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1st ReefOne Aquarium, 1st DIY Acrylic Tank


NewbieReefer

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Thanks for all the comments!

 

Newbie:

Table Saw and a router. Yes everything is glued and ready to go. I ordered the black acrylic for the back last night and i'm gonna go over the openings with a roundover bit tonight.

 

ProFlatlander:

It's a 40 gallon

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finished routing the access openings and the entire tank with a 1/8" roundover bit and all I can say is Wow, what a difference. I'm debating whether or not I should micro-mesh and polish being that this is going to be my tank. I dont know, we'll see. The black acrylic should be in monday hopefully. Here are some pics.

 

40gallonx32tz.jpg

40gallonx1pu.jpg

 

I'll post as I progress.

Ram

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thanks again. You could make a tank like mine with practice and the right tools. I would have never thought I would be building aquariums and working with acrylic. A year and a half ago I didnt even know how to work, glue, or even fabricate acrylic. Now look at me, starting my own business now. Anything is possible.

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mushroom head

Yeah,but i dont even have enough cash to buy the tools. And i dont know any one with the tools. And i dont even have a job so its kinda hard to make cash. But if i had the right tools i would practice but i just dont :(

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Thanks. At first I was going to go with blue, but all I could find locally was black without having to order it, so I went with black. Unfortunately though I ended up having to order some more black because I ran out.

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nice work. tank looks very professional, cant wait to see the end result! I used to have a 40 gallon acrylic breeder i got from my lfs and paid $150. Just out of curiousity how much did the materials cost you?

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167 for just the acrylic. That was for just enough for the F/B, and the two sides. I ordered another piece so I could make the full top. The black acrylic for the overflows I already had. I also used Acrylite GP. I'll only use Spartech Polycast and Acrylite GP. Everything else is the cheap stuff. Alot of places would have used 1/4" cast and then just cross braced, but I just can't see myself using 1/4" for anything more than 20 gallons. So all and all about 220 including the solvent and router bit that I needed. What i didnt know what that I paid for the price of a full sheet at the time and didnt even know about it. I had some scraps left i could've used for other things. But I know now.

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oh yea! No leaks whatsoever! I only had a small bubble on the top upper corner which I fixed. Plus I go back on all the stuff i make and go over the seams with weld-on 16 just to ensure everything is sealed.

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Here is the new router ext. that I built. Just need to make the cutout with my router and mount it. Pretty cool huh? it cost about 10 bucks as opposed to the 70 a prebuilt one would've cost me. Let me know what you think.

 

routerext6dy.jpg

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Here is the forty with the new back. Just waiting for the glue to dry so I can install the bulkheads for the drain, returns, and CL then it's off to constructing the cabinet and also a mini dual chamber Calcium Reactor and completion of my skimmer.

 

40wback1bf.jpg

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kind of off topic, but how are you doing the plumbing for the drains and CL. Are they both going to be fed water by the 2 overflows?

 

Are you making another tank for your sump/fuge.

 

Looks great!

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Thanks!

Since i'm selling off my 90 gallon I'm going to use the 35 gallon sump/fuge that was on that one on this tank. The 40 is going to have two 1" drains and then two 3/4" returns coming from one pump. Then i'll have my little giant 4mdxq pumping the closed loop consisting of around 5 or 6 1/2" returns.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Here is the stand/Canopy Frame finally done. I opted for a taller stand because I hate having to bend down to look at tanks and such. I'm 6'0 and the tank is at perfect viewing for me. I most likely wont start the skinning and trimming work until this weekend because of school but we'll see.

 

p10100254iy.jpgp10100261jd.jpg

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