Handsy Lobster's Fully Custom 60 Gallon Lagoon Build
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HandsyLobster
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It came with the bundle of equipment I got from a fellow Reefer so I couldn't pass it up at a good deal and plus I knew I was going to need one.
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HandsyLobster
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Im going to look into this. I may end up buying glass panes and building my own page from scratch...
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HandsyLobster
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UPDATE #3
So I skinned the tank with some 1/4" ply wood and am going to paint it white to match the ATI Straton I plan on getting. Im open for ideas on a cool idea instead of doors to use for the opening. Thinking maybe some smoked acrylic held by magnets or something where I can sorta see the insides. One Panel will be a Controller board with all my equipment.
So I skinned the tank with some 1/4" ply wood and am going to paint it white to match the ATI Straton I plan on getting. Im open for ideas on a cool idea instead of doors to use for the opening. Thinking maybe some smoked acrylic held by magnets or something where I can sorta see the insides. One Panel will be a Controller board with all my equipment.
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HandsyLobster
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Update #4
Picked up my Glass today planning on Gluing the tank together tomorrow. NGL pretty nervous in doing this. Ive done it before with my 30 gallon but with 1/2" glass and a larger tank its a bit different. Was planning on drilling the tank first but my bit doesn't come in till next week so I'm going to have to wait till then.
Picked up my Glass today planning on Gluing the tank together tomorrow. NGL pretty nervous in doing this. Ive done it before with my 30 gallon but with 1/2" glass and a larger tank its a bit different. Was planning on drilling the tank first but my bit doesn't come in till next week so I'm going to have to wait till then.
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HandsyLobster
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Update #5
Building the Tank. Sooooooooo..... Things did not go to plan when gluing the Glass panes together. My Dad and I had everything going well, seems were looking good and such but getting down to the last two panes of glass there was no support from keeping the bottoms of each pane from sliding.
Ultimately a few things happened...
First when I ordered the glass I should have had the tank made that the edges would rest on the sides of the bottom pane. I had the glass cut so all the panes would be onto of the bottom pane which left us building it with no bottom support.
Second when we were gluing the panes they were all looking good in the beginning and then by the time the last (Back) Pane was placed the front pane kept moving forward and back which causes a bunch of bubbles to form in the seem which ultimately I think over time would have created a leak.
Third we made the mistake in thinking laying all the beads on the bottom pane at one time and once we got around to the last pane the silicone started getting a skin on it and lost some tackiness which ultimately made for a not as strong as a seam.
Once the I saw the bubbles in the front pane I knew I didn't trust it. Instead of risking a leak down the road I decided to rip all the panes off and start from scratch again. Now I'm in the process of of scrapping all the semi cured silicone off each pane with mineral spirits, soapy water and razor blades.
Honesty the silicone hasn't fully set all the way even after a few hours of curing and its a lot more difficult to get off than expected. My plan now is to wait till it cures more and wake up in the morning and finish the rest of the panes of glass so there is no more silicone residue so I can get good seems.
Im going to focus the rest of the day on painting the stand white and looking up a way to build something with wood to keep the bottom pane from moving and with creating a lip the sides can rest on. I have a good idea on how I can do this.
Building the Tank. Sooooooooo..... Things did not go to plan when gluing the Glass panes together. My Dad and I had everything going well, seems were looking good and such but getting down to the last two panes of glass there was no support from keeping the bottoms of each pane from sliding.
Ultimately a few things happened...
First when I ordered the glass I should have had the tank made that the edges would rest on the sides of the bottom pane. I had the glass cut so all the panes would be onto of the bottom pane which left us building it with no bottom support.
Second when we were gluing the panes they were all looking good in the beginning and then by the time the last (Back) Pane was placed the front pane kept moving forward and back which causes a bunch of bubbles to form in the seem which ultimately I think over time would have created a leak.
Third we made the mistake in thinking laying all the beads on the bottom pane at one time and once we got around to the last pane the silicone started getting a skin on it and lost some tackiness which ultimately made for a not as strong as a seam.
Once the I saw the bubbles in the front pane I knew I didn't trust it. Instead of risking a leak down the road I decided to rip all the panes off and start from scratch again. Now I'm in the process of of scrapping all the semi cured silicone off each pane with mineral spirits, soapy water and razor blades.
Honesty the silicone hasn't fully set all the way even after a few hours of curing and its a lot more difficult to get off than expected. My plan now is to wait till it cures more and wake up in the morning and finish the rest of the panes of glass so there is no more silicone residue so I can get good seems.
Im going to focus the rest of the day on painting the stand white and looking up a way to build something with wood to keep the bottom pane from moving and with creating a lip the sides can rest on. I have a good idea on how I can do this.
OP
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HandsyLobster
Active Member
Thank You! Its going to be a show tank, mainly SPS because a like sticks. A few LPS maybe a torch or Goni and a few Zoas. I 100% want an anemone with a pair of clowns. Pretty much a mixed reef. Im going to keep the rock work pretty minimal.
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HandsyLobster
Active Member
Update #6
So.... the tank is finally glued together and looks good. Had to get creative and build a brace for the bottom glass while keeping the side panels stable.
This is ultimately what I came with and it made gluing far easier. Also when It came to putting the beads of silicone my Dad and I took our time and put each line of silicone down right before we placed that pane of glass down.
I feel way better about the seals this time around. Even though it took hours to clean off the silicone from the prior attempt Im glad I did so I don't have to worry as much about a leak.
Also got around to painting the stand white.
Moving forward I'm going to drill the tank in the next day or two and either try and find a sump to fit under the stand or order some glass and build one to the dimensions I want. More leaning towards building one.
So.... the tank is finally glued together and looks good. Had to get creative and build a brace for the bottom glass while keeping the side panels stable.
This is ultimately what I came with and it made gluing far easier. Also when It came to putting the beads of silicone my Dad and I took our time and put each line of silicone down right before we placed that pane of glass down.
I feel way better about the seals this time around. Even though it took hours to clean off the silicone from the prior attempt Im glad I did so I don't have to worry as much about a leak.
Also got around to painting the stand white.
Moving forward I'm going to drill the tank in the next day or two and either try and find a sump to fit under the stand or order some glass and build one to the dimensions I want. More leaning towards building one.
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HandsyLobster
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Thanks You!
I just want to start throwing water in this thing already im getting anxious!
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HandsyLobster
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Thank You! Should get exciting here in the next few weeks!
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HandsyLobster
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Update #7
So I have a few updates when it comes to the tank.
First I glued my overflow into the tank and drilled the holes so that was a big relief. Looking back at it I wish I did my overflow different and had it behind the tank and not in it but we live and we learn.
Second, I picked up a skimmer and a sump from a local reefer for a good price so excited about that. the sump is a Icebox 24. Its clean looking and fits under my stand well and has a built in ATO chamber which is nice. Only thing about the sump is I won't have room for a frag tank set up since the skimmer compartment isn't the biggest but I guess when I get a larger tank down the road Ill do that for my next sump.
Also spent a while fitting my piping and making sure everything fits correctly. This took me far longer than I thought.... but it came out good and im happy with it.
Third, I finally was able to find a ATI Straton from a local reefer. Super stoked about this light and it covers my tank perfectly as its a 30x30 light coverage so I can't be happier. Plus its super low profile and clean looking.
Forth, I got some dry rock from a local reefer and am really trying to go for a minimalist look for aqua shaping so below are some pics of my rocks that I glued using JB Weld and kinda the idea of what im thinking.
So final update I added water and thank god I don't have any leaks. Im running the pumps and such for a few days to keep an eye on it with fresh water. The return pipe will be changed as it's temporary just for right now. Thinking about getting that return nozzles that spin but I am open for suggestions.
Tomorrow I will be adding sand and salt water and the rock to start my cycle and get things rolling. For sand I'm thinking about super fine sand as I like that look but a little worried about it blowing around everywhere with how much flow I will have
Planning on also making a trip to the Florida Keys to see my parents and snag some sand and a 5 gallon bucket of salt water to get the bacteria rolling.
Also idk why my pics are sideways if someone can help me fix them.
So I have a few updates when it comes to the tank.
First I glued my overflow into the tank and drilled the holes so that was a big relief. Looking back at it I wish I did my overflow different and had it behind the tank and not in it but we live and we learn.
Second, I picked up a skimmer and a sump from a local reefer for a good price so excited about that. the sump is a Icebox 24. Its clean looking and fits under my stand well and has a built in ATO chamber which is nice. Only thing about the sump is I won't have room for a frag tank set up since the skimmer compartment isn't the biggest but I guess when I get a larger tank down the road Ill do that for my next sump.
Also spent a while fitting my piping and making sure everything fits correctly. This took me far longer than I thought.... but it came out good and im happy with it.
Third, I finally was able to find a ATI Straton from a local reefer. Super stoked about this light and it covers my tank perfectly as its a 30x30 light coverage so I can't be happier. Plus its super low profile and clean looking.
Forth, I got some dry rock from a local reefer and am really trying to go for a minimalist look for aqua shaping so below are some pics of my rocks that I glued using JB Weld and kinda the idea of what im thinking.
So final update I added water and thank god I don't have any leaks. Im running the pumps and such for a few days to keep an eye on it with fresh water. The return pipe will be changed as it's temporary just for right now. Thinking about getting that return nozzles that spin but I am open for suggestions.
Tomorrow I will be adding sand and salt water and the rock to start my cycle and get things rolling. For sand I'm thinking about super fine sand as I like that look but a little worried about it blowing around everywhere with how much flow I will have
Planning on also making a trip to the Florida Keys to see my parents and snag some sand and a 5 gallon bucket of salt water to get the bacteria rolling.
Also idk why my pics are sideways if someone can help me fix them.
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HandsyLobster
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Update #8
So a few updates! The Tank has been cycling and I'm waiting for the nitrates to spike before adding any fish. Any help on how to get my cycle moving faster would be great.
Also I got my controller panel built which was not to bad to do and I like how clean it came out. The only issue is the amount of wires I have running inside my stand so Im going to have to figure that out.
All and all things are moving along im just ready for this cycle to be over so I can start adding corals and fish.
Can someone help me with how to get my pics looking normal!
So a few updates! The Tank has been cycling and I'm waiting for the nitrates to spike before adding any fish. Any help on how to get my cycle moving faster would be great.
Also I got my controller panel built which was not to bad to do and I like how clean it came out. The only issue is the amount of wires I have running inside my stand so Im going to have to figure that out.
Can someone help me with how to get my pics looking normal!
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HandsyLobster
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Update: I got my first fish today. I was waiting on my tank to cycle before adding but after some research I saw people using the FRTIZ Turbo Start so I picked up a bottle of that and am going to add a fish today. For Corals I'm going to wait a few weeks and let everything settle in a lit.
The fish is a Dimond Goby, Imma name him Digglet. Wanted to get something fairly simple and hardy that will clean my sanded since its fine sand. He looked good at the LFS and was pretty large 4-5 inches.
Ill post another pic when he is all moved in. Also can someone help me with getting my pics straight ?
The fish is a Dimond Goby, Imma name him Digglet. Wanted to get something fairly simple and hardy that will clean my sanded since its fine sand. He looked good at the LFS and was pretty large 4-5 inches.
Ill post another pic when he is all moved in. Also can someone help me with getting my pics straight ?
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HandsyLobster
Active Member
Thank you! It was more work than I thought to just get it running but should be smooth sailing from here I hope... Yeah I need to find out what's going on with this pics tho its frustrating.
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