# Other Aquarium Forums > Equipment and Accessories > DIY Projects >  Just another DIY ADA Cabinet build

## neverwalkalone

Like many who enjoy the crisp clean look of ADA cabinets, I decided to get one for the new 3ft tank when my "CO" (better half) gave the go-ahead last year.  :Dancing: 

Did a bit of running around to LFS and furniture shops to determine my best option: buy ready made, custom build or DIY.

As I wanted a higher cabinet - 90cm vs 70cm (standard ADA), I decided to go DIY for various reasons. I literally trawled hundreds of webpages to gather information on how to DIY; there are really alot of good (and some not so good) posts available. 

Here are a few that I found very helpful, and worth a quick read if you don't want to do all the searching yourself.

- A great video from projectaquarium to get started on top of the rest of relevant info on the DIY
- A great thread from our sister site My-mac Forum; from where it led me to 
- This site (in Russian) where I found the dimensions (amongst other very useful info) for the various cabinets!  :COOL!: 
(now do you believe me that I read alot?  :Whistle: )

Plywoods sold locally come in 4ft x 8ft sheets, so I had to redraw the dimensions. With a taller height, I ended up needing 2 4'x8' sheets, and optimised the layout for both a 3ft (90cm x 45cm x 90cm [H]) and a 2ft (60cm x 30cm x 90cm [H]) cabinets.

Found a number of places especially in Industrial Parks where you can get the ply. I bought mine from Ban Heng Long at Jalan Berseh/Townshend Road. They will also cut it for a fee. I settled for 18mm ply and had to redo my math quickly on the spot as I had my drawings done for 16mm! (they only had 15mm as next smaller size). Went with 1 sided laminated (white) for the interior to reduce the amount of lamination/waterproofing.

Here are all the 2 sets of plys for the 2 cabinets all cut and ready.


Started work on the 90cm as I wanted to get that tank done first. Decided to have a 2"x2" centre "rib" of Kapur wood for added support although many designs deem it unnecessary.


Like a true blue "kiasu" Singaporean (playing it really safe), I decided to use Dowel joints instead of just nails, here are the boards with dowels inserted.


to be continued...

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## ciaossu

FINALLY BRO! been waiting for your update..... more picture please haha. anyway, what is the size of the dowel joint, and how do you make sure that you wouldn't drill the hole too deep and did you use any wood glue? and how much is the lamination? and do you have their contact? haha, sorry for the questions. :Embarassed:  BTW, i also read alot about the DIY of cabinet just that i didn't know where to get the raw material at a cheap price and no vehicle to get to the location T.T. i really appreciate your sharing with us. :Wink:

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## neverwalkalone

Wah bro - so many questions!! 

OK, will try to address them though I must make a disclaimer: I'm a NOOB and just like tinkering DIYs. My experience is not always the best nor the only way!  :Smile: 

- dowels: 
For my 18mm plys, I used 8mms, though I guess 10mms may still work. How not to drill too deep? There are gadgets you can buy that attaches to the drill bit that prevents you from going too far, but I just used masking tape and "ah-ga-ration" (eye estimates)  :Whistle: .
Wood glue is definately required as dowel joints are meant to be GLUED (to bond with the woods for a good joint). In any case, you can't have dowel joints in ALL edges as it will be impossible to do so for adjoining sides ie once the 2 sides are joined to the base/top, you can't have the back joined by dowels to the sides! (or at least I didn't try to figure that one out). Anyway, wood glue increases the joint strength by about 30-50% (actually saw some youtube videos on tests done with/without wood glue).

Laminates - will get round to it in my post; I spent $20 (or less I think) as I chose the 'discontinued'/sale stocks. IMHO it's not expensive - really nice ones can be had for <S$40, again in 4'x8' sheets. I highly recommend TAK products @Sungei Kadut. They have great service and workers are very helpful, even for a DIYer and 'small fry' like me buying only 1-2 sheets! :-) You can actually take the MRT/bus there and back if you don't mind the long journey to save $s. The sheets are rolled into tubes and are "manageable" for the bus/train (during off peak times of course).

No car? No problem. I think the only main item that is bulky is the ply. If you don't mind paying for service, have the plys cut into the actual sizes. It's a bit heavy though, so a taxi home will still be necessary, unless you have an Army of help to go via bus/train.  :Angel:

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## neverwalkalone

Just realised that I didn't take any pictures of the assembly process - the nailing of the sides, back and bottom. Had my hands full with wood glue, balancing the clamps and getting the parts joined/nailed together and didn't want to dirty the camera.  :Razz: 

Anyway, the process was:
- glue dowels+nail sides to base
- glue dowels+nail front support to sides
- glue+nail back to sides & base

This is the end result:


The left inside of the back wood was slightly damaged due to placement (bottom of stack), white laminates peeled off slightly. Not big deal as it's inside.

Had a bit of a challenge as the plywood had flexed a little due to the rainy weather (was >2mths between time woods were purchased to build date). This was more problematic for the doors, as the flex was more obvious given there's nothing to hold it flat. Found out later from furniture shop that Doors should be made from "lumber cores" rather than "combination cores/veneer cores"  Lumber Core  Combination Core (pictures courtesy of paxtonwood.com) 

Next, the centre 2"x2" Kapur support was installed. Decided to remove the bottom piece as it proved to be a hassle not only for installation, but also didn't provide any functionality (it wasn't supporting anything). The top was then glued+nailed into place.


Finally, the front piece is nailed into place. No more nailing/hammering after this. Doors are then measured to determine best fit given the slight warping of plys.  :Sad:  Also drilled the holes/slots at the back as I didn't intend to laminate the back. Circular holes on doors are for the hinges.

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## ciaossu

thanks for addressing my questions  :Grin:  anyway, the laminates, you brought the whole sheet home and cut it yourself or ask them to cut for you to the size you want? from what i saw from the video, the guy used a machine to do that.

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## neverwalkalone

wah - you're really on top of this thread huh?! haha.. you are one step ahead. OK, I'll try to finish sharing it quickly so you may have your answers.

I brought the whole Laminate sheet back without cutting. Here it is laid out on it's "front" (ie coloured side underneath).

Actually had minor 'accident' carrying it, and a part of it chipped off (it's strong, but brittle, and yes - also very sharp if you are not careful). Originally thought I'd need a router also, but TAK products taught me how to do it. No need for fancy machines - of course you'd get a nicer finish if you do. You only need to use a plastic cutter you can buy from most hardware shops.
Here's an image from the internet (eeeuser.com "copyright"?)

The laminates should be cut to a size slightly larger than the surface covered; ideally 0.5mm border for sanding down to the edge. A long Steel ruler will be necessary/handy for use with the cutter. Looks like every time I had to deal with glue, I didn't handle my camera - so no pictures! Sorry!  :d'oh!: 

Here's the cabinet done. 

WARNING! - the laminate is VERY SHARP! I had many cuts on my arms and feet trying to move the heavy cabinet around after gluing but before sanding it down. Must agree the videos of those routers in use for this purpose certainly makes it look very easy/good!

After laminating the box, the holes for the sides are then drilled so that the laminate is cut to the same exact shape. Didn't make a standard "half elliptical" hole as I didn't have the right tools to cut that shape. Went with a simple rectangle with round sides for the filter tubes. The steel pipes are the light fixture stand, mounted on the back rather than the sides.


OK - here's the finished product with doors mounted


and with the braceless tank - TADA - job complete. Not the best craftmanship, but hey, I'm happy with it cos the "CO" is happy.  :Dancing: 


Thanks for viewing! Feel free to comment/advice. I have learnt much from this, and the 2footer will probably be better finished and done faster!  :Pray:

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## Mr.Oink

Nice DIY. 
I got another question, it the top or bottom of the top tapered? Else do you have difficulty opening the door?

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## equidorz

Nicely done, i prefer the laminate to be black though. Is that blue you are using? Anyway thumbs up, A true red at work. YNWA!

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## neverwalkalone

The doors are not tapered. The base is actually raised from the ground with a "platform" plywood slightly smaller than the base, so it's easy to open the doors by the bottom. Incidentally, the slight flex of the doors actually makes it slightly ajar, so I can open it from that protrusion. It's a bit unsightly, but not bad enough to warrant new doors. :-)

I did contemplate making grooves along the top n bottom edges of the door egdes, but laminating that will be a challenge. Happy to hear if there are suggestions/other options.

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## neverwalkalone

> Nicely done, i prefer the laminate to be black though. Is that blue you are using? Anyway thumbs up, A true red at work. YNWA!


Thanks bro. Ya, it's slightly bluish. Wanted a black or typical ADA gun grey, but those were more pricey. Since it's my first try with laminates, I went with the discounted stock. (I'm a cheapskate. hahaha) My next 2fter may well be black or even white! :-). The colours and texture options are truly amazing.

Good to know you're a Reds fan too! YNWA Forever! :-)

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## blue33

Wow! You a great DIY person.  :Grin:

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## equidorz

i see, good job nevertheless. I think you should just set up a business and sell cabinet. LOL! hope we earn a europa spot tonight! YNWA!

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## neverwalkalone

No la!! Workmanship not there (yet?) :-). Hahaha. You're too kind.

Ya, we get into Europe tonight! :-) (see my prediction Post in the member's lounge.)

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## neverwalkalone

> Wow! You a great DIY person.


Thanks Adrian. I'm just a noob. Many more Sifus out there.

Special thanks to you for your help with the stainless steel pipes.  :Smile:

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## ciaossu

thanks for addressing all my questions. :Embarassed:  i really appreciate your sharing and your help  :Well done: . and NICE cabinet, if you've a better equipment i'm sure your cabinet wouldn't lose to the real thing. :Well done:  i'm looking forward for your next update and your FTS with plants and fishes in there. :Angel:

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## neverwalkalone

Thanks bro. I hope this post helped your considerations, look forward to your DIY project.

I'll find time to post the LED light set I built for this cabinet - ya, what's an ADA style cabinet without a cooresponding Lightset? hahaha; and of course the all important Tank setup.  ::smt002:

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## newlife

Awesome...
How long did you take to get this project done up?
How much money did you spend for this entire project???

Really 2 thumbs up!!!

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## eviltrain

wow, very nice detailed DIY walk-through. your ADA don't even looks like 2 feet, more like 3 feet to me.  :Well done:

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## blue33

So are we going to see a ADA Aquascape soon???...  me looking forward bro.  :Grin: 




> Thanks bro. I hope this post helped your considerations, look forward to your DIY project.
> 
> I'll find time to post the LED light set I built for this cabinet - *ya, what's an ADA style cabinet without a cooresponding Lightset*? hahaha; and of course the all important Tank setup.

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## neverwalkalone

Pardon the delay in responding, I've been away without Internet access.  :Neutral: 
Thanks for all the kind comments.



> *newlife:*
> How long did you take to get this project done up?
> How much money did you spend for this entire project???


The entire project took about 2 months working on weekends and a few weekdays during the year end holidays. I really took my time, though once I got going with the gluing/nailing, it was almost non-stop from there to finish up. All in all, I estimate a 20man-hour job (wood cutting/drilling/doweling/gluing/nailing/sanding/painting/cutting/laminating/final sanding... ) Alot depends on the tools and work area I guess. My wife hates a mess (and noise), so I can only do certain things at certain times of the day, PLUS clean up quickly, so it's probably delayed that way. Better keep her happy since there is still the LED light and TANK scaping projects.. heh heh).

Cost:
- wood = $78. (2 x18mm 4'x8' sheets + 2"x2"x10' Kapur rib + 4 'cuts' @$1/cut service fee) - bear in mind I wanted a taller cabinet @90cm (so couldn't squeeze it into a single 4x8' without 'joints'). I have enough left over for another 2ft cabinet (also 90cm tall) which was deliberate. I would think a single sheet of 4x8' will be enough for a "regular" 70cm tall cabinet. (so my guess - under $50 for ply and rib).
- laminate : $12ea (also 4x8') - this is Discounted/Discontinued stock, so if you're buying regular ones, be prepared to pay $30-45 per sheet. I bought 2 sheets. A single sheet should be enough for a 3fter. (no need to laminate back)
- 4 hinges (Hafele) @$2 ea (I bought 6, 2 more for the single-door 2-fter)
- misc (nails, glue ["tiger brand" + wood glue], dowels, coarse and fine sandpaper) ~ $10 (with plenty of left overs)
Total material cost = ~$125 (for both 3' and 2' cabinets). 

My estimate if you are only building a 3' (@70cm height) is $80-100. (with regular priced laminates).
I'm not counting any tools and accessories cost which is substantial if you don't have/can't borrow.




> *eviltrain:*
> ...your ADA don't even looks like 2 feet, more like 3 feet to me.


- you're right; it is a 3footer. I intend to build another 2fter with the remaining material.




> *blue33:*
> So are we going to see a ADA Aquascape soon???...


No la, I am no way close to being able to do any "ADA" scapes, I'm just a NOOB. Have just finished planting and cycling tank now, but encountered GBA outbreak.  :Exasperated: Trying to combat it now. 

Here's a sneak peep:
[IMG width=382 height=512]https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-IvaqB2TAF8c/TdYDHCCLd-I/AAAAAAAAARA/uRkpujaLlA4/s512/IMG_0525.jpg[/IMG]

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## neverwalkalone

oops, looks like I've exceeded the time limit for edits - wanted to make the image smaller since it's only a sneak peek.. 

Moderator, kindly edit the last sentence to correct the image post. Just wanted a smaller size, but looks like not all the BBcodes are "enabled"?  :Think:  

Thanks!

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## fireblade

nice writeup!
nice setup too!!  :Smile:

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## rcw

Bravo "Clap" "Clap"

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## limz_777

neat and nice design , light stand diy too ?

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## neverwalkalone

Thanks guys.

Yes, the light stand is also a DIY - it's really simple. A stainless steel rod bent into an "L" shape. I chose to have it hung from the back rather than the sides, so had it secured using these chrome pipe holders which you can get from most hardware stores. It can be secured using either nut&bolt or screws. I used screws directly onto the back.

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## Nicky

Impressive !

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## SeahSengYong

That is cool.
Thumbs up for your effort and sharing.

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## ciaossu

hey is this ban heng long company where you bought your wood located at Syed Alwi Road Teck Heng Long Industrial Building???

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## neverwalkalone

yes, correct. that's the one. look forward to seeing your build!  :Smile:

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## ciaossu

yeah... this sat i will go and get the materials =) stay tuned... hopefully i will be able to complete my DIY cabinet in 1month time or less. :Smile:

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## neverwalkalone

that's Great bro! Don't forget to take lots of pictures to share! 
All the Best!

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## tohterry

Cool..now i can start making my own too.

Thanks pal!  :Wink:  :Well done:

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## cdckjn

Solid DIY skills and even attempt to do laminate all by yourself. Great Job!

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## neverwalkalone

Thanks for all the kind words. 

I hope my sharing has encourage some of you to give this a try; it's really not as difficult as some DIYs/videos have shown, especially the lamination part. I was originally put off with the need for a router, until the kind folks at TAK products (laminates) gave me a 5min "tutorial" - it's really not that hard.

I'm already thinking if I should re-do my current dark blue laminate into a glossy black (to match the piano it is sitting beside) or go with ivory white for contrast!  :Smile: 

Feel free to clarify any doubts and also share your experiences!

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## stormhawk

It shouldn't look like an extension of the piano so I'd go with Ivory White for contrast. Very nice work by the way, but I think one of the image links is broken?

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## neverwalkalone

Bro stormhawk, you're right - I shouldn't make it the same colour as the piano, else it'll look like the piano is super extended and weird! hahaha.

Yes, the "broken link" image was supposed to be a sneak preview of the tank whilst I'm battling the Algae bloom which I'm very happy to report now is under control (not algae free yet, but the GBA is all gone!)  :Jump for joy: 

This was what I posted. I'll find time to share the tank setup pics as well as the DIY LED lightset. Comments welcomed!

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## rcw

> Bro stormhawk, you're right - I shouldn't make it the same colour as the piano, else it'll look like the piano is super extended and weird! hahaha.
> 
> Yes, the "broken link" image was supposed to be a sneak preview of the tank whilst I'm battling the Algae bloom which I'm very happy to report now is under control (not algae free yet, but the GBA is all gone!) 
> 
> This was what I posted. I'll find time to share the tank setup pics as well as the DIY LED lightset. Comments welcomed!



Nice! Great Job on your DIY!!!

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## neverwalkalone

Thanks bro. I'm finishing up on the 2nd piece (1.5fter) and will post the pics shortly.  :Wink:

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## felix_fx2

> Bro stormhawk, you're right - I shouldn't make it the same colour as the piano, else it'll look like the piano is super extended and weird! hahaha.
> 
> Yes, the "broken link" image was supposed to be a sneak preview of the tank whilst I'm battling the Algae bloom which I'm very happy to report now is under control (not algae free yet, but the GBA is all gone!) 
> 
> This was what I posted. I'll find time to share the tank setup pics as well as the DIY LED lightset. Comments welcomed!


Really DIY? look really well done mate.

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## neverwalkalone

Thanks brother Felix. You're too kind. As mentioned, it looks "good" from far but far from good closeup! haha.  :Embarassed: 

Here's the 1.5footer that I finished about a month back but only just now finding time to upload. Noticed that the plywood (especially the door) warped quite a bit!  :Sad: . Again, it's ok if I'm not viewing upclose. (heh heh).

 *With the Light Stand fitted, placed next to "big brother" (3fter is lower by 2 steps):* 

Pardon the poor pictures. Need to learn how to take better pictures!

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## darter

Hi bro,

very inspiring project. Are we able to get pre laminated ply? Thinking of doing one for my up coming 3 footer. Dont wish to get the ready made as my co told mi not to rush getting it setup. So with a very long time frame, i might dwell into doing it myself. Have you got the blue prints of the cab?

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## neverwalkalone

Thanks darter.

The only 'pre laminated' ply comes in white; single or double side - it's what you find commonly used in cupboard shelves. The trouble with that apart from not being very nice looking is that you'd still have to laminate the edges after cutting/fixing it up; so you're better off laminating the entire box with your choice of colour/design!

As for "blue prints" - I've listed in the very 1st post; it's in Russian, but you can easily figure it out.

Look forward to seeing your build too!  :Smile:

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## limz_777

did you use a pipe bender to bend the L shape ? what size stainless steel rod did you use ?

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## Ark

Nice diy! Thank for sharing too.

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## neverwalkalone

> did you use a pipe bender to bend the L shape ? what size stainless steel rod did you use ?


Hi bro - sorry for late reply; it is not possible to bend stainless steel pipes with a pipe bender (ie DIY style). They were done by the pipe vendor; I believe they are 25mms (ODs).

Thanks for the encouragement Ark!

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## planted86

Hi neverwalkalone,

may i know what did u use to trim the laminate? a router?

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## neverwalkalone

@planted86 - the laminating process was shared in post #6 here.  Basically, I used the Plastic cutter and then filed/sanded it down.

It's quite easy to do once you get the hang of it, but nevertheless I'm sure you'll get a better finish if you have the right (power) tools like routers etc as seen in so many DIY videos online.

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## daniel19831123

Just out of curiousity, how much did it cost to have the light stand produced by the pipe vendor and which vendor did you approach to fabricate the metal stand?

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## neverwalkalone

> Just out of curiousity, how much did it cost to have the light stand produced by the pipe vendor and which vendor did you approach to fabricate the metal stand?


Sent you a PM.  :Smile:

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## tobi

can pm me as well? thanks.

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## kanguin

Hi can pm me where you get the light stand please.
THank you.

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## mercur1al

Very nice!

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## Bieffe

Swee.
would like to see the back. Did holes or slots for the pipes. No vents for chillers?
Can I read your LED diy guide?

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## neverwalkalone

> Very nice!




Thank you!





> Swee.
> would like to see the back. Did holes or slots for the pipes. No vents for chillers?
> Can I read your LED diy guide?


Thank you. Pardon the delay in replying, I havent been on the forum as much as I used to.

The photos of the back are in post #6. Repeated here:
IMG_0237.JPG

I don't use chillers (I don't have 24hr aircon, so I don't think my fishes/plants should have it too!  :Grin: ). Basically, 4 holes at the back, and 2 on the sides. The power cables and CO2 tube (used to) are via the back, the in/out water pipes are via the sides. 

The LED build thread is here: http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...-for-3-ft-tank. There's been significant progress on LED light builds since then, I'm sure you can do better at a lower cost too!

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## Bieffe

Oh boy I missed that. Didn't use chiller until the plants keep dying. Your level of carpentry is commercial grade. Not to mention the tools u need to have to get such beautiful cuts and holes. Your work table is also great. If only I have luxury to such stuffs and space. What I did is I took an Ikea unit and mod...so to pass inspection by my CFO! Hahah. Hole saw also biggest is 63mm that size a 13amp cannot go through....so have to dismantle plugs.

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## neverwalkalone

> Oh boy I missed that. Didn't use chiller until the plants keep dying. Your level of carpentry is commercial grade. Not to mention the tools u need to have to get such beautiful cuts and holes. Your work table is also great. If only I have luxury to such stuffs and space. What I did is I took an Ikea unit and mod...so to pass inspection by my CFO! Hahah. Hole saw also biggest is 63mm that size a 13amp cannot go through....so have to dismantle plugs.


You're too kind bro. The build 'looks good from FAR, but at near view is far from good!' hahaha :Laughing: 

I don't have that many good tools really. Just a drill and a jig saw. Had to go to a carpenter to get the hinge recess (circular hole for the door hinges) drill with their tools. Pretty ex for a simple 5min job. No choice. I would have invested in a paddle/wood bit if I'd known the guy charged so much! :Crying: 

the 13amp power plug should be able to squeeze through the hole made with the 63mm hole saw.

Be careful with IKEA products, most of them are made from particle board, and it may not be very strong but more importantly, it gets damaged easily by water!! IKEA also sells solid wood (their 'as is' corner) but you'll have to cut them to your needs, so you're back to square 1 (their solid wood 'discards' are good value, but SUPER HARD to cut!)

Ya - most important is that the "CO" approves! You're a wise man.  :Grin:

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## Bieffe

Happy wife happy life. Ya took the ikea and reinforce here and there. Ya once u get water it will bubble! I once paid a shop to cut plywood $2 per cut! Gone in 30 sec!

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## neverwalkalone

> Happy wife happy life. Ya took the ikea and reinforce here and there. Ya once u get water it will bubble! I once paid a shop to cut plywood $2 per cut! Gone in 30 sec!


A happy wife is a happy household. (heh heh).

Do share you build so we can all learn and appreciate!  :Smile:

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## fai

Hi bro, for the 2footer, do you still add kapur wood for support?

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## neverwalkalone

Hi, the 2fter doesn't have additional supports; the plywood is strong enough to support it without issues.

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