60 Gal w/ 36 Gal Sump & Stand.

[Grassman]

How much money do you think you saved in the long run?

A new 55 just tank is $200, and mine is about 59 gallons. A new 35 just tank is $145. The glass for the sump was free but if I had to buy it it would have be $15. $25 for the hole drilled in the back of the tank. (I would have never done it myself.)

I've spent;
$58 on the trim for the 59. (plus 4 suction cups for my heaters in my sump.
$50 on 2 pieces of tempered that I didn't use.
$20 for 4 tubes of silicone which I still have 2.5 left.


So I'd say I saved over $200.

I was also looking at a 6 tube t5HO canopy for a little over $500, and I just ordered 3 2 tube t5HO fixture for $195. I can build the canopy out of shiny aluminum flat stock we have at the shop. I have a 1/4" acrylic top of the tank with a hinged section on it which I got for free. I have no idea how much they would cost. I put it together today because we were shop bound all day due to the weather. (So I even got paid to build it. :mrgreen:) I'll have to ask Terry how much all that stuff would cost if I were a customer buying it to see if it would be cheaper then buying a read made tank.

The stand may take some time to build as I have to buy all the wood for it, and I've started my Christmas shopping cause who knows if I'll be working this winter.

Barry

 

[project5k]

thats a heck of a savings!!!

 

[Grassman]

you can be my glass guy if you wanna, but me thinks shipping from way up there to way down here might pose an issue or two.

LOL. If it would be more than $15 then yes. Also if UPS didn't break it.

 

[Grassman]

thats a heck of a savings!!!

Works out to the price of a pump & skimmer. If it wasn't for the savings, I wouldn't be doing this, or on this site. I'd still be saying some day I'm going to have a big marine tank.

 

[project5k]

yea i hear ya... i'm laying out my plans for my algal scrubber outta glass right now.. i've also got another little idea i wanna make, that i think i can sell a :pooh: load of

 

[Grassman]

Awesome thread so far! I have always thought about building my own LARGE tank. like instead of paying out the ass for an 8 foot tank, why not put it all together myself. Then again I may need to build some 10 gallons like you first for practice :) Glad you got the tank all put together. Im sure it will be rewarding to finally get that thing wet and setup.

Any plans for the tank when you actually get it setup? Lighting, livestock?

Here's what I would like. I haven't read anything on them yet so I don't know what I can and cannot have.

Flame Angel
Pinkspotted Shrimp Goby
Ocellaris Anemonefish
Pacific Blue Tang
Yellow Tang
Royal Gamma or Royal Dottyback
Green Manarinfish
Saddle Filefish
Saddled Toby
Onespot Foxface Rabbitfish
Clown Triggerfish
Dragon Wrasse
Scotts Fairy Wrasse
Blood Shrimp
Cleaner Shrimp
Hermit Crabs

Let me stress again that these are what I want, but I know I can't have them all. I'll do some more reading and refine the list, and see what Kim wants since it's our tank.

 

[Grassman]

yea i hear ya... i'm laying out my plans for my algal scrubber outta glass right now.. i've also got another little idea i wanna make, that i think i can sell a :pooh: load of

Know anyone in Ontario that wants to buy 43 10 gallon tanks, 43 heaters, not sure what wattage they are as I got most of them from yard sales, 43 corner filters, 13 old dual output hagen air pumps, and a complete 35 gallon freshwater setup with metal stand? LOL. I move all that and I should have enough to finish the stand and tank.

 

[Grassman]

Here's what I would like. I haven't read anything on them yet so I don't know what I can and cannot have.

Flame Angel
Pinkspotted Shrimp Goby
Ocellaris Anemonefish
Pacific Blue Tang
Yellow Tang
Royal Gamma or Royal Dottyback
Green Manarinfish
Saddle Filefish
Saddled Toby
Onespot Foxface Rabbitfish
Clown Triggerfish
Dragon Wrasse
Scotts Fairy Wrasse
Blood Shrimp
Cleaner Shrimp
Hermit Crabs

Let me stress again that these are what I want, but I know I can't have them all. I'll do some more reading and refine the list, and see what Kim wants since it's our tank.

And;

Hairy Mushrooms
Red Mushrooms
Zoanthid Mushrooms
Bubble Tip Anemone

 

[Grassman]

Well, almost 2 weeks later I had Terry deliver my tank for me from the shop. I did my gradual leak test and finished the fill last night. Didn't find a leak and when I got home from work tonight it was still standing. :bounce: I guess I can say I have officially build my first large aquarium. Now to drain it and wait for the stand to get built. :grumble: So much to buy so little money. My t5 ballasts came in this week so I can pick them up tomorrow. Maybe if I talk nice to my wife she'll let me go to home depot tomorrow and do a little wood shopping.

 

[KidJ57]

Very Cool! But why go to Home Depot? You live in Canada you still have those...what do they call them :12:...Trees? I think that's what they're called...Why don't you chop one of those things and make a stand out of it :lol:

:mrgreen:

 

[Grassman]

Very Cool! But why go to Home Depot? You live in Canada you still have those...what do they call them :12:...Trees? I think that's what they're called...Why don't you chop one of those things and make a stand out of it :lol:

:mrgreen:

What's a tree? :shock: All we have up here is ice and snow!!:chair:

LOL!! That would require me to talk to my 'ex-Dad' to get a chainsaw, head down to the States, find a tree, cut it down, haul it back to Canada, pay duty and taxes on it, wait for them to run tests on it to see if it has Ash Bore, then I'd have to take the log to the mill to get cut & dried. Then I'd have to plane them when they are done. Quicker to buy it already done. LOL. :mrgreen: We did go to Home Depot, but we didn't buy any wood. She wouldn't let me sneak it on the company credit card!! :grumble: But I did spend $125 on truck supplies I didn't really need, just had a erge to use it. :D

 

[KidJ57]

I swear...I think Home Depot is more dangerous than the LFS :lol:

 

[Grassman]

I swear...I think Home Depot is more dangerous than the LFS :lol:

You got it. Worst part is what I really went for they didn't have. Now I'll have to check maybe order it on line or find a place that will order it in. Oh well, I did get a bright orange hard hat!!:D

 

[KidJ57]

last time I went to Home Depot, I was planning to buy a replacement Klein diagonal cutter after I had "arc-welded" my old pair using a J-Box and a 220V service :shocked: :frustrat: (i was pretty sleepy that day) ...and they had a full on Klein set for $70...granted it wasn't the nicer line (I like their Journeyman Series), but 6 Klein tools for $70 was hard to pass up especially when the single pair of cutters I wanted was $30 :lol:

...but ya, i also picked up a led flashlight, a new drill and screw bit set, and another orange bucket :lol:...EVIL! :evil!?!?:

 

[dcantucson]

Yep! Go in for one thing and end up with several. I do it every time.

 

[Bifferwine]

Speaking of, I have to head over to Lowe's right now. Gonna finally finish plumbing my 90 gallon!! And there are a few more things I need to pick up too. I have a list of about 10 things I need. Which means I'll be coming home with around 30 instead :(

 

[KidJ57]

I'm actually strangely controlled at Lowe's until I hit the power tools...I normally don't like the stuff that Lowe's sells, especially in the electrical department, but I always have to strain to pull myself away from the Hitachi section since Home Depot doesn't carry their power tools :shock: :lol:

 

[Grassman]

last time I went to Home Depot, I was planning to buy a replacement Klein diagonal cutter after I had "arc-welded" my old pair using a J-Box and a 220V service :shocked: :frustrat: (i was pretty sleepy that day) ...and they had a full on Klein set for $70...granted it wasn't the nicer line (I like their Journeyman Series), but 6 Klein tools for $70 was hard to pass up especially when the single pair of cutters I wanted was $30 :lol:

...but ya, i also picked up a led flashlight, a new drill and screw bit set, and another orange bucket :lol:...EVIL! :evil!?!?:

I went in to get some Weld_on, and came out with 2 organizer storage totes, hard hat, scraper, pry bar, 150 tooth saw blade, stuco repair, new tool bag, and a spade bit set which was on sale. You're right!! EVIL!!

 

[ali1]

nice progress

 

[Grassman]

After almost a year of no progress due to a deer hunt, no money, a basement flood, no money, christmas, no money, our cat being put down, no money, and no time....did I forget to mention no money? LOL

Progress has continued.

The stand is starting to take shape. It's amazing what a couple of days and 60 bucks will do. Here's the what's been happening.

I'm taking my loving wife for breakfast in the morning then going to head to Home Depot and try to pick up the last few things I need to plumb the 2 tanks and paint the back of the main tank flat black. Maybe if I'm lucky I can talk her into helping me finish putting the stand together.