Hello fellow reefers on the other side of the globe! im Tung Nguyen, and I live in Vietnam.
I’ve been a silent reader on this forum for quite a while and have learned so much from you all. Because of work, I had to travel a lot and ended up putting this hobby on hold for the past two years. Before that, I had a small tank measuring 20x16x15”.
Now that my job has become more stable, so i plan to set up a new tank in my office ,where I currently spend most of my time.
My plan is to build a shallow tank, but one that still gives a sense of depth when viewed from the front. So the best option is a shallow tank with a square layout.
After giving it a lot of thought, I finally decided on a size of 40x40x18”, which is about 105 gallons — or 126 gallons including the sump.
For the tank stand, I’m using an aluminum profile frame. Wooden stands are cheaper and can easily handle the weight of a 105g tank, but there’s one thing I don’t like about them: the wooden legs are usually quite bulky, taking up a lot of space in the cabinet underneath. Plus, they don’t look very nice in my opinion.
The stand frame measures 40x40x43”. I know that’s a bit taller than most standard tank stands, but I wanted the tank to be right at eye level when I’m standing and looking at it.
I’m currently finishing up the plumbing. The plan is to run three drain lines down to the sump, and three return lines: one main return, plus two additional lines for the UV sterilizer and the chiller, both connected through the manifold.
This is the result so far, and I’m pretty happy with it. And guess what, all of this customs cost me less than $500! Crazy, right? I’ve looked at so many builds on this forum, and the amounts you guys spend honestly leave my jaw dropped
I’ll keep updating as I move forward with this project. Let me know what you think. is there anything I should adjust or improve?
all the comment will be both a source of motivation and valuable knowledge for me. Thank you!
I’ve been a silent reader on this forum for quite a while and have learned so much from you all. Because of work, I had to travel a lot and ended up putting this hobby on hold for the past two years. Before that, I had a small tank measuring 20x16x15”.
Now that my job has become more stable, so i plan to set up a new tank in my office ,where I currently spend most of my time.
My plan is to build a shallow tank, but one that still gives a sense of depth when viewed from the front. So the best option is a shallow tank with a square layout.
After giving it a lot of thought, I finally decided on a size of 40x40x18”, which is about 105 gallons — or 126 gallons including the sump.
For the tank stand, I’m using an aluminum profile frame. Wooden stands are cheaper and can easily handle the weight of a 105g tank, but there’s one thing I don’t like about them: the wooden legs are usually quite bulky, taking up a lot of space in the cabinet underneath. Plus, they don’t look very nice in my opinion.
The stand frame measures 40x40x43”. I know that’s a bit taller than most standard tank stands, but I wanted the tank to be right at eye level when I’m standing and looking at it.
I’m currently finishing up the plumbing. The plan is to run three drain lines down to the sump, and three return lines: one main return, plus two additional lines for the UV sterilizer and the chiller, both connected through the manifold.
This is the result so far, and I’m pretty happy with it. And guess what, all of this customs cost me less than $500! Crazy, right? I’ve looked at so many builds on this forum, and the amounts you guys spend honestly leave my jaw dropped

I’ll keep updating as I move forward with this project. Let me know what you think. is there anything I should adjust or improve?
all the comment will be both a source of motivation and valuable knowledge for me. Thank you!


and maybe even quadruple if Trump is still president, hahaha… Anyway, as long as you can afford the cost of living where you are, and still have enough left over to enjoy this hobby. That’s already great i guess
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