80 gallon build up

[qwuintus]

ok here are the pics..

getting prepped:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v141/raoke/sumphole.jpg

rotobit .. this is the :ph34r:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v141/raoke/rotobit.jpg

overflow box
10" long 8" tall 5" wide
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v141/raoke/overflowbuild.jpg

holes for the 1" drains
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v141/raoke/overflowholes.jpg

hole for my sump.. thing cuts like butter
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v141/raoke/sumphole.jpg

[qwuintus]

i was big into piranha and had a massive collection totalling over 35 6" caribe that i planned to toss in a 240. well i had casulties here and there and the location of the tank never was finished. (still not done now and this was about 5 months ago)
i sold my piraya, ternz, reds and the last of my caribe. also traded my 180 and 240 away so im just going simple with the 80.
im still not sure about it because im supposed to be activated to iraq in a few months.. fug it though.. ill do this now so i can enjoy it while i can.

anyway heres my tank.
80 gallon 1/2" thick glass bought used
measurements are 5'x18"x21" approx
diy stand with a pirate/sea theme

i drilled the back of the tank for an external overflow and currently im painting the back black.

other specs:
20 gallon sump
10 gallon fuge
diy skimmer with mj1200 w/ diy needle wheel

lighting will use a diy 250w mh w/ 6500k iwasaki bulb
3 NO 48" lights 10k, atinic 03, 50/50
1-2 NO 24" atinic 03

i have about 50lbs of rock right now
ill probably get 20lbs more of live
and maybe 20-30 of lace rock

ill also be using black sand for the main display and southdown for the fuge. i have a 75w 6500k flood lamp for the fuge as well.

for pumps ill be using a mak4 for the return.

[qwuintus]

getting at the 1/2" thick glass..
alll moo sssttt theeee rreee
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v141/raoke/halfwaythere.jpg

dishes are done.. time for a beer
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v141/raoke/woohooalldone.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v141/raoke/bigblock.jpg

close up.. boo ya ka sha!! wicket..
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v141/raoke/cutoutcloseup.jpg

testing 1
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v141/raoke/leaktest2.jpg

testing 2.. no leaks.. but i siliconed to hell anyway again..
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v141/raoke/leaktest.jpg

taking no chances
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v141/raoke/siliconedtohell.jpg

heres my diy skimmer monstrostity
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v141/raoke/skimmer.jpg

[qwuintus]

Heres pics of my maxi jet mod

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v141/raoke/reefcentral/needlewheelinstalled2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v141/raoke/reefcentral/impellerinstalled.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v141/raoke/reefcentral/looppump.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v141/raoke/reefcentral/wholeskimmer.jpg

[qwuintus]

Current status of the tank...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v141/raoke/3tanks.jpg

I cut down the height of my tank, and now Im not sure if my skimmer will fit!! Im kinda ****ed off...

Also here are my drains. Im just of worried about the weight of the pipes just hanging and pulling down on the overflowbox.
Can anyone give me insurance or advice? I tugged on them a bit and they are solid though..
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v141/raoke/drains.jpg

[qwuintus]

overflow box cracked, so i siliconed it to hell

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v141/raoke/DSCN4936.jpg

[Dan Thrash]

i take it you're a big DIY guy huh?! :) that's cool, i wish i was that handy.

[qwuintus]

Originally posted by Dan Thrash
i take it you're a big DIY guy huh?! :) that's cool, i wish i was that handy.

I like doing things myself.
I dont prefer to know 100% of the hobby but dont know how to build squat.

If you look at weatherson, platapus, 180gallonreef, and a couple other guys, their tanks and ideas have been inspirations to me.

Anywho, Im also poor :(

=======

Still leaked on my water test.. so I siliconed to hell AGAIN!!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v141/raoke/siliconedtohell2.jpg

Im crossing my fingers... I dont mind if it doesnt leak, but its beginning to look REALLY ugly.

Freakin 10g fuge was leaking, i tightened the adapters and CRACK... so I siliconed that ***** to hell!!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v141/raoke/fugerepair.jpg

I siliconed the pumps intake too.. It was leaking so I changed the rubber gasket... still looked wet so I siliconed it.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v141/raoke/pumpintake.jpg

Skimmer cup was too big, so I chopped it down.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v141/raoke/modifiedskimmercup.jpg

And heres the plumbing- I hate this plumbing
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v141/raoke/plumbing.jpg

[qwuintus]

Hmmm photobucket is having some probs right now...

[JellyTheory]

Very Cool so far! :)

WTG on the DIY! :)

-Chris

[qwuintus]

Originally posted by JellyTheory
Very Cool so far! :)

WTG on the DIY! :)

-Chris

Thanks man :D

[viveros1231]

that is bad arse! i wish i had the tools,time and patience to diy on my tank mad props to you bro! keep us posted!

[gatohoser]

Dude that is the scariest system i have ever seen. I will pray for your tank and your house. On wooden floors none the less. Yikes....You have a lot of skill in DIY.

[MonkeeFish]

should redo the overflow to be safe : )

[qwuintus]

I didnt read carefully, so apparrently I need 48 hours to pass until the silicone creates a leakless seal. I only waited 24hours.

[spamin76]

Man - you know you use silicone the way most people use duct tape :lol:. You are way more brave than me when it comes to drilling/cutting tanks - I had my 90 drilled by a buddy of my - that was the most stressful time of my life- I was paranoid the tank would crack... it didn't ... but heck - I hate cutting glass.

[spamin76]

Pretty sweet handywork though... I'm jealous.

[qwuintus]

Originally posted by spamin76
Man - you know you use silicone the way most people use duct tape :lol:. You are way more brave than me when it comes to drilling/cutting tanks - I had my 90 drilled by a buddy of my - that was the most stressful time of my life- I was paranoid the tank would crack... it didn't ... but heck - I hate cutting glass.

:D Thanks man.

I took my time with the glueing and holes on the main tank until it cracked. Then I just gave it hell.

The holes on the 20 and 10 gallon sump/fuge were guesstimated.. Well I drew them out with marker, but the water faded it away so they are a bit warped- but you only know that know because I told you :cool: The washers cover them up.


And good news guys. I found a local glass shop who cut me a 5x10 piece to replace my bottom for 4.50!! Its 1/4" thick and he sanded the edges so theyre not sharp. Freakin schweet!!!

[qwuintus]

Update:

1/4" nice and thick..drilled and sanded edges...
i did the holes myself, the glass was $4.50!!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v141/raoke/newoverflowbottomcut.jpg

taped it up to the existing overflow box walls
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v141/raoke/tapedup.jpg

This is a shot from the back of the tank. I put an extra seam on the outside of the box.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v141/raoke/siliconedbottom.jpg

Here are my seams:
1
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v141/raoke/overflowseam3.jpg

2
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v141/raoke/overflowseam2.jpg

3
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v141/raoke/overflowseam1.jpg

[scottwatzz]

freakin GREAT job on the DIY!! What kind of drill did you use for cutting?? (a Drimell)?? not spelled rt..Keep the post up...thanx!!

[qwuintus]

Originally posted by scottwatzz
freakin GREAT job on the DIY!! What kind of drill did you use for cutting?? (a Drimell)?? not spelled rt..Keep the post up...thanx!!

Its a craftsman multitool capable of 20k and 30k rpm speeds.
The bit I used is a rotobit used for ceramic tile and walls. You can get one at homedepot for under $7 bucks.

[qwuintus]

bump

[weatherson]

Amazing that you cut through that 1/2" glass like that. You are much braver than I. That is for sure. ;) I'm glad to see that you decided to go ahead and replace the bottom of your overflow box. I'd wait a few days for that silicone to properly cure. Keep in mind that some tank manufacturers let their tanks cure for 30 days. Of course there's a bit more stress involved with a multi-hundred gallon tank than your overflow box, but still. Can't wait to see this progress and keep the photos coming. :thumbsup:

Joseph

[steve68]

nice !
im also glad u replaced the bottom of the overflow man that was looking Scarryyy.
just so u know u might want to double up on the glass on u'r 10 gallon where the bulkhead is cuz the water pressure might crack it with in time,it took my 10 gallon 2 days before it cracked,what i did was put a piece of acrilyc on the inside & out side & silicone the heck out of it,it held up good for the whole year that i used it before taking that set up down.
keep the faith.
:beer:

[qwuintus]

Water tested the box today and the two back corners were dripping.

Good news is that those two are the ONLY leaks I have.

I siliconed them once again, and will wait until Saturday night to test again... This better be worth it.. I'm getting tired of inhaling all those fumes. :mad2: Its getting messy too :rolleyes:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v141/raoke/wholethingsiliconed.jpg

[qwuintus]

Originally posted by weatherson
Amazing that you cut through that 1/2" glass like that. You are much braver than I. That is for sure. ;) I'm glad to see that you decided to go ahead and replace the bottom of your overflow box. I'd wait a few days for that silicone to properly cure. Keep in mind that some tank manufacturers let their tanks cure for 30 days. Of course there's a bit more stress involved with a multi-hundred gallon tank than your overflow box, but still. Can't wait to see this progress and keep the photos coming. :thumbsup:

Joseph

Thanks Joe.. I tested the rotobit before I cut. Plus I have faith in the RC members that used it before.
Drop by once in a while, I really appreciate your input.

[qwuintus]

Originally posted by steve68
nice !
im also glad u replaced the bottom of the overflow man that was looking Scarryyy.
just so u know u might want to double up on the glass on u'r 10 gallon where the bulkhead is cuz the water pressure might crack it with in time,it took my 10 gallon 2 days before it cracked,what i did was put a piece of acrilyc on the inside & out side & silicone the heck out of it,it held up good for the whole year that i used it before taking that set up down.
keep the faith.
:beer:


I have small pieces of glass I can use. Looks like Ill be razoring more silicone tonight. Stick around steve.. thanks for the input! :D

[qwuintus]

Steve68- just took off the silicone and added a piece of glass on each side of the crack. Its good to go.

[kjmst29]

How much $$$ are we talking here to DIY compared to what it would have cost to purchase?

[steve68]

better safe then sorry :)

[qwuintus]

Originally posted by kjmst29
How much $$$ are we talking here to DIY compared to what it would have cost to purchase?


Well my skimmer probably cost me under 75 bones..
It skims better than anything for the price, and if I wanted to, I can add more maxi jets on there- as many i can fit- which means maybe 2-4 more.

Stand cost me about 70 to make +/-

(btw, does anyone remember the load a single 2x4 can hold? was it 3-400 lbs??)

each hole I did myself with diamond/rotobits
- this would cost 10-20 bones each at a store.

I also got hooked up on some of my equipement such as the mak4 pump. This LFS has annual 50% mega discount nights that last till midnight. I got the pump for 40.

The main PITA are the frequent trips to homedepot- lucky only 5-10 minutes away. And Id also have to say the money on pvc parts. They are cheap but when your all done, you look at your tank and say, "holy crap.. i totalled about 60 bucks on some freaking pvc fittings!!??"

diy metal halide cost me 120 to make.

the main things I will not go cheap on is rock and my fish.
I will drop top dollar for a fish if i think its worth it- too bad im still poor so that means a $5 lionfish that has an eye missing or something haha :lol:

[qwuintus]

Ok heres the updated 10 gallon crack.

Inside the tank
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v141/raoke/DSCN5005.jpg

Outside the tank
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v141/raoke/DSCN5004.jpg

Heres a shot of my overflow, painted back black (also used electrical tape), and you can see natural sunlight coming in (I hope thats good for some coral I plan on tossing in. The light rays look rad.)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v141/raoke/DSCN5006.jpg

[gatohoser]

You're going to have algae out the wazoo in that overflow box from the sun. Very bad news. That means clogged drains and flooded floors. You might want to do something about that.

[qwuintus]

Originally posted by gatohoser
You're going to have algae out the wazoo in that overflow box from the sun. Very bad news. That means clogged drains and flooded floors. You might want to do something about that.
Electrical tape to the rescue!! :D

Or I can just close that side of the drapes

[qwuintus]

Update:

Taped up some of the clear pipes to prevent clogging.
Last time I glued something was 3-4 days ago. I finally ran my pump today and found 2 more leaks.

My fuge was leaking at the hole again. It has about 2 cracks running from it. I missed part of one when I was gluing the last time. Other than that its ok.
Note: thin glass sucks!!! theres no strength, so every little pvc adjustment you run the risk of cracking. But I glued that ***** to hell again... Oh well, its going to be all green and full of algae anyways.

The box is fine now, but for some reason one of my drains was leaking... I glued it too!

Question:
I managed to use the pvc dip stick cement over the outside of the joint where the 2 pvc fittings connect.
Will that be good enough to stop a minor leak??
I checked it moments later and it was already dry! Any feedback will help me a lot!!



When everything is running good, Im going to cover the overflowbox with a black background to block out the sun.
Also need to get some caps for my dursos.. thing is slurping like crazy.. Ill name it Jenna Jameson :P

[tigerczr]

What patience...:thumbsup: Keep up the good work and keep the updates coming.

[qwuintus]

Originally posted by tigerczr
What patience...:thumbsup: Keep up the good work and keep the updates coming.

Thanks man... I can understand the big dogs waiting on materials and getting their rooms ready, but this little 10g fuge is ****ing me off.

Im supposed to put a mantis in there later on too.. a MANTIS...

Alright, theres not much to update, but when I do Ill be sure to load massive ammounts of pictures.

Thanks to all who leave their comments. I need all the suggestions/tips/help/feedback I can get. :)

[qwuintus]

I finally got my tank running, so now Im moving on to new things I have to do.


Im wondering if anyones drains incorporates air in the water when its flowing down the overflow?
Mine does, but the air isnt consistant so sometimes more air will travel down and hit the water level in my sump make a loud noise.

Also my mak4 pump is loud. the fan noise i can deal with, but there seems to be a humming going on..

Is there a way I can maybe make a skin for it by wrapping it in plastic wrap (like the ones you use for groceries) and then spray 'great stuff' foam on it to create an insulation sock???

[Nuhtty]

Too much time on your hands!!!

Nice job, though...Im impressed.

[qwuintus]

Originally posted by Nuhtty
Too much time on your hands!!!

Nice job, though...Im impressed.

Thank you. I really appreciate that.





Some other things I want to ask:

I have some mildew stains or something on the inside of my tank.
How would I get rid of it? Looks like when my tank was outside some gunk melted on it?!
Ill take a macro shot of it when I can.

Also wanted to say that I am quite happy with the ammount of flow Im getting with the mak4. Pretty good for my application, but I could appreciate more.

[qwuintus]

Also I am wondering where I should drill holes in my ceiling to hang my light?

Do I need to find a stud or can I do it anywhere?

[thanew]

i like this... DIY everything.. how much has this ran you so far.. if you dont want to answer i understand.

I want to do something like this summer, this is quite the inspiration, can't wait to see the finish product.

[qwuintus]

Originally posted by thanew
i like this... DIY everything.. how much has this ran you so far.. if you dont want to answer i understand.

I want to do something like this summer, this is quite the inspiration, can't wait to see the finish product.

I listed some stuff out on page 1, but Ill do a recap of everything once Im done. Althought it still is costing me a little money, I am saving too.

Thanks for your words. I really appreciate them and I hope it helps.

[spamin76]

Have you ever done something like this before? Or is this your first time? I really like the spillway thingy for the overflow.

I would so love to have an overflow like that.

[qwuintus]

I tried doing slots on a 55gallon with no brace- the back literally fell out.

I also had internal overflows in each corner of my 80, but it was taking too much room.

[gatohoser]

Have you thought about cutting a small piece of glass with teeth on it to glue over your runway to keep critters from getting sucked out?

[qwuintus]

Originally posted by gatohoser
Have you thought about cutting a small piece of glass with teeth on it to glue over your runway to keep critters from getting sucked out?

I have, but Im taking it step by step.

Right now Im having problems with leaks spouting up.
(they think they have me, but i think theyre wrong!!)

besides that im trying to get my pump to shut the fu** up
and also mount my lights from the ceiling.

my metal halide box also needs to be cut down... guess i get to play with the handsaw again :P

after that im going to focus on details such as silencing my drains, adding rock/sand and adjusting my skimmer.

so the slotted piece is later. im not sure if im going to add snails/shrimp as i want to keep a black lionfish, frogfish, and possibly a puffer or trigger.

puffer/trigger i want to have because the other two fish arent as active. and im not about to get rid of my lion idea.

but then again im skeptical of the puffer/trigger nipping my lions fins and eatting the few coral i plan to put in. (just some softies or something pretty.)

[qwuintus]

Well project is on hold because Im getting activated for Iraq in June.

[qwuintus]

Hey RC I'm back. I made a thread searching for items. No live stock as I have other hobbies that take the majority of my money (Car/Bike) so I don't plan to start this until later.

I am looking for a quiet pump 1000+gph @ 3ft head and lights. I have sourced out dual 175w MH but if that falls through I will let you know.

After months of being back from Iraq I had plans to sell all my stuff, buy a 180+ for freshwater preds, start my reef or a planted tank but I was indecisive.

Anyway, to cut a long story short I have decided on a reef/salt preds. I will save larger tanks for my future home and opt with a tank that suits the size of my room.


So the tank is basically where I left it. I will be using my 250w DIY MH and dual 175w MH for this setup. I wish to leave the top of the tank open some how so until I get into it more I will leave it at that and worry about it later.

Oh, I will also use "party" incandescents and maybe some LEDs I found while searching around for car stuff. The leds are on a square pad of somesort, maybe 6x15 of them bunched up. I will probably use a couple of them in assorted colors as well as the "party" lights for some night-time Vegas/Hollywood bling.

Other plans are a 2 level aquascape w/ black sand and thats pretty much it. I dont plan to house many corals because of $$$ and they just arent my main interest.

I want maybe a frogfish/puffer and just a handful of coral to create a zen like garden that flows in which I can stare at and day dream...

Thanks for reading if you did, chime in and leave some motivating comments.

[qwuintus]

I got my MH's today. It came with 20k, 14k, and 10k bulbs used for about 4months each all for $140. They are powered by a hamilton ballast. Not bad... I will cut up the reflector so I can use it for my 250w as well. I think I will use the 20k and 14k as they look nicer. My 250w is running a 6500k iwaki so hopefully the blues will mellow blend it in nicely since I plan to put the 250 in the middle.

[Cody Ray]

Wait so what happend in Iraq???

[qwuintus]

I did my part and now I'm home.