# New 135 gallon DIY stand and 3d background



## Saleen281 (Feb 22, 2012)

So I got this tank from Craigslist for free!!! I was suppose to pick it up when the people came back from out of state. In the mean time I got a call from a friend asking me if I wanted a 100 gallon tank with stand and a breeding pair of Midas for 100$ so I jumped on that deal. When the people with the other tank called me I told them I couldn't pick it up cause I was low on funds they were asking 250$ for the so claimed 150 gallon tank with canopy but no stand. I asked them to hold it till I came up with the money they eventually dropped the price to 150$. Eventually they said to just come pick it up since it was taking up too much space at their house for free !! So I called my friend and jumped in my car and off we go I did the measurement calculator turn out its only 135 but who cares it was free!! I started the stand and the 3d background will post picture soon!! Like later today lol


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## Saleen281 (Feb 22, 2012)




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## Saleen281 (Feb 22, 2012)

What should I start with the stand or the background pics?


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## Saleen281 (Feb 22, 2012)

Here is the styro supplied by my brother in law who works at walker furniture got the I dea from another member on this forum. To get it from a furniture store.


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## Saleen281 (Feb 22, 2012)

Time to start carving a lot of rocks!!


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## Saleen281 (Feb 22, 2012)

Update


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## Saleen281 (Feb 22, 2012)

So here it is with one coat of of dry lock and all the pieces glued


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## Saleen281 (Feb 22, 2012)

C'mon guys no love?


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## theoryguru (Oct 11, 2011)

Free is the best price. Looks good so far
Make sure you update photos as you progress.


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

Nice cant beat free. Cant wait to see it all finished. I have feeling that background is going to look pretty good when finished, as it does now already.


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## vi3tl3oy (Feb 7, 2013)

nice find! Im also in las vegas always browsing craigslist for tanks. Looking good so far


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## Saleen281 (Feb 22, 2012)

Thanks guys


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## Saleen281 (Feb 22, 2012)

Ok so here is a cleaner shot!


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## Saleen281 (Feb 22, 2012)

Another update! Too 4 long hours with the help of my brother but here it's is. all black looks alot better I'm gonna add another coat of grey to finish it off.


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## DanniGirl (Jan 25, 2007)

Looks great so far! 
Have you decided what you're going to keep in the tank?


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## Saleen281 (Feb 22, 2012)

I was gonna make it a Frontosa/ calvus tank but my large mpimbwe Frontosas have started hunting my calvus for some reason :[] so it will most likely jut be a Frontosa tank


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## Saleen281 (Feb 22, 2012)

Here is the stand progress


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## Steve C (Oct 9, 2011)

That first pic of the stand freaked me out because I had not scrolled to the next and I didn't realize the pic was sideways at first and was thinking "What the??" lol, now I see the pics are just sideways. Looking good, looks like the same veneer I used on my stand your gonna love the look of it once you get some stain on there :thumb:


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## Saleen281 (Feb 22, 2012)

A little at a time










next step Ur routing the doors with a rounder bit still need the moulding and then the stain!


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## R-DUB (Jun 3, 2007)

A couple of caves would be cool. Looks as if you have enough depth. What about hiding heater, HOB, etc.. behind the BG? Such great rock work I would hate to see a heater covering it up! Great job so far!


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## R-DUB (Jun 3, 2007)

A couple of caves would be cool. Looks as if you have enough depth. What about hiding heater, HOB, etc.. behind the BG? Such great rock work I would hate to see a heater covering it up! Great job so far!


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## Saleen281 (Feb 22, 2012)

Thanks R-DUB...Oh yes yes the heater will be in the back so will the filtration.I will be using and fx5 and a pond filter to move the water that would stand still in the back with some lock line outlets coming out of the background. I am trying to make everything hidden. Oh and about the caves I'm kinda iffy about that subject just because I've made some styro/dry lock caves before and I could never get the fish out. Being that te cave would be siliconed to the tank. But if you guys have any ideas let me know!!


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## R-DUB (Jun 3, 2007)

Its great your hiding the equipment. Hate seeing a good BG with a heater in front of it. As far as the caves go what about just carving into the BG? leaving just enough to have styro against the back glass. Or at least a depression or void into the existing BG.? Carve out then paint with drylok? Just a thought great build nuntheless!


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## Saleen281 (Feb 22, 2012)

So I had time to work on the stand cut the doors did some trim,sanded the whole thing. I still need to do some work on the middle door but that will be next time. The moulding is next and the off to stain question ?!! I covered some holes with drydex sparkling will that affect the look on the stain? ???


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## Saleen281 (Feb 22, 2012)

Spackling*


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Spackling will absorb the stain differently than the wood will so I think it will be obvious. Many woodworkers use sawdust and wood glue to fill the holes so the stain will absorb properly.


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## Saleen281 (Feb 22, 2012)

Thanks deeda I will remove the spackling and try the sawdust method


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## MPKS92 (Nov 5, 2010)

You will have a hard time getting fish out if they are cave dwellers. My mbuna hide in my DIY bg and in order to catch nearly have to drain tank to nothing. Just a thought. But it all looks real awesome nice work. :dancing:


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## tapout14 (May 30, 2012)

Deeda said:


> Spackling will absorb the stain differently than the wood will so I think it will be obvious. Many woodworkers use sawdust and wood glue to fill the holes so the stain will absorb properly.


I am a finish carpenter and deeda is correct wood glue and sawdust is what I use to fill minoe gaps to make things look seamless


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## Saleen281 (Feb 22, 2012)

ok i will remove all the spackling and try that method thanks guys.


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## Saleen281 (Feb 22, 2012)

Ok I removed the spackling and sanded it down and looks great but here is an updated pic of the background I cut out the holes for the filter intake and did a light paint on it to stand out what do u guys think?


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

The background is looking good, nice job!


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

Deeda said:


> The background is looking good, nice job!


+1 cant wait to see it all set up!


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## cichlid-gal (Apr 27, 2012)

I'm always amazed at the talent of people who make these from scratch. Very nice carving job on the styrofoam. How thick did it end of being?


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## Saleen281 (Feb 22, 2012)

cichlid-gal thanks total thicknes on the side is about 8 inches which im kinda bummed about because it takes so much space away from the fish.








i did a fitment test here it is. only thing i need now is the oulets im using locline sprayers but the flares are rediculously large like 3 inch they look weird kinda iffy about using them but that was all my lfs had.


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## Saleen281 (Feb 22, 2012)

After lots of hard work it finally pays off just finished the stand sort of lol 









How does it look?


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## joehorse20 (Mar 11, 2013)

Looks great, nice work


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## Saleen281 (Feb 22, 2012)

Almost there but taking too long lol


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

Looking good!!!


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## Saleen281 (Feb 22, 2012)

Quick question how long does silecone take to cure? It's been 6 days drying and it still smells like vinegar or whatever silicone smell like. I heard 10 days is that true?glueing the background btw lol


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## thatbb6 (May 3, 2012)

48 hrs should be good enough. The smell will linger for a long time if you don't fill up the tank with water. It's time to fishless cycle. Looking great so far.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

It depends on how much silicone you used. I recommend waiting at least a week and if you still notice the smell, I'd wait even longer. Depending on the chemical process curing agent of the silicone used, you may need to add some air circulation to speed the curing process.


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## Saleen281 (Feb 22, 2012)

yes i think i will wait till maybe next week i used 3 and half bottles of silicone and i can still smell it :fish: :fish: :fish: now its just a waiting game opcorn: but i cant wait!!!!


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## DanniGirl (Jan 25, 2007)

As *Deeda* mentioned, it would behoove you to place fans atop the tank.


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## Saleen281 (Feb 22, 2012)

inlet 









outlet with super sized flares kind iffy about them they are huge









let me know what you think


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## DanniGirl (Jan 25, 2007)

I think you're right, they're almost too large. Of course, the white Styrofoam is drawing unnecessary attention to them as well.


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## Woundedyak (Oct 19, 2007)

They are a bit large in the pic. I think if you paint them and try to camo them to match the rock color. You should be golden. Who knows thou. Depending on your lights, they might just disappear in the rocks with the shadows. I still give it two thumbs up followed by a golf clap


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## At1Maverick (Mar 7, 2013)

Nice, so ur into Mustangs(judging from the screen name) and fishes too, eh. I gotta get myself a bigger tank so I can attempt this kinda stuff. good work man


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## Saleen281 (Feb 22, 2012)

thanks guys im in the middle of purchasing a house so *** been really busy but i will try to have some updates soon i just emptied my 84 gallon to replace it with the 135 gallon. and yes Atimaverick im into mustangs and fish i own a black 2000 saleen mustang and both hobbies keep me busy lol


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## Saleen281 (Feb 22, 2012)

Ok here is a sneak peak even though I probably have to move it in about a month I had to set it up lol
I still have to paint the canopy but that will be another day hopefully soon


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## Saleen281 (Feb 22, 2012)




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## Demigod (Mar 22, 2013)

NICE! Well done sir.


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## Saleen281 (Feb 22, 2012)

Here it is filled!!! i have a question how long should i let it sit with water and how many times should i drAIN and refill it before its good to go???? should i add a power head to circulate the water? i dont have a filter running should i??


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## DanniGirl (Jan 25, 2007)

The entire setup looks good.

If the Drylok and silicone are cured, the answer is zero. 
You could drain it and refill it once, just to be sure.

If you're going to fishless cycle the tank, it would be a good idea to start running the filters. :thumb:


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## Saleen281 (Feb 22, 2012)

I siliconed the background to the tank April 17 so it sat for almost a full month the background was already painted by then


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## Steve C (Oct 9, 2011)

Looks really nice I like it. I agree with DanniGirl I'd just fill it and drain it once, since it has sat for so long it's for sure off-gassed by now, but there are always some pieces of foam that are hiding in cracks that will come out and float around the first time you fill it so fill & drain once and it's get it all cleaned out. Again nice work


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## DRWalker (Mar 9, 2013)

What type of paint are you using, on the background? Looking great by the way!


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

He used drylok which is a masonry sealent.


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## Saleen281 (Feb 22, 2012)




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## Saleen281 (Feb 22, 2012)




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## Frank H (Mar 11, 2013)

The background is awesome! Id probably add some rocks and make a pile somewhere. Especially if I found some rocks that resemble the background rocks. Either way, its looking great!


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

Or find rocks that you think look good then drylok them to match the background. Easiest way to get everything to match


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## Saleen281 (Feb 22, 2012)

ABOUT A MONTH IN SINCE BACKGROUND









FEMALE HOLDING ALREADY


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

I see you got to keep the tank!


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## notchback65 (Apr 3, 2013)

Saleen281 said:


> ABOUT A MONTH IN SINCE BACKGROUND
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Looks great! :thumb: 









I like this pic,to me it looks as if there are more fish in the shadows;but it is the background :thumb:


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## Saleen281 (Feb 22, 2012)

thanks guys for all the help the tank look great still in good shape


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## Idisc (Jul 30, 2013)

What are you using to cut the foam up with?


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## Saleen281 (Feb 22, 2012)

just a serrated knife


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## SupeDM (Jan 26, 2009)

Looks awesome. IMO I would paint the terra cotta pots with same stuff to match background. I use the same pots in a lot of tanks for breeding but hate the color.


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