Tarheel Reefer
New member
Hello RC, I'd first like to say that my tank has just started to cycle so I finally have some free time(the first in months), and figured I would share with you all my first attempt at starting a reef tank. I am the King of Noobness, no woodworking skills, no electrical skill and very little computer savvy, so if I can figure out how to build and assemble a Saltwater Reef Tank you can too. All the cool ideas, about 95% was either stolen from Tank Journals & Builds or SC Aquariums Owners Thread, so a big thumbs up to all who contribute their time and knowledge to these forums.
A friend from work got me interested in Saltwater aquariums back in September and after hours of reading forums and looking at utube videos, here's the plan I came up with.
1) 90G Rimless cube with Starfire glass from SC Aquariums.(big enough to have some water stability and its also a really beautiful tank)
2) 36" Ruby Trigger System Sump.(A nice long sump that can hold lots of equipment)
3)Build a stand that can accommodate that sump and be longer, wider and taller incase of any future upgrades.( 50"x28"x36" )
I started off this project with a hammer, a phillips head screw driver, a utility knife and a roll of duct tape in the house, trust me when I say the tape was the only thing that I was pretty sure I wouldn't hurt myself with. Not wanting a stand made from m.d.f board, plus they all seem so short, I was determined to build my own, so I watched a lot of videos( and slept at a Holiday Inn Express) and jumped right to it.
I used 2x4's and 2x6's for the framing and load bearing supports which I had cut at Lowes and cost just over $65. Then bought a nice drill, handsaw and miter box, plus a box of 3" coated Deck screws and a square.
My top and bottom frame.
corner legs, despite the way it looks everything is square and level.
As you can see I decided to use joist hangers to support the top and 2x4's to support the bottom
In this last picture for today you can see I'm using 2x6's for load bearing support on the corners and in the final product the front and back as well. Yeah it's built like a tank, but I sleep better knowing it is.
I hope you've enjoyed my build so far and continue to follow along as I post more pictures, remember if you see something that is included in your tank build, yep I probably stole it from you. GO CAROLINA PANTHERS!!
A friend from work got me interested in Saltwater aquariums back in September and after hours of reading forums and looking at utube videos, here's the plan I came up with.
1) 90G Rimless cube with Starfire glass from SC Aquariums.(big enough to have some water stability and its also a really beautiful tank)
2) 36" Ruby Trigger System Sump.(A nice long sump that can hold lots of equipment)
3)Build a stand that can accommodate that sump and be longer, wider and taller incase of any future upgrades.( 50"x28"x36" )
I started off this project with a hammer, a phillips head screw driver, a utility knife and a roll of duct tape in the house, trust me when I say the tape was the only thing that I was pretty sure I wouldn't hurt myself with. Not wanting a stand made from m.d.f board, plus they all seem so short, I was determined to build my own, so I watched a lot of videos( and slept at a Holiday Inn Express) and jumped right to it.
I used 2x4's and 2x6's for the framing and load bearing supports which I had cut at Lowes and cost just over $65. Then bought a nice drill, handsaw and miter box, plus a box of 3" coated Deck screws and a square.
My top and bottom frame.
corner legs, despite the way it looks everything is square and level.
As you can see I decided to use joist hangers to support the top and 2x4's to support the bottom
In this last picture for today you can see I'm using 2x6's for load bearing support on the corners and in the final product the front and back as well. Yeah it's built like a tank, but I sleep better knowing it is.
I hope you've enjoyed my build so far and continue to follow along as I post more pictures, remember if you see something that is included in your tank build, yep I probably stole it from you. GO CAROLINA PANTHERS!!
