Mirage's 2.5 gallon, yeah I've been bored!

mgdmirage

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 26, 2009
Messages
388
Reaction score
9
Location
Spokane, Washington
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I always liked these little AGA tanks but one thing that drove me nuts was the silicone job, so I retouched all of the corners. Secondly I can't stand using HOB filters so I decided to just go ahead and drill this tank with 3/4" bulkheads. Not much comes close to the fun of drilling 1/8" glass! Here are some pics of what I have done so far.

IMG_72801280x845.jpg


IMG_72861280x877.jpg


I was shopping around in Lowes the other day and stumbled on this awesome little cabinet. It was clearanced for $9.50 down from the regular price of $91! So for under $10 I figure I can't go wrong by purchasing it. The cabinet has two shelves also but I only have one in place at the moment. I plan on placing the sump on a shelf somewhere in the middle to limit headloss from using a small pump. I will also be putting a board or a 12" x 12" tile on top of the stand, and perhaps the bottom for stability. Here are some pics of my find.

IMG_7281950x1280.jpg


IMG_7284654x1280.jpg


IMG_7283742x1280.jpg


This tank should be up and running very soon. I will be working on this and my 12 gallon long at roughly the same time.
 
Looks like a cool project! Please keep the pics coming!
 
This is where I am at currently. I'm working on the overflow strainer and trying to decide on a sump.

IMG_72921280x835.jpg


IMG_72911280x808.jpg


IMG_72901280x833.jpg


Not sure I've mentioned the lighting but it will be two par38 12watt bulbs.
 
Very small inverts, maybe a tiny goby or two, i have a 7 gallon sump attached. I will also be adding a skimmer soon, i already have a 100 micron filter sock running. As for corals, maybe a birdsnest as centerpiece and zoanthids and mushrooms(rics) for rest of it.
 
How hard was it to drill it? I thought about drilling mine so I could put the pump on the outside to prevent overheating the water.
 
This tank is now a 5.5 gallon I picked up at Petco the other day. It had a small chip on the corner of the front so i asked for a discount and got 20%. I got it home and removed the chipped glass and took a junk 29 gallon i had in the garage and cut a piece out of the side out. I already siliconed the new 1/4" glass to the back of the 5.5. I will water test it tomorrow and then start drilling new holes. I wasn't happy with the 3/4" overflow on the 2.5 so I'm going to try and find my 1" bulkhead bit for this one.
 

TOP 10 Trending Threads

WHAT’S USUALLY THE FIRST CLUE THAT SOMETHING IS OFF IN YOUR REEF?

  • A fish’s behavior or appetite changes

    Votes: 9 14.5%
  • A coral looks different or stops opening normally

    Votes: 40 64.5%
  • Water clarity or surface appearance changes

    Votes: 9 14.5%
  • Equipment sounds or flow seem different

    Votes: 7 11.3%
  • A test result catches my attention

    Votes: 14 22.6%
  • Algae or other growth starts changing

    Votes: 13 21.0%
  • I usually notice when the problem is already obvious

    Votes: 3 4.8%
  • It depends on what’s going on

    Votes: 11 17.7%
  • Other (Post in the comments)

    Votes: 1 1.6%
Back
Top
Home
Post thread…
Market
What's new