anyone know how to design a 10g into a AIO?

[redneck_reefer]

so i ordered a 10g acrylic tank from truvu and spending almost $100 for the thing i want to make it sleek. i dont want a filter hanging on or anything like that, so i want to make it a all in one tank i plan on just a tunze nano skimmer and a fuge but i need a design i can go off can anyone help me out?

thanks this is my first diy nano

[epicfish]

You can get an acrylic panel and make a false wall, etc...the DOC 9002 will take up a LOT of space in your tank. Sure you can't go with a HOB type skimmer that sits behind the false wall?

[redneck_reefer]

false wall? i need a big skimmer cause its gunna be my sps frag tank. i have 20" and i plan on adding on an extra 6" so the skimmer will only tanke up 2.1", and the rest be fuge i just dont know how to do this stuff is there any threads that show this stuff? all my other tanks have been with built in overflows or hob fuge, but i dont want any hob crap i want it cleeeeeaaaan

[epicfish]

...how are you going to "add" an extra 6" to your tank?

[redneck_reefer]

im gunna dremmel slots in the acrylic for the overflow and use acrylic and add a 6"box off the back.

[bluenassarius]

why do you need a big ass skimmer? i've seen some sick sps tanks w/ no skimmers, just hob filters and weekly water changes, lots of live rock and flow

[epicfish]

im gunna dremmel slots in the acrylic for the overflow and use acrylic and add a 6"box off the back.

 

What?

 

Might as well plumb it to a sump and stick the skimmer in there with drilled returns back to the main tank.

[redneck_reefer]

becuase im a believer in skimmers i dont care what some people say. i believe u must need a skimmer.

 

thats why i want an AIO tank. i dont have room for a sump. AIO tanks have the filtration built in. thats what i want but instead of takinf space from my tank i will add on

[ryanlogic]

if you ordered a really nice tank, why would you try to tack on some kind of makeshift extension?

 

i mean if you have a lot of experience with acrylic or something, then it might make sense.

 

but if you did know how to work with acrylic it wouldn't make sense for you to buy that tank, cuz you would have been able to make something really nice a lot cheaper...

 

i just don't get it...you want it to look really clean...but you wanna add a goofy box thing, and a huge skimmer.??

 

maybe im picturing it wrong or something.

[redneck_reefer]

if you ordered a really nice tank, why would you try to tack on some kind of makeshift extension?

 

i mean if you have a lot of experience with acrylic or something, then it might make sense.

 

but if you did know how to work with acrylic it wouldn't make sense for you to buy that tank, cuz you would have been able to make something really nice a lot cheaper...

 

i just don't get it...you want it to look really clean...but you wanna add a goofy box thing, and a huge skimmer.??

 

maybe im picturing it wrong or something.

 

i have worked with acrylic but why would i buy a nice tank and put ugly hob skimmers and skimmers? the skimmer is only gunna stick out 1.5" from the top. and a goofy box? why is it that this is the only site that tells everyone they are wrong and say im better than u. i mean i ask for ideas and all i get is why would u want this and this. why do i do it? cause i can. i have the money. i like to make my sh!t look good not goofy and tacky.

better yet act like i was never here mods please close this thread. ill open another when im done

[ryanlogic]

didn't mean to offend you at all. nor did anyone claim to be better than you. nor did any one say you were wrong. I just don't understand the logic behind what your describing.

what you describe seems a little.........goofy.

sorry.. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings..i guess I could have worded things differently?

 

you shouldn't ask for opinions and ideas if you cant take criticism and advice.

 

my plans are constantly changing because I listen to the people here. I'm no expert.

 

for the most part we all work together and help each other.

Edited May 29, 2009 by ryanlogic

[Kapitonov]

Thx for replies, that helped me alot 🤩

[Beer]

I think his point may have been that there are plently of prebuilt AIO tanks that will end up Less expensive than what you will end up spending here to convert a $100 tank into an AIO. Typically, if someone is going this route, they have a specific plan for something that the pre-built tanks are ill suited for or aren’t able to support.

 

Do you have the tools to get the perfectly straingt cuts necessary to be able to solvent weld acrylic panels to the tank?

Is the back panel of the tank black? If not, you will be able to see straight into the chambers, potentially ruining the asthetic you are going for.

 

I don’t have any plans for that tank specifically, but I do typically heavily modify or completely custom build my own solutions.

You will need to build the additional three walls and base and install you baffels. Do you know how many chambers you want?

 

Are you going to run any sort of mechanical filtration or media? This will drive your chamber design.

 

You mentioned a fuge, which is typically a bit more difficult to do with an AIO due to the limited space. What is your intent with the fuge? Are you trying to grow macro? Are you trying to grow pods for a fish that typically needs additional supplimentation? AIOs typically don’t have sufficient space for this. Is a bucket sump a possibility? (It runs like a remote sump/closed loop).

 

Typically when people modify a tank for an AIO, they start with a glass tank as they are able to silicone the chambers into the tank (most silicones do not bond to acrylic enough to build the chambers outside of the tanks). Silicone is a little more forgiving with the cut tolerances.

[WV Reefer]

1 hour ago, Beer said:

I think his point may have been that there are plently of prebuilt AIO tanks that will end up Less expensive than what you will end up spending here to convert a $100 tank into an AIO. Typically, if someone is going this route, they have a specific plan for something that the pre-built tanks are ill suited for or aren’t able to support.

 

Do you have the tools to get the perfectly straingt cuts necessary to be able to solvent weld acrylic panels to the tank?

Is the back panel of the tank black? If not, you will be able to see straight into the chambers, potentially ruining the asthetic you are going for.

 

I don’t have any plans for that tank specifically, but I do typically heavily modify or completely custom build my own solutions.

You will need to build the additional three walls and base and install you baffels. Do you know how many chambers you want?

 

Are you going to run any sort of mechanical filtration or media? This will drive your chamber design.

 

You mentioned a fuge, which is typically a bit more difficult to do with an AIO due to the limited space. What is your intent with the fuge? Are you trying to grow macro? Are you trying to grow pods for a fish that typically needs additional supplimentation? AIOs typically don’t have sufficient space for this. Is a bucket sump a possibility? (It runs like a remote sump/closed loop).

 

Typically when people modify a tank for an AIO, they start with a glass tank as they are able to silicone the chambers into the tank (most silicones do not bond to acrylic enough to build the chambers outside of the tanks). Silicone is a little more forgiving with the cut tolerances.

This thread is almost 10 years old. 😄

[Beer]

Ha! Thanks. I didn’t notice that the last person to post dredged up a ten year old post.

 

I have to start paying attention to that more. Somewhere along the line the recommended posts on the main page started showing old posts. People respond to them like they are current topics, so they show up at the top of the list in the sub forums. It is the same reason we see people from the other side of the country trying to buy things from our local club announcements on another forum.

 

[derf9h]

Here was one of my 10 gallon tanks years ago and my 5 gallon one. Just had a false wall that the water would run over and into the back. Worked great