MichaelRyanSD
07-26-2007, 09:35 AM
I don't know I didn't start this earlier, but I figured it is better later then never
So I got an awesome deal from Corbeano(thanks) on a 40g that included a stand
It was originally intended to be a gift for my mom on her birthday(coming up in a month)...but after I spent some money on the T5 Lights and did all the plumbing on it, I thought to myself, there is no way my mom is having a better reef tank then me. I also talked to my step-dad and he agreed that the length of the tank would be to big and we would really have no where to put it in her house.
So lucky me...its mine...its also my first real attempt and putting together a tank from the ground up
Day 1
When I got the tank...it had the usual algae grime and it took me an hour or so to clean it up...I also filled it full of water to make sure it did its job...that is...hold water
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb209/Michaelryansd/dirty.jpg
After determining that it did indeed hold water, the next step was building the sump and doing the plumbing
Day 2
So I ran around the city today, first to AW, to see if they knew where to buy the plastics to make the overflow tower...luckily there is a place right near there...and I ended buying about 6-8 baffles and one big sheet of black plastic for the tower
I also went to OG to buy a 29g Tall tank to use as the sump
Here is the end result of the sump
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb209/Michaelryansd/aquarium008.jpg
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb209/Michaelryansd/aquarium009.jpg
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb209/Michaelryansd/aquarium025.jpg
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb209/Michaelryansd/aquarium027.jpg
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb209/Michaelryansd/aquarium026.jpg
Day 3 (The Plumbing)
So at this point I've made probably 12-15 trips to Home Depot...Luckily its like 3 miles from my house, but the reason being is the fact that I Would grab a PVC pipe and it wouldn't be the right size...or something would come up and I would have to go back and get something...sometimes I wish I could have just brought the aquarium with me...work on it there..and be done with it
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb209/Michaelryansd/plumbing002.jpg
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb209/Michaelryansd/plumbing001.jpg
I also drilled the hole through the stand itself....kinda gave it a customization feel...
This part took about 4 trips to home depot...because I have 1/2" bulkhead and I bought a 1 1/2" bit...well I figured out after I drilled the tank that the size doesn't compensate for the threads and such
I went back to home depot and bought the 1 3/4" bit and this time it went through...but I did crack the acrylic trying to force the bit through...I used a bit of the cement stuff and it holds together just fine (I filled it up with water to make sure)
After drilling through the stand with the 1 3/4" bit..I put the tank in..and realized that size didn't compensate for the lugnut around the threads...so I went back to Home Depot and bought a 2" bit
Day 4 (Running the system)
I bought about 6 feet of vinyl threaded tubing that is an inch in diameter. I went ahead and hooked a pump up to it(not sure if its going to be my final pump) but anyways I put a "Y" connector in the middle so I can have two returns
Pictures coming
Thats where I stand today...going to take care of the overflow tower..and from there it should be ready to go
So I got an awesome deal from Corbeano(thanks) on a 40g that included a stand
It was originally intended to be a gift for my mom on her birthday(coming up in a month)...but after I spent some money on the T5 Lights and did all the plumbing on it, I thought to myself, there is no way my mom is having a better reef tank then me. I also talked to my step-dad and he agreed that the length of the tank would be to big and we would really have no where to put it in her house.
So lucky me...its mine...its also my first real attempt and putting together a tank from the ground up
Day 1
When I got the tank...it had the usual algae grime and it took me an hour or so to clean it up...I also filled it full of water to make sure it did its job...that is...hold water
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb209/Michaelryansd/dirty.jpg
After determining that it did indeed hold water, the next step was building the sump and doing the plumbing
Day 2
So I ran around the city today, first to AW, to see if they knew where to buy the plastics to make the overflow tower...luckily there is a place right near there...and I ended buying about 6-8 baffles and one big sheet of black plastic for the tower
I also went to OG to buy a 29g Tall tank to use as the sump
Here is the end result of the sump
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb209/Michaelryansd/aquarium008.jpg
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb209/Michaelryansd/aquarium009.jpg
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb209/Michaelryansd/aquarium025.jpg
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb209/Michaelryansd/aquarium027.jpg
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb209/Michaelryansd/aquarium026.jpg
Day 3 (The Plumbing)
So at this point I've made probably 12-15 trips to Home Depot...Luckily its like 3 miles from my house, but the reason being is the fact that I Would grab a PVC pipe and it wouldn't be the right size...or something would come up and I would have to go back and get something...sometimes I wish I could have just brought the aquarium with me...work on it there..and be done with it
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb209/Michaelryansd/plumbing002.jpg
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb209/Michaelryansd/plumbing001.jpg
I also drilled the hole through the stand itself....kinda gave it a customization feel...
This part took about 4 trips to home depot...because I have 1/2" bulkhead and I bought a 1 1/2" bit...well I figured out after I drilled the tank that the size doesn't compensate for the threads and such
I went back to home depot and bought the 1 3/4" bit and this time it went through...but I did crack the acrylic trying to force the bit through...I used a bit of the cement stuff and it holds together just fine (I filled it up with water to make sure)
After drilling through the stand with the 1 3/4" bit..I put the tank in..and realized that size didn't compensate for the lugnut around the threads...so I went back to Home Depot and bought a 2" bit
Day 4 (Running the system)
I bought about 6 feet of vinyl threaded tubing that is an inch in diameter. I went ahead and hooked a pump up to it(not sure if its going to be my final pump) but anyways I put a "Y" connector in the middle so I can have two returns
Pictures coming
Thats where I stand today...going to take care of the overflow tower..and from there it should be ready to go