Ideas on creating my own all-in-one tank

[ob1]

I want to create a 20-30 gal nano with built in filtration and fuge. I was thinking of using a aga 20 or 30-long tank so I could have the fuge in the front and covered with one lighting system. Has anyone built something like this? I like the looks of the "cube" style tanks but cant see spending all that money on something that has problems and needs modifications right out of the box.

 

[g_dobbs]

you might be able to hide some filtration in a hood, or build a section on the back like a cube.

 

[ob1]

Originally Posted by G_Dobbs
you might be able to hide some filtration in a hood, or build a section on the back like a cube.
I was thinking more like the way a cube is setup. Sectioning off say 12 inches of the end of a 20-gal long tank. In the back half you could have 3 compartments for mechanical, biological and skimmer. The skimmer could feed into a 4th compartment (the front half of the 12" division) which would be a refugium. The fuge would feed the main tank. I liked the idea of a front visible fuge rather than hiding it in a sump or hanging on the back. Would lighting that will work for the tank be to much for a built in fuge like this? Has anyone built or tried to build something like this?

 

[nietzsche]

if you work with acrylic you could make one easily and make a false back to hide your equipment. but dont know if youll like acrylic or the cost of it.. you could also look into glass and do the same thing, but im not sure how you would deal with cutting teeth into the glass or what paint is safe.. maybe krylon fusion as long as you give it few days to dry out
you could always try to get a 20 long by aga and call them to ask if any of the glass is tempered so you can drill a hole into it to make prefilter box and have a sump/refugium underneath.. you can also look in a life reef prefilter box for the tank if you dont want to drill, but itll cost you 119 for it, expensive

 

[ob1]

Originally Posted by nietzsche
if you work with acrylic you could make one easily and make a false back to hide your equipment. but dont know if youll like acrylic or the cost of it.. you could also look into glass and do the same thing, but im not sure how you would deal with cutting teeth into the glass or what paint is safe.. maybe krylon fusion as long as you give it few days to dry out
you could always try to get a 20 long by aga and call them to ask if any of the glass is tempered so you can drill a hole into it to make prefilter box and have a sump/refugium underneath.. you can also look in a life reef prefilter box for the tank if you dont want to drill, but itll cost you 119 for it, expensive
Acrylic is to hard and expensive to use. I would never consider any paint safe. I could just slide in a piece of that lighting eggcrate material with a sponge in the filter compartment that would be slightly higher than the glass instead of cutting teeth in the glass?? As far as a dark background to hide the filter compartments I could use a piece of black plexi in the back of the fuge area. Just slip it in before you add the deep sand bed.