?
There is still a chance that your tank's conditions are different enough that many, if not most leaves you plant, will melt/die/attract algae.
How do we fix this? By leaving only enough leaves for the plant to continue to absorb light and put out new growth. Usually the top 4-6 leaves for stem plants.
It's a lot of work up front, but you will MAJORLY reduce the amount of waste, DOC 's, and algae-inducing scenarios if you trim your plants before planting.
I've done this in ALL of my tanks in the last 4 years with great success.
The easiest way to do this is with stainless squeeze scissors over your sink:
Here's the ones I recommend.
Yes, it takes a ton of patience. But if it could make a big difference in preventing the 2-3 month algae bloom in your tank, would you do it?
Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea', only a few top leaves left, 3" of stem.
Hygrophila corymbosa. Note how I left the leaf nodes on the stem? That's where roots will grow from. Almost all stem plants need nodes to grow roots, even if you've removed the leaves from them.
Terrestrially-grown AR 'Mini' from APF. See how I did the same in this thread for my previous tanks.
This Anubias barteri var. coffeefolia was grown terrestrially (often called 'emersed' or emergent) in a greenhouse. I removed all but the newest 3 leaves, and trimmed the roots too. Terrestrial roots are quite different from submerged with certain plants.
Almost ALL Cryptocoryne species are grown terrestrially. These plants grow as a Rosette, where the inner-most leaves on the "stem" are the freshest, and the outer-most are the oldest. I removed a TON of old terrestrial leaves, leaving just enough for the plant to be able to grow new submerged leaves in my tank as quickly as possible, while leaving as few algae-attracting terrestrial leaves as possible. I also trimmed the roots, which were 5" long upon receiving the plant.
Lobelia cardinalis 'mini'
Penthorum sedoides. Would also look very similar for Staurogyne repens, too.
Did you know that Blyxa japonica is actually a stem plant? It looks like a rosette, but it's actually a squat, wide stem plant. The lowest/outermost leaves are the oldest, and even though this is a true aquatic plant with no terrestrial form in nature, I know that it likes to throw a fit and melt a good portion of it's oldest leaves when transitioning to my tank's conditions. Here's what it looked like when I received it from @Burr740:
Nice and trimmed up. Less problematic at the 1-2 month mark in the tank's development, I know it!
What about delicate/feather plants?
They're super annoying to prep. I still only keep the top 3-4" max.
With Myriophyllum mattogrossense 'Golden', I only keep a few inches and still try to remove some of the lower leaves that would otherwise just rot by being buried in my inert sand.
What about Myriophyllum sp. "Roraima"? F*ck that. Nightmare to trim lower leaves, just trim it to 3" (not pictured) and discard the bottom when planting.
Curious what you guys think! I know I could receive plenty of "I've never done this, my tank has been fine" but I'd recommend trying it first before having a strong opinion of it
By the way, all plants pictured were actually used in my upcoming 120cm Showcase tank:
I have hardly seen this subject talked about enough, but I think that it's one of the biggest reasons contributing to beginner's algae-filled downfalls! If you're buying plants from big stores like Aquarium Plants Factory (really good btw), Buceplant, etc. 90% of the plants you are receiving are terrestrially-grown.
Here's an important fact about terrestrially-grown aquarium plants
100% of all terrestrial leaves, when submerged under water, for any plant, will eventually get algae and die.
Some can take a while (anubias, java fern, cyperus helferi), while others will either melt (Crypts) or quickly get algae (AR Mini, Staurogyne repens, stem plants, etc)
But what about buying submerged-growth plants? From hobbyists, or BurrAqua, for example?
There is still a chance that your tank's conditions are different enough that many, if not most leaves you plant, will melt/die/attract algae.
How do we fix this? By leaving only enough leaves for the plant to continue to absorb light and put out new growth. Usually the top 4-6 leaves for stem plants.
It's a lot of work up front, but you will MAJORLY reduce the amount of waste, DOC 's, and algae-inducing scenarios if you trim your plants before planting.
I've done this in ALL of my tanks in the last 4 years with great success.
The easiest way to do this is with stainless squeeze scissors over your sink:
Here's the ones I recommend.
Yes, it takes a ton of patience. But if it could make a big difference in preventing the 2-3 month algae bloom in your tank, would you do it?
Here are some specific plant examples:
For most true stem plants, I like to leave 3-4" of stem, trimming roots if necessary, and leaving only 4-6 of the freshest leaves. More than that, they will eventually be algae magnets. Less than that (like 2 leaves only) they might not survive the shock.Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea', only a few top leaves left, 3" of stem.
Hygrophila corymbosa. Note how I left the leaf nodes on the stem? That's where roots will grow from. Almost all stem plants need nodes to grow roots, even if you've removed the leaves from them.
Terrestrially-grown AR 'Mini' from APF. See how I did the same in this thread for my previous tanks.
This Anubias barteri var. coffeefolia was grown terrestrially (often called 'emersed' or emergent) in a greenhouse. I removed all but the newest 3 leaves, and trimmed the roots too. Terrestrial roots are quite different from submerged with certain plants.
Almost ALL Cryptocoryne species are grown terrestrially. These plants grow as a Rosette, where the inner-most leaves on the "stem" are the freshest, and the outer-most are the oldest. I removed a TON of old terrestrial leaves, leaving just enough for the plant to be able to grow new submerged leaves in my tank as quickly as possible, while leaving as few algae-attracting terrestrial leaves as possible. I also trimmed the roots, which were 5" long upon receiving the plant.
Lobelia cardinalis 'mini'
Penthorum sedoides. Would also look very similar for Staurogyne repens, too.
Did you know that Blyxa japonica is actually a stem plant? It looks like a rosette, but it's actually a squat, wide stem plant. The lowest/outermost leaves are the oldest, and even though this is a true aquatic plant with no terrestrial form in nature, I know that it likes to throw a fit and melt a good portion of it's oldest leaves when transitioning to my tank's conditions. Here's what it looked like when I received it from @Burr740:
Nice and trimmed up. Less problematic at the 1-2 month mark in the tank's development, I know it!
What about delicate/feather plants?
They're super annoying to prep. I still only keep the top 3-4" max.
With Myriophyllum mattogrossense 'Golden', I only keep a few inches and still try to remove some of the lower leaves that would otherwise just rot by being buried in my inert sand.
What about Myriophyllum sp. "Roraima"? F*ck that. Nightmare to trim lower leaves, just trim it to 3" (not pictured) and discard the bottom when planting.
Curious what you guys think! I know I could receive plenty of "I've never done this, my tank has been fine" but I'd recommend trying it first before having a strong opinion of it
By the way, all plants pictured were actually used in my upcoming 120cm Showcase tank:
12 Replies
·
191 views
Staff member
I Donated 2026
Founding Member
The theme for this month's contest is: Shades of Green
Please take a picture of shades of green in your aquarium. Be as artistic and creative as you like.
The rules:
A $25 store credit from BurrAqua thanks to @Burr740!
Good Luck!
Please take a picture of shades of green in your aquarium. Be as artistic and creative as you like.
The rules:
- Submissions are allowed between August 16 and August 23.
- Voting will start on August 23 at 12:01 am Eastern time.
- Voting will end on August 30 at 11:30 pm Eastern time.
A $25 store credit from BurrAqua thanks to @Burr740!
Good Luck!
2 Replies
·
87 views
Supporting
I Donated 2026
Rockstar
Article Contributor
This is not a step by step tutorial, more for inspiration and general information!
My very first DIY stand was a 100cm two-door home-depot plywood stand. It looks fine in pictures, but was NOT up to the insanely high, unhealthy standards of excellence that I hold myself to with everything:
No journal for this old tank.
The lesson here was: don’t use home depot plywood! It sucks. Find a real plywood dealer and spend the extra $.
My next stand was way more ambitious: a 150cm x 60cm stand, designed to hold up 2400+ lbs, made from quality baltic birch plywood. 3 doors, two interior weight-bearing vertical panels, adjustable leveling feet. It worked great, and can be seen in my two journals Many Lessons and Inert Sand Trials:
I did a WAY better job on this stand, and it now resides with @Kwyet ! Also, a spray finish really makes a big difference.
After that, the 90cm Experiment Tank stand. Two doors, and instead of a cumbersome middle panel, I used one hefty plywood column:
Scottish accent Fookin' crispay
This tank also had a waterproof, sealed bottom “rim” so up to 2cm of water would have to fill the stand bottom before it overflows. Useful for emergencies or leaks, when combined with loud water leak alarms! This stand and tank is in my garage, soon to be sold to anyone in Colorado who wants it!
This stand is for my new 120cm tank! This stand is the culmination of seven years of stand-making. All of my mistakes, lessons, preferences, and skills were combined to make the stand of my dreams!
And of course, I had to move homes and got seriously injured, requiring surgery, while I was trying to finish it. Sorry for the lack of pictures!
I would not say this design is beginner friendly. It’s not expert, but likely intermediate difficulty. I have a Wen track saw and a Sawstop PCS Cabinet saw, which changes the entire process compared to someone working with more difficult tools. I also have a Graco Magnum X7 paint sprayer for a professional paint finish.
First, I started with mocking up the stand in Shapr3D, my modeling program:
My local lumber company had really good deals on 5x5’ sheets of ¾” baltic birch plywood.
IT IS CRITICAL for precision woodworking like this (no trim to cover up mistakes) to get exact measurements, particularly for the thickness of the plywood. For example, using a pair of digital calipers, this 3/4" plywood was 17.8mm thick (0.7 in a lot smaller than .75"), which is what I used in my modeling program to create the exact length of cuts to properly span 120cm long and 60cm deep.
I collected the exact measurements of each part needed, and threw it into Opticutter to determine how to best cut my 5x5’ plywood sheets:
You don't need to study these sheets; the photos are just to show you how Opticutter works to save you from creating too much waste, and using the fewest cuts!
4-plywood-thick center column, with "notch" for the front brace to fit flush:
Top down first on a flat, even surface, then add sides and back:
Flip right-side-up, and add the bottom panel:
Add the rear brace, the front brace, and the center column. Make sure the front brace and column are flush with the front of the top/back panel edges.
Add the front panel and bottom lip pieces:
For the doors, create a notched finger pull (side view):
Door hinge stuff:
And it's done! Here's some of the few pictures I DID take of this process, sorry! I had a lot going on:
Gluing the 4-ply-thick center column:
To make the access holes in the back and side panels, I 3D printed some plastic guides for my router bit to follow, then roughly cut the inside out so the router had less material to work through:
Perfect routered holes:
I learned to score the plywood with my box cutter first, so when it chipped from the rough jigsaw cut, it chipped ONLY to the scored lines:
I removed the excess interior material with the jigsaw, then routered. I also used a roundover bit (in process on the left hole, right hole not rounded):
Any chips or imperfections could be fixed later with bondo wood filler and sanding.
Once I had my access holes cut out, I could assemble! I used clamps to hold the panels together and flush, used an Incra T-Rule (amazing device) to mark a line that was the middle of my plywood panel's core:
Then, I drilled countersink holes with this bit for the screw heads to sit below the level of the wood:
Screws:
Since the screws on the top, bottom, and rear of the stand would never be visible, I decided to skip the annoying "pocket screw and glue" scenario and just go with crazy robust torx-head 1.5” construction screws. I LOVED it. Definitely my preferred method, though they really do require pre-drilling AND drilling countersink heads. Still, way stronger than pocket screws my god.
Wood filling and Priming:
Bondo wood filler is amazing stuff. I used TONS of it, this was just the first pass:
Apply, sand, apply more, sand more.
Then I primed with Sherwin Williams Gallery Series primer, and sprayed with a TrueAirless 515 tip in my Magnum X7:
Once the primer was dry, I sanded it, and sprayed again. Once dry, sanded again. Lots of sanding:
I wiped the tank down with tack cloth, then went for the finishing coat using a Graco FFLP 310 Tip and Sherwin-Williams Gallery Series Waterborne Topcoat in true black. Probably a matte or satin sheen, I can’t recall. Not cheap, good paint! Make sure to filter your paint through a find mesh before spraying.
By far the best, most perfect finish I've ever had on a stand. BTW, the doors are fully adjustable up, down, left and right to get them nicely aligned. Blum hinges rock!
Once it was all put together, I got some help to move it into the new house. And installed the oversized Aquarium Mat.
I paid Tommy, the owner of Aqua Rocks Colorado, a delivery fee to have my custom 120x60x50cm tank delivered and installed on the stand. Once positioned evenly around all sides, I trimmed the aquarium mat with an Xacto knife, and was finished!
I'm tired today, but I'll upload more pics of this stand soon to this thread and to the 120cm Journal, too!
My very first DIY stand was a 100cm two-door home-depot plywood stand. It looks fine in pictures, but was NOT up to the insanely high, unhealthy standards of excellence that I hold myself to with everything:
No journal for this old tank.
The lesson here was: don’t use home depot plywood! It sucks. Find a real plywood dealer and spend the extra $.
My next stand was way more ambitious: a 150cm x 60cm stand, designed to hold up 2400+ lbs, made from quality baltic birch plywood. 3 doors, two interior weight-bearing vertical panels, adjustable leveling feet. It worked great, and can be seen in my two journals Many Lessons and Inert Sand Trials:
I did a WAY better job on this stand, and it now resides with @Kwyet ! Also, a spray finish really makes a big difference.
After that, the 90cm Experiment Tank stand. Two doors, and instead of a cumbersome middle panel, I used one hefty plywood column:
Scottish accent Fookin' crispay
This tank also had a waterproof, sealed bottom “rim” so up to 2cm of water would have to fill the stand bottom before it overflows. Useful for emergencies or leaks, when combined with loud water leak alarms! This stand and tank is in my garage, soon to be sold to anyone in Colorado who wants it!
The new 120cm stand:
This stand is for my new 120cm tank! This stand is the culmination of seven years of stand-making. All of my mistakes, lessons, preferences, and skills were combined to make the stand of my dreams!
And of course, I had to move homes and got seriously injured, requiring surgery, while I was trying to finish it. Sorry for the lack of pictures!
I would not say this design is beginner friendly. It’s not expert, but likely intermediate difficulty. I have a Wen track saw and a Sawstop PCS Cabinet saw, which changes the entire process compared to someone working with more difficult tools. I also have a Graco Magnum X7 paint sprayer for a professional paint finish.
First, I started with mocking up the stand in Shapr3D, my modeling program:
My local lumber company had really good deals on 5x5’ sheets of ¾” baltic birch plywood.
IT IS CRITICAL for precision woodworking like this (no trim to cover up mistakes) to get exact measurements, particularly for the thickness of the plywood. For example, using a pair of digital calipers, this 3/4" plywood was 17.8mm thick (0.7 in a lot smaller than .75"), which is what I used in my modeling program to create the exact length of cuts to properly span 120cm long and 60cm deep.
I collected the exact measurements of each part needed, and threw it into Opticutter to determine how to best cut my 5x5’ plywood sheets:
You don't need to study these sheets; the photos are just to show you how Opticutter works to save you from creating too much waste, and using the fewest cuts!
Steps I followed for this stand:
- Cut all panels using table/track saw.
- Make 4-ply support column. Make notch cut ~145mm from top of column to fit behind front brace. Glue and trim/clean.
- Cut out "access holes" in panels, including pocket holes for front and back brace, predrilled holes for front brace (in middle, and upper portion for future front panel) and predrilled holes for back panel. Use a router with roundover bit to create round, smooth holes for cord and tubing access, as well as handles for moving the stand around!
- Run the "standing height "of the side and back panels (and 4-ply center column) through table saw to make uniform height for all 4 parts. All of these 4 parts should be cut to the exactly same height.
- Trim door “finger-pull” with a router. Just a 45-degree "slice" off the door's corner to make a finger pull.
- To assemble: Flip top upside down, test fit sides and back, secure with screws. Make front edge flush, back can be trimmed down with router flush bit if necessary.
- Attach the bottom panel, Make front edge flush, as the back can be trimmed down.
- Add 4-ply column, ensure front edge flush.
- Add front and back "braces".
- Add front panel, and bottom "lips" that hold any spilled water in.
- Spray and sand stand, fill gaps with Bondo wood filler. Sand and repeat until corners, cracks and divots are smooth.
- Caulk the inner corners where water would be.
- Paint stand and doors.
- Attach doors.
- Add feet.
- Run electrical and LED strips.
- Cut foam mat to size.
4-plywood-thick center column, with "notch" for the front brace to fit flush:
Top down first on a flat, even surface, then add sides and back:
Flip right-side-up, and add the bottom panel:
Add the rear brace, the front brace, and the center column. Make sure the front brace and column are flush with the front of the top/back panel edges.
Add the front panel and bottom lip pieces:
For the doors, create a notched finger pull (side view):
Door hinge stuff:
And it's done! Here's some of the few pictures I DID take of this process, sorry! I had a lot going on:
Gluing the 4-ply-thick center column:
To make the access holes in the back and side panels, I 3D printed some plastic guides for my router bit to follow, then roughly cut the inside out so the router had less material to work through:
Perfect routered holes:
I learned to score the plywood with my box cutter first, so when it chipped from the rough jigsaw cut, it chipped ONLY to the scored lines:
I removed the excess interior material with the jigsaw, then routered. I also used a roundover bit (in process on the left hole, right hole not rounded):
Any chips or imperfections could be fixed later with bondo wood filler and sanding.
Once I had my access holes cut out, I could assemble! I used clamps to hold the panels together and flush, used an Incra T-Rule (amazing device) to mark a line that was the middle of my plywood panel's core:
Then, I drilled countersink holes with this bit for the screw heads to sit below the level of the wood:
Screws:
Since the screws on the top, bottom, and rear of the stand would never be visible, I decided to skip the annoying "pocket screw and glue" scenario and just go with crazy robust torx-head 1.5” construction screws. I LOVED it. Definitely my preferred method, though they really do require pre-drilling AND drilling countersink heads. Still, way stronger than pocket screws my god.
- SPAX #8, 1-1/2" Interior Flat Head Torx Wood Screws
- INCRA T-Ruler 6 inch for marking my ~8.9mm line (middle of the plywood core I was screwing into).
Wood filling and Priming:
Bondo wood filler is amazing stuff. I used TONS of it, this was just the first pass:
Apply, sand, apply more, sand more.
Then I primed with Sherwin Williams Gallery Series primer, and sprayed with a TrueAirless 515 tip in my Magnum X7:
Once the primer was dry, I sanded it, and sprayed again. Once dry, sanded again. Lots of sanding:
I wiped the tank down with tack cloth, then went for the finishing coat using a Graco FFLP 310 Tip and Sherwin-Williams Gallery Series Waterborne Topcoat in true black. Probably a matte or satin sheen, I can’t recall. Not cheap, good paint! Make sure to filter your paint through a find mesh before spraying.
By far the best, most perfect finish I've ever had on a stand. BTW, the doors are fully adjustable up, down, left and right to get them nicely aligned. Blum hinges rock!
Once it was all put together, I got some help to move it into the new house. And installed the oversized Aquarium Mat.
I paid Tommy, the owner of Aqua Rocks Colorado, a delivery fee to have my custom 120x60x50cm tank delivered and installed on the stand. Once positioned evenly around all sides, I trimmed the aquarium mat with an Xacto knife, and was finished!
I'm tired today, but I'll upload more pics of this stand soon to this thread and to the 120cm Journal, too!
Questions? Ask below! I love to help out.
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I Donated 2026
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Article Contributor
Main idea/inspiration:
Since my main 150p aquarium is in our front room and is the first thing we and our guests see, I can't afford to experiment much with it. I also spent like $600 on aquasoil to fill it, so I thought I'd like to try something different.This tank will be 100% BDBS substrate, no fertilized substrate. No root tabs (yet), no aquasoil. Only water column fertilization, to challenge myself to see whether I can grow plants well without aquasoil or not! Inspired by the @Burr740 BDBS journals and many other amazing inert-substrate aquariums out there. This isn't a dutch style, only a general "garden" style tank.
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Supporting
I Donated 2026
Rockstar
Sale Alert Oase Filtosmart Thermo 100
This thread is for the general discussion of the classified ad Oase Filtosmart Thermo 100. Please add to the discussion here.
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Staff member
I Donated 2026
Founding Member
This is the future home for the announcements when someone obtains an achievement badge. Let the games begin!
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Journal 22 gallon long bookshelf
Time to start a new thread.
I’ll fill in some details later, but I’m working on the hardscape now. Any and all criticism is appreciated. The vision is nothing more, and nothing less, than something appealing to the eye.
90cm x 30cm x 30cm Lifegard Aquatics ultra clear bookshelf tank. Buce and anubias on the hardscape, stems towards the back and center, mid to front carpet with some changes in shade and texture down to a flat grade on the right side of the tank.
Lily pipe inlet and skimmer will be in the back left corner with the outflow in the front left to hopefully achieve circular flow. I’ll be running an in-line diffuser. Light will be the P600 Pro that I regrettably did not upside to 900. Oh well. I’ll mount it high and hopefully it’ll have enough spread.
I have some dragon stone and red lava rock rubble I’ll use at the base to blend into the substrate, as well as some stratum I may or may not cap with.
I’ll fill in some details later, but I’m working on the hardscape now. Any and all criticism is appreciated. The vision is nothing more, and nothing less, than something appealing to the eye.
90cm x 30cm x 30cm Lifegard Aquatics ultra clear bookshelf tank. Buce and anubias on the hardscape, stems towards the back and center, mid to front carpet with some changes in shade and texture down to a flat grade on the right side of the tank.
Lily pipe inlet and skimmer will be in the back left corner with the outflow in the front left to hopefully achieve circular flow. I’ll be running an in-line diffuser. Light will be the P600 Pro that I regrettably did not upside to 900. Oh well. I’ll mount it high and hopefully it’ll have enough spread.
I have some dragon stone and red lava rock rubble I’ll use at the base to blend into the substrate, as well as some stratum I may or may not cap with.
241 Replies
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26005 views