Modify it or sell it?

[elittle]

I have been out of the hobby for about 10 years (two moves and just never got around to setting things back up). I am now in the process of getting things going again. So for the question...

I have a 55 gallon acrylic tank that when I bought it 25+ years ago had an integrated filter compartment in the back. This takes up about 4" of depth which leaves limited room for livestock. I was never really happy with it but it was self contained and easy to work with. This go, I want to use a sump in the cabinet and get rid of the integrated filter. My choices then are to cut out the acrylic that makes the filter section (I already checked and the back is the same thickness as the sides so it should be able to take the full brunt of the increased pressure without problem) or if there is any demand out there for such a tank, sell it off and start new.

I seriously doubt there is that much demand and the acrylic will need a lot of work to get it polished out again. I like the idea of reusing rather than disposing and buying new (some call it being cheap... I call it being a conservationist.... makes my cheap ways sound noble). I know it will be a bit of work but that will not be the end of the world. I know that I will not be able to completely remove the acrylic bulkheads from the back which will leave a mark. I can mostly cover that with rock work. I also know I will need to create a new overflow but I do not see that as much of a problem either.

So, anyone see anything I am missing in making the call to recycle the old acrylic into hopefully something useable?

Oh, there is one more reason to recycle. The tank is a bit of an odd size at 48L X 15W X 20D. The stand then was custom made by me and my Grandfather shortly after purchasing the tank. My Grandfather passed years ago but I still remember many days in his garage doing all the wood work on that stand.
I am currently sanding down the stand, modifying it to make it taller (to fit the sump and a better protein skimmer than what I had) and will refinish it. Hopefully that will leave me with a complete stand and tank and the memory of working with him every time I look at it. Even better, my son who was not born when the stand was made, is helping me with the refinish. Seems somewhat fitting.

Thanks for any advice.

Eric

 

[illinijoe]

Sounds like you are rehang for all the right reasons. Family project and environmentally friendly.

Would check if the material degraded that'd be my biggest concern. Sun/heat do things to it over time so hopefully storage was friendly. Good luck please share progress!

 

[mjstech]

Do a water filled test outside for sure. If you are cutting the acrylic out display tank, try to reuse for your sump baffles.

 

[elittle]

Thank you both for the thoughts. I will definitely be testing its water holding capability outside first. Would rather have a failure resulting in 55 rushing gallons outside rather than on my house floor.

I am contemplating the sump. Pre-built from any one of the many manufacturers looks attractive but such a thing is more necessary for a larger size aquarium. For a 55 gallon display, I will not need anything big. I could easily make it myself out of a cheap tank and create my own baffles. Will try to cut out the pieces of acrylic in the largest pieces possible just in case any of it is usable. Good idea on that one. Will keep it in mind.

Thanks again and if anyone else has any input, keep it coming. Always willing to learn from others (mostly because I am just too lazy to figure things out on my own... totally cuts into my web surfing time).

Eric

 

[QuiQuog]

I was going to suggest that you use the old tank as the sump, but if you're using the stand it probably won't fit underneath.

 

[Rlyman1]

modify it for the sump

 

[elittle]

I like the idea of using that tank for the sump of a larger tank but the modifications necessary to the stand would effectively make it a new stand. Not the nostalgia I was going for (I live in California so no basements and adding on to the house to create a fish room is not in the cards). Plus, larger tanks while more stable are more expensive to prep and operate. 55 gallons is a respectable size and while I will not have a dozen tangs, it will still be good.

Eric

 

[elittle]

I am proceeding with my refurb. Thanks the support. If you want to follow my re-build, I have started a thread here:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2599341

Thanks
Eric

 

[homer1475]

Keep in mind that if you plan on using a glass tank for a sump, and reusing the old acrylic as baffles, acrylic expands when wet and if you don't leave like a 1/8"between the glass and acrylic you will end up shattering the tank. There are plenty of threads around here with just that happening.

 

[elittle]

Thanks for that warning. I have not decided on what to do with the sump yet (build my own or buy pre-made). While I am leaning toward building my own, I will keep this advice in mind. Either that or I will have the baffles cut from the same material as the sump tank (i.e. glass on glass or acrylic on acrylic).

Thanks
Eric