# Hambiscuit's 90 gallon Tang community build



## Hambiscuit (Aug 22, 2009)

Hey guys,

Follow along as I build my 90 gallon Tanganyika community set up.
The set up will include a 90 gallon AGA tank with a built in overflow and drilled for a closed loop circulation system. It also will have a 55 gallon AGA tank as a sump, an auto-top off system, an automated water change system and homemade wet/dry filter. I plan to keep a mix of rock, sand and shell dwellers. Actual species TBD.

I have no room in my home for an in wall set up which would have been my first choice. This set up will have to be in the front room of my home so it is important the stand look as nice as possible and there be no visible wires, hoses etc.

My first step was to build a stand that would hold the 90 gal tank and allow me to use my existing 55 as the sump.

I really wanted to use a "furniture design" approach. (no 2x4's). The problem I ran into was the size of the 55. In order to be able to access the sump and remove it if necessary I needed to install openings at each end of the stand. Because of the size of the openings and the weight of the 90, I felt it prudent to frame the stand with 2x4s for peace of mind.

I began the design process by drawing out the structure using google sketchup.








This image shows the internal 2x4s as well as the plywood back, top and bottom shelf.

I chose to make the stand slightly deeper than the 90 gal tank so that the stand can rest against the wall and all the plumbing and electrical will be hidden. Iâ€™ll make panels that will hide the plumbing and give the tanks a â€œbuilt in lookâ€


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## Hambiscuit (Aug 22, 2009)

In order to manage the wires and allow me to turn on and off devices easily I created a power center. This consists of a number of standard outlets and switches wired to a dedicated outlet inside the stand. Basically its just a large power strip.

It will fit into the stand like this...








There will be one on each side of the stand allowing me to close the door to conceal the switches.

It started like this..








Basically just a box with holes in it.

Next I added the outlets and switches
















These are wired so each switch controls the outlet on the opposite side.

This is a shot from inside the stand. This will house the power centers and protect the switches from splashes.









Same thing shot from outside the stand









Trial fit.









Another shot from inside showing the rubber gaskets to further seal the power centers







This also shows the yellow wire that will plug into the dedicated outlet. It is simply 12ga extension cord wire with a plug end.

This final shot show how I will get to the plugs once its all set up.







A hinge at the bottom lets me pull it out to add new things or change out pumps or heaters.

More to come soonâ€¦


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## Tiberian (Jun 14, 2009)

very nice. I like the power control part. I did something similar but it's all on timers.


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## Dj823cichild (Mar 30, 2009)

Great setup and Excellent work!!!!!!! Wanna upgrade my tank for me? lol.


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## Hambiscuit (Aug 22, 2009)

This is the "outer skin" that will cover the 2x4 frame. I am using 3/4 spanish cedar that was 








Im told its a cousin of mahogany. It finishes like mahogany but its a bit cheaper.
I will finish it with multiple coats of Tung Oil. Ill cover the finish in more detail later

This is a shot of the Face frame for one end of the stand.









I used pocket screws and glue to hold everything together. It is amazing how strong a joint you can get with the pocket screw system.









Here is a shot of the stand from the front









And one from the side








In this picture can start to see the beauty of the wood. It has a subtle grain that is very striking.
I have the tank on the stand so I can fit the face frames to cover the plastic trim.

Here Iâ€™ve installed a bullnose piece of trim to the stand









and another shot








This piece adds a finished quality to the top of the stand. I plan to add a piece of trim below it to breakup the large amount of space between the top and the doors (and conceal the screws)


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## BPDuncan (Mar 20, 2009)

opcorn: =D>


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## Hambiscuit (Aug 22, 2009)

The Hood








Basically it is a pretty simple flat panel design. The entire front is hinged and will swing up and sit on the top of the hood. I also plan to have a hinged section on the top that the lights will be mounted to that will allow me full (or as much as possible) access to the tank without removing the hood. One thing missing from the sketch... I plan to add a bullnose molding around the top and bottom to tie the hood in with the stand.

The hood is constructed the same way as the stand but there are no 2x4â€™s. 
The frames








These frames will receive a panel and are constructed like a flat panel door. The panels are made from the same Spanish cedar but cut to 5/16â€


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## Hambiscuit (Aug 22, 2009)

Now for some doors.









The doors are made the same way as the panels for the hood. I am fortunate to have a router with a set of matched door making bits. These make doors a lot easier to build. Because I had to make essentially 11 doors plus the panels for the hood, it was worth it to invest in the bits. You can however buy very nice custom made doors online from a variety of places.

Here is a shot of the stand and hood with all doors installed. Notice I made panels to cover the space behind the tank. The long piece above the doors on the front is a fake panel. There was too much space above doors and I needed it to cover the screw holes. 









Here is the finished product (literally)









And here is the stand with all the doors opened









And here we have the sump in place








Whewâ€¦ it fits!

More to come...


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## Dj823cichild (Mar 30, 2009)

Bea UTIFUL!!!!!!!! You did and amazing job Hambiscuit!


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## bboyspook (Aug 14, 2009)

I need to learn carpentry.. i want to build a stand for my up and coming 180+ gallon


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## Dj823cichild (Mar 30, 2009)

Maybe you could pay Hambiscuit to take care of it for you :thumb:


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## Hambiscuit (Aug 22, 2009)

Wet/Dry and sump Configuration

I originally wanted to use a 5 gallon bucket to create my wet/dry filter but the bucket was too wide and would not fit in my sump. I looked for the largest container I could find that would fit and afford me the largest amount of media. I found a large plastic kitty litter box on sale at Target. This was a 35 lb container which I estimate at a little over 4 gallons 









This container is larger than most I saw and it came with a neat hinged lid. 









This should work well. But it was an exercise in compromise. I had a predetermined amount of space between the plumping and the bottom of the sump. I needed to also have as much water as possible in the sump both for volume and so the return pump would work properly. I used eggcrate to raise the container to meet the plumbing.









I drilled holes in the bottom and side high enough to allow the water to be at the proper level in the sump.








I will build up the bottom with eggcrate so the media is out of the water. I did not take pictures of the inside with the bio balls. I was able to get 3 gallons of balls inside. Hopefully that will be enough.

This is the beginning of the drip tray








Itâ€™s simply the bottom cut from an extra container. Plenty of room for prefilter.

Holes drilled and placed on top of bioballs









Here I have attached a union to the lid.








I simply drilled a hole in the lid and placed the union along with a short piece of PVC in the hole and a cap on the end. I did not glue it. It does not have to be that strong itâ€™s just diverting water into the filter. The lid keeps it quiet.
I then drilled a hole and plumbed an overflow.








I thought if the prefilter gets clogged the water will run out the drain and Ill be alerted to the sound before any damage is done.

Here is the sump with the filter and the top off bracket in place








Water drains from overflow and the flow is split between the wet/dry and the right side of sump. The right side has a tall baffle and is designed to increase overall water volume and offset the low level on the left side die to the wet/dry. I plan to use this space for possible time-out or grow out. Return pump is central in the sump and has a diverter plumbed so that return flow can be regulated. The diverter set-up also can be used to pump water out of the tank for water changes. The sump has a total water volume of 30 gallons.

More on the wayâ€¦


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## ridley25 (Jan 5, 2008)

Hambiscuit said:


> In order to manage the wires and allow me to turn on and off devices easily I created a power center. This consists of a number of standard outlets and switches wired to a dedicated outlet inside the stand. Basically its just a large power strip.


First time I've ever seen this. What a great idea!


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## Maxima308 (Jun 6, 2009)

WOW! Great job every thing looks so professional. I do really like the way you have your power strip/switches, it wouldn't be too difficult to incorporate a few timers.


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## Hambiscuit (Aug 22, 2009)

*The Fish Room*









Well more like a fish cornerâ€¦ This is a little area in my garage where I set up my RO/DI, top off tank and makeup water. This wall backs up to my kitchen so I was able to tie into water lines and drain lines to add the sink. This is a very useful area and I plan to have a small grow-out tank here soon.

I recently added the wooden shelf to support the holding tanks (brute trashcans). In order to get them to drain to the tank I needed them higher than the tankâ€¦ plus itâ€™s a garageâ€¦ floor space is at a premium.
The smaller tank to the left is the top-off. And the right is the make up water. Each tank has a float valve inside so the RO/DI fills to the same level with out overflowing.

I have run switched outlets to the upper shelf so I can switch on the heater, pumps etc in the make up tank. However I still have some wiring to do so right now I have everything plugged into a surge protector. 
Itâ€™s hard to see but there is a poly tube behind the small 10 gal tank (the one full of junk). I connect it to the out-feed on the make-up tank, turn the valve and Iâ€™m filling the tank with newly conditioned water. This same poly tube carries the top-off to the tank and it carries waste water from the tank during water changes

*Another view of the sump*








This one has water in it! If you look close there is a pump on the right side of the sumpâ€¦ 








It only purposeâ€¦ is to pump out water during water changes. I connect a poly tube to the quick connect fitting on top, hit the switch and start draining the tank.

Iâ€™m still not sure how much I can drain at one time. I have two drain options. The dedicated pump and the return pump (middle of sump). The return pump is plumbed so that I can use it drain as well. Iâ€™m estimating I can remove about 25 gallons at a time. That works well for me because my make-up container only holds about 30 gallons. The trick obviously is to pump out the same amount you pump in. Iâ€™ll need to measure carefully during the first few water changes but hopefully the process will become very streamlined

*Next time... A tank shot!*


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## Hambiscuit (Aug 22, 2009)

Thanks for the kind words...

*Maxima308*- I have incorporated timers. I have used some wired timers from HD before. They fit in the place of the switch. Digital controls.. pretty cool. Still looking for some that last a little longer. My lights tend to take a toll on those timers.

*ridley25*- Thanks. like alot of things Im sure I ripped the idea from someone else.

*bboyspook*- I watched alot of Bob Vila as a kid 

*Dj823cichild*- Kind words.. i appreciate it!

*BPDuncan-* 

*Tiberian*- thanks... timers definitely make a difference


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## Hambiscuit (Aug 22, 2009)

Finally after getting my lighting situation fixed and the aquascaping to my liking, here are some tank shots


















Substrate is Caribsea African cichlid mix Ivory coast. The rocks are lace and theres a cool piece of driftwood as well as a small jave fern.

There are some remaining spots on the overflow of coraline algae left over from when the tank was a reef. I hope they will eventually dissolve.

The photos are not very good. It hard to see all the cool caves and the substrate is not nearly as white as it looks in the pictures.

Im all cycled now so its on time to get some fish!


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## Hambiscuit (Aug 22, 2009)

Stocking List

3-Altolamprologus calvus (White) 1M, 2F
12-Cyprichromis leptosoma (if I can find them. Seem to be scarce)
3-Paracyprichromis nigripinnis 1M, 2F
6-Julidochromis transcriptus (Gombi) mixed sex
6-Lamprologus similes (colony)
2-Eretmodus cyanostictus (looking for these as well)

I pick up the Calvus and Julies on Friday. Hoping to get the shellies and Paracyps on Saturday.

The rest I am still in search of.

Any other ideas?


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## Hambiscuit (Aug 22, 2009)

Added these little fellows last night.
5 Julidochromis transcriptus and 3 very small White Calvus

























Everyone seems pretty comfortable with their new â€œdigsâ€


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## Hambiscuit (Aug 22, 2009)

ooohhh... just picked up some new additions.
cyps
paracyps
similis

After acclimating i'll try to get some pictures.


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## ender64 (Aug 12, 2008)

Very nice walkthrough. Very nice. In fact, I think I'm going to save it for future reference 

Can't wait to see more pictures!


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## mlancaster (Jul 24, 2009)

Great job, I am very jealous of your carpentry skills and your final product, the stand looks great. The auto top-off system and automated WC system is so cool; again very jealous. Great Job. Whatâ€™s your profession if you donâ€™t mind me asking?

Thank you for sharing, will keep all of us living in apartments (me) dreaming of the future to come, I hope. Great work. Keep us posted with pictures as you finish stocking.

I hope those saltwater composites dissolve, you may want to add another column of lace rock in front of the overflow; I think it would look nice, kind of bring the rock work on each side together and hide the overflow column/ reef tank composites.

Thanks,
Matt


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## bertolli (Aug 18, 2009)

... amazing  
u sir are very talented. im jealous of those fish they must love their home


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## Hambiscuit (Aug 22, 2009)

mslancaster said:


> Great job, I am very jealous of your carpentry skills and your final product, the stand looks great. The auto top-off system and automated WC system is so cool; again very jealous. Great Job. Whatâ€™s your profession if you donâ€™t mind me asking?


Thanks Matt! My profession is medical device sales. But I have been a hobbiest woodworker for years.

Im hoping the plants will grow to cover the overflow column. Im also thinking of getting a fake plant to fill in until the live plants can grow. *** resisted adding more rock. Its already a little "rock heavy" on that side.

Thanks Ender and Bertolli for your comments


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## Hambiscuit (Aug 22, 2009)

Some additional photos
Cyps. this photo taken the day they were added. Im hoping the settle in and color up. 









A little Similis peeking out


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## aaronjunited (Sep 29, 2009)

Unbelievable tank mate. The whole thing is the dogs balls. completely jealous aswell. I have to get my butt in gear as i need a hood and a stand for me new 5ft tank aswell. I'm no carpenter so i'l have to look for walkthroughs and guides on how to build the hood and stand.

Great job mate, keep the pics coming. :thumb:


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## Hambiscuit (Aug 22, 2009)

Aaron- Check out this thread for stand building tips. it may give you some ideas.
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/view ... highlight=



> dogs balls


 that has got to be one of the best expressions *** ever heard. I hope it means "good"


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## bertolli (Aug 18, 2009)

very nice, i can't wait till i can get a nice large tank like that... i like the fishies too
give us some more pics - full tank too as they get bigger


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## Strohs58 (Aug 3, 2009)

Sahweet... :thumb:


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## aaronjunited (Sep 29, 2009)

Hambiscuit said:


> Aaron- Check out this thread for stand building tips. it may give you some ideas.
> http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/view ... highlight=
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks alot mate!! :thumb:


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## aaronjunited (Sep 29, 2009)

lol yea it means the best of the lot here in the UK lol


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## non_compliance (Dec 4, 2008)

OH WOW...    :drooling: :drooling: :drooling: =D> =D> =D>

That thing is VERY VERY nice. I really REALLY want something like that. My dad is a bit of a wood worker/craftsman... I am going to print this thread and see if he can come through for me... lol...

Thanks for sharing... everything is REALLY cool... only thing.. I think you need a 3d background.


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## bertolli (Aug 18, 2009)

Give some update pics i wanna see how fish have settled in their home


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## Hambiscuit (Aug 22, 2009)

I just got a new camera and Im not real good with it yet...
Cyp








White Calvus








Paracyp









Ill post more once i get the camera dialed in


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## Hambiscuit (Aug 22, 2009)

A couple of more shots

Calvus

























Transcriptus

















Paracyp


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## bertolli (Aug 18, 2009)

baby calvus is so cute! I really like the transcriptus too, im gonna be torn between what kind of fish to have when I get my next tank so many options.


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