ninjafish Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 Latest 06/11/27: Hello everyone, I've been out of the hobby for a couple months but am now getting back into it. I plan on putting together a 30+gal softie tank in the coming months and will post my progress here. For anyone who followed my previous work I'll tell you right now, this tank isn't going to be as influential as my office cube; rather, I am just planning on a nice easy, 'normal' setup. There's one thing that I want to show you though - the prettiest Iwaki pump you will ever see. Before: After: I could have polished it up brighter than chrome but I used up all my 1000 grit sandpaper on my motorcycle. Modification Pros, - kept me from pacing for a couple hours - looks like it means business - way better than 'Iwaki teal' - a 'first' ? Cons, - probably killed any resale value it had - uh, did I just remove all the rust protectant finish on my saltwater pump? ( : - having to explain why This pump isn't going to be locked in humid cabinet, but will sit beside the tank on the stand. Because of that (and some mother's polish) I am confident that I can keep it from rusting up on me. - Chad Link to comment
ninjafish Posted October 30, 2006 Author Share Posted October 30, 2006 Did those photos come through ok? Link to comment
ninjafish Posted October 30, 2006 Author Share Posted October 30, 2006 Haha, thanks bro. Let's try good ol' photobucket: Standard: Awesome: Thanks for the help. Cheers, - Chad Link to comment
sephroth_r1 Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 depending on the metal, you might of de-rustproofed it... im assuming yes... but it looks like its ready to kick *ss and take names lol Link to comment
bucknellreefer Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 I hear gold is corrosion resistant.... cough cough plate it cough cough Link to comment
ninjafish Posted October 30, 2006 Author Share Posted October 30, 2006 Hahaha ya, gold that would be a definite first! Judging by the fact that the feet of the pump still had some rust on them, despite almost a milimeter of green paint - ya, I've baisically opened it right up to corrosion. However, this pump is going to be sitting beside the tank, not in a humid sump, and I will make sure that the fittings are nice and tight. Because it's out in the open, I'm pretty sure that it wont get any rust. I'm pretty anal about keeping my system nice and clean, and I've already used some metal polish on it. Last time around my approach was, "no visible equipment" This time the approach is, "hard-core equipment as eye candy" - Chad Link to comment
bucknellreefer Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 I guess a slightly more realistic solution than the gold would be to find some kind of water proof clearcoat. Not nearly as pimp as the gold but probably equally effective. Link to comment
ninjafish Posted October 31, 2006 Author Share Posted October 31, 2006 Good call. I have taken the sticker off and plan on sanding it a bit more to get it nice and shiney. Once it's ready, I'm going to spray on a coat of automotive clearcoat. It's going to be one fine looking Iwaki... (man I really need to get this tank up and running so I have something else to do) - Chad Link to comment
travisurfer Posted October 31, 2006 Share Posted October 31, 2006 nice, keep us posted Link to comment
ninjafish Posted November 5, 2006 Author Share Posted November 5, 2006 Thanks Travis. And yes, I would like to pick up another mantis for the new tank... actually Ike's current owner has promised him to me as soon as I'm ready Here is a photo of the sump I just picked up: For some reason the baffles are real low so I am going to raise them up a few inches. - Chad Link to comment
addicted2fish Posted November 5, 2006 Share Posted November 5, 2006 Nice. Looking forward to watching this thread! Link to comment
travisurfer Posted November 5, 2006 Share Posted November 5, 2006 hooray for the mantis Link to comment
ninjafish Posted November 6, 2006 Author Share Posted November 6, 2006 Here is a shot of my stand: I plan on sanding the rust off of it and repainting it black along with the wood pieces. I have small kids so I need to enclose the sides, but I am working on a visually pleasing (of course) way of doing that. As you can see, this project requires more than just building the tank. I need to do a major cleanup on my unfinished basement and also run some electrical lines for power. Probably put the tank on its own circuit with a GFI plug. - Chad Link to comment
ninjafish Posted November 10, 2006 Author Share Posted November 10, 2006 Update: Well I picked up the egg grate and some krylon fusion plastic paint today. It was still cheaper to buy the white stuff and black paint than it was to buy black egg crate. As an added bonus, I think that the plastic+paint will be a bit stronger than the plastic would have on its own. Advantages to this approach: - increased airflow - modern, professional finish - cheaper than almost any other material option - no tools required but a pair of side cutters!!! :cool: What do you think? - Chad Link to comment
travisurfer Posted November 10, 2006 Share Posted November 10, 2006 looks like the stand has some potential, as long as you spend enough time cleaning it up it should turn out pretty nice. Link to comment
ninjafish Posted November 11, 2006 Author Share Posted November 11, 2006 I haven't painted yet because my spraycans recommend a minimum temp of 15 degrees celcius and right now it is about 0 . I am tempted to just go ahead, but I am waiting for a warmer day... I am going with flat black with both the metal and plastic paints. I figure that that will suck up the light better and create more of a focal point with the main tank. - Chad Link to comment
addam4208283 Posted November 11, 2006 Share Posted November 11, 2006 cant wait to see this thing take shape. now is this going to just have the mantis or doyou plan on fish too? ADAM Link to comment
ninjafish Posted November 11, 2006 Author Share Posted November 11, 2006 Ike will be king, but I am thinking about adding a small pair of fish just for color and movement. Perhaps a pair of percs... I am still trying to choose. I want something really small that will stay in the water column and give the impression of 'open water' around the reef. - Chad Link to comment
distantfire Posted November 11, 2006 Share Posted November 11, 2006 Nice to see you back Chad it's been a while. Is your new 30 gallon tank made out of starphire glass also. Or did you build it yourself out of something else in your spare time. Link to comment
ninjafish Posted November 11, 2006 Author Share Posted November 11, 2006 Hahaha Thanks for the welcome, it's good to hear from you again. I think that my tank has officially grown to 40gals. I have settled (so far) on the dimensions of 30x18x18. And yes, I will have the tank built out of starfire glass with an external overflow box on one of the sides. I was hoping to do something without the need for a visible overflow but everything I came up with was just a little too risky . Oh well, even though there will be some visible plumbing, I will do my best to finish it off so it looks good. - Chad Link to comment
Pili Posted November 11, 2006 Share Posted November 11, 2006 gasp how did i miss this one i cant wait to see the tank. Setup looks pretty sweet so far to me. Link to comment
ninjafish Posted November 11, 2006 Author Share Posted November 11, 2006 Pili! . Dang, this is like a reunion. If only my budget could keep up to my plans... things wouldn't be moving along as slowly as they are. I guess everyone here can probably relate to that though . - Chad Link to comment
podBoy Posted November 11, 2006 Share Posted November 11, 2006 Why stop at just clearcoat? Link to comment
ninjafish Posted November 11, 2006 Author Share Posted November 11, 2006 LOL Actually the thought did occure to me. Great photoshop skills! - Chad Link to comment
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