Hi! I think everyone can use a diversion now and this is a great hobby for it.
Like many others, I’ve been a lurker for years and thought it was time I shared my build experience. I started in this hobby about 20 years ago with a 65g. Over the years I upgraded to various tanks when I could come across a deal. At one point I had a 180g, I loved the gallon size, but never really liked the dimensions. I have always preferred a deep tank over a tall one. So, a few years ago I downgraded from my 180g to a Deep Blue 80g. I really liked the depth of it, but came to miss the overall size of the larger tank.
One problem I had though is where to put it. Our main living area is upstairs and there were only a couple of areas that I felt safe to put a larger tank and none would work for the dimensions I wanted. Our downstairs is occupied by extended family (yes, we have a full house including college kids and grandparents)
We have a workroom off our garage and decided to turn it into a man/fish cave. For the first time I went shopping for what I wanted rather than what someone was selling. I reached out to Steve Chow at SC Aquariums and had a custom tank built 60x30x20, 155g with the depth I wanted. They were really awesome with the entire process and I love the tank. Following is how it went:
To start, the room I was working with - it needed some tlc. We emptied it, scrubbed and painted the walls and did a mock-up by taping off the floor. It is a small room and I wanted to get the most use out of it.
Then I built the frame for the stand, mounted the top board and a small sink on the side. I used 80/20 material for the light holder, that stuff is awesome. We tried to do as much prep as possible before the tank came; plumbing and layout, of course some things had to be tweaked upon arrival. I ran the tank for a couple of weeks and made the move. Thankfully it went great and there were no losses.
We built a barn door, surprisingly much easier than anticipated - ran hvac duct into the room and bought a dehumidifier, just have to build the front cabinet door.
I mounted my tv and have my sofa/futon. It's the most peaceful room in the house.
My pics show the room and tank progress from beginning to now. Hope you enjoy - stay safe and happy reefing.
Equipment
2x Jager heaters
2x ecotech MP40’s QD
1x Jebao DCT 6000
1x Jebao DC4 Doser
2x Kessil AP700
2x Air pumps (Battery)
1x Reef Octopus Classic 200int
1x JBJ ATO
1x Neptune Apex Classic
30g sump
Like many others, I’ve been a lurker for years and thought it was time I shared my build experience. I started in this hobby about 20 years ago with a 65g. Over the years I upgraded to various tanks when I could come across a deal. At one point I had a 180g, I loved the gallon size, but never really liked the dimensions. I have always preferred a deep tank over a tall one. So, a few years ago I downgraded from my 180g to a Deep Blue 80g. I really liked the depth of it, but came to miss the overall size of the larger tank.
One problem I had though is where to put it. Our main living area is upstairs and there were only a couple of areas that I felt safe to put a larger tank and none would work for the dimensions I wanted. Our downstairs is occupied by extended family (yes, we have a full house including college kids and grandparents)
We have a workroom off our garage and decided to turn it into a man/fish cave. For the first time I went shopping for what I wanted rather than what someone was selling. I reached out to Steve Chow at SC Aquariums and had a custom tank built 60x30x20, 155g with the depth I wanted. They were really awesome with the entire process and I love the tank. Following is how it went:
To start, the room I was working with - it needed some tlc. We emptied it, scrubbed and painted the walls and did a mock-up by taping off the floor. It is a small room and I wanted to get the most use out of it.
Then I built the frame for the stand, mounted the top board and a small sink on the side. I used 80/20 material for the light holder, that stuff is awesome. We tried to do as much prep as possible before the tank came; plumbing and layout, of course some things had to be tweaked upon arrival. I ran the tank for a couple of weeks and made the move. Thankfully it went great and there were no losses.
We built a barn door, surprisingly much easier than anticipated - ran hvac duct into the room and bought a dehumidifier, just have to build the front cabinet door.
I mounted my tv and have my sofa/futon. It's the most peaceful room in the house.
My pics show the room and tank progress from beginning to now. Hope you enjoy - stay safe and happy reefing.
Equipment
2x Jager heaters
2x ecotech MP40’s QD
1x Jebao DCT 6000
1x Jebao DC4 Doser
2x Kessil AP700
2x Air pumps (Battery)
1x Reef Octopus Classic 200int
1x JBJ ATO
1x Neptune Apex Classic
30g sump
