FishyFishy!'s 155 bowfront fishroom/closet build

FishyFishy! · #1 09-03-2011, 06:30 AM

So I've been planning to do this for way too long. But it has finally begun.

I purchased my main display tank off kijiji, which is a 155 Gallon bowfront tank that measures 72 long, 19 deep at the ends, and bows to 26" in the middle, and 24" tall. Dual overflows. It came with a beautiful oak stand and canopy as well as a 40 gallon sump, 2 X mag 9.5 pumps and a bunch of other random equipment.

The stand and canopy unfortunately are not the color that I wanted, so the color is going to have to be changed to black. I am currently in the process of doing this as we speak.. but sanding sucks!!!

The main idea is the tank will sit in my kitchen. All of the sumps, frag tank, water storage, quarantien and equipment will be housed behind the wall, in a dual closet. So plumbing and electrical will have to be added to the closets.

The closet on the right will have a three tank sump system. One stacked on top of another. The first will be a 70 Gallon Cheato/Mangrove dual chamber river fuge. The second will be an 80 gallon, trickle style front chamber (live rock and floss), with a skimmer/reactor and return sections. The last will be a 90 Gallon filled with pure live rock, and one return section. (speaking of which... anyone willing to give me a good deal on baffling all my sumps would be killer!!! lol)

The closet on the left will house a laundry sink, 2 X 70 Gallon mixing/storage tanks, a 30 Gallon shallow frag tank, and then a 40 Gallon hospital tank.

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

At the moment, I am stripping the top layer of the stand and canopy so that it can be painted. Let me tell ya... I should have purchased an electric sander!!! Sanding by hand sucks. But I guess its more DIY experience.

Here are a couple pictures of the tank and stand when it arrived in my garage:

And here is a couple shots of how it is looking now, being taken apart and sanded for paint:

I have 2 Gen X PCX 40 pumps, 2 X MAG 9.5's. The Gen X pumps will be temporarily used as the returns until I can upgrade to Reeflo's. My mixing stations, and the water changing systems will be supported by the Mag 9.5's.

I would really like to purchase another 6 foot 14 bulb Aquatinics Constellation light fixture, as I loved the one that I had on my 187. However I really like Metal Halides, and 3 X 250W with 14K phoenix bulbs and supplimental T5's is what I have been thinking of as of late.

I also have a bunch of live rock steaming away in a 70 gallon tank with a ETSS Reef Devil Deluxe skimmer, heater, and some big powerheads (this will all be sump rock, as the display will be dry marco rock done on acrylic rods) here is a pic of the sump rock:

The Sumps (third is the one with rock in it)

And the Pumps:

yellowworld · #2 09-05-2011, 06:54 PM

Looks great so far! I love the stand its going to look awesome in black, I would do it up as a transparent black though so you get a lot of the wood grain in it. Do you want air sander? I can bring over a compressor and a disk sander haha you'll be done in two hours.

So if this is going in the kitchen what are you doing with the massive one that is already on that wall? Are you just transferring everything or what is going on there?

need any help with moving that behemoth let me know I'm not doing **** all until school starts!! haha

FishyFishy! · #3 09-06-2011, 01:03 AM

Yeah the 187 was sold, so the tank will be going in the kitchen, and the sumps and everything else will be going in the closets behind that wall in the other room. This way there is no equipment noises in the kitchen.

I sooo wish I had the air sander option earlier!! haha. My arms are sore from stripping that thing by hand.

yellowworld · #4 09-06-2011, 05:09 AM

Hahah yeah I bet they are! If can reef wasn't down for so long I could have offered it sooner

I can't wait to see the new tank getting set up! what are you thinking for it....LPS, SPS...Nems waving around while your cooking up a storm?

FishyFishy! · #5 09-06-2011, 03:37 PM

Its definately going to be an SPS tank. Going for some nice colonies that can grow into some open space. I'll be doing a minimalist type aqua scape, as i'm filling a 90 gallon with pure live rock in the filtration section.

Here is the stand on its third coat.

Still have to do one door and start the canopy.

Lampshade · #6 09-06-2011, 04:06 PM

Wow, that stand looks 100 times better. Very nice. You definitely did well on the prep, paint looks smooth.

Myka · #7 09-06-2011, 04:16 PM

I like where this is going! Great work on the stand!

phi delt reefer · #8 09-06-2011, 05:52 PM

how did u get such a smooth finish?

FishyFishy! · #9 09-16-2011, 12:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phi delt reefer

how did u get such a smooth finish?

Straight up sanding. I used 3 grits. I also use a fan in my garage when I'm painting, so that dust dosn't stick to the wet paint.

FishyFishy! · #10 09-16-2011, 12:55 AM

Progress report for today. Finished the stand and doors. Painted the back of the tank with Krylon Fusion paint. I thought that it would be pretty dark, but it actually turned out to be a nice light blue. I really like the finished product.

Now I have to get the hardware on the doors and mount them back on the stand. Should be done by tonight.

THEN I have to start sanding the canopy... I really am not looking forward to sanding this thing. The stand was bad enough.

Pics:

First coat of paint on the glass:

I always leave the back of the overflows clear so that I can see through to the plumbing. You never know what might be in there that you'll have to see. It also makes the assembly proccess a heck of a lot easier.

Finished product: