INDY DIY GUYS

[EllTee424]

Here's mine halfway through the build. Note**** I hadn't arranged things just yet. Only difference between mine and Mikes in the number of tanks. Mine has three side by side with three tiers. His have four single tank tiers.

Cool, thanks.

I hadn't thought about putting them sideways, but I can obviously put more in that way. How hard is it to see what's going on in the middle tanks, though? I'd be using them for fry and QT.

I could put 3 or 4 horizontally above my 40B, although the tetras underneath might get scared from the ringworld above them.

 

[Racersk]

Took me 2 days to get through it all... Great logbook and teamwork fellas! Glad i found this posting.

You have all given me great ideas to make real stands for by x2 90's a 55 in the garage.

 

[Pharaoh]

Cool, thanks.

I hadn't thought about putting them sideways, but I can obviously put more in that way. How hard is it to see what's going on in the middle tanks, though? I'd be using them for fry and QT.

I could put 3 or 4 horizontally above my 40B, although the tetras underneath might get scared from the ringworld above them.

The middle tanks on the lower two levels can be a bit tough to see into, but that's because there's no light. It will be much better once I get those installed.

 

[DaveB]

I know it would... and I thought about it. But I keep thinking resale value.

2x4s and drywall are cheap, man!

Sawzall that wall out and set the big tank up and when/if it comes time to sell, just leave the projector screen pulled down over top of it. The buyer won't ever even notice! Then you just fill in the gap and mud over it before the closing.

Besides, having a big built out basement is a big selling point over the competition anyway, with or without a hole in the wall.

(Thanks for all your help, btw... just realized I didn't say that via PM.)

 

[Pharaoh]

2x4s and drywall are cheap, man!

Sawzall that wall out and set the big tank up and when/if it comes time to sell, just leave the projector screen pulled down over top of it. The buyer won't ever even notice! Then you just fill in the gap and mud over it before the closing.

Besides, having a big built out basement is a big selling point over the competition anyway, with or without a hole in the wall.

(Thanks for all your help, btw... just realized I didn't say that via PM.)

Well, the 300 is already occupying that space and it would take hours of polishing to get that thing is show tank condition. I'm thinking about building a bar and having the 265 built into the cabinetry.

 

[NotoriousSway]

I'm thinking about building a bar and having the 265 built into the cabinetry.

Me likes that idea.

 

[DaveB]

That'll work too.

 

[Pharaoh]

Mike and Chris came over on Saturday to lend a hand getting everything finalized.

Now, time for pics......

First off is the DIY in-line heater assembly that I built just for this tank. It is plumbed from a bulkhead on the left side of the tank and makes its way to the other side and back through.

The heater container is a pretty simple design I stole from the web. Nothing fancy. 2" PVC to with 1/2" & 3/4" adapters to fit the various inputs and outputs. Standard issue 500W titanium heater installed.

The pump is a Quiet One 2200 that I had as a utility pump. I didn't feel like buying a new pump, so I used that one.

The real kicker on this setup is the Heater Controller. Not only does the controller operate the heater module, but it also turns on the pump simultaneously. That way, I get a bit of energy savings by only running the pump when the heater is on.

****Note. I will be installing an air release valve on the top of the assembly. It does pretty well and getting the air out, but I want to have the ability to bleed it if air begins to accumulate.

 

[Pharaoh]

OK, now for the tank.....

First off is the 2x4 stand. I snapped this together one afternoon. Once again, a straight forward stand. The only thing this needs is some additional lateral support seeing how it is 36" tall. I'll add that in this week. I just need to man up and go out in the cold garage.

Next is the tank on the trailer coming home the first time. I sold it, then got it back on a trade. So, in the fish room it will go. This tank is nothing fancy. There's scratches and stuff all over. It's in the fish room, so I'm not real concerned with them.

Next is the plumbing on the back of the tank. I had some weird hole sizes, so I drilled them out and installed 1" bulkheads. I had to have at least 4, 1" bulkheads to plumb up the FX5s as I will be running two on this tank. I might add in a power head or two to help with circulation as this is a closed loop setup.

Here's a word of advise. The 1" spa tubing is just a bit too big to fit on the aquastop connector of the FX5s. This will definitely cause some water to hit the floor. So....we had to stop, drain the tank, and replace the tubing. I went ahead and placed the original FX5 tubing on the tank for temporary use. I'm going to track down some better tubing and replace before I really start stocking this tank. Also, the smaller bulkhead was drilled for the overflow on the tank. As always, I'll be installing a drip system?water changer on this tank as well.

Last up are pics of the tank when filling. I made Mike and Chris stand next to the tank for size perspective. it took a while for the heater to get the tank up to temp. It was right about 72* and just about warm enough for fish. I'll see if I can get pics of the tank full with fish.

But this is where you get to enjoy more pics!

 

[Red Devil]

wow this tank is huge... great great... lots of luck with it...