~~ Thread of the Month ~~ Ghetto Tanks!
- Thread starter Yellotang
- Start date
Frick-n-Frags
New member
My whole system is ghetto and totally setup for my convenience and experimentation. I use $4 HD storage tubs for my 2 sumps and prop tank. Cheap home-made overflows for my 3 glass tanks which I drilled with a cheap HD carbide hole saw (I have a thread somewhere with pics), cheap(but heavy-duty) 2X4 stands, no canopy, all lighting suspended from a wooden frame that goes above all the tanks. A 24" floor fan is also hung up there for cooling because of all the lights. Aluminum foil or foil lined heating duct tin reflectors.
Inverted gallon milk jug with the bottom cut out and holes punched in the cap for a kalk and makeup water dripper.
My main return Mag pump is nylon tie wrapped to the return plumbing which lets me pull and replace the pump in mere seconds and I can cut any of the 3 main tanks off the system for feeding as they all have separate return valves and internal powerheads for circulation. I can even completely cut-out and replace a tank within an hour or two(just did it).
I don't even scrape the glass much in my one tank because I have a bunch of new baby Strombus snails in there and I don't want to kill any, but who cares.
I spared ALL expense
(well except for my 2 IC660's and all my MH lamps)
But this is in the basement centrally located over a floor drain so it doesn't matter what it looks like or what gets spilled.
I actually feel sorry for those who have to primp around their piece of living room art and can't spit siphon water on the floor if they have to. I can swap lighting in and out on any tank at a whim and any kind of flood isn't a problem.
It's all about ME having fun with my tanks.
Inverted gallon milk jug with the bottom cut out and holes punched in the cap for a kalk and makeup water dripper.
My main return Mag pump is nylon tie wrapped to the return plumbing which lets me pull and replace the pump in mere seconds and I can cut any of the 3 main tanks off the system for feeding as they all have separate return valves and internal powerheads for circulation. I can even completely cut-out and replace a tank within an hour or two(just did it).
I don't even scrape the glass much in my one tank because I have a bunch of new baby Strombus snails in there and I don't want to kill any, but who cares.
I spared ALL expense
(well except for my 2 IC660's and all my MH lamps)But this is in the basement centrally located over a floor drain so it doesn't matter what it looks like or what gets spilled.
I actually feel sorry for those who have to primp around their piece of living room art and can't spit siphon water on the floor if they have to. I can swap lighting in and out on any tank at a whim and any kind of flood isn't a problem.
It's all about ME having fun with my tanks.
Clownkeeper
New member
Cannonball that is to damn funny!!
Troy
Troy
justgettinstarted
New member
look at GregT 's tank in the large tank forum, he is a fan of duct tape... far from a ghetto tank.. but does use tape
Travis
10 and over club
And this one HAS to be ghetto.:bum:
<img src=http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/17792ghetto1.jpg>
Notice all of the metal hose clamps. I was too lazy to go to the hardware store (which is across the street) so I used some vinyl hose that was laying around. It had a bunch of kinks in it and should have been thrown away. I used the clamps to unkink the hose. Also notice the lengths of PVC used to hold the hose up so the skimmer doesn't fall forward. There are also a couple lengths of pvc under the skimmer.
<img src=http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/17792ghetto1.jpg>
Notice all of the metal hose clamps. I was too lazy to go to the hardware store (which is across the street) so I used some vinyl hose that was laying around. It had a bunch of kinks in it and should have been thrown away. I used the clamps to unkink the hose. Also notice the lengths of PVC used to hold the hose up so the skimmer doesn't fall forward. There are also a couple lengths of pvc under the skimmer.
smokinreefer
Premium Member
my ghetto canopy for my 180.
my buddy happened to be movin about the same time i was needing to build a canopy for my 180.
to make a long story short, he had an old countertop (top of the canopy) and an old bed frame (sides) that were just the length i was looking for...enjoy!
my buddy happened to be movin about the same time i was needing to build a canopy for my 180.
to make a long story short, he had an old countertop (top of the canopy) and an old bed frame (sides) that were just the length i was looking for...enjoy!
smokinreefer
Premium Member
and before anyone says anything...
NO i will not be cleaning up those spider webs!:lol:
NO i will not be cleaning up those spider webs!:lol:
jordan2871
In Memoriam
Now that's what I call creative engineering!! Nice job.
PSEUDOREEFER
Premium Member
I could post pics of my sump made out of two 10 gallon tanks. I was too lazy to drill them, so I connected the two with 5 redundant siphons (you might think that I think they're unreliable lol ). The first 10 gallon is used for a fuge and the second is used to house the return pump and the skimmer. The whole thing cost about $20, but it still looks nice, so I'm not sure it would count as ghetto :lol:
Gwoardnog
New member
My refugium is pretty ghettofied. It is made from a 5 gallon Rubbermaid and powered by a powerhead. It was clear but I'm guessing algae ruined that (can't get it off).
Note the piece of glass placed over it with a 10 gal. tank light over that.
(these pics were a couple days after installation, so imagine it with cyno and other nice alga all over it)
John
*I also had to put silicone around the bulkhead to keep it from dripping*
Note the piece of glass placed over it with a 10 gal. tank light over that.
(these pics were a couple days after installation, so imagine it with cyno and other nice alga all over it)
John
*I also had to put silicone around the bulkhead to keep it from dripping*
bergzy
New member
Similar threads
