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Re: [Killietalk] base materials

That was going to be my suggestion, Lee, until I thought about the set I just bought at KMart. The shelf top is fairly flat, but underneath they are like a coarse egg crate, so some fancy shaping might be required for each upright piece. No?

I also am not sure I would like the side light blocked and the fish unable to see the ("slightly frosty") ones in the next "tank." Maybe I'd have to go to white (and red?) LEDs in the lids to get enough light for photosynthesis and plant filtration activity.

I was planning to use three of those plastic file boxes I wrote about, earlier, with the "Built-in deBruyn chamber" on each shelf. I may be able to minimize sag by having the tops of the relatively tall 4G boxes touch. IDK. [Spacer between tops of each that can be removed for maintenance?]

A bigger container on the top shelf will hold my heating/conditioning sump for an eventual flow-through system.

Here's a wild thought for Edd:

Do you have a strong overhead? Stranded steel cable inside clear vinyl is available at any larger hardware store. Put some strong eyebolts into the overhead rafters and then a cable down to the center of the shelves, with a washer fastened to the cable below each shelf to provide upward pressure when it tries to sag. Not too obtrusive, and surely strong enough to do the job if you have more than just sheetrock overhead.

[I'm in a rented mobile home, so it won't work, for me.]

Wright

LeeH920226 at aol_com wrote:

In a message dated 3/4/04 9:19:59 AM, Edd_Kray at rf.doe.gov writes:

<< So my question is, what would you recommend as reinforcement under the
new tanks? It needs to be thin and strong. It seems that plywood, even
like 1/2" might slump and I certainly don't' have the headroom between
the shelves to set them on 2/4's/ Is there anything thin, (and
inexpensive) but with the structural rigidity to keep the row from
slumping in the middle. >>

Well, Edd, The same dilemma is addressed by woodworkers trying to make bookshelves that hold the weight of 40 years of Tropical Fish Hobbyist magazines -- probably as heavy as tanks of water. The latest word is that plywood is better than anything else but the key is the length of the span. I have inserted upright supports every 16 inches in my bookshelves and you could do the same in your fish tanks racks. Half inch plywood as a vertical divider is strong enough in compression, but not in flexural rigidity.


Lee Harper
Media, PA

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Wright Huntley - Rt. 001 Box K36, Bishop CA 93514 - whuntley at verizon_net
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