Done got me a free 65 gallon tank complete with stand and canopy. The stand/canopy is an obvious DIY job, but it works, and was free. Let me share.
This is the stand w/ the canopy sitting on top. The bright streaks down the center of the doors are just the effect of the mighty Orange Glo on them. This thing has been completely neglected for years.
This is the inside front of the canopy. the discoloration is water damage. You can't really tell but it's swelling out.
The inside is made with that nasty fake paper wood that turns to mush when water hits it. I have no idea why ANYONE would build an aquarium stand/canpoy out of that crap, but hey, this is their world. I just acquired it.
Another view of the water damage on the canopy. The flash really takes away the discoloration
This is looking into the stand. You can see that nasty mush wood lines the entire bottom.
More of the same. You can see the discoloration of wood around the openings being ashy and just neglected. Big Daddy Orange Glo will have a thing or 2 to say about that...
Here she is...drum roll....
Nasty thing aint she? She's not the sort you take home to meet the folks, that's for sure. She's a super freak. I hear she housed water turtles up to about 2 years ago, when she started housing just hard water stains and glass scratching rocks.
Note the glass scratching rocks:
Shes super freakeeeee-ow:
Note the humidity gauge in the top left corner. Why anyone would want to know the humidity of a water turtle tank is beyond me. IMHO, it would be 100% humid, 100% of the time, wouldn't it? If it's not, then the tank is empty and the turtles are pissed. If it's not empty and their underwater...well then...like I said, it's 100% humid. Whatever.
Standing up on a cushion. I'll explain why in a sec.
Looking into the belly of the beast.
The new symbol of my life: A blurry pic of a humidity gauge to show how humid water is. Through water stained glass.
There must've been some sort of a divider in this pig before because this bead of silicone goes from front to back along the bottom. I was afraid it was a "repaired" crack, but it doesn't look like it.
All of these pics were taken at 9:30 at night with no outside light (good flash eh?) in 33 degree weather. Wait til you see what I did after this...
Hrmm, I have no pics of it. I guess cuz my hands were all wet, but let me pretend I have pics and break the news this way:
I washed it! That's right, I used freezing water in the 30 degree weather at 10pm at night and scrubed the crap out of it! I was shivering and cussing and it was totally worth it. Skip ahead...
Moved to a flat spot and....
we have water!
Evil eyed killer death bringing Jack Russell Terrirer to strike fear into your hearts! And also perspetive, size comparison etc etc. You can see that I didn't scrub all the hard water strains off. I wanted to wait until the next day to see if the abrasive thing i was using would leave scratches. Not sure why it matters. The whole damn thing is scratched to crap anyway. Oh well, only scrubbed 1 side to be safe.
"Muahaha! Look upon the super freak no more! Instead look into my eyes aglow with rage!"
Progress: some.
Leaks: none.
Noticed some glass chips on the corner while filling. Possibly there from before, or possibly there from when I banged it against the bricks by accident. Twice. No leaks though. Yet.
Just about full:
No flash.
Can't see the needle, but apparently it was 100% humid under the water.
Now to leave it sit until the next day. Back to the mushy stand/canopy.
Orange Glo up in that ass...
The difference is amazing, isn't it?
The next evening:
No leaks, drained and installed in what could easily be the final resting place.
"How dare you gaze upon the super freak! Look into..." ok, i guess it's not funny. I'll stop now
Half filled with gravel (or half empty...with gravel?
)
I got the gravel for free as well (from someone else) I'm convinced the person who gave it to me stole one rock from aquarium he ever walked by and threw it in his tank because it has like 30 different types of rocks and decorations. Just one of each. It also had a rusty razor blade in it that nearly cut me as I was cleaning the gravel. if it woulda cut me, I probably woulda drove to his house and punched him in the brainstem.
He gave me over 80lbs of the stuff. 7 small trashbags full. I used 2 to fill it up.
My oldest son doing the fill thing.
Evil Jack Russell approves.
Will update more later.
This is the stand w/ the canopy sitting on top. The bright streaks down the center of the doors are just the effect of the mighty Orange Glo on them. This thing has been completely neglected for years.
This is the inside front of the canopy. the discoloration is water damage. You can't really tell but it's swelling out.
The inside is made with that nasty fake paper wood that turns to mush when water hits it. I have no idea why ANYONE would build an aquarium stand/canpoy out of that crap, but hey, this is their world. I just acquired it.
Another view of the water damage on the canopy. The flash really takes away the discoloration
This is looking into the stand. You can see that nasty mush wood lines the entire bottom.
More of the same. You can see the discoloration of wood around the openings being ashy and just neglected. Big Daddy Orange Glo will have a thing or 2 to say about that...
Here she is...drum roll....
Nasty thing aint she? She's not the sort you take home to meet the folks, that's for sure. She's a super freak. I hear she housed water turtles up to about 2 years ago, when she started housing just hard water stains and glass scratching rocks.
Note the glass scratching rocks:
Shes super freakeeeee-ow:
Note the humidity gauge in the top left corner. Why anyone would want to know the humidity of a water turtle tank is beyond me. IMHO, it would be 100% humid, 100% of the time, wouldn't it? If it's not, then the tank is empty and the turtles are pissed. If it's not empty and their underwater...well then...like I said, it's 100% humid. Whatever.
Standing up on a cushion. I'll explain why in a sec.
Looking into the belly of the beast.
The new symbol of my life: A blurry pic of a humidity gauge to show how humid water is. Through water stained glass.
There must've been some sort of a divider in this pig before because this bead of silicone goes from front to back along the bottom. I was afraid it was a "repaired" crack, but it doesn't look like it.
All of these pics were taken at 9:30 at night with no outside light (good flash eh?) in 33 degree weather. Wait til you see what I did after this...
Hrmm, I have no pics of it. I guess cuz my hands were all wet, but let me pretend I have pics and break the news this way:
I washed it! That's right, I used freezing water in the 30 degree weather at 10pm at night and scrubed the crap out of it! I was shivering and cussing and it was totally worth it. Skip ahead...
Moved to a flat spot and....
we have water!
Evil eyed killer death bringing Jack Russell Terrirer to strike fear into your hearts! And also perspetive, size comparison etc etc. You can see that I didn't scrub all the hard water strains off. I wanted to wait until the next day to see if the abrasive thing i was using would leave scratches. Not sure why it matters. The whole damn thing is scratched to crap anyway. Oh well, only scrubbed 1 side to be safe.
"Muahaha! Look upon the super freak no more! Instead look into my eyes aglow with rage!"
Progress: some.
Leaks: none.
Noticed some glass chips on the corner while filling. Possibly there from before, or possibly there from when I banged it against the bricks by accident. Twice. No leaks though. Yet.
Just about full:
No flash.
Can't see the needle, but apparently it was 100% humid under the water.
Now to leave it sit until the next day. Back to the mushy stand/canopy.
Orange Glo up in that ass...
The difference is amazing, isn't it?
The next evening:
No leaks, drained and installed in what could easily be the final resting place.
"How dare you gaze upon the super freak! Look into..." ok, i guess it's not funny. I'll stop now
Half filled with gravel (or half empty...with gravel?
I got the gravel for free as well (from someone else) I'm convinced the person who gave it to me stole one rock from aquarium he ever walked by and threw it in his tank because it has like 30 different types of rocks and decorations. Just one of each. It also had a rusty razor blade in it that nearly cut me as I was cleaning the gravel. if it woulda cut me, I probably woulda drove to his house and punched him in the brainstem.
He gave me over 80lbs of the stuff. 7 small trashbags full. I used 2 to fill it up.
My oldest son doing the fill thing.
Evil Jack Russell approves.
Will update more later.
i almost peed a little , lol
