WEll its about time i get back into saltwater after a year in planted fresh water tanks and what better way than to build my own 180 gallon. I just got the acrylic a day ago and am prepping it to glue/bond everything together. I have it set up with my local plastic supplier he gave me a great deal on everything. I got six pieces of 1/2 acrylic for a total of 500 dollars. The tank is gonna be 4" X 3" X 2". The top and bottom pieces measuring 3x4 cost me 123 each. The black 2x3 77. and the 2x4's i dont remmember but the plastics place also cut them to right about the exact size and routed them and even agreed to flame polish it when i was done. I built a temporary stand tonight out of two by fours and have pictures but will upload all tehm plus show the wire method of bonding in detailed pictures tommorow. As for tonight i thought i would just tell all that i am starting this half my room project and don't plan on stopping till everything is finishied.
Project Lubbock DIY 180G
- Thread starter MOFelix25
- Start date
Finnally some pictures. So sorry it took so long i will now update it as things get completed. The first picture is just the tank on its front with a picture of the overflow box tat i did a little mod too. It has two giant holes measuring 4x9 and i can pop in and out whatever grates of 1/2 acrylic i want.
This picture shows the size of the tank getting ready for the preliminary water test.
Finnally water going in and here you can cleary see the holes for the overflow. This part scared teh shiot outta me.
You can see a small hairline crack that was from the router. Those things are tought to control.
Finnally water going in and here you can cleary see the holes for the overflow. This part scared teh shiot outta me.
You can see a small hairline crack that was from the router. Those things are tought to control.
2OceanLovers
New member
I'm in Lubbock, too. Do you come to the local meetings or post on the local board?
Here is a shot of the back of the overflow with the unions. The pipe is 1" and i have four drains two of which go to the sump and two of which go to teh closed loop.
Im scared to post this picture but this is a commercial metal halide. 400watts. Its a great fixture and it was made to withstand lots of rainso im not worried a bit. It does burn a little hotter than i think any other metal halide does but its worth it when it saved me hundreds. I bought the fixture new off ebay for 130$ and had to buy a new 14000k bulb that ran 80.
The wireing was rather easy. Just a hot nuetral and ground. Im not done with it i plan on heatshrinking it to protect it better.
DIY Cost Breakdown: Acrylic 575$
Light 130$
Bulb 80$
Tools 150$
Stand 130$
This is my update sorry it took so long.
Any questions just ask.
Im scared to post this picture but this is a commercial metal halide. 400watts. Its a great fixture and it was made to withstand lots of rainso im not worried a bit. It does burn a little hotter than i think any other metal halide does but its worth it when it saved me hundreds. I bought the fixture new off ebay for 130$ and had to buy a new 14000k bulb that ran 80.
The wireing was rather easy. Just a hot nuetral and ground. Im not done with it i plan on heatshrinking it to protect it better.
DIY Cost Breakdown: Acrylic 575$
Light 130$
Bulb 80$
Tools 150$
Stand 130$
This is my update sorry it took so long.
Any questions just ask.
dougchambers
New member
Ok... I have to ask about your overflow design. With the openings as shown, won't you drain over 50% of your tank if your shut the return off? I guess if you keep your Durso high in the overflow, it will maintain a higher tank level, but it just seems a little strange and a higher risk if your drains or bulkheads leaked.<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10376100#post10376100 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MOFelix25
Yeah i thought about that but if my bulkheads leaked i would be *ucked anyway. I plan on having high dursos probally at 23" from the bottom. Monday i get the tank flame polished and i am buying the pump tonight. Im gonna go with a sequence dart for the return and a dart for the closed loop later on. I had a brain fart last night and plan on building 5 total diffrent seperate parts of the sump.
1. First stage - Intake from tank and filter socks with the skimmer with equipment like heaters.
2. Refungium
3. 3rd stage - Outtake to tank via pump, baffles to reduce micro bubbles.
4. Auto top off tank - Drains into 3rd sgtage
5. Mixing tank for water changes - drains into 3rd stage.
Each one will have a bulkhead that goes into the next step thus making removing and cleaning the sump easier.
1. First stage - Intake from tank and filter socks with the skimmer with equipment like heaters.
2. Refungium
3. 3rd stage - Outtake to tank via pump, baffles to reduce micro bubbles.
4. Auto top off tank - Drains into 3rd sgtage
5. Mixing tank for water changes - drains into 3rd stage.
Each one will have a bulkhead that goes into the next step thus making removing and cleaning the sump easier.
Tonights small update. Had my first DIY catastrophe. The overflow box wasn't true enough for the weld on and it would have a constant drip once filled in. Extra weldon didn't help and even extra acrylic didn't. All because i rushed it and used crappy tools. My fix was a brain fart i had on using the shavings from the router and making a soup with the weld on 4. It actually worked better than i thought and once it dries a little sanding and paint and it won't even be noticible. One month til livestock goes in. Sorry this isn''t in the do it yourseldf thread but soon the tank will be set up and running. Plus there is no real good LFS in san antonio but Lubbock has one of the nicest and cleanest ones iv'e seen.
RocketEngineer
Space is big.
The stand as shown has all the weight of the tank taken by the nails/screws in sheer rather then by the wood directly. You really should think about having uprights between the top and bottom frames to provide a direct load path. Otherwise you risk the nails/screws coming out of the wood and a disaster of a time after that.
