# Bulu Point



## Doc_Polit (Jul 22, 2003)

I recently picked up a reef-ready 180-gallon tank with stand and 90-gallon sump for an absolute steal. :thumb:

When complete this will be home to my colony of 34 F1 Tropheus sp. Bulu Point "Cherry Spots". I will be adding 20 F1 Tropheus from a separate blood line and 8 F0/F1 Tanganyikan Goby Cichlids.

Gonna journal the process....









Here is my stand (1.5" steel tubing) after it got sand-blasted to bare metal and received an awesome gloss white powder coat.









My tank.









Another look at the tank.









Completely removed the black, plastic top trim.









For anyone that has struggled removing trim, this worked like a charm.









Did I mention that the blade is _*really*_ sharp? What is a DIY project with no blood-shed? :lol:









This is as it sits right now. I have completely removed the center brace and euro-bracing to ease installation of the background.

Needless to say, all the trim and glass removal (combined with the residual substrate left by the previous owner) has resulted in a huge mess inside the tank. The clean-up comes next. More pics to come once I make some relevant progress.


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## herny (Nov 30, 2007)

sweet cant wait to see it all finish already


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## Mr.Drew (Sep 1, 2010)

opcorn: i have a feeling this is gonna be cool!


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## Doc_Polit (Jul 22, 2003)

After literally *hours* of scrubbing the tank is finally clean. I used acetone, pro-strength glass cleaner and about 75 razor blades. :?


















The odd lines on the right portion of this shot are silicone stain on the inner overflow glass. It is no issue as I will be covering it with black acrylic.

The grungy part of this project is finally done......on to the fun stuff. =D>


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## larry.beck (Jul 31, 2009)

Hard to believe that's the same tank - looking good!


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## Doc_Polit (Jul 22, 2003)

Well, things got slightly delayed due to business travel. Gotta hate it when your job interferes with your DIY tank project. :?


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## mightyevil (Oct 23, 2008)

Doc_Polit said:


> Well, things got slightly delayed due to business travel. Gotta hate it when your job interferes with your DIY tank project. :?


I know all about that!


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## BigFish77 (Feb 1, 2009)

whats next


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## Doc_Polit (Jul 22, 2003)

What's next.......hmm......where to begin.......

I have one corner where the silicone looks a little suspect so I am contemplating a complete reseal.

As well, I am installing a full back panel, deck for the sump, and solid top for the tank made from painted/sealed (white) 5/8" plywood. These panels will be permanently attached with self-tapping screws.

I will be cutting solid fir leveling blocks for the stand, installing an Aquaterra background, re-attaching the center brace and custom euro-bracing and the list goes on.

Stay tuned. opcorn:


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## firenzena (Nov 29, 2009)

I'm guessing there are some good MTB trails your way  .

Tank looks good- Bulu points are cool fish for sure. looking forward to your updates.


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## Doc_Polit (Jul 22, 2003)

Not much of an update yet.....sorry. 

I discovered that the rip fence on my table saw likes to "wander" and is making accurate cuts nearly impossible. :x

Rather than continuing to fight with it I decided to make cut jigs (4' and 8') for my circular saw. This is the 4'.




























They are made from 1/2" MDF and have cut-outs for clamping. There is also 80-grit sand paper glued to the bottom surface to keep them from sliding.


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