Well this is it - the last major obstacle to a completed aquarium.
Oh, sure, there will always be tweaking and a few finishes aspects,
but the canopy represented the final hurdle before I could relax
and begin to enjoy the aquarium. Like the stand, I set forth with
no detailed plans of what to make. I was creating it in my head
as we sawed and screwed it together.
So much like the stand, we started with a skeleton.
And added a plywood shell. We also painted the inside of the canopy
to seal it from moisture, as seen in the photo below.
With the canopy sealed, it was time for the doors to be made and
painted as well.
And finally to my favorite part - the application of the White
Birch and Red Oak.
Once the entire canopy was trimmed out, it was looking pretty sharp.
A little (okay I mean a lot) of sanding later...
We had a finished product ready for urethane. Check out the detail
on the doors -
Six coats of urethane later and the canopy was prepped and ready
for the aquarium.
From there it was just a matter of carrying it into the house and
rigging it with the lighting and making plumbing connections.
And that concludes the construction of my aquarium! Be sure to
check out the pages with photos
of the animals I keep. They are, after all, the reason I went
through this time and expense. Additionally, check out the
tour of my aquarium and see how it all operates.
For all the images in my canopy album check
out this link.
Special thanks to Steve Walker, Paul Ponder, and my father for
the extremely appreciated assistance. Also to all who helped me
move the stand and aquarium - Bill. Andy, Ken, Dong, and David.
Delivery Day
~ The Plumbing
~ The Closet~
The Stand ~ The
Tile ~ Move In
~ The Canopy ~
Filling
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