60 Cube Build
- Thread starter TreyK
- Start date
Just want to start documenting this build a bit. Not doing anything fast.. so don't get too excited!
I started building the stand a couple of weeks ago and now wish I had taken more pictures of the process. I have never really built anything designed to look half way decent out of wood before, and am actually quite impressed with what I managed to put together. I did most of the cuts by hand after discovering that a circular saw is damn near impossible to use precisely. This project really made me want to purchase a table saw and a miter saw!
I used RocketEngineer's design for the frame and then put a 3/4 inch ply top and bottom on it. After two coats of Kilz primer I skinned it in poplar 1 x boards of varying width, and trimmed it out a bit, another first for me. Here it is with the tank sitting on it for fitment purposes.. I really wasn's sure If the tank was going to fit inside the recessed area I had made for it on top of the stand! Luckily it did, but just BARELY.
So After I figured out that it was going to work, I began priming it AGAIN, three coats later and this is what I got!
I then coated the inside with a white epoxy utility paint that dries hard and is easy to clean stuff off of. And a couple of coats of semi-gloss black on the outside later I realized I should have painted the outside first. Meh oh well!
Here is the tank in what will be its final resting place doing a leak test.
After all of this I forgot to check if it was level, ran to Home Depot in a panic to buy a level and sweating bullets until I got home to find out I had done alright!
All in all I'm pretty happy with how the stand turned out with darn near zero woodworking or painting skills. Now I just need to put some doors on it!
I started building the stand a couple of weeks ago and now wish I had taken more pictures of the process. I have never really built anything designed to look half way decent out of wood before, and am actually quite impressed with what I managed to put together. I did most of the cuts by hand after discovering that a circular saw is damn near impossible to use precisely. This project really made me want to purchase a table saw and a miter saw!
I used RocketEngineer's design for the frame and then put a 3/4 inch ply top and bottom on it. After two coats of Kilz primer I skinned it in poplar 1 x boards of varying width, and trimmed it out a bit, another first for me. Here it is with the tank sitting on it for fitment purposes.. I really wasn's sure If the tank was going to fit inside the recessed area I had made for it on top of the stand! Luckily it did, but just BARELY.
So After I figured out that it was going to work, I began priming it AGAIN, three coats later and this is what I got!
I then coated the inside with a white epoxy utility paint that dries hard and is easy to clean stuff off of. And a couple of coats of semi-gloss black on the outside later I realized I should have painted the outside first. Meh oh well!
Here is the tank in what will be its final resting place doing a leak test.
After all of this I forgot to check if it was level, ran to Home Depot in a panic to buy a level and sweating bullets until I got home to find out I had done alright!
All in all I'm pretty happy with how the stand turned out with darn near zero woodworking or painting skills. Now I just need to put some doors on it!
Got some more equipment in and a little more done on the tank. Its getting there!
Got this skimmer for a great deal, thanks again Tom!
SRO 2000
Set up this mixing station and plumbed it to the tank and RODI and ATO for easy water changes etc.
Put together a little shelf for next to the tank to keep all of the electrical away from water.
Still have to get the sump put together and finish up plumbing. Pick up a doser and decide on which reactors I am going to use.
Thanks for looking!
Got this skimmer for a great deal, thanks again Tom!
SRO 2000
Set up this mixing station and plumbed it to the tank and RODI and ATO for easy water changes etc.
Put together a little shelf for next to the tank to keep all of the electrical away from water.
Still have to get the sump put together and finish up plumbing. Pick up a doser and decide on which reactors I am going to use.
Thanks for looking!
Got all of the plumbing issues squared away. Put together a rock scape and got it salty! It is going to be bare bottom for now, but I am more than likely going to add some reef flakes to the bottom soon.
Here is the view from my living room from over the "bar"
And here is the view from the kitchen.
Needs to cycle a bit. I started adding some zeostart and bacteria I had laying around to speed the process along.
Will grab a couple of snails in a few days to "test the water" so to speak.
Here is the view from my living room from over the "bar"
And here is the view from the kitchen.
Needs to cycle a bit. I started adding some zeostart and bacteria I had laying around to speed the process along.
Will grab a couple of snails in a few days to "test the water" so to speak.
sahin
Ultimate Reefer
Ok so I changed the scape a bit and added the first fish (sorry sahin:beerand a couple of hermits. They have been doing well for the last week. Will have some new pictures soon.
Look forward to the pics.
Socalreef60
New member
Tank set up looks nice. All those side tubes are reactors? Like calcium etc? What are the other two for? Curious to learn more; I've only ever had softie corals and some monticap. Is that more specific to an SPS setup?
Reefvet
New member
I'd put my money on one for carbon, one for GFO and one for Biopellets.
Look forward to the pics.
deeznutz1 said:
Thanks! Pics are coming brother. Tank was suffering from a wicked bacterial bloom, I probably overdosed start3 and bac. Couldnt even see into it! It finally cleared up yesterday!
Socalreef60 said:
Thanks brother! I'm not sure what you mean by "side tubes" but if you are talking about the three reactors under the stand, yes those are reactors. Reefvet nailed it below..
Reefvet said:
So I suffered from a couple of very bad bacteria blooms in this tank for reasons unknown. There was seemingly no end in sight, so i pulled the trigger on a UV sterilizer and it cleared up in a matter of about 24 hours. I can not tell you how good it feels to be able to see INTO the tank! I did lose a mariculture "tester" acro during the bloom, but kept it in their due to the neato little Yuma growing on the plug.
There is a pair of clowns and a pair of Royal Grammas who are of course doing great.
Adam from battlecorals put together a great little frag pack for me that includes; Purple Poison Aculeus, Pro Corals Rainbow Acro, Blood Red Milli, Orange tipped neon Albrolhosensis, Shades of Fall, Shawn Bennet Yellow Tort, Copps Hulk Milli, Blue Green Aussie, and one more I cant seem to remember right now.
Check out a few pics..
A shot of the frags, they are already starting to color up a bit. Of course I can't seem to capture that at all.
And my horrible attempt at taking out the blue hue... the yellow tort still looks green though?
There is a pair of clowns and a pair of Royal Grammas who are of course doing great.
Adam from battlecorals put together a great little frag pack for me that includes; Purple Poison Aculeus, Pro Corals Rainbow Acro, Blood Red Milli, Orange tipped neon Albrolhosensis, Shades of Fall, Shawn Bennet Yellow Tort, Copps Hulk Milli, Blue Green Aussie, and one more I cant seem to remember right now.
Check out a few pics..
A shot of the frags, they are already starting to color up a bit. Of course I can't seem to capture that at all.
And my horrible attempt at taking out the blue hue... the yellow tort still looks green though?
SPS Galore
New member
This is a great build!
