I built this reef tank and stand for $10.

[schabiazabi]

Wanted to share what can be done for $10 if you really try it. The tank and the stand was basically stuff I sourced from garbage. People were throwing out glass, palettes, old tanks, plywood. I was collecting it. When time came I built a tank for my son. It's high gloss white, and I used the same painting technique as if you would use painting a car.

The tank is about 50 gallons with inside tank sump on the left. Inside the sump I have Jebao DCP-4000 which did cost $70. I could have used a super cheap pump but I wanted something ultra ultra quite. It's going to have a pair of Japanese Saddlebacks and 1 type of coral. Don't know which one. It will run using my method and my understanding of the Ocean with elevated "fertilizers". No skimmer, no other reactors, possibly no manual, or auto dosing either, no water changes except random water taken from the ocean whenever I go fishing. I want to try something new, with very low maintenance. This is not my first rodeo and I experimented before with low maintenance approach, so I kind of know what will work for me.

Willing to share how to build cheap tanks and show people you don't need much money to have something cute. Ask me anything.

 

[blaxsun]

Bit didn't you go with a super cheap pump?

 

[schabiazabi]

Bit didn't you go with a super cheap pump?

Is it? I have no idea. All expensive or cheap are from the same factory on this planet these days.

 

[Devaji]

looks great. mind doing a write up with lots of pics on how to made it?

 

[shakacuz]

more pictures with a build progress/how to would be awesome!

 

[schabiazabi]

Sorry guys, I did not take pictures as I never assumed anyone would like it,or want it.

I simply bought a 50 gallon or so tank on Facebook and build a simple overflow section inside of it. Not gonna lie that is a difficult part, because screwing that up and your water flow will have problems as this section is small. Small section together with big pump leave tiny room for error. Adding very dense filter mash to it makes the water overflow straight into return right away, so it requires adjustments, and keeping the pump at low speed, and calls for some creativity in your filter section where I run coarse media, fine media, and carbon.

Return has 3 sections: inlet, middle where the two 50W heaters go, and return where the pump is. The pump was designed to have the suction and screen in the under belly section (I need a pic for that). It was designed like that so that the water dropping in creating bubbles does not get sucked into the pump. I have 0 micro bubbles, and good flow. Decent compromise. I used all glass for the "sump" from glass people throw out during garbage day (windows, old tanks, etc). You can find free glass on Facebook. I have enough glass to build 1/4 tanks every day, and enough 1/2 glass (for like $0.25 per square foot) to build beautiful rimless tanks. All you need to do is patience. If you need to buy something "NOW" than you will pay insane money, but if you take your time to source "stuff", it's almost all free. They built China on world's trash going there on containers.

The dark glass you see, that's automotive tint. I tried using the "aquarium" specific tint and I did not like it at all. At least whatever I purchased did not work.

The stand. That's where tons of work went as my plywood was mostly from leftovers I had in the garage. I had to combine long parts of plywood into one section using screws and glue. Then I had to use automotive body filler to even out the entire stand as I don't have a table saw and my cuts were not perfect. The entire stand was done using automotive process as that's all I know. I will briefly list the process here, but if someone needs more info I will reply, just ask:

1. Sanded plywood with 220.
2. Applied 2 part epoxy.
a. sanded with 320 dry
3. Applied Body Filler (took forever)
a. final sanding with 400 dry (starting with 80)
4. Sprayed High Build Primer and repeated the process of body filler/primer few times.
a. final sanding with 800 wet
5. Sprayed Base Coat
6. Sprayed Clear Coat
a. after 2 days sanded with 2500 wet and buffered

The door for the stand is the entire front connected on magnets.


Update on the tank:
I am back into the hobby, so I don't own everything yet. I did not decide on water testing kit. Some of my "measurements" come from experience. Water is almost cycled. Dry dead rock was added. Empty tank feeding is going on. Water is super clear. Tank is running for over a month and I did not clean the glass at all. I have a totally different low maintenance plan for this tank, which includes no equipment, possibly no light, elevated inorganic nutrients, 2 fish only (Japaneses Saddleback Clowns), leather corals, with few crabs, possibly just a pinch of sand, hopefully no other pumps, no fresh water top off, no coraline algae growth on any walls, 0 noise (so far it works).

No fresh water top off seems to be working already. It's been a month and I added half a quarter of fresh water only, everything else comes back into the tank.

On fish: The fish I want are like $500, so I ain't buying. Before COVID money printing they were around $109. When prices come down I'll buy, otherwise I'll raise the crabs, and corals only for now. I have lots of patience, so progress will be slow and some things may not work out as I am experimenting a bit.

Ask anything.

 

[schabiazabi]

@

Devaji​

 

[Devaji]

nice man!
sounds like the stand was some work?

 

[schabiazabi]

nice man!
sounds like the stand was some work?

Yes, it took really long to even it out using body filler. Almost not worth it, but high gloss modern stands like that either don't exist, or simply are expensive. Best would be to buy MDF laced plywood like in furniture production and start painting. Plus I wanted to build furniture matching the tank for the entire room: book shelf, and stuff like that.

 

[schabiazabi]

I even built this sump for the tank originally, but room design did not allow me to have something this wide, so I went with intank sump.

 

[Devaji]

I even built this sump for the tank originally, but room design did not allow me to have something this wide, so I went with intank sump.

that's a bummer you did not get to use it, looks like a nice sump.

 

[schabiazabi]

Some sand in there already
Tank almost cycled.

 

[schabiazabi]

Some update:

 

[schabiazabi]

 

[schabiazabi]

Some success. I was able to match a breeding pair for Scissortail Damsels and they laid eggs.