Frag tank & stand build
- Thread starter jackri
- Start date
jackri
Active Member
Ok, here are a few more pics -- poor quality pic of the frags sorry. My new sailfin that will be the only fish in there (b-day present yesterday) and a pic of the pendant i have hanging. I honestly just pulled coral/frags out of my main tank and immediately threw them in the frag tank -- both are same temp and salinity --- all corals IMMEDIATELY were open and have been doing awesome (don't really recommend others to do it) and I'll be moving more corals today.. hopefully better pics coming.
jackri
Active Member
I netted the sailfin -- probably a mistake as he thrashed around in the net a bit -- looking good today and went right for the algae sheet I put in for him after he got out of the bag.. but still wasn't happy with myself as he beat himself up a bit in the net.... but looks good today.
life~reefer
Member
Do mind telling me the name and brand of that skimmer? I have had that one for a long time and have not known the name. It works great though. So how bout it?
Thank you in advance.
Thank you in advance.
taznut
Active Member
thank you for posting this thread... i have been off this site for about a year and a half and want to get back into saltwater. didnt work so well the first time. I want something around a 100gal reef and yours is close to that. I dont want a frag tank though, I would like to make a show tank myself. I was thinking something like 2'dx4'Wx20"h, could I use the same 3/8" acrylic that you used? how do you weld it together? would mine beable to support an actual tank or is this only possible for a shallow tank such as yours?
thank you
thank you
jackri
Active Member
The skimmer is a coralife super skimmer 125 -- I think its still breaking in right now.
3/8" acrylic would work fine... I used weld on #4 and leak checked it. The sump had a small seep (I should've done the whole thing in the garage with more space but it was 15 below outside).
If you have a seep, what I did is take a small strip of acrylic and just weld on #4 it into the seam making it twice as leakproof there. You can hardly notice it (wouldn't with substrate) and I have two flourescent strips in the sump you can probably see in the pic. If you have more questions just ask
I have a feeling my frag tank is going to be more hands on than my display (more hands off and looking).
3/8" acrylic would work fine... I used weld on #4 and leak checked it. The sump had a small seep (I should've done the whole thing in the garage with more space but it was 15 below outside).
If you have a seep, what I did is take a small strip of acrylic and just weld on #4 it into the seam making it twice as leakproof there. You can hardly notice it (wouldn't with substrate) and I have two flourescent strips in the sump you can probably see in the pic. If you have more questions just ask
I have a feeling my frag tank is going to be more hands on than my display (more hands off and looking).
taznut
Active Member
i found this site explaining how to build a tank.... http://www.duboisi.com/diy/BNdiytank/bndiytank.htm
I have to find the acrylic cheaper than i have now... I work at lowes currently and would have to special order the 3/8s thickness and it is almost 300$ for a 4'x6' sheet...
I am going to start a thead in the beginners area for this because I have a lot of other questions... you obviously know what you are doing so if you would like to contribute that would be great...
I have to find the acrylic cheaper than i have now... I work at lowes currently and would have to special order the 3/8s thickness and it is almost 300$ for a 4'x6' sheet...
I am going to start a thead in the beginners area for this because I have a lot of other questions... you obviously know what you are doing so if you would like to contribute that would be great...
jackri
Active Member
The first sump I built was out of 1/4" -- easily done but I just went a little bigger with this one and money wasn't the issue -- and I wanted the extra piece of mind but 1/4" has been working just fine for a couple years on main tank. You might want a 2" or so top brace for the 6 foot long sides to keep them from possibly bowing.
I do like the added depth being 3x4 foot as my pendant gives more usable light IMO
I do like the added depth being 3x4 foot as my pendant gives more usable light IMO
taznut
Active Member
Originally Posted by jackri
http:///forum/post/2992937
The first sump I built was out of 1/4" -- easily done but I just went a little bigger with this one and money wasn't the issue -- and I wanted the extra piece of mind but 1/4" has been working just fine for a couple years on main tank. You might want a 2" or so top brace for the 6 foot long sides to keep them from possibly bowing.
I do like the added depth being 3x4 foot as my pendant gives more usable light IMO
I was planning on a 3" top brace around the entire thing... I was going to have 2 braces run across the top middle as well... I want to make this out of a solid piece.. so the piece will be the same size at the bottom with
3 18"x15" holes cut in the top piece...
http:///forum/post/2992937
The first sump I built was out of 1/4" -- easily done but I just went a little bigger with this one and money wasn't the issue -- and I wanted the extra piece of mind but 1/4" has been working just fine for a couple years on main tank. You might want a 2" or so top brace for the 6 foot long sides to keep them from possibly bowing.
I do like the added depth being 3x4 foot as my pendant gives more usable light IMO
I was planning on a 3" top brace around the entire thing... I was going to have 2 braces run across the top middle as well... I want to make this out of a solid piece.. so the piece will be the same size at the bottom with
3 18"x15" holes cut in the top piece...
life~reefer
Member
Originally Posted by jackri
http:///forum/post/2991871
The skimmer is a coralife super skimmer 125 -- I think its still breaking in right now.
3/8" acrylic would work fine... I used weld on #4 and leak checked it. The sump had a small seep (I should've done the whole thing in the garage with more space but it was 15 below outside).
If you have a seep, what I did is take a small strip of acrylic and just weld on #4 it into the seam making it twice as leakproof there. You can hardly notice it (wouldn't with substrate) and I have two flourescent strips in the sump you can probably see in the pic. If you have more questions just ask
I have a feeling my frag tank is going to be more hands on than my display (more hands off and looking).
Thanks so much!
http:///forum/post/2991871
The skimmer is a coralife super skimmer 125 -- I think its still breaking in right now.
3/8" acrylic would work fine... I used weld on #4 and leak checked it. The sump had a small seep (I should've done the whole thing in the garage with more space but it was 15 below outside).
If you have a seep, what I did is take a small strip of acrylic and just weld on #4 it into the seam making it twice as leakproof there. You can hardly notice it (wouldn't with substrate) and I have two flourescent strips in the sump you can probably see in the pic. If you have more questions just ask
I have a feeling my frag tank is going to be more hands on than my display (more hands off and looking).
Thanks so much!
taznut
Active Member
Originally Posted by taznut
http:///forum/post/2992980
I was planning on a 3" top brace around the entire thing... I was going to have 2 braces run across the top middle as well... I want to make this out of a solid piece.. so the piece will be the same size at the bottom with
3 18"x15" holes cut in the top piece...
i know the price kinda sucks... I could make due with one piece but my gf wants the yellow tang and I want to make the tank 6' for that... with it being this size I think i better use a solid piece just incase... I half assed this the last time I tried salt water and that was a HUGE waste of mones
... this time trying to do things the best way... looking at prices of lr and ls and those are going to kill me... lol.. the lfs wants $8/lbs for lr and theirs is terrible... thanks for all the help... im not getting much in the thread I started in the 'begginers' forum...
http:///forum/post/2992980
I was planning on a 3" top brace around the entire thing... I was going to have 2 braces run across the top middle as well... I want to make this out of a solid piece.. so the piece will be the same size at the bottom with
3 18"x15" holes cut in the top piece...
i know the price kinda sucks... I could make due with one piece but my gf wants the yellow tang and I want to make the tank 6' for that... with it being this size I think i better use a solid piece just incase... I half assed this the last time I tried salt water and that was a HUGE waste of mones
