# DIY - 135 Gallon, Custom Background, In-wall Display



## FishGraves (Jan 3, 2009)

So I recently purchased a 135 Gallon tank off of Craigslist as a gift for my father... and maybe a little for myself too.... We got the tank, two canister filters, heater, lights, python cleaner, undergravel filters and stand for $250. I will keep this thread going as we work on the tank. I'll upload some pics tonight and keep them coming as the build progresses.

The tank is 5x2x2.

After some research, we have decided to build a DIY background for the tank. 
The tank will then be set in the wall in our finished basement and will be utilized as a show tank.

I have a few questions to start things off:
1. Whats the best way to clean the tank? Also, there are some small scratches on the glass, is there a way to buff these out? Will they basically dissapear once water is added?

2. The tank doesn't have centre support on the top. My 55 gallon has a brace in the middle but the 135 has MUCH thicker glass. Is this normal?

3. Does anyone reccommend a certain Styrophoam, Silicone or Cement to use while we create the background?

This site has REALLY helped me build the 55gallon and I hope that the 135 will turn out just as nice.


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## vaypourus (May 20, 2008)

FishGraves said:


> I have a few questions to start things off:
> 1. Whats the best way to clean the tank?


To clean the tank, follow this thread. I have had great results with what I explained here:

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/view ... highlight=

I personally wouldn't recommend bleach, as it is alkaline and won't dissolve hard metal deposits as an acid is required for that. I'm not a fan of extra chemicals in my tank.



FishGraves said:


> Also, there are some small scratches on the glass, is there a way to buff these out? Will they basically dissapear once water is added?


Concerning removing scratches, I had heard that it takes a LONG time to do it. My tank has a few scratches, and I have noticed that any algae on the glass seems to build up in the scratch first, making it more noticeable. it really bugs me, but I'm a little OCD about things.

There are kits available that have the polishing wheels and polishing compounds including for removing the scratches. It really depends on how deep the scratch is; a deeper scratch will obviously take more time and a bigger kit with courser grits. I would get one of the kits that has the grinding wheels for a drill or angle grinder included along with the polishing compounds. In my mind, getting a tried and true scratch removal kit removes any guesswork on which sandpapers and compounds work for glass. The last thing I would want was to damage the glass and have to find another craigslist deal.



FishGraves said:


> 2. The tank doesn't have centre support on the top. My 55 gallon has a brace in the middle but the 135 has MUCH thicker glass. Is this normal?


Was the center brace cut from the plastic bracing, or was no center brace put on that tank? Some tanks, especially the older tanks, often did not include a center brace. Many of the older tanks used thicker glass and didn't really require a center brace in place. If it appears that a center brace was removed, I would attempt to replace the whole top plastic brace. It sounds to me though that this tank was built with no intentions for a center brace.



FishGraves said:


> 3. Does anyone reccommend a certain Styrophoam, Silicone or Cement to use while we create the background?


Concerning the DIY background, any of the Quickrete products should work okay. Check out the library here or do a search for DIY background. It should cover in depth what works well for this project. The important thing is to allow the concrete to get properly rinsed and clean BEFORE fish get added.

There are companies that manufacture silicone that is labeled for aquarium use. This is guaranteed not to have added chemicals or anti-fungal compounds that are poisonous to fish. This stuff comes at a premium because they know we will pay it. You can find silicone that doesn't have additives, but I personally would still buy the aquarium branded stuff. I would feel safer knowing that there isn't some mystery chemical added to the silicone I was using, especially when I put several hundred dollars of fish in my tank.


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## FishGraves (Jan 3, 2009)

Thanks for the suggestions!

We are going to be picking up some supply's tonight so I'll take a nice long look for some Aquarium safe silicone...


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## Rick_Lindsey (Aug 26, 2002)

On the silicone front, it may be worth glancing at the "GE Silicone I" sticky in the DIY folder... Might save a few $.

-Rick (the armchair aquarist)


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## nipzie (Nov 24, 2008)

Fishgraves, go to Home Hardware, and buy the 3 pack of Weather Sheild clear or white 35 year silicone for $9.97 (Cdn). It states aquarium safe right on the package and is a helluva deal. I've used it for years and it's WAY cheaper than a tube of GE silicone at $6. None of the GE silicones I've found in Canada DON'T have the anti mold/mildew additives, and while some have discovered no ill effects when using it, I still would not want to. While at Home Hardware ask for a bag of sand mix. It's just regular premixed sand and cement, no big aggregate, fairly smooth finish. I've been told by a professional concrete aquarium builder that any fast setting cement breaks down the silicone seal of a tank after about a year. He has been building them for years and when some seals popped he spent a fair chunk of change sending the concrete to a lab for analysis to determine what reacted with the silicone. The results came back that it was the setting accelerant that was to blame, though I never caught what the chemical was and there are several different types. Stick to the safe stuff. For styrofoam, use the extruded polystyrene sheets used for insulating houses. WAY better (stronger, denser, less messy) that the expanded polystyrene you find as packing in boxes of stuff you've bought. You can recognize them as the pink or blue sheets of foam ranging in thickness from 1/2" to 3". A Home Hardware building centre might have some, Lowe's has the blue stuff, and Home Depot has the pink stuff.

Good Luck, keep us posted


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## FishGraves (Jan 3, 2009)

Hey Guys,

Thanks for all the advice!!

Nipzie... thanks for the strictly Canadian advice!! hahaha

I'll be heading to Home Harware since last night we went to Home Depot and couldn't find a Silicone we wanted to use/felt safe using. I took some pictures... but forgot to upload them. Right now the tank is sitting in the garage, we've started cleaning it and are getting excited about getting the project underway.


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## FishGraves (Jan 3, 2009)

Alright, so we finally got down to getting some work done. We fully expect this build to take a month or more. We are going to be starting the DIY background this weekend.

Here are some pics of the stuff I picked up? Clearly it all needs to be cleaned still...
Sorry that the camera sucks...


















Anyone know what kind of Canister filters these are? Any suggestions or tips for using them?










Here is the 55gal that we have already more or less completed.










Video of the 55gal



We are willing to take any suggestions or tips. We'll be cleaning everything up and getting down to work this weekend... looking forward to it.


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## vaypourus (May 20, 2008)

Personally, I would ditch that UGF. I never had good luck with those.

You may want to look into under gravel jets however. Many people swear by those.

I am not familiar with the make of those canisters, although I'm not super knowledgeable about equipment.

You have pics of the stand?


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## vaypourus (May 20, 2008)

whoops double post. FAIL!


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

Not so much advise, but kudos on the 55 gallon aquascaping. It's very hard to make stacked rock look natural, but your 55 gallon looks very good. :thumb:


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## FishGraves (Jan 3, 2009)

nah we left the stand... it was too big for what we are going to do. 
We'll custom build a wooden stand that will put the tank at just the right height...

Dwarf... thanks! I know what you mean... and it took months...

My one tip is alwyas that to make it look natural... more rock is better...


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## under_control (Jan 9, 2008)

The filters are magnum 350's. I'm not much of a fan of them as they offer very little in terms of bio. SOme like them.


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## geoffisacnt (Jun 30, 2009)

you could do something like i did with mine. rather then a background make a poor mans saltwater. the mix for the fake coral is super easy and cheap and the base sand is also incredibly cheap. here is a picture of mine if your interested shoot me an email and ill tell you how to do it all.

http://i369.photobucket.com/albums/oo13 ... CN0323.jpg
http://i369.photobucket.com/albums/oo13 ... CN0312.jpg


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## FishGraves (Jan 3, 2009)

Spent some time last night giving the tank a GOOD cleaning. It looks much better and with the proper cleaning the scratches seem to have all but dissapeared....

The Magnum 350's... never used them before... Will these two filters be enough to handle the load in a 135gal tank? I am thinking of using one/or both of them and adding another NEW cannister filter to the mix.

We will start the DIY construction for the background very soon... pics to come


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## mithesaint (Oct 31, 2006)

Something to consider...

If there is no center brace, that means the aquarium is older. How old exactly, I can't say, I'm not an expert on that. Whatever the case, you're going to be putting a lot of effort into a tank with old silicone seals. It might be worth your time to redo the silicone in the corners at minimum, and consider doing a full tear down. Have you tested for leaks yet?

I have an old 135 without a center brace, and after about 4 months of usage, it split down one of the seams. Fortunately I was in the basement when it happened. It's not a common thing for a tank to split down a seam, but an old tank without a brace is a great candidate.

Not at all saying that this will happen to you, but since you seem to like doing things the right way the first time, it's something to consider.

Good luck, and keep posting pics!


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

mithesaint said:


> Something to consider...
> 
> If there is no center brace, that means the aquarium is older. How old exactly, I can't say, I'm not an expert on that. Whatever the case, you're going to be putting a lot of effort into a tank with old silicone seals. It might be worth your time to redo the silicone in the corners at minimum, and consider doing a full tear down. Have you tested for leaks yet?
> 
> ...


Older tanks were often made with 50-year silicone, and since they are thicker glass, more bonding area. I have a 90 from 1974 that has silicone that "looks" newer than that in newly built commercial tanks does after a few months. The thing is, when you move any tank, set it up in the same position and level it has been in. On the same stand if possible. Twisting or stress from a changed supporting structure can pop a seal.

Adding eurobracing flat on the tank bottom and just under the top frame is good way to prevent bottom leaks.


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## FishGraves (Jan 3, 2009)

I dont think the tank is actually that old... it was full of water until the day before I picked it up and it appears to be in great shape. Its currently sitting in the garage full of water with some vinegar. We are going to give it one final scrubbing and empty it out tonight or tomorrow.

Then we are going to start the DIY background... looking forward to it... but also a little worried. I see alot of threads with people starting these backgrounds and then just never replying once they add water or have a step go wrong.

Someone confirm to me that my DIY background will be fine!! hahaha
We are thinking it will look similar to this:
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/view ... c&&start=0


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## nipzie (Nov 24, 2008)

I was under the impression that vinegar softened silicone, and was not good to place in an aquarium. can anyone confirm this? I don't want to worry him unnecessarily.


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## vaypourus (May 20, 2008)

There is a lot of misconception about silicone adhesive. It is very inert and difficult to break down chemically.

http://aic.stanford.edu/jaic/articles/j ... 2-007.html

According to Standford, a mix of organic solids is needed to dissolve silicone adhesive. Vinegar is not mentioned.

Additionally, as silicone cures, the polymerization of the polysiloxanes in silicone create acetate groups, including acetic acid (so yes, that silicone smell is essentially vinegar with other acetate compounds). Common sense says that if acetic acid is created by the curing of silicone, that it wouldn't also break down silicone, hence reversing the process.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicone#Aquarium_joints

Many people will tell you that vinegar will break down the silicone, and many window guys will tell you not to use vinegar to clean silicone joints...I can't find any good explanation for this. Just like everyone else says, I've been using it for years to clean my tanks, and have yet to have it be an issue.


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

nipzie said:


> I was under the impression that vinegar softened silicone, and was not good to place in an aquarium. can anyone confirm this? I don't want to worry him unnecessarily.


 Vinegar does not soften cured silicone, and has been used is small amounts to lower pH safely for fish like apistos that need low pH water. Very strong vinegar soaks intended to remove calcium could etch the glass, making small scratches more visible. You can make a paste of table salt and water to rub off dirt and loose calcium scale.


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## dr2391 (Feb 11, 2009)

> Someone confirm to me that my DIY background will be fine!! hahaha


i made mine in feb and i will never go back to just a regular background. the difference it makes is way more than worth it

this is before









and after


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## FishGraves (Jan 3, 2009)

UPDATE

After plenty of discussion and research, we have decided to avoid the DIY background this time. In 5 hours on Sunday we were able to give the tank one final cleaning, move it to the basement (not fun) and cut a big hole in the wall. 


















After some planning, building and adjusting we had a perfectly flat surface in the wall for the tank to sit on and easily slid it into place.


























We then filled it with water and were pleasantly surprised to have no issues at all. The tank had no leaks at all and the stand is very strong. We added some trim, painted it black and suddenly had a giant fish tank in our basement wall.... all in one sunday afternoon. :thumb:










Pool filter sand was picked up today and will be in the tank tonight. Picked up an Eheim 2217 last night that will run on the tank with a Top Fin 60 HOB filter for the time being. Eventually we will add a second canister filter.

HELP:

Suggestions for stocking list?
Can we do live plants or not with Cichlids? I have heard varying responses around this topic...


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## Rick_Lindsey (Aug 26, 2002)

FishGraves said:


> UPDATE
> Suggestions for stocking list?
> Can we do live plants or not with Cichlids? I have heard varying responses around this topic...


Live plants will depend on the flavor of cichlid you choose. I've seen lots of planted tanganyikan tanks, likewise south american (though usually with the smaller species). Malawi planted tanks are rarer.

-Rick (the armchair aquarist)


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## vaypourus (May 20, 2008)

Are you considering South American, Central American, or African cichlids?

If African, are you considering Lake Tanganyika, Lake Malawi, Lake Victoria, or other African river systems?

If you are considering Lake Malawi, you'll have to decide between Mbuna or Peacocks/Haps. You can mix, but I've seen this fail more times than it works well. An all male Peacock/Hap tank would look really nice!

If you are going Lake Tang, you have a lot of options. 135 gallons will allow you to choose between a lot of different fish and setups.

Once you decide what fish you want, it will be easier to decide if plants are going to work or not.


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## FishGraves (Jan 3, 2009)

I already have a 55gal with:

6 Labs
6 YT Acei
2 Demasoni (was 15 at one point) haha

I was thinking this tank would look great with a nice Peacock/Hap mix and a family of yellow labs... will that work?


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## vaypourus (May 20, 2008)

You might have better luck asking one of the Malawi guys in that subforum, however I am sure that if you did a search for your tank size there you could find a pretty good idea of stocking lists for a peacock/Hap tank.


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## FishGraves (Jan 3, 2009)

Well its been a while now...

The tank is looking better but still needs some work. We have to put a background on the glass still, thinking blue but might end up being black...

We have basically an assortment of Peacocks and Haps and then 1 Lab and 1 Acei from my 55gal that were being bullied. Unforunately our camera is **** so these are the best pictures we can provide... any suggestions, tips or ideas would be appreciated...


















More fish to be added in the near future... Peacocks, Haps and Labs...


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## Rick_Lindsey (Aug 26, 2002)

I really like the look of that tank, though I would get something behind it (black or blue... some days I lean black, but i've seen some nice blue ones... with the colours i see so far I'd lean black on yours). Just a piece of felt will get the job done.

Of course to me it's begging for some tanganyikan substrate spawners, a nice sized school of cyps (the utinta variety are very nice looking), and a pair of gobies.

-Rick (the armchair aquarist)


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## TNprogrammer (Jul 28, 2008)

I just aquired an older 55g. 3/8" glass and no center brace. I scraped all of the silicone from the seams on the inside (I did NOT remove the silicone that joins the glass panes). I applied a nice new think silicone bead on the inside of the tank over all of the joints. Then I cut two pieces of plexiglass and made center braces, attaching them to the plastic top frame with two part epoxy from Home Depot. I filled the tank and it looks sturdy as a rock. Here is a pick of the center braces. Nothing fancy, and looks don't matter as I'll be building a canopy anyway.


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