# ~1100 Gallon Plywood Tank Project



## Aalelan

Well I have partial go ahead on building a tank.. I have it 95% figured out and Iâ€™m going to mimic TFG construction method.. It will take a long time as Iâ€™m only going to buy materials with extra cash.

The major thing I can seem to get squared away is the glass.. I have found an inside source for it but I need to figure out what I need.. The inside tank measurements will be as close to 120x48x48 as I can make it and will put it at ~1100gallons. I want to go with the two window approach like TFG and use two pieces of glass (this will just make it easier/lighter to install) the viewing portal for each side will be 50x43.5.. Each piece of glass will be sized 56x48 (I think).

I have read posts for over a week, looked at glass charts, gone to sites and tried to do there math to figure out what I need but nothing seems to work for me, either I cant make the math work or the charts I find donâ€™t go this big..

So do I do Float, Tempered, Annealed? And how thick, because I know it changes for each kind of glass.. My glass guy said I could laminate two sheets together if I needed it really thick, what are you guys comments on that topic?

Looking forward to all your comments and I will photo document this project to death 

--AA


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## 98dak83cam

1/2" worked for me for 48" deep. I used tempered glass for my project. If you are in doubt see if you can get 5/8"


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## Aalelan

98dak83cam said:


> 1/2" worked for me for 48" deep. I used tempered glass for my project. If you are in doubt see if you can get 5/8"


How big was your tank and what size was the glass window.. And Thanks for your input! Now I can say at least someone has done 48" with 1/2" Tempered..

--AA


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## 98dak83cam

Aalelan said:


> 98dak83cam said:
> 
> 
> 
> 1/2" worked for me for 48" deep. I used tempered glass for my project. If you are in doubt see if you can get 5/8"
> 
> 
> 
> How big was your tank and what size was the glass window.. And Thanks for your input! Now I can say at least someone has done 48" with 1/2" Tempered..
> 
> --AA
Click to expand...

Mine is roughly 1080 gallons. 11'2" long, 4' tall, about 3' front to back. (inside) The openning on the front is 4' tall by 100" long. All I did was put a brace at center for extra support. Take a look at my thread (1000+ gallon peacock hap) and take a look.


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## TheFishGuy

Personally I'd use 3/4" plate glass.... But that's what I used :lol: 5/8" is not that easy to find from what I'm told....

Do you promis to post lots and lots of pictures?


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## Aalelan

I would like to use 3/4 but i'm being told it will be harder to get (from my source anyway) He also mentioned just using two sheets of 3/8" laminated.. I'm not sure what the lamination process entails for glass, but I'm not sure I feel comfortable with that either.. Looking for other opinions on that.

Oh don't worry I will take tons of pictures.. I'm going to take some shots of the space tomorrow, then finish cleaning it out..

Might even get a batch of wood to start the base on it.. We just reserved a puppy from a breeder and can get go back and pick him up the first week in June.. So i'm going to take some wood and make him his own little play area downstairs too..

Hope you don't mind I'm going to copy your design ideas TFG but your setup is just great!

--AA


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## TheFishGuy

Hey, if I didn't want my ideas used I would have never made a thread with so much detail! I want people to grow large tanks :lol:


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## remarkosmoc

TheFishGuy said:


> Hey, if I didn't want my ideas used I would have never made a thread with so much detail! I want people to grow large tanks :lol:


Do you have any plans to convince a wife that a second in-wall in the same room is 'necessary'?
:lol:


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## Aalelan

My First Idea was a large "L" tank running right around 2000G but I moved the concept back to a rectangle to make it more accepting. Really it just fits better this way :roll:

I'll get pictures up tonight before I get to moving out all the stuff I have slid into the tank area while cleaning the rest of the basement..

--AA


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## Aalelan

OK, Here are the before shots of the area..

The Junk I cleaned up to make some room!









The Shot from coming down the basement stairs, the tank will go in that nook:









Full on shot of the nook, that still needs evacuated:









The server rack that needs moved down to make for good viewing room:









Let me know if 800x600 is too large.. I think its a good size these days with high speed internet and larger displays.. I will keep you posted! I got a gift card tonight for Home Depot at the store to get gas points, going to get lumber tomorrow to build the new puppy play area and start the base..

--AA


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## TheFishGuy

Well..... I used a puppy to get my way LOL... So I'm out of ideas for you. OR you can conceed to her that she wears the pants in the family and proceed to thank her for allowing you to love her.... Nothin' like a little brown nosing :lol: Then hand her flowers and beg for forgiveness


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## Aalelan

Well the deposit went down on the Welsh Corgi last night, and it was the one she picked out, so.... No really it was just good timing :wink:


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## CHBGator

Aalelan said:


> I would like to use 3/4 but i'm being told it will be harder to get (from my source anyway) He also mentioned just using two sheets of 3/8" laminated.. I'm not sure what the lamination process entails for glass, but I'm not sure I feel comfortable with that either.. Looking for other opinions on that.
> --AA


I've read that the laminate glass is a bad idea because if water gets to the laminate it will slowly dissolve and separate. Figure out the size glass you need and I can get a wholesale price for you. My 84"x 29" x .5" tempered was $169 tax included out the door from work.

lol you say now you'll take pictures as you go but trust me when you start working on it its very easy to forget to stop working and take the pictures.


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## Aalelan

CHBGator said:


> Figure out the size glass you need and I can get a wholesale price for you. My 84"x 29" x .5" tempered was $169 tax included out the door from work.


Very sweet.. I'm going to hit my friend up to get me a quote at our annual pig roast in June.. If I can get a good price from him for what I need and he brings it to me, rock on.. Otherwise I will hit you up and maybe meet you at Great Lakes Brewery and buy you some lunch one weekend and we can do some business 

What do you think about the size? a 50ish by 44ish open area for a 57x48 pane of glass, what thickness, assuming a 10'x4'x4' tank... I cant find a formula I can understand... I Use to be an IT programer but I can not do math for the life of me!

--AA


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## CHBGator

Most of those formulas online are for plate glass. Tempered is a whole different ball game. .5" should work especially since you are using 2 pieces. The length of the glass depends on your design. Specifically how far in your front corners are and the width of the center brace in the front of the tank. Try and draw out your plan or Download Google Sketchup. Give the glass at least 1.5" of contact area all the way around for the silicone.


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## TheFishGuy

I like two inches of land for the glass.... I have no real reason for this :lol: it's just me...


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## Aalelan

Well the center brace will be 6" wide. and I plan for 3" at the top and 2" on the bottom for the lands..

I got some wood tonight some for the tank and some for the puppy pen:









And I got the pen done tonight, so tomorrow will be clean out tank area and try to make a section of stand 

Here is the pen, just to show that I was busy :lol:


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## TheFishGuy

Nice, now throw a pond liner in it and fill it with water! :lol:


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## Aalelan

Well I have run out of wood for now  but here is a pic of what I got done this morning.. One center "stand" upright, there will be 2x6 caps on the end too if you think from the pic it looks short in relation to the joist box; oh and the outer rim of the joist box 

All you carpenter folks out there don't make fun of the scabs i used, I didn't want too but I had to use what I had/could get.. At least I put them on opposite ends and recessed them from the complete ends. There will be joists on either side of them too so that will help with the weakness of the area.


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## CHBGator

I'll get a quote for 58"x48"x.5", that should give you a viewing area of 42x54 if you have 3" of land on the top and 2" for the other 3 sides on each piece of glass.


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## Aalelan

CHBGator said:


> I'll get a quote for 58"x48"x.5", that should give you a viewing area of 42x54 if you have 3" of land on the top and 2" for the other 3 sides on each piece of glass.


Thanks man! The glass will be one of the last things I get though  and this may take me a while.. This is a great forum of helping and encouraging people.. I'm very glad I found it!!

I might see if I can squeak in a $50 trip to the depot this weekend sometime and get a few more joists in that box... and the scrap ends make perfect uprights for the base, so BONUS!


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## Aalelan

OK, I could not help myself... I moved some stuff out of the "fish area" and put in the box that will be the joist box on the stand ... There is 39" to work with behind the tank and 48 off to the side where I will be putting a door at some time!


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## TheFishGuy

That's gonna look sweet! :thumb: 8)


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## Aalelan

More progress! But this will be it for a while I have blown my budget for now  But here are some pic 

Two of the five base components are done 









Now all five  the thing in the background is the joist box frame









Joist box done and installed!









Like TFG did I used a chair for height reference, mine will be a little lower to the ground.









I had some 2x4s laying around so I put in the first layer of the bottom baseplate for the walls:









Last but not least here is a down inside view of the action!









Let me know what you guys think so far!


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## TheFishGuy

Did you screw that first layer of 2x4 plate? If so, I'd unscrew it and get the floor sheeted first, then build the walls on the sheeted floor. That is one thing I should have done. I didn't because I didn't really have approval from the boss and I didn't have the sheeting yet. Typically that's how a house is framed. I ended up having to go around and brace the sheeting on the edges.... dumb....


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## Aalelan

Hmmmm... They are screwed down already.. bummer to hear that too.. I made sure that the inside was going to be perfect to just trim up a 4x8 sheet of plywood and drop it in.. I even made sure that there was a 2x6 on the ends inside the 2x4 wall area for the sheeting to set on, but thats just one the ends, not the front or the back sides..

well at least you told me at this stage :lol: soon as I get budget to do the floor I will take those up..

Still trying to decide if I want to do 2x1/2 or 2x3/4 on the floor.. I know I'm doing 3/4 on the walls.. The depot has 3/4 Bir tch on sale for $29 a sheet now, but I'm out of cash for now..


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## TheFishGuy

Sorry


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## Aalelan

Ehhh.. NP that just means I get to have more fun with the materials that I have :wink:

What do you think about the 2 ply 1/2 vs 3/4 on the floor TFG , given that its going to be 48" tall and 1100 gallons! Should I just stick to all 3/4 and be done with it?

well now that i think about it, if I have to take that up it will make my measurements off and I might as well stick to all the same size to see if I can make use of scraps for the front part


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## TheFishGuy

I would stick with the 3/4"


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## Aalelan

OK, because my wife has attributed the green light to the "gondo tank" as she calls to getting the puppy (Moss), I have to send you all a link to the latest blog entry on her site...

http://www.michele.aalelan.com/index.ph ... ossosphere

Enjoy....

--AA


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## fishwolfe

cute dog,you could teach him to swim in the tank :thumb:


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## TheFishGuy

Sounds to me like you're shopping for some plywood


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## Aalelan

AHAHHAHAHAH!! My firewall at home has decided it needs a vacation :roll: Sorry about all the broken images, I will be going home at lunch to fix the issues.. I called the ISP and the line and modem check out 100% so I guess my super duper uptime for the last few years was bound to fail on me sometime :lol:

At any rate, no pics but an update. I took that 2x4 base plate off the joist box last night and picked up some Liquid Nail at lunch yesterday (I had to get out of the office at lunch) So as soon as i get some plywood I will be ready to rock and roll... I'm going to put a bead of Liquid Nail on the joists before I screw the plywood down just to give it extra stick power.

I'll keep yall updated as things progress, and I'll get those images fixed ASAP!


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## CHBGator

Quotes in from the sales guy and your looking at about $170 per piece for 58"x48"x.5" Tempered with the edges sanded. It takes about 3-4 days to get it in to our warehouse once its ordered.


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## TheeMon

wow us ohio'ians are our tanks eh? all 3 of you with huge tanks... well im only 22 now so give me a few years to buy a house then ill show you all!!!!  seriously give me a few years and ill be dragging these threads back out!


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## Aalelan

WOW, thats a good price GHBGator! I need to make it till after the first of July before I can buy glass but I will PM you for sure when it gets to be that time.. I want to give my dude here in town a chance to see what he can do then too, I thinking he might have some inside pull to get it delivered to the house, not sure 

Other news.. I just found a coupon for Lowes 25$ off you next $250 purchase! Wife just said we can talk about that :thumb: I will keep you guys informed on that front.. I might get a lot farther and faster that I thought I would!


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## Aalelan

I have been on a different forum for a while because the main focus of our tank(s) has been plants and small fish.. but I have always wanted to get a huge tank, since my old 40g when I had a channel catfish and a common pleco that got way too big for it.. That is why I want to do this tank.. and I just saw today a guy I know is trying to give away two 8+ inch albino Oscars for free to a good home.. wish i had this done already..

but here are some pictures of what the misses and I have now..

Our showcase tank, the 180 (custom canopy by me  )









Our 29G quarantine tank.. has a small regular community that I rescued from my dads old tank. Another custom canopy by me(needs sanded and painted though  )









Got a great deal on a 55g but nothing in it yet.. but I made the stand and canopy for it.. I made it so I could keep my two Red Cherry Shrimp breeding tanks under it.. Only one has shrimp in it now, the other was serving as a hospital tank for a while  :









And the 40 that my dad gave back to me after I gave it to him a year ago.. He got tired of killing fish and plants but growing algae like crazy.. I just go this back so its just sitting on an old sofa table now:









Here is a closer shot of a side of plants in the 180.. it needs some grooming done.. That is what the wife does and she has been busy with classes and teaching..


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## CHBGator

He in Columbus too? I need a few more fish for my tank =)


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## Aalelan

Not sure if cross forum advertising is a bad thing here or not but this i the link.. He is in Hillard, he got my RCS population started for me..

http://forum.columbusfishclub.org/viewt ... dfcd2b5fdf


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## TheFishGuy

Good news, can't wait to see fish in it 

One thing I wanted to mention... If you do 2x4's one foot on center for the walls there's no reason to use 3/4" plywood. Especially if you plan to go the hardie drylok method. Also if you plan to use the shower drains as bulkheads you won;t be able to use anything thicker than 1/2" for sheeting as the threads for he shower drains do not go very far.... :x One of mine leaks if you sneeze on it :x

Of course all I'd have to do is break down and buy regular bulkheads but I'm a cheap s.o.b. 

Enjoying the show  
opcorn: opcorn: :dancing:


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## houstonhimself

I love how Ohioans have monster tanks... Hopefully within the next two years or so I will be joining your ranks with my twin 300 (800g total) project.

Any ideas on what you are going to stock? I am partial to 98dak83cam's 1000 all Malawi... http://cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=148215

Keep up the good work Aalelan... I'm livin in Columbus now so if you ever need an extra hand feel free to ask.


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## Aalelan

I'm still not 100% sure on stock... I know I want to have plenty of Oscars in there as my "main attraction" but I'm working out what will be good to go with them.. If the clown loaches get to big in the 180 I might move them down into it.. I would like a catfish of some kind just not sure what.

I want to stick to things that will end up between 12-20" at full grown.. So if you guys want to make suggestions feel free!



houstonhimself said:


> Keep up the good work Aalelan... I'm livin in Columbus now so if you ever need an extra hand feel free to ask.


I will keep that in mind for when I get glass :lol: I will need to recruit a few extra hands for that night..


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## TheFishGuy

ooooo I've got a catfish for you..... I'll be back.....


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## Aalelan

Well no plywood today but I had a $10 off on a $50 purchase and play sand was on sale  so a few flower pots and 750# of sand later I get to use the coupon! and then they give me another one when I check out!!

Walking the first 400# from the drive way, through the house and down two half flights of stairs just about got me.. but then again I was doing it 100# at a time.. the rest I did one bag at a time :lol:

So for all you picture craving people out there like me.. this will have to tide you over for now...


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## TheFishGuy

Here's the catfish you should get  
http://planetcatfish.com/catelog/specie ... ies_id=245


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## fishwolfe

thats a cool cat.kinda reminds me of a marble horn pleco.


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## Aalelan

TheFishGuy said:


> Here's the catfish you should get
> http://planetcatfish.com/catelog/specie ... ies_id=245


That pretty cool looking! I will have to keep this one in mind


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## Aalelan

I've been working 17hr days this last week so not much going on with the tank... I was able to get enough wood to make the skeleton of the walls for now before I can get the flooring.. At least it will give a better idea of what its going to look like till I can get the flooring..

I'll post some pictures as soon as i can get time to work on it..


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## TheFishGuy

Busy busy busy.... I know what it's like......


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## Aalelan

Well Three sides loose framed... I took what I had to figure out what I needed :roll: and with that here is a picture.. I just put a few screws in to hold things in place for pictures and my frame of reference on size. but here it is....










Still doing 15+ hour days as of right now, some may say that is nothing but I have not had a good IT crunch in way too long :lol:


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## remarkosmoc

Lookin really good. I had to show my wife I'm not the only computer/fish geek in the world with custom tanks and a server room. :thumb:


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## TheFishGuy

8)


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## Aalelan

Hey TFG, I have a question for you.. I have made a calculation error in my height and I'm going to be 1" over, so that means a 4x8 sheet of plywood would not go to the top..

The question is what do you think about me putting down the first 3/4 layer of plywood down before the walls, then put the walls on that and use the second layer of 3/4 as an inlay of the walls?? That would help mitigate some of my error, I just want to get word from a professional that the second layer not going to the edges and under the walls would cause an issue..

Let me know if that is not clear..


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## TheFishGuy

Oh, I think that'll be fine, as long as one layer goes under the walls all the way to the edges of the framed floor :thumb: What's an inch amungst friends


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## 98dak83cam

Did you screw the sills to the studs? If so I'd undo them and cut them to the correct length. It will make life easier when you seal it. If that is not an option I'd use the second sheet in the bottom idea. At least then you would only have about 1/4" to deal with. You'll want to make sure the wood is all sealed even at the top. I'm not sure how your sealant will navigate around corners like the ones you will have at the top is all. At least pressure won't be an issue up there so you should be fine.


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## Aalelan

I think i have an idea that will make it all better. If things do not work out like I think they will, I already have a plan C :lol: I like options and plans!!

:dancing: Cant wait to get some plywood and the rest of the framing stuff. :dancing:


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## CHBGator

lookin good! :thumb:


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## Doane

I have been looking at doing some canopies for my tanks, does any have plans on how to build them and a cost that goes with them?


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## remarkosmoc

Doane said:


> I have been looking at doing some canopies for my tanks, does any have plans on how to build them and a cost that goes with them?


You should probably start a new thread for that


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## TheFishGuy

Jr. mod :lol:

He's right though :wink:


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## CaliRose

What an awesome tank this will be!! I only wish I had the space for something like that! Oh and to be able to convince my husband to build it for me...  But he'll do just about anything for enough beer! :lol:


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## Aalelan

Beer can be a great motivator! I got some more done with the walls tonight but I cant seem to locate my card reader.. I will post some pictures as soon as I can find it :roll: I need to get Plywood next, Might see if I can get a sheet or two this weekend..


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## Aalelan

Found my card reader!!! not much exciting to show but here is what I have..

Back and both end walls are all studded out..









Better shot of the back wall segment:









And the still in process front side.. I was short a few pieces of 2x4 so its still on the ground:


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## TheFishGuy

Can't see the pics dude....


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## TheeMon

i can


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## Aalelan

Yeah, I installed a doggie cam last night and it seems to have gone crazy and killed my bandwith.. I'm going to try to sort that out tonight..

And just as a note, images will be broken here sometime soon for a litlte bit as I'm going to be migrating webservers to a new version of OS.. I hope to do most of this later in the night as that is the slowest time for my site.. So if you dont see images off and on that means I'm working on it :lol: IT people are never happy unless they are messing with there servers..


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## Aalelan

Webserver upgrade is proving more difficult then expected (major linux upgrades are always worse than I hope for some reason :roll: ) So no new pictures till I get that all sorted out..

I did get that first layer of floor in all the way out to the edges like TFG suggested, and put the all four walls up and did the final install of them..

I just need to get one more sheet of 3/4 Ply to finish the floor, I'm sticking with the idea of putting the second layer inside the wall frames to help make up for the 1" math error I made 

If I can get out of work early today I will try to finish the webserver tonight and get those pictures up and update the parts and expenses page. It's looking pretty sweet now!! Having trouble sticking to my slow and steady idea of building


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## WNC_Dave

Tank Looks Good. Coming along nicely. Wish I still had a basement as it would have a nice large tank in it too.

Hope the webserver upgrade goes good. I hate redoing OS levels. Although Linux is easier than windows. My router was down for 2 days last time i decided to upgrade....

Dave


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## Aalelan

Server upgrade done, just in clean up mode now 8)

So now for PICTURES!! Turns out I didn't take many of this process but its not a very exciting step..

Here we have the first layer of 3/4" floor down, out to the edges and the base plate of 2x4 screwed in. You can also see a section of the second layer just sitting inside the base frame, I have it screwed in now:









BAM! walls are up! Moss making a fashion appearance also :lol: 









And here is a kind of side shot of the walls up:









Here is a good question for you guys.. should I anchor that center beam to the floor joist above it?

let me know what you guys think so far..


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## TheFishGuy

> should I anchor that center beam to the floor joist above it?


Yes. Looking good :thumb:


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## CHBGator

How the Build going?


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## Aalelan

Nothing new as of the last post  Had the annual pig roast to buy stuff for and get ready, and today on the way home my check engine light came on in the truck :roll: Got the code reader out and its the O2 sensor :x so there goes a potential $180 of fish money..

I'm still going to try to get a sheet or two of plywood this week or weekend if I can.. I'll keep you guys in the loop..

I knew it was going to be a long term project but this is killing me some days :lol:


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## CHBGator

hehe I think they all are. It took me a few months to build mine as well. You'll have fish in that monster before you know it.


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## 98dak83cam

Take your time, mine took six months before I even had water in it and over a year before I had fish in it. Do it slow anddo it right one time. To many people rush and they end up having trouble. Mine is looking better by the day and the fish look like a million bucks. Worth every swear word that slipped out and every drop of blood bled during the build. Looks good and good luck!


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## TheFishGuy

I should have taken my time and completed the room before putting fish in. I should have test filled for a few weeks then drained it then finished the room. Now i'm afraid I'm going to have to do something drastic... like tear it apart and make it bigger :lol:


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## cichlid-fan

That bad boy is coming along great, I have to take some notes from you guys when I build mine. :thumb:

Have you figure out how ur gonna build ur filter system, I like how TFG did his.


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## Aalelan

cichlid-fan said:


> Have you figure out how ur gonna build ur filter system, I like how TFG did his.


Yeah, I plan to go TFG route too.. I have a spot picked out for the 44G can and figured out how big of a sump box I will have to build.

Hope to resume some work on this soon..


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## CHBGator

Another tip, pick your substrate wisely! I used gravel and just spent 8 hrs last night changing it out to Sand. Gravel lets to much junk build up in it and settle underneath it where it cant get picked up buy the current and carried off to the filters. Needless to say it was a nasty mess! so unless you want to spend a lot of time cleaning your gravel go with sand all the poop and extra food sits on top in whatever spot it can and you can siphon it right up.


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## TheFishGuy

The best thing is bare bottom.... I wonder if nature stone would work.......


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## booba5

I'm sure it would, but wouldn't all the poo and such just fall down in between the natural rocks?


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## TheFishGuy

Do you know what nature stone is? Is flooring for basements and garages.... All you'd have to do is run the vacuume over it quickly.... But I'm not sure if the epoxy they use is fish safe...


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## booba5

sorry, you said nature stone and i thought you meant NATURAL stone, my bad. not sure what you mean, have a pic or can you explain what it'd look like? it's not like that spotted stuff that you roll on with a paint roller is it?


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## TheFishGuy

Google baby, google:

http://www.naturestonefloors.com/


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## sirdavidofdiscus

What if you used pea gravel with west systems or similiar epoxy that's marine safe? Isn't that essentially what Nature stone is?


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## CHBGator

sirdavidofdiscus said:


> What if you used pea gravel with west systems or similiar epoxy that's marine safe? Isn't that essentially what Nature stone is?


That looks like a very good possibility. :thumb: Now to get someone to try it.


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## Aalelan

I already have 750# of play sand to use.. But if I get tired of sand I would try that Nature Stone stuff.. it look cool..

Would just have to find a way to hid the UGJ's.. Maybe use quikrete to form "ramps" around all the pipes to add some contour to the bottom..

--AA


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## balachel

wow looks good


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## kingpoiuy

Ok, you supply all the money and I'll sacrifice myself and try the nature stone :wink:


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## cubs4ever

Aalelan

Looks good! What I want to know is what's aging in those carboys?  Nothing like watching your fish with a nice glass of some homemade wine!

John


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## Aalelan

I brew my own beer in 10g batches... but those carboys are all full of Mead  Mmmmmmmm...


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## stav

Any progress?


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## Aalelan

:roll: nope Time and money have both been short lately.. I was going to try to get some plywood this weekend but ended up buying a carpet steam cleaner 

I will post as soon as I get more done.


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## blueinfinity

you knwo renting the cleanr for a day would have been cheaper, and let you buy the plywood 

hehe just throwing that out there 

Looking good!


----------



## Aalelan

Well I sold some things and got some more materials yesterday.. Camera was dead last night so I will try to get pics this weekend..

Walls are up and lined with 1/2" plywood, and the sump is all framed out. I guess Hardie plank and Dry-loc is next!!

Off to update my costs list and post it up on the link below..


----------



## balachel

looks really good so far excited to see finished product


----------



## Aalelan

Ok, I have dumped some work into the tank and got the camera working and re-found it after I lost it  Sorry for the dramatic jump in progress, but feel free to ask questions..

Plywood all up and test fits of the drains so I can rough in the plumbing.









Got all the plumbing done except for the final glue on the bulkheads (gotta get the hardiplank in first)









This is what you get when you design and build on the fly from your brain.. Pesky drain pipe got in my way so I had to build around it :lol: You can also see the return lines in this shot I'm terminating them all in the same area and later pipe them into the pump manafold.









Closeup of the overflow/prefilter.. I don't have the frames around the buckets yet, they are just kept in place with that fancy pink string 









I used 1" trunk lines for all my returns, on this side one for the UGJ and one for the spraybar.









I wanted to keep a way from a floor drain because of ease of access in the event of a leak and other paranoid issues on my part.. so this will get 95% of the water out of the tank and I can use a powerhead to finish it off if I ever have to have it 100% empty.









Start of the Sump box. Two layers of 2x8, 84"x32" Going to make a lift top lid for it so I can walk on it like a platform behind the tank. Oh and you can see that I didn't catch the one warped 2x8 till I got home. so all those plate weights are "fixing" it for me.


----------



## BigFish54

This looks great, sorry, my original post i asnwered my own question by reading a little more of your post, just curious, what type of fish are you housing, and are you using some type of an overflow?


----------



## Aalelan

The actual drain part is not "glued" to the rest of the pipe yet, they are just press fit in there so I could do all the other stuff.. I will be able to pull all the pipe off as one piece and take the drains out.. Then I can do the hardi work, put the drains in there final place tighten them down then glue all the back side stuff on..

I figured it would be confusing doing the pictures this way but I had enough cash to do plumbing but not the hardi and dryloc


----------



## BurgerKing

Plumbing looks good. The tank is looking sweet!


----------



## houstonhimself

I like your idea for overflows. I am still in the early processes of building my plywood project and I have been thinking about how to go about getting the overflows right.

Correct me if I'm wrong but since the shower drains are low enough the water pressure will force the water up and into your pre-filters. But only as high as the water level in the tank, that way you can adjust your flow rate. But what is the brute can for if you are building a sump out of wood too?

Looks awesome though keep up the good work... :thumb:


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## Aalelan

You are correct on the drains.. it will all level out on its own and overflow out the back, I got the idea from The Fish Guy and his 800G project..

The 44g trash can will be the biological filter part of the system.. There will be two overflows on it also that will overflow into the wood sump (it will be lined with pond liner). This will serve as my pump reservoir and be the catch all if the power does go out and the tank can outflow down to the top of the external overflows..

Going to try to get the sump back behind the tank this weekend, wont have the liner or the lid for it yet but it will allow me to clean the basement again to get ready for the 4x10 sheets of hardi that I will be getting :thumb:

I have renewed excitement on this project, the summer was just too busy for me to even think about it 

When its all done maybe I will do a video walk through of how it all works..


----------



## esob0i

looking good. makes me want to make my own now haha


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## BigFish54

Any updated progress?


----------



## CHBGator

Nice progress. Lucky for us TFG never put a patent on any of his designs or else we'd owe him some cash!


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## Aalelan

I have been on vacation so no progress for a bit.. Sometime this week I plan to get the sump tank moved into place and do a little more plumbing.. All that will be after I clean the basement backup to a nice clean state (promised the wife).

In the mean time I'm saving up for the order of the hardi plank and the Dryloc. This is birthday month so I usually get a little extra cash (fingers crossed)

That's right CHBGator!! I make no effort to hide where I got all my ideas.. I would say its about 95% copy :lol: But you really cant make an easier / better setup.


----------



## venustus19

great thread so far Aalelan... you are gonna have to throw a party when you get all done and fish in there...  too many people from ohio are reading this thread... i would love to come down and see your tank when it is finished... i was actually just in columbus the other weekend, saw a show at the value city arena @ OSU... only took about 2-2.5 hours to get there from my house... 

looking really good though... i would love to build a tank that size... maybe one day.
keep the pics coming...


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## Aalelan

Well I have my DryLoc now and some more little things.. However I stopped to order my hardi plank and the HD says for the 4x10 sheets (which I had designed everything to use, no seams) is a minimum order of 10 sheets!!! I only need 4.. There happens to be a company here in town (who knew) that makes a comparable product to the James Hardy product line, but there minimum order is 50 sheets in that size..

Both companies said that they would sell me 4x8 sheets 1 at a time all day if I wanted though and have them delivered.. So a little disappointed right now and trying to convince myself that I can use 4x8 sections and make it just as leak proof.

So if anyone in the Columbus Ohio area wants to get 6 sheets of 4x10 Hardi plank send me a PM and we can work out a deal 

As a side note I have not done anything with the tank in the last week after vacation as I have been ear deep at work and getting the house back in order from having visitors while we were gone ( family used the house for a bit ).


----------



## auratum

Aalelan,

Call around to any place that sells siding. The Hardi Panel is a siding product and I found a local place that will order smaller quantities for me that HD would.

Good luck!


----------



## Aalelan

I made a few calls today, but I just ended up going to the HD and ordering 4x8 sheets of http://www.certainteed.com/CertainTeed/ ... herBoards/ they have a distribution facility here in town.. Came in just a little cheaper than the Hardi stuff too!

I will just deal with the two seams that going with the smaller size will cause. It will make it more interesting and intense come that first fill, right :lol:

I'll get some fresh images up as soon as it comes in, that will give me a chance to finish cleaning the basement so it will be sawdust free for the painting..


----------



## Maddog

man this build thread is awsome! it;s really comming together, I'll be checking back to see how it goes!

MORE [email protected]

PS: very cute dog


----------



## Aalelan

OK MORE PICTURES!

Liner board should be here Thursday 11/13! but here are a few images of some other things I have been working on in prep for it..

Sump box in place, still pricing Liner for it but I think I found it today:










And the 5 gallon bucket of Drylok:









Guts of a two (2) lamp 4ft shop light, overhauled with a 4 tube balast to overdrive it:
You can see the balast I took out in the top of the image, the grey one.









A more complicated version of what TFG did for his pump manafold. I wanted 5 controlable circuts:









Dont expect much action this week as I'm just waiting on the liner board to get here and start painting on it.


----------



## Eandrews

:fish:

man i cant wait to see the outcome of your tank its looking great


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## cichlid-fan

Comin' along real good man, can't wait to see it all done. :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:


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## Nathan43

I wish I had the inginuity for such a project. Looks great man!


----------



## Aalelan

Well I was sick all week last week but the cement fiber board came in!!! Took all day to carry all 5 sheets in between NyQuill naps :lol: I ended up just going with the 4x8 sheets and I will just deal with the two seams. Kinda glad I didn't get 4x10 sheets now anyway, those suckers are HEAVY!

Going to try to clean all the supplies out of the tank this weekend and try to get all the pieces cut and test dry fit before I start painting/sealing them.

Lame picture but here it is all stacked up in the basement:









There was a nice dunage sheet of Dow Corning foam board wrapped around the sheets when I picked them up so I'm going to cut it up and use it to lay under the pond liner in the sump.. Its only R3 but it will help some and not let it lay directly on the basement floor.


----------



## loogielv

i'll be watching this thread too. I love these monster tanks and i hate that everyone who owns them apparently lives half way across the country from me.


----------



## schlekw

hey man, where abouts cleveland do you live?

im from broadview heights and would love to come check it all out when its finished


----------



## Aalelan

I'm in Columbus Schlekw, not Cleveland..I actually live in Westerville..


----------



## mbunapete

That's it!! I'm moving to Ohio!!!


----------



## schlekw

or sorry, but yea i know where thats at too

but yea ohio is pretty nice for cichlid keeping


----------



## Aalelan

Ok, small update...

Dry fitting all the lining parts before I start painting to make sure all fits well. The two end pieces are all that are left to cut, but I needed fresh air by that point and my mask was making the job way too hot:









And this is my handy dandy DeWalt saw with masonary blade that made cutting this stuff a snap (very dusty but a snap). I have had that blade for years and I'm still shocked at how well it cuts, even after doing three paver patios with it.


----------



## hul kogan

i just got done reading through your whole progress thread. this is going to be a breathtaking tank when completed. great work so far!

off-topic...
i am new here (but not to keeping cichlids). i was excited to see other Ohio doing great things in the fish keeping world!


----------



## loogielv

hul kogan said:


> i just got done reading through your whole progress thread. this is going to be a breathtaking tank when completed. great work so far!
> 
> off-topic...
> i am new here (but not to keeping cichlids). i was excited to see other Ohio doing great things in the fish keeping world!


lol. you have NO idea. It seems everyone with these monster tanks is in Ohio...


----------



## Aalelan

Hope you did not read through it when my webserver was down and the pics were not working.. Seems I always make upgrades harder than they need to be 

Out of town for the thanksgiving holiday but hope to get the rest cut and start sealing it soon!!


----------



## hul kogan

Aalelan said:


> Hope you did not read through it when my webserver was down and the pics were not working.. Seems I always make upgrades harder than they need to be


Nope, pics were up and working! Can't wait to see more progress. opcorn:


----------



## Aalelan

New Work has been done!! If TFG is upgrading now I need to at least get mine done  Here are the pics from the weekends off and on work..

First coat on 8) 









Some more parts with first coat on.









Fast forward to the next day, and I'm putting in panels with two coats. See I put adhesive down to try to avoid TFG's leak problem.









With a bunch of silicone under each side and squished up the middle and smoothed out I have joined both sides.









Here we are with the bottom and the backs in, going to drill out the bulk heads later.
you might be able to see some brown at the bottom of the back and bottom seams, as I put in that 8' section I taped the back wall and got some liquid nail on the bottom edge :x 









And last thing tonight was putting the first coat on the ends.









After I get the ends in and a few trim pieces on the front I will put on at least one more coat on the whole tank. Then do a final silicone seal on all seams. I still think I might make a strip and overlay those seams on the bottom and back wall, just to make sure nothing leaks.


----------



## x06jsp

awesome work  and i must say what a cute puppy!

Josh


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## willmaddoxUK

woowwaaaweeewaaaahh!! 
that nice craftmanship


----------



## Aalelan's Old Lady

So, Moss was a trade-off, was he? I thought we both wanted the puppy--you know you love him, AA. Even when he destroys the occaisional laptop power supply. :wink: Thanks, board members, for all the comments on our dog!

Love you, AA!


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## Aalelan

I should say thanks to "Aalelan's Old Lady" too as she is the one letting me get away with doing all this madness in the basement.. :thumb:

Thanks babe!!


----------



## Aalelan

And now for the news.............

Got some work done yesterday and I have pictures to show..

First off the pump, I have had it for a while but not posted about it.. Its a Danner Hy-Drive 4800GPH. I just happened to be able to get a model for this shot..









Pond Liner is in the sump now, and the Blue boards serve as a clamp for the liner and half of the "door frame" that will allow for the working deck and access panel to the sump.









Busy shot here but starting at the front you can see I have cut the 2x4's to make the "door/lid" for the sump, this will be hinged just like a door and lift up.. Pump is in there now too, that stand pipe will be cut down as soon as i have another 2" 45deg fitting to make a proper measurement.. Water distribution manifold is in with valves and a Union at the bottom so I can service the pump with needed.. I had to install a brace from the tank to the basement wall to give support to all this mess of valves :lol: 









Holes are drilled in the liner board and now once I have it all cleaned out again, I can start applying those last two coats of Drylok. I think TFG said this too but man that cement board will eat up a hole saw in no time flat, glad I left these cuts till last..









And before I stopped for the evening I made the retaining boxes for the pre-filter buckets, bye bye pink string :roll:


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## willmaddoxUK

wow that really is turning into abit of a monster, love you pump model by the way ,
how much water will the sump hold roughly?

great job :thumb:


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## Aalelan

Sump should hold about 120g, I think this will be enough or at least I hope it is, its all the room I had to make one in there..


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## willmaddoxUK

oh thats not that bad, so whats the plan for fish then.
whats on the list, or havnt you got that far yet?


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## Aalelan

Not 100% sure yet, I want some Oscars and Bala sharks (even though they are not sharks) because they are cool looking.. other than that not sure..


----------



## auratum

You may have already said this and I mised it, but what are you using for prefilter screens or media support inside the orange 5 gallon buckets?

Nice thread - keep it up! It is great to have the support of the better half.


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## willmaddoxUK

yeah bala sharks are cool, maybe a big school of sliver dollars or tinfoil's, :fish: 
yeah great job with the tread, its great watching over the progress.


----------



## Aalelan

auratum said:


> You may have already said this and I mised it, but what are you using for prefilter screens or media support inside the orange 5 gallon buckets?
> 
> Nice thread - keep it up! It is great to have the support of the better half.


Yeah, i'm going to either make custom filter bags or cut multiple layers of egg crate foam and pack down in there.. but it will be pre-filtered in the buckets before it goes to the 44g "bio can"

Yes it is nice to have support from the wife, she is very understanding of my taking hobbies over the top. :thumb: :dancing:



willmaddoxUK said:


> yeah bala sharks are cool, maybe a big school of sliver dollars or tinfoil's, :fish:
> yeah great job with the tread, its great watching over the progress.


Tinfoil's are also in the short list after I put more thought into it yesterday.. I would also like maybe some Black Pacu and or Giant Gourami but I need to see who all could live in what quantity in that tank.. I will need something to offset the shinny of the Foil's and the Bala's..

:fish:


----------



## Aalelan

Question for you all.. I went to the Depot yesterday after work to get a few things and I was going to get one of those white plastic grid things you use to diffuse fluorescent lights and they were $10 each!! I don't know about you but that seams a bit much for what it really is...

What is everyone else using? I want to divide my sump into two sides with it and throw some fast growing plants in there as a nitrate filter. the divider will just keep plants out of the pump.

Did a little more plumbing last night too but nothing really picture worthy :lol:


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## willmaddoxUK

eggcrete!! thought that was sposed to be cheap

erm make a frame out some wood and put chicken wire in the middle

BALA SHARKS
They're hardy fish that will tolerate temperature changes, pH changes, and other factors to which other fish may be sensitive. The water pH should be 6.0â€"8.0. The preferable water hardness for this species is soft to medium (5.0â€"12.0 dGH). Water temperature should be kept between 22â€"28Â°C (72â€"82Â°F).[2] The Bala shark prefers be kept in groups of five or more specimens (although they can survive alone).[2] These fish require a covered aquarium as they are skilled jumpers

SILVER DOLLARS
Silver dollars natively live in a tropical climate in the sides of weedy rivers. They prefer water with a pH of 5â€"7, a water hardness of up to 15 dGH, and an ideal temperature range of 24â€"28 Â°C (75â€"82 Â°F). Their diet is almost exclusively vegetarian and in captivity they will often eat all the plants in a tank. They will also eat worms and small insects.

TINFOIL BARB
The tinfoil barb is found in rivers, streams, canals, and ditches. It also enters flooded fields. Its natural habitat is in water with a 6.5â€"7.0 pH, a water hardness of up to 10 dGH, and a temperature range of 72â€"77 Â°F (22â€"25 Â°C). In Indonesia, a temperature range of 20.4Â°C to 33.7Â°C was recorded for this species. It is largely herbivorous, consuming aquatic macrophytes and submerged land plants, as well as filamentous algae and occasionally insects. It also feeds on small fishes, worms, and crustaceans[/u]

heres the water quality of those fish :thumb:


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## Maddog

i love silver dollars, neve rhad a tank big enought o put a ncie school of them in, but i think that would look amazing.

tinfoil barbs get BIG and FAST!
i had some albino ones.... they were really heavy eaters,


----------



## Aalelan

Few new images..

Sump deck lid..









Sump deck lid open.. too bad I didn't make sure that the sump was in there nice and square, the lid is kinda mounted slightly crooked.. I tried to move it but it was too heavy and there was nowhere to get leverage on it and not be standing on or in it..









Pump valves.. 3 are return lines, 1 has a garden hose adapter on it, so I can have a utility spray if i need it for some thing (not sure) and there is one valve left with no fittings if I ever need to add another return of some kind or a FBF.


----------



## I3lazd

Did you decide to use tempered glass instead of pane glass like tfg said. You want tempered over pane in case of a break; either one is going to shatter with that much pressure but tempered will shoot out shards of glass and seriously injure anyone. If you really want a safe bet go with acrylic, it cost a little bit but well worth it in my opinion.


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## steelblue77

Very nice work! I love the pump manifold. I had to look at it a few times to get it all straight in my mind. I'm certainly putting that design in the back of my mind for future reference. I like the "expandibility" of it. Good luck!


----------



## Aalelan

> Did you decide to use tempered glass instead of pane glass


Nope I think i'm going to go with 3/4" plate, unless I cant get it for some reason..



> Very nice work! I love the pump manifold. I had to look at it a few times to get it all straight in my mind. I'm certainly putting that design in the back of my mind for future reference. I like the "expandibility" of it. Good luck!


Thanks Steelblue77, I thought the design of the manifold worked best for what I wanted to do.. But looking at the picture now I see that I put the 4way in upside down, oh well, no matter how many times you mock something up, there is always something that goes wrong.

This weekend I got a final 3rd coat on the whole tank. Going to go and start sealing all the corners this week and try to get me some glass ordered. I also started laying out the UGJ trunk but need to make a HD run as i have changed how I want to do it and need different fittings.

In the think tank for the week is how I want to do the top/lid.. I was had planned for a cool hinged top that would lift up in sections but when I went back downstairs tonight to see how that would work, I realized that there is not enough clearance between the floor joists above an the top rim of the tank.. Providing the fact that I may need to actually get in there someday with water in it, I'm going to need room to get my fat rear end over the edge. Another thing I need to think of is the lighting. I'm going to use for starters two 4ft twin bulb shop lights over driven, they really put on some light when you double up the current going to them  Do I mount them hanging or try to integrate them into a top/lid somehow to keep them out of the way..

I'm going to try to video the first test fill but i will be doing it by myself.. Just going start the water running, put on my diving mask and sit in front of it with my fingers crossed. Then I may have an official filling party once the walls are up and things are all cleaned up.. I plan on it running for a couple weeks on that first fill to make sure there are no issues before I try to get it fish worthy..

Sorry for the long post, I'm wiped out tired and just rambling on.. I'll try to get something exciting to look at posted this week if I can.. Lets hope its glass!!!!!


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## I3lazd

Just a thought when filling it maybe do it in 20% incraments and let it sit at each stage for maybe 20 min. or so to test your seals that way it is easier to pinpoint any leaks and easy to drain if needed. Just a thought though.


----------



## Aalelan

That's a good idea! Just wonder how long it will take to fill even if I just left the water running till it was full and not wait.. I bet its going to be a long evening


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## I3lazd

a long awaited evening. :thumb:


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## steelblue77

Aalelan said:


> But looking at the picture now I see that I put the 4way in upside down, oh well, no matter how many times you mock something up, there is always something that goes wrong.


Even after knowing that, I had to look closely to notice. I see what you are talking about. But, that should not prove to be any problem. And the water is going upwards, so I think I just confused myself. :lol:

I agree with the incremental filling. I've never done a project like this before, but everywhere I read, guys take a few days to fill. But I can relate to any impatience after a long build. :wink:


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## willmaddoxUK

neat sump lid, and great plumbing :thumb: cant wait till its filled


----------



## Aalelan

Well in the home stretch and not too many things I can do till I get the glass in but here are a few updates..

I went ahead and got the hot and cold water lines run over to the tank and put on a garden hose quick disconnect for ease of use.. That string was just temporary till I got those clamps on, I just noticed I didn't take it off..









And in like manner I put a quick disconnect on the one pump return line too, still not sure why I would use this yet but it seemed like a good idea at the time..









All the "bulkheads" are in glued to the pipe in back and silicone sealed on the front side  no chance of leaking here.. Or at least I hope that is the case.









While showing the wife the progress I was noticing that I may have made my overflows a little too low, I might just wait till I do the first test fill to see how it does but I may be reworking those stand pipes in the back to raise the water level just a little.. The plan is if i need to, to use those rubber universal pipe couplers. Those should give me almost two inches of raise if I need it..


----------



## willmaddoxUK

nice, yeah im sure 1100 gallons would make a mess, if there were to be a leak


----------



## blueinfinity

yayyyyyy

****. wish you could build a movable 600g tank hehe. but no one has big enough stair well to get it out of there basement hehe

looking good


----------



## I3lazd

did you use drylok i have heard bad things about that over time?


----------



## Aalelan

I3lazd said:


> did you use drylok i have heard bad things about that over time?


yes I did.. Over time I may redo the sealing or the whole tank, who knows.. time will tell 

now for my depressing news.. Having a hard time finding glass that is in the budget. I got one quote back yesterday for two (2) pieces of 57x47x3/4 clear float glass.. She asked if i needed the edges polished and I said yes, not sure if I need to or not, comments welcome on that..

Brace yourself, $2060  She said the thickness makes it special order and the edge polishing added a lot to it.. at this rate not sure when I will ever get glass for it..

If there is anyone out there that can throw an assist to me that would be appreciated..

Thanks!!

AA


----------



## auratum

From my understanding - edge polishing = heating the edges with a flame = flame polishing. I don't think you need this. I would ask for the edges to be slightly rounded to save your hands when working with it - this entails taking fine grit sandpaper and knocking the sharp edge down a tiny bit. I forget the term for this, but you can describe what you want and they will understand. Don't be afraid to ask lots of questions of them - they are the experts. Tell them what you are looking for and ask what each options is and how it would benefit you and how much extra it costs. I tend to annoy the **** out of salespeople, but I am not looking to flush my money on un-needed extras.

Good luck on this and keep us posted!

Patrick


----------



## iceblue

Not sure how much the edge polishing adds to the cost but a couple of pairs of gloves designed o handle glass may be cheaper. Just be sure to put silicone over the sharp edge that will be exposed to the inside of the tank.

I would call around for more prices. Also check with with companies that specialize in custom shower surrounds. Another member here found the same glass much cheaper from one of these companies and in fact the other glass shops he had called were going to buy the glass from them and sell it back to him with a hefty mark-up price.

Are these going to be tempered?


----------



## Aalelan

I just called back and asked about the polishing.. and what the owner guy said was that without polishing the edges can have "chips/nicks" it in up to half the thickness of the glass (sounds dramatic to me but I don't sell glass) But in the situation I have with at least 2.5" land all the way around the outside edge that I would be fine..

They are going to call there people back and see how much it is without the polishing, he said it would be a good chunk off without doing it.. I will call around more to find the best deal, I'm just using this place right now to work out all my questions and figure out what I really need to be asking for I guess



iceblue said:


> Are these going to be tempered?


Nope these are NON tempered items and i will double check that's what they are quoting me when they call back..


----------



## I3lazd

try acrylic


----------



## Aalelan

They just called back and said it was not tempered.. and without the polishing the price is $1900, however I just found out that is for one of the two that I need, I though I had told her the quote for should be for two!

They also quoted 5/8" tempered for $850 for each.. I need to find a dirty deal in some back alley at this rate..


----------



## I3lazd

try acrylicthat is what i am using it was about half the cost of glass. there is a place here in town that sells it. If you would like you can give me the dimensions and thickness you need and I can call and see how much? Acrylic is stronger than glass too so use this to calc. how thick you need it to be.

http://www.sdplastics.com/aquaria1.html


----------



## Aalelan

That calculator is saying i would need 1.5" acrylic!!! The glass I'm looking for is 57"x47"x3/4"


----------



## I3lazd

ohh i forgot that is for all acrylic tank. OK i called for you a sheet with the thickness and demensions described 57" x 47" x 3/4" is $373 per sheet.


----------



## I3lazd

And that is Acrylic-G which is a little stronger than regular acrylic. :thumb:


----------



## Egon

I3lazd said:


> ohh i forgot that is for all acrylic tank. OK i called for you a sheet with the thickness and demensions described 57" x 47" x 3/4" is $373 per sheet.


Remember that thickness was for glass. I believe that size sheet will need to be thicker if acrylic is used. Maybe an inch or even more? I can't find the acrylic calculator used on monsferfishkeepers.com so I'm sure the exact "recommended" thickness for that size sheet


----------



## 98dak83cam

You need to finda better deal on glass, that is a deal buster. I would be willing to drive if I were you if it meant saving some $$. You should be able to get both sheets for under 1000.00 total.


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## I3lazd

the acrylic is stronger than the glass i am using 1/2" Acrylic on my tank. it is a sheet that is 72" x 48". I guess we will see soon if it will work.


----------



## Aalelan

98dak83cam said:


> You need to finda better deal on glass, that is a deal buster. I would be willing to drive if I were you if it meant saving some $$. You should be able to get both sheets for under 1000.00 total.


I agree. and that is what I was expecting.. I did get and inside deal on 1/2 tempered but I really want to stay away from the shatter factor of that. I have a 72" bed truck I could use to pickup glass but I have no idea how to brace/transport such large sheets..



I3lazd said:


> the acrylic is stronger than the glass i am using 1/2" Acrylic on my tank. it is a sheet that is 72" x 48". I guess we will see soon if it will work.


When do you expect to fill your tank I3lazd?? and do you have a brace in the middle of that 72" span? How about a pic for me?


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## I3lazd

I dont plan on using a brace unless it bows we will see. I plan on filling in about 2 and a half weeks or so. no pic yet I will post next week when I install the acrylic it is covered right now.


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## 98dak83cam

Aalelan said:


> 98dak83cam said:
> 
> 
> 
> You need to finda better deal on glass, that is a deal buster. I would be willing to drive if I were you if it meant saving some $$. You should be able to get both sheets for under 1000.00 total.
Click to expand...

I agree. and that is what I was expecting.. I did get and inside deal on 1/2 tempered but I really want to stay away from the shatter factor of that. I have a 72" bed truck I could use to pickup glass but I have no idea how to brace/transport such large sheets..

/quote]

I made a platform for my truck to go get my glass. I basically made it so that the glass rested over the wheel wells and extended the platform over the tailgate as needed.


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## CHBGator

Want me to check on 3/4" plate glass? Since no one will see the edges you only need it sanded not polished. I'll call our supplier up on Monday and get a quote for you. I highly doubt it will be near $1000


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## Egon

I3lazd said:


> the acrylic is stronger than the glass i am using 1/2" Acrylic on my tank. it is a sheet that is 72" x 48". I guess we will see soon if it will work.


The issue with acrylic is it's flexible and will distort the view of the aquarium. I have a 72X44" sheet and its 3/4" supported very well on the top and it still flexes a little bit. At 1/2" your view may be distorted. Â½â€


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## I3lazd

ya if I dohave a leak I will put in a brace to prevent that from happening we shall see.


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## CHBGator

CHBGator said:


> Want me to check on 3/4" plate glass? Since no one will see the edges you only need it sanded not polished. I'll call our supplier up on Monday and get a quote for you. I highly doubt it will be near $1000


Sheesh 3/4" really makes the price jump! I just checked for you and the total plus tax it comes out to $953.63 for both sheets.


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## Curator

I have found a couple sites just recently that might be useful to you... first one has plate glass and acrylic, second one is for tempered glass for really cheap but you have to make a special order if you want glass over 48"x48", but you dont want tempered anyway, so i guess it doesnt matter, I'll just put the link there for anybody that does want tempered... Hopefully this will be helpful...
http://www.glasscages.com
http://www.onedayglass.com


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## CHBGator

Curator said:


> I have found a couple sites just recently that might be useful to you... first one has plate glass and acrylic, second one is for tempered glass for really cheap but you have to make a special order if you want glass over 48"x48", but you dont want tempered anyway, so i guess it doesnt matter, I'll just put the link there for anybody that does want tempered... Hopefully this will be helpful...
> http://www.glasscages.com
> http://www.onedayglass.com


Glass cages charges more per sq foot than what I can get 3/4" at and they dont tell you what the cost to sand the edges is. and the 2nd site says pieces over 48"x48" are to big for them to process and ship.

*Can you do pieces larger than 48" x 48"?*
"Most pieces larger than 48â€


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## Curator

Ah, k, I just thought it was pretty cheap since its the best deal *** been able to find on the net so far, just trying to help... But since you have an "in" you can obviously get much better deals, I wish I lived near you,LOL...


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## Morpheus

Maybe try some local millwork houses or cabinet making shops. They may have glass vendors they deal with (I know the company I work for does) and may be able to get you a price the general public could not touch. The more volume they do, the better price they are going to get.


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## Aalelan

Well CHBGator is helping me out, Just doing final clearing with the wife and working out transportation of said glass to the tank.. I have renewed excitement, 4K for glass was going to be a deal breaker for a while..


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## willmaddoxUK

ooor work harder to afford the good stuff


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## Aalelan

If I work any harder I wont have time to do the things that I do now.. So there would be not big tank. :roll:


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## I3lazd

I just wanted to let you know I put in the acrylic today and 1/2" acrylic-G Is definately thick enough. My friend pushed up on it as hard as possible and it barely flexed and that is before we put the back braces on and locked it in. Acrylic is the way to go as far as cost goes I will put money that the view will not be distorted at all and I will need no center brace.


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## CHBGator

Glass is for the project! took a few pics and already sent them to Aalelan on his cell needless to say he's pretty excited. :drooling:


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## Aalelan

Excited it not even the word for it :dancing: :dancing: :dancing: I'm leaving for vacation/long weekend in the morning but I hope to be picking up both pieces late next week one day.

Thanks again for all your help GHBGator!!! :thumb:


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## Aalelan

Picking up the glass tomorrow and setting it!!! I will post pics when I get done with the progression..


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## auratum

Excellent!!!


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## CHBGator

Make sure you post those pics when you get home! Nice meeting you too.


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## Aalelan

Well My help could not help by the time I got home tonight  .. but we have setup tomorrow night to set the glass! 8) But here are a couple of pics of the glass loaded in the truck. Just going to leave it in the garage and take the wife's car tomorrow since she is off..

The two sheets are separated by a foam sheet.. Oh and that is my custom Jig I made to haul it in.. going to reuse those 2x4's to finish framing up the wall around the tank :lol:


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## willmaddoxUK

nice truck


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## Aalelan

well the glass is set..... but it pointed out some kind of error in my carpentry skills. the bottom inside corner of the (from the front) right side would not seat flat against the frame..

What I have done is injected a large silicone bumper/seal in this area to fill the gap. and have my fingers crossed.. The first sheet went in soooooo smooth and easy I should have known something would not go right..

And before anyone says anythign I know some of the silicone is sig-zag and broken. but I'm going back and putting a nice solid bead around all the edges, the edges will be the main water barrier and the stuff in there now is more the hold the glass and keep it set.

Having my St. Patty beers now and watching silicone dry :lol:

Anyhow here are a few pics..


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## JALOOS

Very cool. :thumb:


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## mithesaint

Disclaimer: I've never built a DIY plywood tank.

That out of the way, is there any way to rebuild the corner to have a nice solid wood base for the glass to rest against? Maybe add some shims so there's not the gap? It seems to be that having that unsupported corner will also allow movement in that corner, and movement seems like a recipe for a leak.

Could be wrong too...?

Looks great otherwise!


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## TheBanker

exciting thread, can't wait to see it filled.


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## Aalelan

To fix the woodworking problem would mean taking the whole front out.. I'm going to see how it does with a test fill as it is now and go from there..

Still hope to put some water in this sunday


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## willmaddoxUK

awesome stuff pal. cant wait to see it with water in and lighting,
speaking of lighting what have you got planned???


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## Aalelan

I'm going to be using over driven 4 foot shop lights.. With just some regular T-8 tubes..


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## willmaddoxUK

what sorta wattage is that


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## Aquanist

36W each?


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## willmaddoxUK

not with t8 bulbs i woulda thought they would be like 55w they are like 4foot long


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## Aalelan

I'll double check tonight on the wattage.. they are quite a bit brighter with the over driving.


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## willmaddoxUK

those overdriven lights will have a short life span


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## Aalelan

They are 32W each I just looked them up on the Home Depot site.. Yeah they will have shorter life but the tubes are cheap.. and I have been running that setup on my 55g, its working quite well..


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## willmaddoxUK

ooh, works out well them really. good luck


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## Aalelan

Got it half full the other night.. found a leak.. so its drained and drying out now.. hope to fix the leak tonight and do another test fill later this week...


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## Aalelan

Not a big update but I found where my leak issues were, and fixed them.. its just curing now and I'm trying to forget about it for now 

At any rate here is a pic of the water going in from my first little test... Ignore that one puddle you see under the left side, the hose fell out on me and dumped some water before I could get to it. And I didnt have it in me to show the mess of the leak


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## JALOOS

Very cool just dying to get out the scuba gear LOL.

In case is isn't well known there are epoxies that are meant to cure underwater, perhaps for the small leaks that stuff could be used rather than a full drain and fix. Just a thought.


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## PaiN

It has been pretty cool to follow the progress on this. I actually had similar plans for my basement 4000 gallon tank. I am going to have a hatch thru the top that goes into a room above. With this plan, my wife will not have a hard time lowering herself in with the mermaid suit and scrubby pad on Superbowl Sunday. :lol: Will be interesting to see how you fashion the lid. Keep up the great posts.


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## willmaddoxUK

awesome!


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## parkayandbutter

I found a ebay auction that is a 1000 gallons acrylic tank. It was I think something like 96" x72 x 24" 1" on top and bottom and 3/4" on the walls. So in theory it will work with 1/2".


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## mithesaint

parkayandbutter said:


> I found a ebay auction that is a 1000 gallons acrylic tank. It was I think something like 96" x72 x 24" 1" on top and bottom and 3/4" on the walls. So in theory it will work with 1/2".


Methinks you're in the wrong thread :lol:


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## I3lazd

parkayandbutter said:


> I found a ebay auction that is a 1000 gallons acrylic tank. It was I think something like 96" x72 x 24" 1" on top and bottom and 3/4" on the walls. So in theory it will work with 1/2".


Was that meant for my thread lol? :lol: :lol: :lol:


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