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DIY 15 Gallon AIO, DIY WetWorx Skimmer, and Foam/Rock Wall *NEW PICS 02/14


hcsceo

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OK it is time to do another DIY project. This all started when I was trolling around NR and found this link 24" 4 Lamp T5 for $100 I really didn't know what I would use it for but it was a good price so I bought it. After some thought I decided to build a 15 Gallon AIO to replace the Picotope that is sitting on my desk at work. The 15 gives me a thicker glass and a little more room over the 10 gallon for the rock wall work and sump I have planned. I love my Picotope but everyone that comes in comments that there is no fish. I'm really not a fish guy but decided that instead of explaining the issue to yet another non reefer I'd just give in and get a bigger tank that I can put a clown in to appease the constant flow of people in my office to look at it.

 

This 15 gallon will also give me a chance to test some ideas I have for a 200+ gallon tank I want to build for my house. I'll be putting in a foam/rock wall on two sides and trying out a recirculating skimmer in the sump area. Below are some pics of the initial design. The area the Maxijet is in will also house a bag of purigen or other media and the heater. I'll leave the fuge area unpainted to allow for light to help the macro algae grow. I'm thinking of using a Maxijet 1200 with Bulkhead and Loc Line and a Koralia 1 built into the rockwall for additional movement. This should give me 550 gph or 35 times turn over. I'll post all the costs involved here and a cut list for those that might want to build this down the road. I'll keep the current design updated and any changes to it on this first post plus in the area of the topic that I've made the change. You can always look here for the most current design. Please take a look and give me any ideas you might have for changes.

 

Prices

4 lamp T5 24" $110

15 Gallon AGA $43

Maxijet 1200 $20

Maxijet 400 $15

Loc-Line, Bulkhead, Plumbing $25

Koralia 1 $31

100w Hydor Heater $25

18x36 Black Acrylic $40 Plenty left over for another project

EggCrate $11 Used most of this

Pond Foam $16 2 - cans needed all of it

Dead Rock for wall $47 - This was a $22 box plus shipping with 15#'s of rubble. I only used about 5#'s

Zipties $Free

Aquarium Silicon $9

Uragel 785 A&B Parts $Free

Metal for light stand $10

1/2" Polymer for Light bracket $Free

3/4" Birch Ply 4x4 $13

Trim $9

SS Screws, Nuts, etc. $5

 

Total $429

 

Current Design updated here

 

LightStandfrontview.jpg

 

15gallonskimmerinfront.jpg

 

15gallontankSkimmerIn.jpg

 

15gallontankwithskimmer.jpg

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nice design,but you spent way to much on the tank itself. i an get aga 15 gallon tank for $20 locally.

For the foam/rock wall, do you plan to use eggcrate and cut it so that the portions can easily connect?

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I am really interested in this project, since my purchase of the exact same light fixture is inspiring a new tank project as well.

In my case, the new project is intended as a makeover/upgrade of my 16g tank to address some of the problems I've had with it, but still. I'm thinking of doing a 20L with a 10g sump.

I think it would be neato if some cool new tanks came about from that awesome light fixture deal. We need to keep track of each other and see what kind of ideas we can come up with. I am currently working on a plan to upgrade the bulbs in the fixture and trying to do some research on what the best bulb combo for both good color and good PAR would be.

I was reading about a Fishneedit knockoff of the same type fixture last night, and I am now nervous that this one might have an inferior ballast like the Fishneedit fixture. I will be seriously peeved if that happens!!! :angry:

Anyway, this is a cool idea and I'll be following along.

I do have one question.

What prompted you to try a DSB?

From everything I've read, DSB's are impractical and don't really function well on the small scale necessary in a Nano tank.

But hey, I don't know everything, so I'm curious about your logic behind that.

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nice design,but you spent way to much on the tank itself. i an get aga 15 gallon tank for $20 locally.

For the foam/rock wall, do you plan to use eggcrate and cut it so that the portions can easily connect?

 

Yes I agree too much money. I haven't bought the tank yet. I'm going to go into austin and see if I can find it cheaper this weekend. My local fish store is crazy expensive. I was thinking about egg crate but was hoping I could find something a little thinner if possible. But yes I'm going to create a wall of some material and stick the rock and foam the cracks up and insert the panel as a complete unit.

 

Weetie, the only reason I'm trying he DSB is to really see if the DSB in a smaller tank can do any good. I've read some reviews and haven't seen anything definate on the subject. I think the bigger issue at play is how the DSB is built. I'm going to use Calfo's DSB design as a basis with sugar fine sand and work with worms and such instead of snails etc and try to maintain it a bit with a chopstick. honestly I have no idea how this will work but am willing to take a chance on it. I could also remove some sand to say 2 inches and plant the thing really well. I suspect on a size like that the planted macro's will work better at nutrient export than DSB in the size given. I'm thinking of building is so that panel can be removed and then it'll just be a simple fuge holding cheato with no sand down the road. I am excited about the light. Honestly if it wasn't this light it would have been an auquatraders 130w CF for $69 I was looking at. I think either way I come out better with this one. We'll see how these lights look when they come in. My biggest concern is how to mount it as it has no legs. I have access to a CNC machine so I might design some legs and cut them out. Whatever I do has to look very clean and pretty or the owner might axe the entire deal. Thanks for tagging along. Perhaps we can make a new thread for everyone to put build links for the lights we selected.

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Yea I've given some thought to whether or not drilling my tank for the office is a good idea or not. I think the safest thing to do is not drill it which forces me into the AIO. I'm going to have to really think this dsb deal through I think. If I don't put the dsb then my next thought is to take the dsb panel out and just run cheato back there. I could also try out some skimmer designs that could fit in that spot, but 12" is really not enough hieght for it I think. Keep your ideas coming. I'm going to nail this down by the end of the weekend.

 

Steve

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....My biggest concern is how to mount it as it has no legs. I have access to a CNC machine so I might design some legs and cut them out. Whatever I do has to look very clean and pretty or the owner might axe the entire deal. Thanks for tagging along. Perhaps we can make a new thread for everyone to put build links for the lights we selected.

 

Count me in on the $100.00 light thread..I'm anxious to see how you decide to mount it as this is going to be my biggest obstacle as well. I'm going to be using the light on a 10G AGA but for 100 bucks i can deal with a little overhang. I've been considering the DIY conduit type hanger but we'll see once the light arrives. If the legs work out well for you maybe we can work out a deal for some more :D Good luck with your build!

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OK I've done more thinking on this sump area and I think I'm going to drop the dsb. I'm now thinking of redesigning it to include a wetworx style skimmer bubble trap and cheato area. I think I'll have better luck with nitrates by removing the proteins via skimmer and what is left the cheato can have. I'll focus a lot of attention to the detail of the rock wall during the build process trying to find ways to get an arch and some ledges working to mount some nice frags to. As soon as my light comes in I'll start designing the legs and see what I can come up with. I'll post some new pics of the redesign perhaps tomorrow.

 

Steve

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OOOO man are you guys in for a treat. I'm almost done with the new design and it is awesome. I'll be incorporating a removable recirculation DIY Skimmer based on Wetworx Skimmer design. This skimmer will fit in its own compartment. I'll also be adding a light to the fuge along with cheato. NO DSB now. There will be room to run media like Purigen, chemipure etc. Should have something posted later today. Please don't cry when you see it.

 

Steve

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Woooohoooooo!!! I just finished the main tank rendering. This includes my current idea for including a removable recirc skimmer for cleaning and a fuge area big enough for a ball of cheato. There is plenty of room for media like purigen, chemipure in the return area and heater. I still need to add the ATO floats to this.

 

Weetie thanks so much for the link. I think I've figured out how to mount the light and make it look perfect. This mount will allow the light to be tilted up and out of the way for maintenance. Best of all It should be very simple to build for anyone with woodworking experience. I'm getting real excited.

 

Now we just had a new baby a couple of weeks ago so my wife has made it clear "no new purchases till after christmas" so I won't be able to get the tank till after then, but I have plenty of acrylic to start building the skimmer and testing it's design on another tank. Let me know what you guys think of this plan. I'll be adding my light mounting to this shortly.

 

Steve

 

15gallonskimmerinfront.jpg

 

15gallontankSkimmerIn.jpg

 

15gallontankwithskimmer.jpg

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Ok here is the light stand idea I have setup. Still haven't figured out the engineering on mounting the arm to the base so that it is strong but I'll figure something out. I'm thinking maybe making the arms thinner and building it out of steel and rino coating it. Still up in the air.

 

LightStandfrontview.jpg

 

LightStandRearView.jpg

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I also bought the light but opted to just buy the Tek legs and mod them to work. I figure that 150 dollars for a T5 light is still 130 dollars cheaper than just buying the tek light. I ap going to use this light over my Frag tank I am setting up, lol with getting the skimmer, light, legs tank and stand I am only into my project for 300 dollars.

 

Also Your tank is going to be SWEET i love the design for the light stand. It looks like it will be very clean. I want to see this thing running so to heck with christmas and GET ON IT CHOP CHOP :lol:

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Why don't you use a 20 long instead of a 15? Why light the skimmer compartment? You can get a small desklamp to light the chaeto section.

 

Problem with the 20 Long is the width. I just don't have room for the extra 6 inches. The skimmer compartment won't be lit. The cheato section will. I haven't added the update yet but I have a box that will sit on top of the fuge area that includes the light. Another idea I have is to allow that box to flow over the back and down the cheato area side and install a 9w light there. Desklamp will work fine except that it is in my office. This has to look very clean and complete for the owners to let me keep there.

 

Keep your ideas coming. I'm still in the design phase and will start directly after christmas on the tank. I'm going to start building the Skimmer in the next day or so just to make sure it works right before it goes into the tank.

 

Steve

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no talk more building, get to work :)

 

LOL. After Christmas I'll be getting started for sure. I've got four kids so my wife will kill me if I keep spending money on myself.

 

I might use a different pump and use a bulkhead with loc line instead of the hydorflo. I could split the output to two different hoses but then I loose the wavemaker in the hydorflo. Anyone see an advantage to this that has used loc line in the past? My only thought is that the hole eventually will wallow out with the pump hanging on it. Ideas?

 

Steve

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  • 2 weeks later...

OK I got everything that is left ordered today. I should have all my parts in by this weekend so i can start building. I took Friday off so there will be plenty of time to cut and paste. I've decided not to do a recirc skimmer and just do a regular skimmer as the recirc would have taken an extra pump and I was getting worried about extra heat given the tank will have three pumps without the recirc already. I've upgraded the return pump to a MJ1200 and will use a bulkhead with loc line split in two outlets and drop the hydorflo altogether. Pics will come soon.

 

Steve

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OK as you can see I modified the plans a little. Rather than build in the skimmer housing I put a base on the skimmer so it can stand on it's own. This way if I don't like it or want it I can remove it and make the entire area a fuge. I've also changed the fuge width from 6" to 4.75" which gives me plenty of room to work in the fuge and return pump area and also leaves me about 12 gallons of disply area. I've also added eggcrate to both the fuge and return pump area so I can add chemipure or purigen above or below depending how I feel once it is setup. I've taped it all off and it is being painted now. i should have some pics of it all painted up later. BTW give a hand to the model she did a great job helping today.

 

Steve

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Very cool hcsceo. I'm tagging along to hopefully gleen a few ideas for my own display tank. I give up though and have to ask what DSB means? I re-read your original post a few times and still can't figure it out. And I also have to ask what the purpose the eggcrate on the walls serves? Does it permit more adhesion or surface area on which to glue LR rubble?

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DSB = Deep Sand Bed

 

Yes the Eggcrate is to give me something to attach the Rubble to as I foam it. I'll ziptie the rubble to the crate and foam between to hold it together then cover the foam in epoxy and mash sand to it. The bottom eggcrate is just to keep the rocks for damaging the lower glass panel. Those two panels will get cut up some during the process as I'll be creating caves and tunnels and I will take advantage of designing it so that some of the black from the back and sides show through. I should be starting the foaming process perhaps next weekend as it all depends on where I get my rocks from. All my plumbing supplies should be here tuesday so I should have all the pumps up and running by then and doing a full test on water flow throught the tank before starting the walls.

 

Steve

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