Custom Aluminum T-Slot Aquarium Stands from 80/20

www.tidalgardens.com
I love these custom aquarium stands from 80/20.
#tidalgardens #coral #reeftank
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This video was shot and edited by Tidal Gardens. Tidal Gardens owns all intellectual property rights to this content.

[@SpiegNet]

Looks great. One thing to be aware of. Many of the small brackets you'll find on the market that go inside the slots as anchor points for the bolts to attach are actually made of steel. We had problems in a climate controlled space (40-50% humidity 24/7) after about 6 years, many of those anchor pieces oxidized (rusted) enough to become failure points. Being that this stuff is going to see regular exposure to salt water, I'd make sure you are only using aluminum or stainless steel throughout the entire assembly. Also, I don't know for sure, but I'd guess that the leveling adjusters for your casters may be made of steel (especially the Chinese ones) and may not be so easy to adjust if they become rusted. Easy to check with a magnet - standard steel is magnetic and stainless steel or aluminum is not. If so, you could coat the threads with an anti-seize compound to protect them from salt water exposure so they remain functional for the long term.

[@-8_8-]

Great point. But don't forget to check things sold to you as stainless steel. Ferritic stainless, which if I recall are marked in the 400s, are attracted to magnets and not generally suitable to marine environments. Even your 300 series varies a bit because you have some marked L. The L in 304L stands for leaded. I'm not sure if it will respond to rare earth magnets. But it does have lead locked in it, which may or may not matter to you. You're looking for a lot of nickel, like 316, I believe, which makes the material harder. This means harder on tools, which also costs time. 316 also has molybendum, this assists longevity in marine environments. However, since your stand is not literally inside the saltwater tank, (and if it is, where's the video???) 304 will probably suffice, as it is easier to work. Just know if it's 304L or 304.

[@djcarpus423]

I use 80/20 at work a lot. An impact with adjustable settings that can be set to low torque or a drill with the chuck set to kick out when they're snug works well because you can run them in, and hand tighten to finish without breaking the t nuts. It is definitely safer if you're not used to using them to just hand tighten though. These look like some very nice setups, the company you used definitely know what they're doing.

[@jonathanmartin3503]

Once again thank you for sharing your experiences. These stands were the first thing I noticed when you first showed them. So nice and clean. Looking forward to order one some for future builds.

[@dinosreef4626]

I am looking forward to seeing these tanks stocked these setups look great keep the updates coming

[@ldballoon4]

80/20 is my next build. Thank you!!

[@WallyNowakowski]

Nice! I built a stand similar to your design for my tank about a year ago and can totally relate to how long it took me to plan it out. I went through countless iterations of it, but learned a lot in the process. 8020 has a very nice interactive catalog.

[@d1nternal]

i'm am planning a new stand now, do you think you can assist? Do you mind if i get a copy of the parts list?

[@marzocchi92]

another quality video, keep up the good work

[@jcarb123]

They look great!!! I hope you are doing well with this pandemic.

[@ferozkaamil1]

I might have grandchildren before we see Corals and fish here. 😝😝😝

[@adamschaafsma5839]

Lol!!!! That easy video! That was funny! Laughing so hard! I really love those stands, they look so simple I didn't realize they were so complex.

[@alwaysanovice]

Speaking of torque on bolts.... I am a maintenance person at an aerospace company. We use 80/20 EVERYWHERE. The clutch setting on a good cordless drill (not a hammer drill) is a crucial tool that we all use. It cuts your time in half and keeps all the torque specs consistent.

[@-8_8-]

All those bags of parts and piles of extrusion is exciting. Once upon a time I was a machinist. Now I'm an installer. I'm looking at these stands like... Yeah I can handle all that. But I might need my old shop to machine some stuff. Maybe you don't need a design firm if you can work with a small machine shop in your area. I guess it depends on prices. As far as weight, you all know how this works. Make every connection far stronger than you think is necessary.

[@SlowRoast2112]

That's an awesome build and fun to see how this is put together. You should look into TSLOTS, they are similar to 80/20 and they would bag the hardware into kits to avoid that confusion during the build. I've had good experiences with them, either way that was a great video!

[@ParkersReef]

Great video!

[@nipponjim7815]

These are awesome!! I looked into some single channel extrusions for myself and noticed they have a hole in the center which is perfect for tapping threads into. This way you dont have to use the 45 degree brackets (at least for a small stand, bigger stand you should use extra gussets and brackets i spose). I wish you guys were in canada, your coral selection is awesome.

[@Reefgrrl]

OH. YES. This is what I’d love to get for my upcoming new build. Thank you for this video - it answered a lot of questions I didn’t know I had and made a lot of things much more clear. Now all I can do is hope they can ship to Canada....🤔

[@tidalgardens]

I am sure you will be able to find it. This type of aluminum t-slot system is ubiquitous in manufacturing and laboratory industries.

[@Reefgrrl]

Thank you - it hadn’t occurred to me to try and find it here. I’ll see what’s available. 👍🏻

[@volteface69]

Merci pour ta vidéo !!! 👍👍👍

[@ronaldwright3032]

I love these. Also love the bases and foam that you used. Planning for a 300 gallon. 10’L/30”H/24”D.

[@tidalgardens]

That will be a very nice tank. 30" is really deep though. Hope you have long arms.

[@ronaldwright3032]

Tidal Gardens it’s taking the place of a 150 show.

[@Trickmanii]

Did this for my lighting canopy.

[@CREATIVESWAN11]

very informative video

[@angryowlaquariums40]

80/20 is what I used to mount my lights over my tank! 🦉🍻

[@danelach280]

I actually work for a company who specializes in extrusion based out of chicago. we build some pretty crazy stuff! but you are correct, keep it simple.

[@harkinsaquatics]

I have used this product for years and absolutely love it. That being said I have never used casters. Cant wait to have a job where those might be viable.

[@tidalgardens]

I love these things. One of the guys here wants to build his next work desk out of this.

[@upsidediy3945]

Those would be great for a workshop, That built tanks. I would of built, wood stands and tiled ponds, With viewing acrylic pannel. it depends on many situations.

[@DiepBlueC]

How do you balance load between a bunch of leveling feet when you have like 8 or more on a long stand? Level with the corners and then dial the others down until they touch and then just a bit? Thanks! I am just worried that just 4 or 5 feet would take most/all of the load and a few of the feet would be just not doing much.

[@coreygregson375]

Im about to build a tank stand but what would be interesting to know is how would you fix joinery panels to the outside of extrusions

[@rickb7242]

Haha that first part was the best 😂 You should have left it at that then made another seperate video .

[@ReefTVH20]

More info on the type 1 pvc please. Just uploaded a video of my new build but i dont know what material i want the tank to sit on

[@Wood_Slice]

Actually i do believe you can use a dril. Just make sure its a drill with a clutch setting so you dont over torque the screws. Just find the correct clutch setting by hand tightening snd match that with the clutch

[@leo11877]

So those movable caster are not supposed to be used when the tank is filled correct? Do they lock down?

[@miroslavradev756]

A German company called MayTec has a free software that anyone can use and design theirs stands . It also outputs a PDF version showing the build parts like a building manual. The design can be send to MayTec dealer and they can build it accordingly. One can also just use the files and send it to other manufacturers if lower cost is available, or MayTec is not available. The parts may be different slightly, but the general structure should be OK to be constructed from any Tslot manufacturer. One thing to be aware of is to make sure if you use Al Tslots from a particular company, make sure to use theirs TSlot bolts and nuts and other accessories as most are not standard across. In terms of calculating the weight, some basic mechanical background is required and also a manufacturer's weight handling data can be used to estimate the load capacity. www.may-cad.org/en/p1.htm

[@tidalgardens]

That sounds like a very helpful resource.

[@bobbylim1971]

Just downloaded the software. Pretty straight forward and easy to use. It will be great if the software can simulate weight load of aquarium to determine if the structure and anchor points can hold up.

[@hongsonnguyen5079]

👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@dragonshadow3707]

Hey handy video as always just a quick question if you have the time to answer, was wondering where you got your tanks made from?

[@tidalgardens]

reef savvy

[@SpiegNet]

I'm with you... wood sucks (and particle board is the worst thing ever). My preferred material for building stands is Dupont Corian (expensive but very strong and easy to work with + it looks great in your living room). Also, it may be worth mentioning that there are different types of foam. You want to be sure you're using closed cell foam (open cell foam is essentially just a sponge that will cause problems over time).

[@tidalgardens]

Yes, closed cell foam for sure.

[@DiveBC]

A question on the wheels. Are they designed to be able to hold the full system while filled with water (not full of water but say 80%) and still be able to move. Or is it when the tank is empty you can move it around and then level the system before adding water. Thanks

[@tidalgardens]

The tanks have to be empty to roll the stands. Maybe for a 50-gallon tank it could be rolled with water, but the stand and wheels would have to accommodate for that.

[@ArrickthaRed]

Thanks for the video. I can't even imagine the total investment this new building has been. I do understand why you are doing it. This is just betting on yourself and the fact that this industry will be mostly aquaculture in the near future. You are so far ahead of the game already. Hopefully this virus doesn't wipe us out before this building reaches it's full potential. So hurry up lol.

[@reefkeeper2]

Could you give a link or more info of the type of foam you used for the squish layer and where you got it?

[@tidalgardens]

It is closed cell foam from foamfactory.com

[@erich8756]

Cool video! I was searching for a wheeled solution but never found an acceptable one. Question: once you level the wheel can you then swivel them under the tank? Since you roll it some place then some wheels would stick out which for a home tank would look less nice because you can not hide it with panels without making the outer panels bigger or the stand smaller than the tank itself to hide the wheels.

[@tidalgardens]

Once the stand is in place, you do have a little bit of play in the direction of the wheels. Even if you need to lift up on one corner it's not impossible.

[@erich8756]

@@tidalgardens thanks and keep up the great streams and vids 👍

[@MW-ut3dk]

I’ve been searching everywhere for a video this informative about 8020 stands. Answered all my questions-many 🙏! Any experience or know anyone who has dealt with Framing Tech!

[@tidalgardens]

Framing Tech should be fine. I've only seen one stand by them in person and it was nice.

[@jimjestude7454]

M W I just got my frag tank stand from framing tech great to work with, did leveling caster inspired by tidal gardens , just as mentioned you only get a drawing but pretty easy to figure out

[@patrickcogley]

What design firm are you using?

[@mmorgan8511]

The pad that you used... you described it as extruded PVC. It looks like twin wall polycarbonate, not HDPE. Can you elaborate? Thickness, etc.

[@htc148]

that boom end of video part XDXDXDXD

[@michaelisakov1108]

Whats the name of that soft pink foam?

[@reefkeeper2]

Sorry to ask this question again. My build was delayed because of Covid. I'm just getting to the foam layer for the top of the stand and I find many different kinds of closed cell foam to choose from at the Foam Factory. Could you be more specific about which you used? My tank is 400 gal and I also have an extruded aluminum stand.

[@tidalgardens]

4 lb foam in grey

[@reefkeeper2]

@@tidalgardens polystyrene? Thanks

[@cWilliam818]

How much does it cost to do this with 75 gallon 49 length 26 tall 14 wide?

[@i2ik]

Can you tell us what is the foam material used on the bigger tank? Thank you for your help!!

[@tidalgardens]

Closed Cell Foam

[@jeffbaker4219]

Where do you find the supplier for the aluminum channel? I have searched but can only find it in shorter lengths. I need some in the 12-15 foot range and can't find that anywhere. Thanks for any help on this.

[@siggyincr7447]

Just one example a 20' long 1"x1" extrusion, www.framingtech.com/10-x-10 . Search google for "extruded aluminum t-slot" and you should find more sources.

[@martinkoumal5771]

Hello, is there any elox needed fór using with saltwater? Thank you! 🙏

[@Mike__B]

One thing to keep in mind, while yes aluminum won't rust at least by itself, literally every single t-nut/bolt that you use to connect the thing are made of galvanized steel and those most definitely will rust.

[@tidalgardens]

Most of the hardware is stainless, which will also rust, but resistant. It's an upgrade option.

[@Mike__B]

@@tidalgardens Oh you did go with stainless? Good job. I know you can get the bolts in SS, but didn't see that as an option for those connecting nuts, nor the fancy anchor connectors that require machining. Oh well, stand is built no way I'm taking it apart :D.

[@Anon13489]

Can you explain what type foam you use and where you get it?

[@ReefTVH20]

👀

[@sambow7005]

Why you don’t fill with water? Aren’t you worried the silicons dry and crackes

[@Carlos23reef]

What material for the foam layer or Squish layer do you use and where can someone order that material

[@tidalgardens]

We like 4-lb closed cell foam from thefoamfactory.com

[@codyspencer3491]

The exact source and model of the grey 4 PSI foam you used would be amazing.

[@tidalgardens]

www.thefoamfactory.com/closedcellfoam/polyethylene-foam-roll.html

[@vested7664]

What thickness did you end up using?@@tidalgardens

[@ZroCool_Garage]

What design company did you use for the stands?

[@tidalgardens]

HPE Automation

[@-8_8-]

That allen wrench he's using has a ball on one end. That's why it can go in at an angle. Also, you can get a whole set of those, minus the ergonomic handle(always in the way) for like 12 bucks from eklind. These should last you damn near forever if you don't abuse the hell out of them. And he's right. You paid a lot of money for your project. Don't use a motor.

[@arturreef8117]

Who built your tanks?

[@michaelisakov1108]

Can you please tell us the information for the pink foam you placed underneath the tanks please?

[@tidalgardens]

I didn't use the pink foam. That is foam you can get from Lowe's or Home Depot.

[@michaelisakov1108]

@@tidalgardens which foam are u using, please provide specifics, thanks.

[@mmorgan8511]

What is the model number on those Footmaster casters? Are those the GDR-80 or GDR-100?

[@tidalgardens]

the ones i use are the 120

[@mmorgan8511]

@@tidalgardens Wow - no wonder they look so beefy! I'd love to go with the 80/20 but then we'd have no cash for corals! LOl

[@JLards]

hey Than

[@christianliesaputra3592]

How about for tank dimensions 60"x30"x24" with 5/8" glass, is 4040 enough?

[@tidalgardens]

4040 is a huge profile. It would hold the tank without any difficulty.

[@OCReventsAndbuilds]

Hey would you give away where you order your parts we are planning a way bigger tank and would love to use this

[@airrund08]

They have a website: 8020.net

[@michaelisakov1108]

Who manufactured your stands?

[@tidalgardens]

80/20

[@robot_spider]

I love 80/20, but as a DIYer, anything beyond a couple extrusions and some economy fasteners and the cost gets out of hand too quickly. Hinges and linear motion as a DIYer? Forget about it. :(

[@gabesreef]

I'm ok building a wood stand vs paying that much for metal

[@CherryHaze86]

I think not sending instructions or indications of any sort for these stands is a big no-no. It should be part of the service and a quality/warranty issue...

[@tidalgardens]

I got lucky with my design. I've seen people have stands designed where certain pieces were custom cut really close in size so if you grabbed the wrong "leg" size it would be off by 1/8th of an inch. No directions!

[@bearfur8591]

If your distributor isn't providing tagged drawings and having your individual designs kitted/tagged, you should find a new distributor. Part tagging and kitting are free services from 80/20, so not including them is a rookie move. [Part tagging PN: 7412],[Order kitting PN: 7412]

[@zionrusozionruso9966]

יש לכם כתובת מייל אני רוצה לקנות שולחן לאקווריום אלומיניום בבקשה מישהו יכול לעזור לי כי אני מישראל

[@jimwilliams5565]

‘Go through a de$ign firm’….ugh

[@zaidpayan2980]

This dude still hasn’t done anything to the display tank behind him

[@funkyleg9389]

sorry than i love your videos. but your current content is little bit boring man! please more coral related stuff