90 build new and old ...

VitaminD · Feb 23, 2017

So i got a 90 tank on sale on a whim at my local pet store while getting supplies for my fw tank.. Then I attempted to refresh my memory of my sw aquarium keeping from my teenage years ( 27 yrs ago )...perusing the forums, alot has changed ! Not wanting to deal with all this new equipt$ and expense I searched clist... found a deal on 75g tank, fluval canister, aqueon sump and pump, nac 5.5 skimmer , 50 lbs of live rock a couple wave makers and a marineland led .. and bonus a pr of clowns and blue damsels...for 250 bucks , so i guess ill have a spare qt tank until it gets in the way or i get a decent offer on it. I dont want to get too crazy here - trying to contain myself from spending too much $$$$ .
just built a stand . finishing it off waiting for my order of life rock .. Ill have alot of questions hope you guys will help me along , Im too busy to do much head scratching and r&d ..

VitaminD · Feb 23, 2017

so here are some pics of my stand . one thing i must say as much of you are sw experts, the stand builds are well .. interesting. really there is no need for 2x4 framing taking up space .
note- this isnt a fancy build as i plan on moving the tank in a year or so to an in -wall . but is structurally all you need !
3/4 cabinet grade plywood /radiata / from home depot . 30. per sheet . ez bond epoxy marine glue from pettit (found at boat stores /online ) pettit epoxy barrier coat - intended for boat bottoms to prevent osmotic water instrusion in hulls. makes excellent waterproofing to interior of cabinet . comes in white and grey .

epoxy butt ends, staple together , I also predrilled and sunk a few deck scres in the assembly.

VitaminD · Feb 23, 2017

simply cut ply to dimensions of your tank , glue- screw uprights of box and cap top and bottom, then plunge cut your doors any dimension you wish with circ saw and jigsaw . before you fully cut doors, install surface hinges for perfect alignment . finish the corner cuts and tada, just add a knob. I will be using hidden hinges and trimming the doors with moulding to overlap opening 1/4" dont mess with nails and splitting wood, just epoxy in place and let sit overnight . this cabinet will take me about 3 hrs start to finish. the epoxy i had but would cost you about $50 at marine store total .

VitaminD · Feb 27, 2017

Stand built and painted , working on canopy that hinges up for access to accomodate the marsaqua lights ... drilled holes to run wires through walls from lights to cabinet and since im on a crawlspace w sump - drilled hole through floor in wall for running a hose to act as emergency overflow drain and maintenance drain to alleviate bucket brigades on water changes . Thinking about a natural chiller experiment if needed of running 50 ft loop of pex tubing to and from sump into crawl ( geothermal - it stays cool summer and winter down there ) this is an experiment and who knows ... have not read if anyone had done this here.

Preme · Feb 27, 2017

Looks great!!!

sbash · Feb 27, 2017

Looks great! Hurry up and fill it!

VitaminD · Feb 27, 2017

So i ran short on rodi water to cycle the tank , went down and got about 20 g nsw ...in the dark now i have ghost shrimp in the tank! Hope they will help cycle and not cause problems...