# My 300 gallon project has begun.



## LowCel

So far I have ordered a few things for the 300 gallon tank I am getting but today was the first day of work. I gave my dad a call this morning and asked if he wanted to come and give me a hand building the stand. We made a trip to Lowe's where I spent $160 for wood, nails, and foam.

We managed to get everything done exept for the doors, trim, and paint. I also still need to put the sides on the tank, I'm going to wait until I finish the sump before I put those on so I can slide the sump in. All considering I would say it was a pretty productive day considering it was around 37 degrees and I can barely walk due to knee surgery. I paid for it though, my knee swelled up quite a bit..

Anyway, here are some progress pictures. It is amazing how much this stand weighs!


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## LowCel

I decided to build a new stand for the 210 as well. I want the top of the two tanks to be even so that it doesn't look like I just threw two tanks in the dining room.

What's bad is that I actually stayed home today because my leg was hurting so bad from working my real job yesterday. Once I sat around for a while it started feeling a little better so I figured why not. After all, the high today was a smoldering 24 degrees.

This stand is four inches shorter than the stand for the 300. I did this because the 210 tank is four inches taller. This way the top of both tanks are level. I still need to build the doors, put the trim on, and paint everything. Once all is said and done they should look pretty nice. Then I get to build the canopies.


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## JTank

very cool. They look to be quite solid. You may have just inpired me to build my own stand ahead of time before i get a larger tank. I have all the meterials i see in your photo's except for the 4x4's.

I wonder if i would even need 4x4's. the biggest tank i would probably go to would be a 6' 125g. and i might even get a 4' 75g......hmm got me thinking. i'll have to look into it.

thanks for sharing. can't wait to se the finished product. post more pics when you can.


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## psyber

Looks good. Why did you cut two holes in the top of the plywood?


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## LowCel

psyber said:


> Looks good. Why did you cut two holes in the top of the plywood?


The tank is reef ready so it will have plumbing goind down to the sump through the bottom of the tank. This keeps me from having to have anything showing in the tank such as heaters, filter drains, etc, etc.

On aside note, I have ordered some more goodies for the tank. Here is a list of most of the items I am waiting for (not including the tank).

Glass-holes hole saw bit and bulkhead (2")
280 scrubbies
75 gallon tank to use as a wet/dry
Plastic pegboard to use as drip tray
3x5x12 (2) sponges for sump
Four 4" filter socks
Two Visi-Therm 300 watt heaters
5 Gallons bio balls
Two Coralife F/W T-5 Double Strip Light - 48"
Reeflo Dart pump
Glass panels for sump

Already have:
Most of the stand built
Foam board
Black Paint for back of tank

Still need to purchase: 
Temperature Controller
Diamond earings for wife

It's only money.....right???


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## F8LBITEva

looks great man! make sure to update this thread with more pics as you go . :thumb:


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## LowCel

Thank you.

I received a couple more goodies today. First off is the hole saw and bulkhead from www.glass-holes.com. They included an extra goody.










I also received another important piece of the puzzle, a reeflo dart pump.


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## LowCel

I made some progress on the sump this evening. I drilled the hole in the tank, put the bulkhead in, and mounted the three glass baffles. I thought I had eggcrate but apparently I was wrong, I only had a few small pieces. I'll pick up the eggcrate tomorrow and finish the tank up.


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## SupeDM

I believe you said that this Tank is going in your house. If it is you may want to put about 5 coats of wood stain on it and leave it soak in very very well as the green treated lumber you used is extremely toxic to people and animals and fish. Also with a sump moisture may get on thes lumber them drip down into the sump. I had this problem with treated lumber. I put a bunch of coats of wood stain on it. After the stain I used a coat of "Kills" primer. Then I painted it with three coats of exterior grade paint. It will be ok as long as you seal that lumber up good. With the 4x4 I dont think green treated lumber was necessary as it doesnt add any strength just resistance to bacteria and insects that cause wood to detriorate outdoors. By the way I forgot to mention Very nice construction. Wish I had room for a 300.


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## gmaschke

Looks good! I hope you dont have any issues but those treated 4 x 4's or notorius for twisting when they dry out.

P.S. I am jealous..........


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## LowCel

Thanks, I'll keep an eye on the 4x4's and I plan to put a cover over the sump so hopefully I'll be alright.

I picked the tank up today, can't wait to get it in the house tomorrow!!!


























I've already painted the back of the tank in preperation for tomorrow.


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## rgr4475

Jesus that is Huge!!! :drooling: :drooling: :drooling: :drooling: :drooling: Maybe someday, nice job!


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## ademb

wow, thats impressive mate! nice truck too. wish we had the tacoma's here in australia


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## cholile

where's the tank from? what are the dimensions? I can't wait to see the final product.


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## LowCel

I did a little more work to the sump as well. I removed one of the glass pieces and went with a shorter one. So far I have also installed my diy filter sock holders.


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## LowCel

Thanks everyone. The tank is from www.glasscages.com. It is a 300 gallon, 96x30x25.


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## LowCel

Here is a picture of the nearly completed sump.










Here are a couple of pictures of the 300 in the house beside the relocated 210.


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## LowCel

Just in case anyone wondered what $204.87 worth of pvc and fittings looks like, here ya go.


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## Morpheus

You don't mess around do you? :lol:


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## kodyboy

looks great! What are the large diameter PVC pipes for?


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## LowCel

Return from the sump to the pump is 2". Coming out of the pump it is 1 1/2" then it gets reduced to 1" when it goes into the bulkheads. Going from the tank to the sump is 1 1/2". For the underground jet system I am going to use 3/4" line.


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## sleepy09

> Just in case anyone wondered what $204.87 worth of pvc and fittings looks like, here ya go.


You did better than I did LowCel. You got a great deal on all of that. I spent around a 120.00 for a third of what you have there and mine was only 1 inch and 3/4 inch thin wall. Thats HomeDepot for ya tho.

Oh by the way I can wait to see what your tanks look like. I stop buy this thread everyday to see where you are in the process. Keep the updates comin.


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## deus

great job man...you're lucky becouse you're living in the house...you should have see my sufferings with pulling my 210 gallons aquarium (L=195 cm) into my apartment on the second floor...and elevator was too small  that was disaster  anyway, what are you planning to keep in that tank? btw, i have sump sistem in one of my tanks...that's the best solution becouse, like you earlier told, you can put all the equipment (heaters and such) directly into the sump, and also, you have realy big filter (for example, for my 400l aquarium, i have 100l sump).


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## LowCel

kodyboy said:


> looks great! What are the large diameter PVC pipes for?


I think I misunderstood your question when I replied earlier. The large (4") pieces of pvc in the sump are there to hold the filter socks. I still need to drill some holes in them.


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## LowCel

sleepy09 said:


> Just in case anyone wondered what $204.87 worth of pvc and fittings looks like, here ya go.
> 
> 
> 
> You did better than I did LowCel. You got a great deal on all of that. I spent around a 120.00 for a third of what you have there and mine was only 1 inch and 3/4 inch thin wall. Thats HomeDepot for ya tho.
> 
> Oh by the way I can wait to see what your tanks look like. I stop buy this thread everyday to see where you are in the process. Keep the updates comin.
Click to expand...

I learned to avoid Home Depot a while back. They are just about always more expensive than Lowe's. Still yet, I am hoping that I get to return some of the adaptors. I just thought it would be better to buy too much than not enough. I hate making 20 trips to Lowe's when I could be working.


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## LowCel

deus said:


> great job man...you're lucky becouse you're living in the house...you should have see my sufferings with pulling my 210 gallons aquarium (L=195 cm) into my apartment on the second floor...and elevator was too small  that was disaster  anyway, what are you planning to keep in that tank? btw, i have sump sistem in one of my tanks...that's the best solution becouse, like you earlier told, you can put all the equipment (heaters and such) directly into the sump, and also, you have realy big filter (for example, for my 400l aquarium, i have 100l sump).


That would be a nightmare. My 210 empty weighs approximately 340 pounds. Not something I would want to have to carry upstairs. I definitely would not want to carry the 300 gallon (650 pounds empty) up any stairs.

As for stocking, I plan to keep a couple of viejas, a red devil, a trimac, some cutteri's, silver dollars, and a true parrot cichlid. I may add a few more over time. I am considering adding an arrowana to the tank as well. I will be keeping two dovii in the 210 that everyone is in now.


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## NORMAND

couple words to say...... thats SICK!!!! im goin to have to need atleast a 210 for when my peacock bass gets to big.... hmmmm


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## deus

ahhh...what a great Tanganyika that could be :wink:


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## LowCel

deus said:


> ahhh...what a great Tanganyika that could be :wink:


I'm pretty sure they would be lunch in there.


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## deus

well, in that tank full of monsters, definetly, but, i had in mind Tanganyika biotope, ofcours  (forgive my english, it's been looong years since i went in highschool and since my last english lessons )


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## LowCel

deus said:


> well, in that tank full of monsters, definetly, but, i had in mind Tanganyika biotope, ofcours  (forgive my english, it's been looong years since i went in highschool and since my last english lessons )


I understood completely, just having a little fun. :dancing:


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## deus

nice...making fun of an old lady!!! :lol:


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## LowCel

What can I say, I believe in equal opportunity.


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## deus

that's what I like to hear...women wanted equalitiy...well, equality comes with a price


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## LowCel

I got a little more done last night but not much. I spent a good part of the evening at physical therapy to help with recovery from a recent knee surgery.

Anyway, I finished most of the plumbing under the tank. I just came up short a couple of pieces of 1 1/2" pvc and a couple of 90's. I'll finish it up tonight. I also received the biomedia for my sump and got that in. I am using 280 nylon scrubbies and five gallons of bio balls. I may add a few more bioballs.


























I also took a few minutes to enjoy the "little" tank.


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## iceblue

Nice build LowCell. :thumb:

I'm going to have to agree with SupeDM though. You really should do all you can to seal the treated lumber. It will be off gassing right into your sumps where the constantly changing surface of the water can easily pick up those nasty poisons used to keep termites at bay.


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## LowCel

I'll see what I can do. I also plan on covering the top of the sump.

I finished the plumbing for under the tank. Tomorrow plan on starting the plumbing in the tank and then starting on the undersand filter. I also purchased 250 pounds of pool filter sand.


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## kodyboy

filter socks.....makes sense now. thanks


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## LG0815

nice tank ideas keep us posted how big is your " little tank"


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## MidNightCowBoy

And how big is that gourami in the little tank?


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## LowCel

The Gourami is around 18" to 20". The "little tank" is 210 gallons.


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## TheBanker

looks like its going to be a nice tank. :thumb:


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## ashilli48

Arsenic poisoning is debateable but you definitely don't want to experiment with your fish. You should be safe, just read this article and handle, paint, etc accordingly.

http://www.finegardening.com/design/art ... -beds.aspx


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## Fishyfan

Where did you get your scrubbies?


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## LowCel

*ashilli48* Very informative article, thank you!

*Fishyfan* I purchased them from a member at MonsterFishKeepers. He sells them for $2 for ten.


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## LG0815

any uipdates i want to see it in action


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## LowCel

At the moment I am cooking 3/4" pvc pieces on the stove. I am heating them up so I can make the jets for the undersand jet system.


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## sleepy09

Ill have garlic on my pieces. :lol:

I just have one question, how does the water drain onto the bio media after it goes thru the filter socks? I was trying to figure that out but I could tell by looking at the pictures.


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## LowCel

It goes over the baffle to the right. That baffle is 15". It goes over that and then through the drip tray.


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## sleepy09

Oh wait I see it now but, will the water drain over all of the biomedia? Do you have smaller holes on one side of the drip plate and larger ones on the other side? Won't the water drain thru the drip plate before it can make it to the other side? I am not questioning your design, I am just trying to figure out how it works.


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## sleepy09

By the way, I can't wait to see it when you are done. Lookin good man :thumb:


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## LowCel

It shouldn't have any problem making it all the way across the drip plate. I have a slight angle on the drip plate so that should help it distribute pretty evenly.


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## LowCel

Getting closer, just finished one of the standpipes and getting ready to start the next one. Only problem is that somehow I came up short one threaded to slip on adapter. Looks like I am making another trip to Lowes.










I finished the undersand jet system up last night. Now I'm trying to figure out if I am going to paint it, put sand on it, or just leave it the way it is.


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## wickidchap

Wow, looks great. keep us posted


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## LowCel

Time for another update.

First thing, check it out, more scrubbies!!!!!!










Next I did a little painting.


























Then I put a little sand in.










Then I put some more sand in.










Then I put some water in.


















So far so good.


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## gmaschke

I am liking the looks of that and getting ideas.....hmmm....... If I get rid of the couch I can fit another 6 footer........ :wink:


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## cholile

where do you get the pot scrubbies? and how much do they cost?

I can't wait to see the final product. I've gone back and forth between a simplistic, all-black, background and a 3D one. There are some advantages to the 3D backgrounds, but looking at how nicely the overflows blend in with the black background makes me think it might be worth keeping it simple. It really is sharp.


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## LowCel

I purchased them from a member on mfk, his user name is zennzzo and he charges $2 for ten of them.


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## sleepy09

Is the other tank already setup?


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## LowCel

Yes, the 210 has been up and running for a couple of years. I just had to tear it down for a couple of hours to move it a few feet.


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## LowCel

Did a little more work with the plumbing today, hopefully I fixed the last of the leaks. I also had to cut down the overflow covers that came with the tank. The slits in it did not allow nearly enough water into the overflows. I was within 1/8" of the tank overflowing. I cut about 1 1/2 inches off of it so it is working much better now. I'm not really concerned about fish getting into the overflow since most of my fish are pretty good size. I am using some egg crate around the top of the overflow to make sure that nobody goes into it though.

Here is a picture of the overflow before I cut it up.









Here it is after, not much of a difference.









Here is the "little" tank, took a few minutes to enjoy it this evening. The dovii are putting on quite a bit of size. I'm really looking forward to them having this tank (not the 300) to themselves.










Oh, here is a short video so you can hear the problem I am having with the "like new" used pump that I purchased.

Clicky, clicky, clicky.


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## sleepy09

Lookin good LowCel. opcorn:

That pump sounds like the engine in a BNSF train. LOL :lol:


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## LowCel

UPS guy rules!!!!


















Now if FedEx brings my new laptop I'm really going to be happy!


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## LowCel

The tank is running!!! I still haven't been able to fix one of the very slow drips but I'm not giving up. I had to put all new plumbing in to the return pump since the new one wouldn't fit in the same location since it is about an inch longer than the old tank. None of the new plumbing is causing any problems.

It's amazing how much quieter this pump is. Now the only noise I have is from the returns down into the sump and a little noise from the overflows. Once I have the doors on the stand and put some foam sheeting around the back of the stand I think it will really help out.


















Hopefully I will be able to work on finishing the stands tomorrow.


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## LowCel

I was able to get a liitle more work done on the tank today.

First, received the acrylic hoods from www.glasscages.com and put the lights on the tank.










Next I started on the doors and trim on the stand.










Then I did some painting. I still have a little more trim work to do but I am getting closer. Still need to build the hoods and finish the 210 as well.










With the lights on.


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## TheFishGuy

Wicked AWESOME!


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## LowCel

Taking a little break from the 300 to work on finishing up the 210 stand.


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## LowCel

Woohoo, dining room is a dining room again!!!!


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## sleepy09

Hmmm I wonder if I could talk my wife into letting setup our dining room up like that. 
:thumb: Lookin good man


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## Morpheus

Simply amazing. Excellent job.


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## TheFishGuy

Looks great!


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## LowCel

Thanks everyone, appreciate the compliments.

TheFishGuy, wish me luck catching the big guy. Hopefully he doesn't rearrange the tank during the netting.


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## LowCel

How about a couple of top shots overlooking the dining room.


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## TheFishGuy

Lowcel, it seems "Bert" is settling in just fine.... The kids named him... Ah, who am I kidding... i named him :lol:


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## LowCel

That is awesome, thanks again for finding a home for "Bert" and for going out of your way to meet me.


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## TheFishGuy

Hopefully he'll make to the Asian biotope planned at the zoo!


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## LowCel

I hope so, also hope to see a video with him there.


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## LowCel

Just did a little more work on the sump. Unfortunately the drip plate wasn't distributing the water like I had hoped so I had to do a little altering. Not exactly what I wanted to do but it seems to work alright.

I used a small powerhead to push some water through some spray bars that I made out of 1/2" pvc.


















Here's a better shot of the input to the sump.










Here is the right side cover in place. I still have to make the left side cover.


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## TheFishGuy

I like the pot scrubbers... You should take a weekly picture of them from the same position so we can all watch the colors disappear! :lol:

By the way, excellent news! Bert will be going to the Zoo in a few weeks. The curator called me back this morning. They want Bert and the clown knife we have !!!!!!


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## LowCel

That is awesome, thanks for letting me know.


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## LowCel

Well I decided that I am going to do a closed loop on this system. It is already doing pretty well but I think it can do a lot better. I decided to order a new "little" pump to power just the ugj system. I'm just hoping the fish will still be able to swim!!! :fish:

The pump should be here early next week.


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## cichlids _killer

hey low cell ..the set up looking sweet man....question : what kind of sand are you use? just wondering cause sand + underjet=desert storm


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## LowCel

Thank you. I am using pool filter sand. So far it is doing awesome hooked up to the reeflo dart pump. The sand is not moving around at all. The nozzles all stick just a little above the sand.


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## TheFishGuy

In my experience the sand just "bubbles" when usinf UGJ's  My 185 and 240 have sand and UGJ's....


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## spotmonster

LowCel, nice job. I really like the stands after being finished. Can you show what hardware you used and how you used the framing to make the egde? I assume it hanges over to cover the gap between the door and the stand?

You must not be not be married, by looking at how much room those tanks take up in your dining room :lol:


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## LowCel

I just nailed the trim to the pieces that I cut out for the openings. The pieces fit pretty tight so I am able to press fit them into place and used some velcro to secure the doors.

My wife is pretty understanding, especially considering that this is my "cheap" hobby.


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## esob0i

cheap hobby? lol what other hobby do you have that cost more lol


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## LowCel

I race bicycles. Two of my road bikes are about $7,000 each, a mountain bike that is $5,000, a time trial bike that is about $3,500, and a cyclocross bike that is about $1,500. Plus entry fees, travel expenses, emergency room visits, surgeries, clothes, tires, etc, etc, etc. Oh, my Kawasaki Ninja 1400 isn't all that cheap of a hobby either.


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## TheFishGuy

Wait till you have kids! :lol: (if you don't have any) Then they become the only hobby that matters!

Go carts
dirt bikes
more bikes
pool
swingset
tree house
path through the woods
camping trips
FOOD
clothes
diapers
wipes
diaper cream
"cool" bed sheets
"in" clothes

Shall I go on? :lol:

nintendo DS's all around ($80 a pop)
Games for the *&^%$# things
AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH....

I wouldn't trade em for the world!


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## LG0815

i race bikes but on dirt i am 15 and i race a haro backtrail x3 cosyt me about 1200

then i have another x3 so i can impress the girls :thumb:

u know what i mean

i also get hurt alot

just a couple days ago i was doing a wheelie and fell on my finder broke it 
being a [email protected]#


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## LowCel

Nice, my mountain bike is a Titus Motolite II. I just had one knee operated on, tore the meniscus on my dirt bike (KTM 250 XC) but while they were in there found other damage. I've been recovering for about six weeks. Have to get my other knee operated on in the next few weeks.


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## cichlids _killer

ok lowcell enough with all that OT talk before you get your other knee done post some pic update please !  and good luck with your other knee


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## LowCel

I'll try to get some pictures tomorrow after physical therapy.


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## aquamad

Hi LowCel

Pls show us the schematic drawing of your wonderful sump.

with regards
Aquamad [/b]


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## LowCel

Here you go.


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## TheFishGuy

Why the foam pad at the end of the filtration process? Just curious is all


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## LowCel

Just to catch any final debris that could have slipped through. It shouldn't catch too much which means I will only have to clean it out about once a month.

I can't wait to be able to put some of my fish in this tank. Would also like to find some nice driftwood for the tank.


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## TheFishGuy

I see


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## jimmie

nice nice set up..can't wait to see more pictures


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## aquamad

Hi LowCel,

Thank you for the diagram, but you have not sketch the pipelines in the diagram.
How often do you run the system, continuously or periodically?


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## @nt!x

very nice.


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## LowCel

aquamad said:


> Hi LowCel,
> 
> Thank you for the diagram, but you have not sketch the pipelines in the diagram.
> How often do you run the system, continuously or periodically?


A wet / dry system must be run continuously. I'm not sure what you are talking about pipelines. Are you refering to all the plumbing for the entire system?


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## aquamad

Thats right


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## Dj823cichild

Lowcel I'm new the forum and I read this whole thread you did one **** of a job bro! I mean you should go into a business of making custom tanks!!!! Would you build me one? lol. All in all you are a master and I just wanted to say great job. Do you have any updated pictures with fish in the 300 gallon or did you add them yet?


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## LowCel

Thank you very much for the huge compliment. The tank is still cycling so it only has a few little goldfish in it. I did get really excited the other day when I received a false positive for nitrates when using a test strip. I tested it with a liquid test kit and it was still negative. I added some bacteria from other tanks and a sponge from another tank so hopefully it will cycle soon.


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## Dj823cichild

I just recently setup my 60 gallon, nothing compared to your goliath of a tank. I used Tetra Safe Start and my tank was cycled in 2 weeks. I've got 4 Electric Blue Haps and 2 Red Tailed Peacocks in there and life is good. I'm sure you will do fine in cycling your tank, but please post some pictures when you do get your fish in. I'm sure everyone wants to see your masterpiece complete with fish.


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## LowCel

Here's a quick update. In order to get ready for the new pump for the under sand filter I had to switch the current pump over to a spray bar. I used 3/4" pvc and drilled it every inch with an 11/64" drill bit.

I also built the drain portion of the closed loop. Wanted to go ahead and get all of the pieces that needed painted taken care of.


















Then I applied a little paint.









And wahlah...

















A little full tank shot.









I am really impressed with the amount of flow the spray bar is creating. I think I am really going to be happy with the circulation once I get the new pump hooked up.

Oh, just for the heck of it, here's a crappy picture of one of my favorite fish.


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## LowCel

Just took a quick video. I still need to remove the goldfish and I still need to do some decorating. The clay pots are just temporary until I find some driftwood, some rocks, and some fake plants.






Anyway, what ya think?


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## sleepy09

Hi LowCell, I just watched your vid. The only thing I can say is WOW :thumb: :drooling: =D>

I love the size of that baby. I have to have one that big. I can't wait to see it when you are done. I also love the smaller tank. I especially love the algea and the moss that you have growing on the driftwood. It looks so natural, ill bet that your fish just love it.


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## TheFishGuy

Good stuff!


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## LowCel

Just received another present from Santa!!!










Also, took a new video after adding some new fish from Ken Davis.


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## LowCel

Finished plumbing in the closed loop for the ugj system. The flow is perfect for what I was going for. There is absolutely no waste or food settling on the sandbed.

Here is a picture of the pumps and plumbing. The pump is louder than I was planning on but hoping it quietens down a little after it breaks in.


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## cichlids _killer

low cell ..everything looking nice but i just didnt like the ugj pop out from the sand ..thats why i didnt think ugj will work fine with sand ....but if its work for u and you dont mind to see that thing pop up then its all good :thumb: btw whats up with the bio-ball swimming around in the tank on the video? :lol:


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## LowCel

I had the bioballs floating around in my 210 for a while before I set up the 300 to help a little with seeding the 300. I need to take them out and place them in the sump I've just been so busy with everything else that I haven't gotten around to it.

Once I have some decorations in the tank and do a little more work with the angles of the jets and move some sand around the jets should be a little less noticable. Also, I may need to add another 100 pounds of sand.


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## TheFishGuy

I must be the only one that narrates when shooting video LOL

What all did you get?


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## LowCel

Here is the current stock list.

These are the fish that I moved over from the 210.

Amphilophus labiatus (F0) - 6"
Black Belt (F1) - 11"
Silver Dollars (5 so far) - pretty good size
Vieja bifasciatus (F1) - 9"
Archocentrus Centrachus (wild) - 5"
Hypsophrys nicaraguensis - 5" demon

These are the new guys that I just received from Ken Davis at The Fish Farm.

zonatum - 8"
amarillo - 8"
citranellum - 4"
labiatus - 4"
pearsi - 4"
trimac - 3"
hartweigi - 3"

As for the narrating, all I can say is that I'm not nearly as good at it as you are so I don't even try.


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## TheFishGuy

LOL Just pretend everyone is there with you LOL

You're going to have a nice little collection there! I'm jealous!


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## LowCel

I wanted to give an update on the tank. I have done quite a bit of sound proofing. I insulated the stand, added rubber couplings on the input and output of both pumps, and put foam board under both pumps. It has made a huge difference and I can now sleep at night. My wife keeps telling me that it is quiet enough and to leave it alone. It sucks being anal retentive and wanting things perfect. 


































I also added some lights to the stand which make things much easier to work on under the tank. Here is a picture of one of them.










Also, I ordered some Malaysian driftwood for the tank today. Hopefully I will get it by the weekend so I can boil it then let it soak for a couple of days. If I don't get it by the weekend it probably won't go in the tank for a month or so when I can get around again without crutches.


























I also ordered a 40 pound bag of crushed coral. I plan on adding that along with another 50 pound bag of pool filter sand to the tank. The tank needs a little more sand to cover the ugj system a little better. Also, my ph is staying around 6.4, I'm hoping the crushed coral will raise it to closer to 7.0. The fish are doing fine already but I think they may be a little happier with a slightly higher ph.

Also, here is a current picture of the tank.


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## LowCel

I added the additional 100 pounds of sand and 40 pounds of crushed coral. I also added the rocks and the driftwood. The tank is still pretty cloudy but this will give an idea of what it looks like.










Here is a short video, try to ignore the how cloudy the tank is, apparently I should have rinsed the crushed coral. That's what happens when you get in a hurry. Oh well.


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## TheFishGuy

Sweet! It'll settle, and after it does be sure to rinse your prefilters... I know you know this but it's habbit....


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## LowCel

Thanks! I'm actually thinking about removing the pre-filters for a couple of weeks. I am not going to be able to maintain them and my wife wouldn't know where to start. Once I am able to get back on my feet I'll put them back in.


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## TheFishGuy

I hear ya... hope you surgery goes well... if that's even possible.... I guess what I'm trying to say is I hope the outcome is good...


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## LowCel

Here is a full tank shot. I have ordered a new monster media reactor so the tank should be crystal clear within the next week or two.










Here are a couple of pictures of the trimac that I just found in the wet/dry.


















Here is a crappy short video I just took.


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## Dj823cichild

Just gave your video a 5 star rating great Job bro! I'm sure when the water gets clear it will even look better. Good luck on your surgery what are you having done? I had a heel surgery done back in June of last year, I'm just curious what your having done as well.


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## LowCel

I had knee surgery done on Wednesday. They did a lateral release and removed a bunch of arthritis. It did not go very well at all. The nurse told the doctor that she had never seen anyone in as much pain from arthroscopic surgery as I was in. I was literally coming off of the table from the pain, it was almost like a seizure / convulsions in the recovery room. It took three people to hold me down.

Here is a link to a much better description of the surgery and some pictures showing how bad the swelling is.

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forum ... p?t=234895


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## Dj823cichild

Ouch sorry to hear about the complications Cell. I wish you a speedy recovery and least you can relax and rehab and watch your fish to keep you calm and at ease.


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## TheFishGuy

Get well soon buddy! Tank will clear up too!


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## LowCel

Thanks everyone, I appreciate it. One of the biggest problems I have is when I am bored I spend money. My last surgery I went from being completely happy with my 210 to having to have a 300 gallon tank. So, I ordered it and spent all kinds of money on it and accessories.

Well, so far this time I have only spent about $600 on the tank. Here is the first of the goodies I ordered.  Hopefully the rest of them will be here on Friday. I'm not sure when I will feel up to installing everything though.


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## TheFishGuy

Just take it easy on yourself my friend... Get well soon, don't stress


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## LowCel

TheFishGuy said:


> Just take it easy on yourself my friend... Get well soon, don't stress


Will do. Care to run down here and hook the new toys up for me? :wink:


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## Dj823cichild

That's what friends are for! HAHAHA Get well Lowcel.


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## F8LBITEva

The pain sounds horrible dude!

Youve got an awesome tank, I hope you can get to watch it while you are out of commision. Have a couple of your biggest buddies come over and pick the couch up with you on it and put it down right in front of the tank.


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## LowCel

Thanks, I make it into the dining room about three times a day for about five minutes each time to watch and feed the little jerks. To thank me they act like they want to eat me and they splash a bunch of water on me. I'm still not sure why I care so much for them and constantly spend money on them. I'm a glutten for punishment I guess.

I just went and picked up plenty of media bags to put the purigen in. I don't intend to put the carbon in the media bags unless someone has a good reason that I should. I also picked up the hose to hook up the reactor and the UV sterilizer. I will be doing part of the plumbing with tubing and part of it with pvc. This was the easiest way I could figure out to put a ball valve in between the pump and the media reactor.

I also received the reefkeeper lite 3 controller today. I really can't wait to hook that bad boy up!










Unfortunately all of this is going to have to wait. My mom came by my house and picked me up to run a few errands and to go into my office for a little while. Unfortunately I overdid it so I am hurting pretty bad.

On aside note, the air pump is for the 210, not the 300. There is no need for air pumps when using a wet/dry in my opinion it gets plenty of oxygen and movement on the water surface.


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## 2wheelsx2

I've not used those bags before, but are they fine enough mesh that the Purigen won't come through? I've been using "The Bag" by Seachem but they're pretty pricey.

I see no reason why you would use carbon and Purigen. Purigen is much more efficient and cost effective than using carbon at removing organic wastes and clarifying the water. The only thing I would use carbon for nowadays is for chlorine removal.


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## LowCel

I hope so, they seem to be pretty fine media bags. I just put some in to see how it looked, seemed to be alright. Here are a couple of pictures. They will definitely work better than how I was planning on doing it which was with no bags.


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## LowCel

Just performed a few tests.

Ph - 7.4
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - < 10

Also, the tank is extremely clear. I cut back the output a little on the blackfin 3600 pump. That got rid of all of the air bubbles and microbubbles I was experiencing. On top of that it also uses less wattage so that is a nice bonus. The reactor and meida are doing an incredible job as well.

Seems like everything is doing pretty well. Adding the 40 pounds of crushed coral really helped with my ph. Before adding it the ph was 6.4. Now I just need to pick up some crushed coral to put in the canisters in my 55 and 210.


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## LowCel

Oops.


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## LowCel

Not sure how I posted it so many times.


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## LowCel

A little better picture. Just can't get the picture to not show up grainy.


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## TheFishGuy

Very nice!


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## EllCee

Incredible job on the tank there, man! I'd kill to have a 300, just imagining the fish I could put in there makes me drool! But then again, if I had the money for that I'd also have the money to hire someone to take care of all the maintenance and cleaning for it as well. But I'll keep dreaming. The stands look great as well, nice job.

I like the videos, especially watching the big boys in the 300 follow the camera around and get up right in your face. :lol: Nosy little things. Also a quick question about the 210, what species are the slightly smaller cichlids that are a light blue with black stripes? It's hard for me to tell from the video if they're something I've seen before or not.


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## LowCel

Thank you. The small fish in the 210 are cutteri's. They have been removed from that tank and added to the 300. The only fish in the 210 are the dovii now.


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## LowCel

I finally got around to installing the reefkeeper lite 3 controller. I need to tidy up the wires but other than that I am very happy with it.

Here are some pictures.


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## TheFishGuy

What does that do?


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## LowCel

It controls everything in my tank except for the stand lighting. Here is a list of what all it is controlling. It's pretty nice being able to push one button and turning all of the pumps off for thirty minutes to perform a water change. I can also view the amperage draw, temperature and ph by just pushing a button.

Reeflo Dart (return pump)
Reeflo Blackfin3600 (closed loop ugj system pump)
2 powerheads for drip plate spray bar
ViaAqua 1300 pump for Media reactor
2 300 watt heaters
2 Coralife T5 light strips


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## Morpheus

How's the knee doing?


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## LowCel

I went for my first physical therapy session on Monday. They told me that they could not work with me yet that my knee wasn't ready, they were afraid of causing more damage. They told me that they have never seen a knee look this bad from a lateral release. I am going to my primary care doctor tomorrow to get a second opinion and see if they recommend me getting a second opinion from another arthroscopic surgeon.


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## kjhydock

Sorry if I missed it somewhere, but you say primary care doctor, are you in the military by chance? Don't hear many people referring to their docs that way otherwise. Sorry to hear about the unfortunate results of the knee surgery. Hope all comes out well.


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## LowCel

No, I work for the government and my insurance (PEIA - Public Employees Insurance Association) requires a primary care physician.

I went to the doctor today but someone screwed up my appointment and didn't write it down, they had me down for lab work. Unfortunately they were unable to fit me in so now I'm waiting for my doctor to call so we can set something up. I went to school with her so I imagine she will get me in pretty quickly.


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## kjhydock

Sounds like the same style care I get from military doctors. In my instance, a referral usually takes 28 days before an actual appointment.

Slightly more on topic, your tank, particularly the sump has given me multiple tank syndrome. Going to pick up an 80 gallon (upgrade from 55) on Sunday.


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## mightyevil

Awww dude sorry to bring this back up but...I feel your pain on the knee...when I had surgery they "repaired" my LCL, MCL and took a graph from my thigh muscle to make me a new ACL cause it was completely gone. I remember the pain I had right after surgery, I will never forget it...it was just like you described. I had to pop all kinds of pills for pain too and I would knock out in a few minutes for hours at a time to wake up to a horrible pain from the foot up to my waist. It was like that for a few weeks and while still in crutches I went to the movies with the wifey and guess what?!?! Crutch slips and my knee goes POP again!!!

I have been going to the hospital on and off since 2006 to get it fixed but I am honestly fed up with their ****...I am going to file for disability soon enough. My knee never swelled down completely...

If there is one advise I can give you is...go to physical therapy and follow it like a bible!!! I didn't and I think that I am paying the price for it now.

LOL for primary care doctors...I have one too...busted my knee on base and the stupid Navy doctor had gone home early that day "just because" ([email protected] skater) (no offense to the whole Navy) so the navy nurses that were there told me to ice it and if the pain was that bad the next day, to go to the hospital off base...can you believe that!?!?! Now, I wasn't even walking...my buddies were practically carrying me around.


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## MiteyWitey

great tank man. Been folllowing the thread for a bit. Hope the knee is better. I had mine done too, but with results much similar to your first surgery.

Anyway. I was notcing that you had (or have?) a slow drip somewhere. My schematic for my valves/pvc/wet/dry etc...is fairly similar to yours. Where was the drip that you had issues with? I am just trying to calibrate my expectations for when mine is set up this week

thanks


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## Notrevo

TheFishGuy said:


> Wait till you have kids! :lol: (if you don't have any) Then they become the only hobby that matters!
> 
> Go carts
> dirt bikes
> more bikes
> pool
> swingset
> tree house
> path through the woods
> camping trips
> FOOD
> clothes
> diapers
> wipes
> diaper cream
> "cool" bed sheets
> "in" clothes
> 
> Shall I go on? :lol:
> 
> nintendo DS's all around ($80 a pop)
> Games for the *&^%$# things
> AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH....
> 
> I wouldn't trade em for the world!


Yes indeed...and don't forget the braces!


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## TheFishGuy

You had to bring up braces... Which of course are NOT covered under insurance for some STUPID reason.........


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## Tiberian

LowCel - if you don't mind me asking about how much did the tank cost you? I'm in the market if I can talk my wife into it.


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## RayAllen

Nicely done :thumb:

I too have purchased from glasscages in the past. Was very happy with the tank.

What really impressed me is the DIY sump, *** made a few in the past and really liked how you set it up. :thumb:


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## Scorpio

Dude! Flippin' awesome set up and room. Thanks for posting this. Curious about your sump tank. Is that an off the shelf tank? Looks like one of those you can get at Petsmart...

Reason I ask, is because you drilled the side and if the tank is from off the shelf, then those are usually non-drillable. Can you drill any kind of glass with the diamond cutter you used? I will be getting a 280 from the same place you got the 300 and if I can't drill the sump tank, then I would have to go with acrylic. Thanks for your reply.

=D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D>


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## afr..cichlids

Thats awesome dude, you are going to spend a small fortune in stocking a tank that size. Hope your floors in you house support the weight, looks great, and it is twice the size of my tank.. :wink:


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## TheFishGuy

Most floors can easily withstand the weight of a 300 gallon.


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## cholile

TheFishGuy said:


> Most floors can easily withstand the weight of a 300 gallon.


I've been holding off on getting a 265 to 300 gallon glass tank because I can't seem to find a friend of a friend who is a structural engineer to make sure the floor can easily hold the tank or tell me how to reinforce it properly.

The floor is hardwood, the wall is an interior load-bearing wall and the bottom of the floor can be seen from the basement so if I did need to reinforce the floor I could easily do it.


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## TheFishGuy

What size are the floor joists... We're not talking a HUGE tank here so more than likely if your floor joists are 2x8 16" oc. or larger you will be just fine.


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## cholile

I'll try to take a picture of the location for the tank and the floor from the exposed underside and get some measurements.


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