Planning First Big DIY Systems

[BichirKing]

have you looked into

Glass Cages | Custom Aquariums and Tanks

Glass Cages offers glass and acrylic custom aquariums and fish tanks. We design and build all of our products in-house to ensure the highest quality tanks.

www.glasscages.com

 

[Ulu]

Yes. They're in Texas. I am hoping to find someone in California to avoid $500+ for shipping.

 

[Kittiee Katt]

View attachment 1361681

I needed dimensions so the tank can be drilled, so I updated my drawings. This is how I want to plumb the tank.

I am not showing control valves, unions, or media/baffles. This is highly schematic.

The tank and sump will be the same height at the top, so nothing can overflow, ever. Two 1.5" drains connect both, with no check valves. Any water drains freely either way.

Pump is at the sump bottom, and possibly external. No siphons required, If pump back siphons, no real siphoning happens. Everything stays pretty level.

I have an experimental electric boat I built from an old hulk, and it carries 6 group 29 RV batteries. In an emergency, I can power from there, IF I run them to an UPS system.

OR I can get a DC pump. 36vdc would be ideal, as that is what the boat operates on, but I haven't looked into the DC pumps available yet. I will initially power this from pumps I already have, if they appear too expensive.

I know people have praised you for your diagrams/drawings, but I think my favorite thing about them is the little fish swimming around.

Also, I can't wait to see what the end result of this is. Loving it so far!

 

[Ulu]

I know people have praised you for your diagrams/drawings, but I think my favorite thing about them is the little fish swimming around. . . .

Thanks Kittiee Katt. Engineers and detailers are notorious for hiding jokes in the back of the plans somewhere. It's an old trick. If people don't comment you know they haven't studied the plans completely. That makes a big difference when you answer their questions.

Anyhow, my project is stalled as I search for a tank builder who is not two time zones away.

 

[BichirKing]

any reason not to build your own? I started small now have succsefully built a 240g acrylic and a few glass ones.

 

[Ulu]

Old Age. ;(

I'm getting too old to handle big heavy panels. Arthritis, old sports injuries in my wrists & a swollen knee have restricted me from heavy labor.

I want two tanks built and delivered, and I may be able to get the local glass co to do it, if I waive liability.

BTW, I am only running 8 tanks now, with 4 on sumps. I cracked my betta tank, and turned another tank into a sump, & I am slowly consolidating things into a more managible state.

Since I hurt my knee, just running the 8 tanks have been an issue. I scrapped 3 very old tanks this year for chips and cacks, so it's only about 280 gals total now.

 

[BichirKing]

I hear you on the getting old and trying to simplify things.

 

[Ulu]

Well I ordered a tank today for my Oscar and I bumped him up from the five foot tank. It is 125 gallons and will be 6 ft long and 18 in Deep by 24 in tall.

Hopefully it will be big enough that I can keep some small bottom fish in there and he won't kill them.

Anyhow it is a glass Vizio and I ordered it from my favorite fish store which is just two miles from here. 12 days.

tik tik tik . . .

 

[Ulu]

Ok, this is the 125, and with the canopy it will cover the fireplace completely above the hearth.
It will have a 1" feed and two 1.5" drains. My feed pipe note is in the wrong place *yawn*
Gettin late . . .

Anyhow, this will be the new Oscar tank.

 

[Ulu]

Lord help me, I have basically determined that every single tank I currently own is going to move. That is eight tanks with four sumps. Plus I will have two new ones. In the process I will buy two more stands plus build one.

Today I ordered my first acrylic tank ever, and it is a custom 75 so it will take about a month. This is to replace the 55g Oscar tank in my foyer.

Both of these tanks are coming from Southern California, so the shipping charges aren't nearly so bad as from over the Rocky Mountains.

This 60" long tank will hold approx 75 gallons of water, and 15 in the sump for 90 gallons total.

My Aqueon 55 only runs at about 48, but is 55g total including the plumbing & sump.

The current 10g sump will be replaced with a custom acrylic sump, and I will possibly build that by cutting down a used acrylic tank.

I was planning to put my oscar in the glass 125 but I just don't think he will accept tank mates at this stage in his life. Instead that is going to wind up as the mono sebae tank and my oscar will be in the new acrylic tank. I will feel safer with him in a plastic tank because he has been known to pick up rocks and spit them at the tank.

I intend to split up the cichlids into mbunas in one tank and haps in another.

Or Malawi's versus Tanganyikas or some such. I will also get the convicts into their own tank.

This will free up one 55 with a 20 gallon sump for my plecos. I will probably put the other 55 in my office with a 30 gallon sump for cichlids, with other cichlids in an adjacent 30 tall with a 10-gallon sump.

The 30 tall which currently houses my Corey's has a cabinet which matches my oscar tank cabinet and I intend to move that one to my living room. The 30 in the living room will become a sump.

OK if that's not boring and boring enough, there are other possibilities that I won't bother to go into right now. I have three betta tanks to juggle as well as the rest of this.