360g From Scratch Build Thread

[jtrasap]

About a month ago I traded some frags for some glass with the intentions of building a tank from scratch next spring, but, plans got pushed ahead a bit by a pump failure.

The pieces of glass are the front bottom and back of a tank that was 96"long, 24" front to back, and 36" top to bottom. I will be re-engineering it to be 96" long, 36" front to back, and 24" top to bottom. My current 180g will be donating its front glass to be cut into the ends of the 360g tank.

As I stated, I hadn't really planned on starting this project until next spring, but, my return pump failed on me a few days ago and with my sump being in the basement, I didn't have a replacement pump strong enough to push enough water the 11' up to my display. Having already planned on breaking down my 180g in the spring I figured I might as well start now rather than spend money on a new pump. I had a 125g tank sitting in the basement waiting for me to start the project in the spring so I just transferred everything from the 180g down to the 125g. To make things easier I rerouted my overflow plumbing from my sump to the 125g so that I could just pump the water down the 180g overflows to the 125 downstairs. I dismantled the rock work in the 180 and spread everything out on the sand then pumped about half of the water from the 180 down to the 125. I then transferred everything piece by piece down to the 125.


I'll try to get some pictures uploaded and posted here in a bit.

This is going to be a slow-going process as I have quite a bit on my plate right now.

 

[jtrasap]

180g half full or half empty...you be the judge.

Livestock and rock in half full 180

125g temp tank.

 

[jtrasap]

Ooooops....double post.

 

[bkh24]

that is a monster clam

 

[jtrasap]

It's shell is about 13" from end to end and growing....

 

[Reeferhead]

Let me see if I got this right... You don't want to spend money on a new pump so you decide to build a new 360 gallon tank from the ground up? :lol: I love it! I need to remember that one for my wife when I'm ready for my next upgrade.

Good luck, I can't wait to see the build progress!

 

[jtrasap]

So far I have no money in it other than gas to pick up the glass. I traded some frags for it. I really didn't see buying a pump to pump the water upstairs when I was going to be moving everything downstairs in a few months anyhow and it made a great selling point for the wife to let me start making a big mess.......

 

[kraash]

Very cool! You have more huevos than me to build a tank that size AND expect it to hold water good luck and keep us posted.

 

[michealprater]

Tagging along!

 

[jtrasap]

Very cool! You have more huevos than me to build a tank that size AND expect it to hold water good luck and keep us posted.

Hold water, who said anything about it holding water??.......:lmao:

Tagging along!

Welcome aboard Prater....

 

[jtrasap]

it made a great selling point for the wife to let me start making a big mess.......

Case in point: The need for more flexible lighting options over the bigger tank gave me a reason to dismantle, cut up, rewire, and rebuild this 36" 2x250w Sunpod into two separate 250w hqi pendants.......on my wifes' kitchen counter......:thumbsup:

 

[tall_jason79]

if it holds water you can build my next tank lol. it might save me from going out and buying a house with a walk out basement in 5 years lol.............. tagging along with my fingers crossed!!!

 

[jtrasap]

if it holds water you can build my next tank lol. it might save me from going out and buying a house with a walk out basement in 5 years lol.............. tagging along with my fingers crossed!!!

Sounds like a plan....


Have faith, it will hold water...:thumbsup:

 

[Tonblogna]

I'd be a Nervous Nelly filling that thing up. This is off the topic and may seem like a strange question, but did you happen to know Zachary Irving? Just curious to know some of his background. I worked his case.

 

[bradleym]

Case in point: The need for more flexible lighting options over the bigger tank gave me a reason to dismantle, cut up, rewire, and rebuild this 36" 2x250w Sunpod into two separate 250w hqi pendants.......on my wifes' kitchen counter......:thumbsup:

Ha! I did the same thing with the 150w model. My tank is 4ft x 3ft and it covered the 4ft ok but only spread 1ft of the 3ft spread. Gutted it, turned em sideways and added a 3rd light and voila!!

Oh and btw, tagging along. Good luck!

 

[jtrasap]

Ha! I did the same thing with the 150w model. My tank is 4ft x 3ft and it covered the 4ft ok but only spread 1ft of the 3ft spread. Gutted it, turned em sideways and added a 3rd light and voila!!

Oh and btw, tagging along. Good luck!

Did the wiring in your 150w look like it could have caught fire at any moment? The insulation was dry and falling off of the wires in this one and I could see a couple of spots where it had been arcing.

So....all, on a side note: if you've got a Sunpod, you might want to open it up and check out the wiring in it.

 

[spooda420]

Ill watch the progress of this... post the pics as you go.

 

[Tigé21v]

The pieces of glass are the front bottom and back of a tank that was 96"long, 24" front to back, and 36" top to bottom. I will be re-engineering it to be 96" long, 36" front to back, and 24" top to bottom. My current 180g will be donating its front glass to be cut into the ends of the 360g tank.

Killer dimensions! I think you'll be happier having the extra width (front to back) instead of the depth.

 

[Tater11]

sweet this is going to be cool.

 

[panaboy95]

how think is the glass? are you going to cut the front or rear panes down your self since you are making it shorter? i am assuming you are going to use one of the panes for the bottom and cut one of the others down to make the other upright pane. i have never had much luck cutting glass that is very thick i would try to take it somewhere and have it cut and beveled.