lockrookie's 180g (build #3)
 

So here it is i currently have a 90g tank my first saltwater attempt. i enjoy my 90 but having seen so many of your tanks in the city, i have always wished i could build a larger tank. when thoughts of the 50g came about we originaly wanted to build a 400g in our basement. regretfully with the daycare we could not take up precious play space.so we built the 50g



the 50g build was such a blast trying new things experimenting. in the end i was very pleased with the outcome...just not the added power due to the halides lol.may change that to leds within the year.



anywho the 50g build gave be a whole new thought process due to its success so i planned to rebuild on the same stand a 120g tank from scratch got some quotes from some glass companies and almost died. i could have bought a new tank custom made cheaper lol except shipping would kill me.



so for the past year i have been watching used regina and poof a guy was selling a 180g tank for 180 bucks due to the front pane cracked on him (this is why you use foam under your tank ppl) his house shifted one end dropped the other stayed put and snap 180g all over your foor.



but i talked the guy down to 150$ and now own a broken glass box...lol i was going to have it cut up to make my 120 but my loving wife suggests if the floor will handle the weight why not build the 180... really love my wife.. and the way the supports are in my home i will be ok. thus for the reason for this thread

my 180g upgrade.. thanks for following


my 90g in the beginning
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/100_5907.jpg

my 90g now
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/100_0013.jpg

future 180 as it is now lol
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...33119076_n.jpg

you should get a price on low iron vs. regular glass when you go to replace the old cracked one.

Are you planning on using an internal or external over flow.

i will be looking into the different costs definately my father gets glass at wholesale cost sooo thats a bonus

the tank will be up against a wall so i cant do externaleven if i wanted to regretfully it willbe internal overflows but i will be hiding the overflows and possibly the wolback wall with diy rockwall structures so that i can also hide the return pumbing i dislike seeing plumbing if i can hide powerheads i will do so as well see my 50g thread to see what i mean.

so if i did euro brace im thinking i wont need bracing where the overflow is due to the overflow in itselfis some what bracing the tank.. i could be wrong in this so your ideas are welcomed

http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...lywitheuro.jpg

priced out glass for front panel this morning looking at 170 bucks for regular glass but

if i go starphire it will cost me 500 to replace both side panels and front pane. i have one more price to search out before i decide what route to go...i have to take in to concideration that we have twin girs to feed lol

Personally I would go with regular glass but thats just my opinion, I hear starfire scratches very easily

i have heard that as well and that is a deciding factor in all this as well but yet in my current tank i have regular glass and it and have managed to scratch it as well so im hoping that if im extra careful and not use cheap scrapers i will be abletokeep it scratch free for at leasst a year lol

yea I have regular glass on my cichlid tank, and the sand alone, has cause some scratches, so I guess it depends on the amount of abuse too! I know you can buy those plastic scrappers for acrylic, I'm sure they would work for star fire, I'm just not sure how well

most scrached happen from substrate getting sandwiched in the scraper thats how mine happened anyways but since ive used magfloat i havent had an issue.. nothings perfect forever.

so i have been doing some drawing and yes it looks simular to the tank i currently have we love our stand and wish to keep it the same if possible

http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...80withsump.jpg

http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...0withsumpb.jpg

any thoughts and ideas let em shoot

I have mine setup exactly the same as your drawing. 2 cross braces on both sides of the overflow is enough.

Im guessing youre doing a bean overflow. I would put the 2 standpipes higher to have the top caps near the water surface. You'll need to put an airline on one of the standpipes.

If I was to do it over, I would build an external or coast to coast overflow instead of the center internal overflow to get more tank space to play with.

thank you that eases my mind a bit i still may try to make a sort of euro brace if i break it on irst try i stil lhave the option of two center braces lol.

yes i think thats wat its called i didnt do exact drawing still getting used to the program but the pipes will be higher when i did my 50 i just drilled a hole in the top and it was eno ough worked really well. the other pipe i just let as a tube.

i would love to do an external overflow, if i had the room and space to do one, instead this tank will be up against the wall with maybe 2" away if im lucky for room for wireing.. ir i may have to put a hinged mirror over a huge hole i may inflict into the guest bedroom wall. but hopefully it doesnt come to that.

even so the overflow will have its purpose as i will build a diy rockscape that covers it and hides all the tanks plumbing for the return pump/ future closed loop so that its not seen in the tank at all.i may still have to use powerheads regretfully but if the closed loop works as my mind envisions. it shouldnt be many. an xamplel of this is on my 50g build. i love how it worked.

so its like late and my mind is still working overtime since i cant start dismantling until i either find room in house or spring arrives... i have compiled a ton of ideas stolen from numerouse websites as to how im going to hide powerheads. i will leave that for a surprise later on tho. i just hope it works as my mind envisions. just because i think ofsomething doesnt mean im right lol.

ive been thinking of stocklist i know i should be thinking bigger tank must have more fish. but i thin id be better off having less and relaxed fish over over stuffed and shy.


currently in my 90 is as follows:
regal tang
humma humma trigger (thus far is behaving like a champ)
mated pair o clowns
cleaner wrasse (who now thinks i need cleaning when im working in the tank)
manderin goby
orange spotted goby sand sifter
lawnmower blenny
yellow tang
coral banded shrimp

so my thoughts of additions to this tank would be as follows;
either orange shoulder or powder blue tang
fox face rabbit fish
(after tank has been running at least a year)possibly coral banded
maybe 3 royal grammas.

any other ideas are welcome. reasearch keeps my mind from wandering to other crazy ideas.

Take a look at the new super sized res sea max tanks construction which is on their site...some innovative features which include hiding the edges of the sand a bit...this allows deeper sand without the deeper sand look.
I am also not sure what kinda glass they use but it is supposedly even better tham starfire too.

Msjboy

sorry for the late reply i dont get notified atm of comments and missed it

i did look at the tanks and do try to hide the sand bed a bit with moulding. in fact i like to hide everything if i can..

so i picked up this week from pats pets (thanks pat) 2 33g tanks. i will be tearing them apart and making a 50g sump out of 2 possibly a third i already own. the sump will measure 36 x 18 x 18 and built simular to my 50g;s sump just wider. and a bigger skimmer chamber



the skimmer chamber will be 12 x12 with a floss chamber 6 x12 where the water comes in. my built in refugium on opposite side. i thought about making the sump bigger but to reduce wieght i figured this is still workable as long as i dont have alot of flow back with power outages. definately worth a test before set up. lol

http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...kie/sump2b.jpg



another idea i had was to have a carbon bag chamber tomake it easy to replace carbon still undecided which route ill go or if its worth it.



http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...okie/sump2.jpg



i hope to be able to run a line from my rodi for auto top off as well this will be tricky since it on the opposite side of the house in the basement with finished ceilings. but hey everyone loves a challenge. but would make this system run better if i can.



any ideas or suggestions is welcomed

so it begins i have decided to start with building the sump. backwards? maybe.. but im hoping it will tide me over untill i can order glass to repair teh broken pane.

so to build this sump i have purchased from pats 2 33g tanks 36x12x18 and i had one laying around for 8 months from another project i couldnt find room to set up. from these three tanks i will have enough material to build a 36x18x18 tank for my sump. will post pics as i go.

Are you not done this build yet :twised: JK Jeffers, but I would like to see some actual pics of you getting some shyte done.:biggrin:

im lacking workspace right now the girls take up alot of it lol last build i did in ehat is now thier babyroom andour other room is set up a temporary office for the moment so this buid will be going slowly. just finished tearing apart the 3 33g tanks just have to clean off the sylicone and set it together. so yes there will be pics. i doubt the tank will be running until fall.

i did purchace a calcuim reactor kit and this week im getting the halides for it(.. temporary untli i can affford led's.

still deciding on return pump

Well if your tanks not going to be running til fall why not wait and set aside the funds for leds if that's an option

the wife and i had twins this past july...so i can't afford to spend over a grand on lights right now on a 6 foot tank . buti ccanpurchace a little bit here and there overtime to get them in the future. babies first. wife seond then my obsession.. this year is also our 10th aniversary and since she has so graciously given the go ahead for this build i must plan something spectacular for her.

begining to regret the whole take apart scummy old tanks to build shiney new sump idea. fingers are sore from scraping of sylicone and crud off 6 36x18 panels... but when done ill have the satisfaction that i saved a lot of money lol

if i get time tomorrow night time to do some slicing and diceing

so tonight the sump build has begun cut 2 pieces of the glass for the ends and siliconed in place

roughly what the glass looked like before

http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...k/101_6561.jpg

and almost together and together

http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...k/101_6559.jpg

http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...k/101_6560.jpg

now to let it set dry and water test on sunday dont want to rush the cure time may even wait longer. then let the partitioning begin.

Ouch, that looks like a lot of work!! Looks good so far!

cleaning the glass not my fav but saved me huge cash dollars.

setting tank together with cutting the two pieces 20 min. i just have to find a trim to add along the edge for the sharp cuts. my thumb suffered but whats a build without blood sacrifices.

Looking good Jeff :thumb:

thanks greg.. its a small start if all goes as well as planned will have pics of my lights i got from -=james=- thinking of adding some led's to the mix for a three part sunset then moonlights.

next step after sump tho is purchase the glass to fix the 180.

It's a great start! You make it look easy ... Hopefully the leak test goes well!

nothing is easy and trust me it will get harder as it goes along. i dont have a simple plan in my head. i forsee alot of resin . last time i used it i got a bit high. and that was a small rockwall ive been banned to the garage for that project. true test will be when i repair the 180 if it will leak or blow up when fill lol.

but thank you im sure the leak test will be fine. i just cant wait till i can take over the guest room and make it a tank building shop. thats when this project will take flight. the waaiting is killing me lol

I knew it, diys not as simple as they say! Finally an admission :lol: lol

I know what you mean about space to work or even set up. Mine wouldn't have been possible but we had one of our kids move out, so freed up a room in the basement, another kid moved downstairs, office moved to upstairs bedroom and I get a fish room! Timing worked well!

I can't help with the 180 but I'm sure it will be fine. Having the tank sit on my floor for 2 weeks was torture, can't imagine waiting longer!! Do you have a tank going now?

i have 2 going my 90g which will be replaced by the 180. and the inspiration to this build my 50g for our daycare kids. i want this to be as clean if not cleaner looking with no visible powerheads or filtration. in the main display. thats what makes this diy difficult.

I just checked out your 50 and wow, its amazing! Very inspiring! Can't wait to see your 180 going!

thank you it took alot of sleepless nights and thought now imhaving deja vue. lol

thats whats great about this hobby tho everyones vision is unique and every tank is an art piece never to be duplicated.. living art. with afew extra gray hairs.

water tested sump and so far so good no leaks

as well my lights showed up from -=james=- and looks good thanks again james

now drain the tank and start building baffles

Nice work!

YES! Its about time!! I'm so gllad to see your making some progress on this bad boy

thanks guys

you say progress i say spending money.. i cant complain i got a good deal on the lights and quite happy with them. just have to figure out where to put the ballasts didnt realise how huge they would be lol. have to plan a shelf in the stand somehow.

i hope to have room by the end of feb to bring the tank inside and tear it apart to fix it then the fun will begin

so found two cracks in my sump tank today.....

http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a.../tankcrack.jpg

lol!! Thanks for my laugh of the day.

Sweetness!! That's priceless!