93 Cube for under a grand. It can be done... I think. UPDATED GRAND TOTAL! :)

[dantimdad]

How do you plan on cycling all the tanks?

Several different kinds of bacteria and seed sand from my home tank for the saltwater side.

The freshwater side will be a special blend bacteria from seagrest farms.

 

[Brew12]

We have to paint and plumb then stock.

So not stocking up at home in preparation for the store tanks being ready?

 

[dantimdad]

BTW the first round of fish I am ordering pre quarantined since we will be under the gun for opening. At the same time I will order fish to put in the holding room for when the first round sells.

This way, all the saltwater fish will be sold quarantined and healthy.

Freshwater (except for discus and angels) will not be quarantined. It is cost prohibitive.

 

[dantimdad]

So not stocking up at home in preparation for the store tanks being ready?

No room. I am, however, cycling sponge filters at home starting this weekend. I will be using bacto balls, microbacter 7, water and sand from my 93.

I am putting all the sponges I have in a trash can with a heater and running them all of a large air pump. They should be "cycled" very quickly.

I am also setting up a small frag tank at the house because I already have a few frags for the store and will be getting more shortly. I will be able to keep about 80 at home. Not many but a start.

 

[dantimdad]

The goal is to keep a rotating stock of about 300 frags and about 250 fish on the marine side not counting the display fish.

We honestly could put over a thousand frags in the two tanks with room to spare but, I think that is over kill. Maybe eventually but, we shall see.

 

[dantimdad]

We got a bunch of fibbly stuff done today I had been putting off. Mainly because my strokey self doesn't like ladders anymore and because it's just, well, tedious fibbly work.

Ran new electrical for the shark light and the 12 foot tank and removed the ceiling fans.

Hung 1" square aluminum tube to put the trough lighting on:

I had Tim draw up some end caps for the tubing and printed them up out of PETG for strength:

They look marvy!

I also had him draw up some wire channel to hide all the wires for the lights and ordered a couple extension cables for the two lights furthest from the wall. We have a trick up our sleeves for making this look nice.

 

[Victoria M]

 

[count krunk]

i think what you call fibbly and what i call fiddly bits are the same thing. Tasks we put off longer than normal because!

 

[dantimdad]

i think what you call fibbly and what i call fiddly bits are the same thing. Tasks we put off longer than normal because!

Yeppers!

 

[dantimdad]

Painted the aluminum, mounted the lights, made up new hanging cables from scratch (they weren't long enough) and put in the end caps. I really like the look:

5 lights per trough ought to do it. If not, I can always add more and a third hanging wire to compensate for weight. As it is I put a tremendous amount of strain on the hangers and they didn't budge. The hangers now allow for movement from water level to the ceiling if I want.

 

[count krunk]

you nervous at all about the plywood tanks? I think it is a great idea. It looks like you beefed up all the joins. You prob said this already but what are you sealing them with? And what color are you going to make it?

 

[dantimdad]

I am using two part sweetwater epoxy in black.

I have built many plywood tanks over the years. I have complete faith in them.

 

[crusso1993]

Painted the aluminum, mounted the lights, made up new hanging cables from scratch (they weren't long enough) and put in the end caps. I really like the look:

5 lights per trough ought to do it. If not, I can always add more and a third hanging wire to compensate for weight. As it is I put a tremendous amount of strain on the hangers and they didn't budge. The hangers now allow for movement from water level to the ceiling if I want.

Looking good!

 

[dantimdad]

Looking good!

Thanks!

 

[Why-Me]

Things are coming together!!
I love it.

 

[crusso1993]

Things are coming together!!
I love it.

 

[dantimdad]

Things are coming together!!
I love it.

Thanks!

Not as quickly as I like but it's getting there.

 

[NY_Caveman]

I am getting very excited. It was seeing the plywood / shark tank images that really made me feel like WOW it’s close!

 

[dantimdad]

I am getting very excited. It was seeing the plywood / shark tank images that really made me feel like WOW it’s close!

My most hated part of all of this is the painting. Once that's over, I will feel like it's very close indeed.

 

[Bryce M.]

oh the things we do to save a buck