60 gallon cube build

[Sebastiancrab]

Great Idea going with tint!

Can you point the way to the 2.5 limo tint? Thanks!

 

[Sebastiancrab]

Been neglecting this thread... lots going on over here.

The tank is now up and running... well cycling, but running. One small bulkhead leak that proved I can squeeze into really small places with my channel lock pliers and get something done.

Heater control mounted and doing its thing:

I ended up getting a smaller DC skimmer. I just would have struggled to have any nitrates with the S-150 I threw in there. I picked up a Coral Box D300+ from Reef Breeders which Logan got to me very quickly. He had even offered to meet me at OSA as I was planning on driving to Rhode Island to pick it up. I'll just use the S-150 on the 80g lowboy I have. New skimmer on the left, old skimmer on the right:

I had a little trouble with UV purging and had to replumb it... nice and quiet now. I used a small Coral Box DC pump so I can control the flow rate easily:

Next up was the ATO. I picked up the ATO unit for $30 from the guy I bought the tank from. Used a small pump I had, spent $15 at Lowes and here we go:

Added sump lights and just have wiring to sort out and clean up:

Current view from my desk:

Been a long road for what should have been a simple project but it's running quiet as a mouse and cycling.
Current params:

PH: 7.7-7.8
KH: 7
MG: 1280
CA: 480

NH3: .2
NO2: .5
NO3: 0

Where did you get your lights?

 

[jgirardnrg]

So I have not seen a skimmer stand before. Why did you make one and is it needed? If so, how did you make this?

I made it out of pvc pipe and eggcrate from home depot. The skimmer wants to be in 9 inches of water. I wanted the sump level at 11 inches, so I built a stand to raise the skimmer up 2 inches.

 

[jgirardnrg]

Can you point the way to the 2.5 limo tint? Thanks!

I bought it from PepBoys down the street... you can find it on Amazon as well I believe.

 

[jgirardnrg]

Where did you get your lights?

Right here: https://www.reefbreeders.com/shop/photon-16-v2/

 

[Sebastiancrab]

Actually I meant the lights inside your cabinet?

 

[jgirardnrg]

Actually I meant the lights inside your cabinet?

Those are just LED strips I got off of Amazon:

 

[Natedogg1978]

My father always said to me "what one man can do, another man can do"... I've carried that throughout my life. I owe a lot of my skills to his mentoring and sending to me work with his buddies. Dad was a master carpenter (who I worked alongside for many years). he had buddies that were electricians, plumbers, concrete workers, pool installers, mechanics, you name it. AT the time it annoyed the hell out of me, I just wanted to go MY job. Now I get it, he was grooming me to be able to do anything.

The knowledge is still being acquired. I've learned a lot on here by reading posts and gleaned a little info here and there. I don't know about tank of the month but it'll be my little piece of the ocean in my office until I can setup the big tanks I have sitting in the basement.

Looks like your dad taught you many skills.

 

[jgirardnrg]

Looks like your dad taught you many skills.

He did... and I'm grateful now to be able to do all those things. To buy a stand like the one I built would cost a pretty penny. Most of it was built with wood I had left over from other projects. I probably saved $300+ on that alone.

 

[Sebastiancrab]

He did... and I'm grateful now to be able to do all those things. To buy a stand like the one I built would cost a pretty penny. Most of it was built with wood I had left over from other projects. I probably saved $300+ on that alone.

You were blessed to have a Dad like that. Is he still alive?

 

[jgirardnrg]

No sadly... he passed away back in 2005.

 

[Natedogg1978]

He did... and I'm grateful now to be able to do all those things. To buy a stand like the one I built would cost a pretty penny. Most of it was built with wood I had left over from other projects. I probably saved $300+ on that alone.

Pretty sure you could have a side job as a custom aquarium stand builder. I appreciate the old school use of the ADJ. I have two in my cabinet. Great looking and functioning stand.

 

[jgirardnrg]

Pretty sure you could have a side job as a custom aquarium stand builder. I appreciate the old school use of the ADJ. I have two in my cabinet. Great looking and functioning stand.

I'd love to build stuff for reefers as a side business. I'm actually planning on setting up a work shop when I move solely for that purpose. I'll be adding a large CNC router or laser cutter to my tool arsenal for acrylic work as well.

With the width of the stand and space available (limited), the ADJ just made the most sense. There are some flaws which will be corrected in the coming months. I need the mount the UV vertically and rotate the sump 90 degrees. I can then put a removable panel inside to mount all the pump controllers etc.. I'm also going to add a channel to run all the wiring through to neaten things up a bit. Also the ATO container is outside the stand right now so I'm making one that will fit inside that will hold 6-7 gallons.

I have a Deep Blue 80g lowboy that was going to be a frag tank in my fish room. Due to my situation, divorce, I'm going to be moving soon so that's going to end up being a a lagoon style display tank. I'm going to build a matching stand for that tank. In the short term I have a 40 breeder I'm setting up and getting it cycled to move my fish from the 60g to until I get settled in my new place. Once settled I'll modify the 60 stand as noted above and then start putting coral in. Right now there's 2 mocha clowns, 2 yellow tail damsels, a royal gramma, and the clean up crew of hermits and snails... easy enough to move over to the 40 breeder and then back to the 60 cube. I just have to drill the 40 for the overflow and return, put the metal stand I picked up together and install the sump baffle kit for the 29g I have downstairs when it arrives. The 40 should cycle as quick as this tank did (under a week). The rocks have been cycling in saltwater for the last 6-8 months and I'll overdose on Biospira like I did with the 60 followed by Dr Tims ammonia.

 

[Sebastiancrab]

I have the same fish (regular clowns) only 1 yellow tail. Did you get them both at the same time and/or have any aggression problems?

Sorry about your divorce. Hang in there.

 

[jgirardnrg]

I have the same fish (regular clowns) only 1 yellow tail. Did you get them both at the same time and/or have any aggression problems?

Sorry about your divorce. Hang in there.

I actually originally has three damsels. One was a terror and I brought him to the local fish store to rehome.

 

[Natedogg1978]

I'd love to build stuff for reefers as a side business. I'm actually planning on setting up a work shop when I move solely for that purpose. I'll be adding a large CNC router or laser cutter to my tool arsenal for acrylic work as well.

With the width of the stand and space available (limited), the ADJ just made the most sense. There are some flaws which will be corrected in the coming months. I need the mount the UV vertically and rotate the sump 90 degrees. I can then put a removable panel inside to mount all the pump controllers etc.. I'm also going to add a channel to run all the wiring through to neaten things up a bit. Also the ATO container is outside the stand right now so I'm making one that will fit inside that will hold 6-7 gallons.

I have a Deep Blue 80g lowboy that was going to be a frag tank in my fish room. Due to my situation, divorce, I'm going to be moving soon so that's going to end up being a a lagoon style display tank. I'm going to build a matching stand for that tank. In the short term I have a 40 breeder I'm setting up and getting it cycled to move my fish from the 60g to until I get settled in my new place. Once settled I'll modify the 60 stand as noted above and then start putting coral in. Right now there's 2 mocha clowns, 2 yellow tail damsels, a royal gramma, and the clean up crew of hermits and snails... easy enough to move over to the 40 breeder and then back to the 60 cube. I just have to drill the 40 for the overflow and return, put the metal stand I picked up together and install the sump baffle kit for the 29g I have downstairs when it arrives. The 40 should cycle as quick as this tank did (under a week). The rocks have been cycling in saltwater for the last 6-8 months and I'll overdose on Biospira like I did with the 60 followed by Dr Tims ammonia.

Sounds like your schedule is filled! I’d love to see the end result of your lagoon tank stand. Please be sure to post pics. Also keep us posted on this thread on that possible build business. Best wishes on that venture.

 

[jgirardnrg]

Sounds like your schedule is filled! I’d love to see the end result of your lagoon tank stand. Please be sure to post pics. Also keep us posted on this thread on that possible build business. Best wishes on that venture.

I will definitely post pics of the 80g build. I think that's going to be a nice display.

As for the build business... I guess the logical starting point would be to build some stands for the most popular tank sizes and see if anyone wants to buy one. Once I have the CNC or laser cutter setup I can make sump kits or even full sumps, overflow kits, etc.. we'll see. Acrylic isn't very hard to work with, most of the tools you use for wood also work on acrylic.

 

[jgirardnrg]

So, the 60g has been purring along with the same fish and a bunch of coral. It's being taken down very soon because this is happening:

 

[Bo.]

So, the 60g has been purring along with the same fish and a bunch of coral. It's being taken down very soon because this is happening:

Details on the new tank! How are your corals from WWC's sale doing?

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

New light mount (for now):

EMT pipe from Home Depot... screwed to the back of the stand. Easy height adjustment by loosening clamps and sliding up and down.

Thanks bud. This post just decided how I'll be hanging the lights on my current build out!