smidey

any ply will be suitable but different grades have different quality faces. A grade ply is best, this is forming ply so i would think it has the knot holes filled which may be ok but not too sure about forming grades. they are usually lower quality as they are typically thrown in the rubbish after a few uses.

the cup that fits the hinge is bored 14mm into the panel so if you go for 15mm material you will only have 1mm of face left which isn't enough. you will need to block for fitting the hinge mounts of the door hinges, i would fit a block onto the end panels rather than the frame, it will be easier. I would have a door at either end & a fixed panel in the centre so the doors aren't half your tanks length.

make the doors go between the top & bottom panels. if you use quality hinges they won't sag or if they do they are adjustable in every direction.

i don't think you will be able to do either of these ideas, the hinge mounts are screwed further back than 20mm so blocking will need to be added to fit that mounts to & if you go any thinner than 16mm board the hinge cup boring will come through the panel unless you are referring to piano hinges which are not overlay.

yep, that's the way.

yes, against the steel frame. the panel at the top is a trim between the opening doors & the tank bottom. thinking about that i would also put them up above the bottom of the tank to hide the ugly bits at the bottom of the tank. yes, if you wanted a back panel it would look better if the end panels overlayed the doors & back panels. i wouldn't, chances of them falling off in future is high & you would need to clamp them on while they are drying etc. Screwing through the frame from inside is a much better option.

that is so easy to clad with panels, end panels will extend 20mm in front of the front face of the frame. I would fit a short panel (75mm+-) across below the tank, the doors will be fitted to blocks on the end panels. There will be a little bit of messing around to allow the panels to be screwed to the frame from the inside but that's not much of an issue.

PB & MDF are so common in cabinetmaking throughout the world, i have not come across that in practise. Timber would obviously perform better with moisture but timbers biggest downfall is it's grain & ability to move with it. these days it solely comes down to cost & anything with solid timber is not going to compete with MDF & PB. What ever product you choose will need different work, good quality MDF has a very smooth face for painting, particle board is a substrate material & i would recommend if using melamine or melteca to get the PB substrate and ply which is best being stained as it has quite a rough grained finish. it really depends on what finish you want, painted must be MDF, just make sure you seal the edges to prevent water soak age.

forget the marine ply unless you plan on making a boat or skateboard ramp, it's not treated. Use treated ply if you are concerned about moisture. with many years experience in the cabinet making industry i would go for ply & stain finish which would be the easiest especially if you are going to do some or all of it yourself. Use 17mm ply so you can get overlay cabinetry hinges bored into the doors, anything thinner will mean the hinge boring will penetrate the front of the panel. other than that, if you understand how overlay doors & panels work or know someone that does you be sweet, if you intend on paying a cabinet maker to do the job they should be able to do it no trouble. Please realise that you will/may see lamination gaps & lam overlays on the edges of the panels, this is a fact of life with plywood. particle board & MDF perform very similar to each other with moisture, the only real difference is that particle board is pourous. this means it will soak it up but will then release it as well. MDF will absorb it, retain it's swollen size & go fluffy where as PB will release some of the moisture & the swelling will reduce very minimally. it will then start to break down. Both MDF & PB are worst for moisture on the edges, faces see very little water damage.

mate, that sucks.

i would think that it would be too late to isolate, fish hide their weakness until it is absolutely the latest point. i guess it can't hurt, give it a go.

the first thing i would do is stop feeding & do a water change as Nav has said. if things are ok for a couple of days start feeding again. variety i believe is the key to feeding, i feed shelled peas, sera granugreen, sushi wrap & jbl novo rift. that might be worth considering

my sister & her children aren't coping with the aftershocks. they just booked flights up here they are so over it, suits me

i have 4 clowns that would happily clean them up & it wouldn't be the first time they have been borrowed for pest eradication.

good on you mark

i have phone ordered twice now in the last few weeks from HFF Albany & they have been very helpful & quick with their deliveries.

i would drive to tauranga for that 8)

they will get cheaper, it will just take some time.

that is great!

not to much limitations on fish size there! i would go for some big haps like the empress for the redish colouring although adding large fish may have detrimental consequences on juveniles of the species you currently have. where abouts are you? i have adults & juvies available.

great, perks of the job are good. when i was down there a few weeks ago visiting my sister it was freezing, i now know why they call northland the winterless north :lol:

hello & welcome. must be a task keeping reptiles warm down there in winter.

i would think it would be air being sucked in, perhaps at the hose connections.

my sisters fridge fell over, pantry got emptied & TV fell of the cabinet. my niece & nephew are totally freaking out & it sounds a very scary thing to be in.

i think the issue we face is how we look at it comparing everything in there. you/they have created an un-natural shape so if you disguise it it won't stick out like the proverbial. see how the wood is covering part of the cave on the left, why not place something a few inches in front of each cave to break up the box shapes being in direct line of sight, place a piece of wood or rock 3 inches in front & that way you won't be comparing the boxes to the round or irregular shapes. i will serve a purpose but not "be in your face"