Do It Yourself Canopy Project

Details on my DIY Canopy Design


20 Gal Canopy 45 Gal Canopy

Some of the design highlights of this canopy.


Canopy Extra's that could be incorporated into this design

Enough of the highlights lets get down to the good stuff. How to design and build your own.

  1. To start the project your going to need to made the following measurements. The tanks width from the outside of the top frame. The frame is usually 1/4" wider than the glass part of the tank. This measurement will be the inside dimensions of the canopy. (For my 20 gal tank the measurement was ")
  2. The last real measurement your going to need to take of your tank is the distance from the front to the back of the tank. This is required so that the canopy will cover the entire tank. (For my 20 gal tank the measurement was ")
  3. Now your going to want to think about how tall do you want your canopy. One of the determining factors is how high off the water surface do you want your bulbs. Take into consideration the amount of overhang your going to have. Add the amount of overhang your going to have to the height that you want the canopy to extend above the tank for the total canopy height. (I built mine to be 10" tall but since they hang over the sides of the tank about 1 1/2" to 2" the total height is actually about 8".)
  4. We are ready to lay out the different pieces onto our wood and prepare to cut them out. I used a 4 ply 1/2" sheet of plywood for my two canopys. At the end of the project I have just under 1/2 sheet left.
  5. To mark the front and top of your canopy add to the first measurement you took the size of the wood that your working with. (The front of the canopy will extend over the two sides of the canopy so if you are using 1/2" plywood then make the front 1" wider than the inside measurement that we took in step 1) To mark out the top of the canopy add 1" to the side just like you did for the front but also add 1/2" to the front to back measurement from step 2 so that it overlaps the front panel.
  6. Now that we have the front marked out on the wood we need to also mark out the opening that will become our front access door. Be sure to make the door large enough so that you can easily work on the tank with out having to remove the entire canopy. (I measured in 2" from either side and also 2" down from the top of the front and marked out my door this way. Using this method the door is centered on the front and has a nice 2" frame around the sides and top.
  7. Now that the front, two sides, top and the back (the back measurement should be the same width as the front but only make it as tall as you want) (optional) Remember that most people route their hoses/wires over the back. Allow room for them. is marked out on the wood your ready to cut.
  8. As you cut your wood out make "dry" test fits to make sure everything is going to line up like you think it will. Remember you can always cut something shorter but you can never add to it once it is cut. Here is a picture of my 45 gal canopy after cutting.
  9. With everything cut out we are ready to put all the pieces together. I used water proof wood glue and 1" wood screws. Be sure to drill pilot holes for the screws. Since we are going to be screwing into the side of the plywood we want to make sure that it does not split or crack. The pilot holes should be about 1/2 the diameter of the screws that your using. Put a bead of glue on the area your connecting and then put your screws in. I tend to "over build" so I put a screw in about every 3" or so this was over kill. You can get by with one screw every 6" or so. Use small 1"x3" blocks of wood to support the canopy on to the tank. Measure down from the bottom of the canopy how far you want it to overlap onto your tank. Mark this location, glue and screw in your support blocks. Longer screws may be required to secure these block to the canopy. Be careful not to get screws to long and to screw thru the outside of the canopy. For tanks that have a front to back area larger than 12-16" you many want to use longer blocks.
  10. Once the canopy has been put together you should have two pieces. The main canopy and then the front door. If you want at this time test fit the canopy to the tank to assure that it will fit. If all your measurements where correct it should fit very snuggly.
  11. Use what you want to finish the canopy. I used some wood stain and then two coats of polyurthane to make it water resistant. Be sure to allow 24Hr drying time between coats. Once your done with the finish then your ready to put the hardware on (hinges and pull handles)Finished canopy after staining and putting the final hardware on. This shot shows how this canopy can also open up to provide even more tank access
  12. The last step is to add the wiring and the lighting system. Now your ready to put the canopy on the tank and ENJOY!

Here are some additional pictures and design drawings of my canopy