Parks 16gal bookshelf on wheels

stimpsonsocal

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Just finished build of new system around a Lifegard 16gal rimless bookshelf.

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BoM:
AquaReady HoB 1.5 Protein Skimmer
Hydros X10 Controller
Hydros XS extension
Hydros Wifi Powerstrip
(4) CaribSea LIfeRock arches
(1) CaribSea Special Grade Arag-Alive sand, 20lb
(2) AI Nero 3
(2) AI Prime 16HD
(2) AI 18" Prime Flex-Arm mounts
(2) 1.5 t-slot AL extrusion mounts(various t-slot hardware, provides sturdy panel for AI Flex-Arm mount instead of using tank rim)
(1) LIfegard 100w heater
(1) Kraken custom poly/mesh lid
(3) Pro Clear Reservoir 6 Gallon, one for ATO, two for auto water change(one for new Salt mix, one for dirty tank water)
(1) custom wood stand, 4x4 posts and 2x4 rails, and 3/4 sande plywood, two coats of water based poly, caster wheels
(4) Everbilt 3" rubber caster wheels, this setup is mobile!

Will be posting more pics of build timeline, this was taken as of today, tank was born(filled with salt water and seeded with live sand and bacteria) about 6 weeks ago. Got a clown and watchman/pistol pair in there for now. Just wanted to get my build thread started.
 
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stimpsonsocal

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more pics of finished build:

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this shows the 1.5" t-slot AL rails with 1/4" AL plates mounted to the stand, then I just mounted the AI Flex arms to the AL plates, the outcome is very sturdy, just works out much cleaner than trying to mount on tank rim.

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stimpsonsocal

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got some mangrove trees and some UV anemone guards on the Nero 3's.

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Dialed in the installation of the AquaReady HOB 1.5 Skimmer.

It's a great skimmer, I oversized, as the aquarium is 16gal, and the 1.5 is rated for 40-75 depending on load.

But, I can't just hang this on the rimless bookshelf, the weight of full skimmer on the rimless panels with no corner bracing is definitely not something I want to do. So, I fabricated a braced-in panel using 15 series(1.5in) AL t-slot mounted at the end of stand, and then hang the skimmer on that brace instead of the aquarium, structurally sound, and has a nice kinda minimal architectural look.

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Since this is sump-less display tank only, with no AIO filter box that typically provides surface overflow, I needed to get that surface skimming happening anyways, so, on the skimmer intake tube, I suspended this acrylic, magnetic overflow box around it, I'm using this after-market box(2.5x3x5) from oceanboxdesigns.com, which is meant for AquaClear AC-70 filters, but it works great around any HoB skimmer intake tube.

And on the outlet, I got rid of all the bubbles, large and small that were coming out of it with using the stock 3/4 return fittings, I swapped that out for a 1-3/4-1 tee into a 1.25 elbow with a little bit of porous sponge in the elbow to mute the gurgle noise, and break up any bubbles. Trying to put any type of bubble busting sponge into the stock return fittings, just results in too much back pressure and the skimmer could easily flood. Speaking of, I'm using the Hydros Protein Skimmer overflow sensor at high point inside the skimmer, it's the real deal, stopped the skimmer several times from overflowing while I was messing around with different ideas on the outflow.

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HAVE YOU EVER KEPT A RARE/UNCOMMON FISH, CORAL, OR INVERT? SHOW IT OFF IN THE THREAD!

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