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NGaHB's 34 gallon... major rescape and a nem split


NorthGaHillbilly

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NorthGaHillbilly

My current tank, link in sig, has really been pieced together as I got back into the hobby after several years off, so the scratched up beat to death Oceanic 20 breeder is out and a new Deep Blue 34 gallon is in. It will probably be a month untill its wet, but the tanks here so its time to get started.

Some of the equipment will be coming from the 20, but most will be coming in new.

Equipment List

34 gallon Deep Blue rimless frag tank, 36x18x12 (more on this later)
24" Aqua Medic Ocean Light 150 MH with 2 24w T5
ATI 24" 6 Bulb (4 Blue+ 1 Purple+ 1 Gisselman True Actinic)
Apex Jr.
Sump made from a 20 breeder, 24x18x12
Sicce 3.0
Reef Octopus 150
Jebao WP10 (With DIY battery back up for one of them)
DIY ATO
Jager 125 watt x 2
PhosBan 150 reactor with carbon


FTS

16353503799_d89137c12b_c.jpg

Deep Blue 34 Frag Tank

I really liked the looks of this tank, and the price was right, but.... the corner overflow DB uses is HUGE!

15340737376_a5c696fc8f_c.jpgIMG_00000359 by North Ga Hillbilly, on Flickr

So...

15360580661_156ddb8594_c.jpgIMG_00000360 by North Ga Hillbilly, on Flickr

I have messed around with acrylic lately, I cant get a perfectly clear bond with clear acrylic, but I can do well enough to glue up some black acrylic. I have access to a large CNC at work, so a ghost style bulkhead mounted overflow seemed logical.

The internal box is going to go wall to wall, 4" or less tall, 1.5" thick and 36" long.

15176992369_35c33aff51_c.jpgIMG_00000361 by North Ga Hillbilly, on Flickr

As you can see Im going to run the return through the box and partition off the box.

15360574731_6cec3ea225_c.jpgIMG_00000364 by North Ga Hillbilly, on Flickr

The external box will be connected to the tank and internal box by two 1" bulkheads. There will be three 1" drains.

15177226507_18617337e4_c.jpgIMG_00000362 by North Ga Hillbilly, on Flickr

My bulkheads and acrylic should be here next week sometime, so the overflow and tank drilling aught to go pretty quick.

Building my stand is going to be a process in its self, I build custom cabinetry and furniture for a living, so I have it pretty well planned out, but its not completely solidified. I have to build the stand at the same time as I build Lady Hillbilly's baking cart, think rolling island, or Im going to be singing soprano, so that might put me back a while on the overall progress, but itll get there.

NGaHB

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NorthGaHillbilly

Your ganna love the AM oceanlight if you go that route. Slick overflow mod too

Ive got the oceanlight currently, went from the oceanlight without the t5s to the 24" with T5s. I think Im going to end up pulling it apart and painting it flat black, the silver aint too ballin, but I love the light. I think the overflow is going to work out well, hope to get everything mid week and glue it up over the weekend.

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NorthGaHillbilly

Ive been kicking around thinking about the overflow, I think Im going to make the internal box 12", i was thinking having it go from one side to the other would look best, but Im not sure itll really be any better looking, and its defiantly going to be more trouble per the current design.

 

Im going to start on the stand tomorrow after work, hope to have the case work and face frame done this week, and get it finished up next.

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NorthGaHillbilly

Alright fellas, made some progress on the stand today after work

 

This is a front view, door into the sump area on the front and right side

https://flic.kr/p/pswgSX'>15396341335_841fa53826_c.jpghttps://flic.kr/p/pswgSX'>IMG_00000365 by https://www.flickr.com/people/125603963@N06/'>North Ga Hillbilly, on Flickr

 

Heres the right side sump access

https://flic.kr/p/pb2W4o'>15209747588_fb9709a109_c.jpghttps://flic.kr/p/pb2W4o'>IMG_00000367 by https://www.flickr.com/people/125603963@N06/'>North Ga Hillbilly, on Flickr

 

Left side is the electrical compartment, everything will be routed into this area to isolate electricity from water as well as I can

https://flic.kr/p/pb2Wjy'>15209748468_774f92b86f_c.jpghttps://flic.kr/p/pb2Wjy'>IMG_00000366 by https://www.flickr.com/people/125603963@N06/'>North Ga Hillbilly, on Flickr

 

The entire stand is made from 3/4" plywood and 3/4" poplar. There are runners behind the legs supporting the bottom as well as above that inside the legs supporting the top. Im still deciding on color, it'll either be black or grey, kinda depends on what I end up using for a top.

 

Looks like my bulkheads and acrylic wont be in till this weekend, so overflow progress wont happen till next week, but Im hoping to make moves pretty quickly. Getting the tank and glass for the sump this weekend, so thats another step I'll be working on next week.

 

NGaHB

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NorthGaHillbilly

I knew you would make something awesome like the electrical panel. This is going to be pure sex :) following.

Its not revolutionary, but it aught to do its job :D On the off chance I get an apex, the left stile is 6" wide, which I think is wide enough to mount the apex all sex like.

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Alright fellas, made some progress on the stand today after work

 

This is a front view, door into the sump area on the front and right side

15396341335_841fa53826_c.jpgIMG_00000365 by North Ga Hillbilly, on Flickr

 

Heres the right side sump access

15209747588_fb9709a109_c.jpgIMG_00000367 by North Ga Hillbilly, on Flickr

 

Left side is the electrical compartment, everything will be routed into this area to isolate electricity from water as well as I can

15209748468_774f92b86f_c.jpgIMG_00000366 by North Ga Hillbilly, on Flickr

 

The entire stand is made from 3/4" plywood and 3/4" poplar. There are runners behind the legs supporting the bottom as well as above that inside the legs supporting the top. Im still deciding on color, it'll either be black or grey, kinda depends on what I end up using for a top.

 

Looks like my bulkheads and acrylic wont be in till this weekend, so overflow progress wont happen till next week, but Im hoping to make moves pretty quickly. Getting the tank and glass for the sump this weekend, so thats another step I'll be working on next week.

 

NGaHB

I love the stand. The electrical compartment is a very useful thing to have. It makes everything nice and tidy.

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Time to dork up your thread now with some inspiration for the hardscape.

 

0, 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144,

 

fibonacci_spiral.jpg

 

It doesn't get more natural and mathematical than this

8l4b.jpg

 

Just an example of someone aquascaping with it for some inspiration here

 

heres a link to go really ham with it

http://www.okeanosgroup.com/blog/aquariums/1-618-the-most-important-number-for-your-aquascape/

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NorthGaHillbilly

I like were this is going!

Stay tuned, hopefully things keep moving along at a respectable pace

 

I love the stand. The electrical compartment is a very useful thing to have. It makes everything nice and tidy.

Thanks! I hope it ends up being as slick in reality, as it is in my head

 

I was going to build something like that, but then I had to cover up the shoddy job I did on this stand by calling it aged. Brilliant of me, imo.

Hey man, Ive taken and built fine new furniture, then beat it with chains to "distress" it. Your onto a serious trend there my friend.

 

Time to dork up your thread now with some inspiration for the hardscape.

 

0, 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144,

 

fibonacci_spiral.jpg

 

It doesn't get more natural and mathematical than this

8l4b.jpg

 

Just an example of someone aquascaping with it for some inspiration here

 

heres a link to go really ham with it

http://www.okeanosgroup.com/blog/aquariums/1-618-the-most-important-number-for-your-aquascape/

Ill do by best man, Ill channel my inner sheldon

sheldon-cooper-wrong.png

 

Looking at my current scape Im not too far off, Im going to tweak the left island some, but leave the right island as is.

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Stay tuned, hopefully things keep moving along at a respectable pace Thanks! I hope it ends up being as slick in reality, as it is in my head Hey man, Ive taken and built fine new furniture, then beat it with chains to "distress" it. Your onto a serious trend there my friend. Ill do by best man, Ill channel my inner sheldonsheldon-cooper-wrong.png
Oh believe me, I've done the same. Built a nice bevel top chest and then beat it to hell before applying a mahogany stain. Looked awesome, aside from the gobs of wood glue I neglected to sand off the inside of the top. Highschool had its moments haha. I'm no where near the carpenter you are of course, and building this stand with a hand saw and some self tapping screws didn't help my case at all. Alls well that ends well I suppose. I'm thinking a nice copper-ish krylon for the plumbing to complete that industrial look, the caveat being I still need to figure out what to do with my wires

 

Oh yea, my 2 cents on the aquacape: go nuts. People go gah gah for imaginative. I'm running stupid pillars and crazy islands because it makes me happy, and at the end of the day your aquascape is only as good as its ability to support the coating of corals applied to it

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NorthGaHillbilly

Oh believe me, I've done the same. Built a nice bevel top chest and then beat it to hell before applying a mahogany stain. Looked awesome, aside from the gobs of wood glue I neglected to sand off the inside of the top. Highschool had its moments haha. I'm no where near the carpenter you are of course, and building this stand with a hand saw and some self tapping screws didn't help my case at all. Alls well that ends well I suppose. I'm thinking a nice copper-ish krylon for the plumbing to complete that industrial look, the caveat being I still need to figure out what to do with my wires

 

Oh yea, my 2 cents on the aquacape: go nuts. People go gah gah for imaginative. I'm running stupid pillars and crazy islands because it makes me happy, and at the end of the day your aquascape is only as good as its ability to support the coating of corals applied to it

Ive been debating on my plumbing, Ima have to paint it something flashy. The copper color sounds awesome, defiantly not something I've ever seen. Having the right tools makes a huge difference, when I go abck and try to build in my parents shop I can get it done, but the progress on the stand so far took about 1.5 hours, at my folks house, itd have been atleast 4.

 

Im not going to do much aquascape wise different than what I've currently got. Im going to get a few plastic rods and see about making a big overhang on the left island, but the baic scape isnt going to change.

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NorthGaHillbilly

Got the stand primed today, Im going to be going with grey for the lacquer. Im debating between a plywood top and a piece of black solid surface countertop from a job a while back. The SS would be cool, but only 1/4" will be seen, and itd be a bitch to drill through and all that jazz. Decisions decisions.

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