diy 10 gallon aio tank

[sabareefer]

Hi all. 

Since I’ve just finished this project, I figured I’d share it on here. 

this tank started as an ordinary 10 gallon setup filtered by an aqua clear 70, but I always wanted an aio tank, but couldn’t find a reasonably priced tank where I live. 
 

After waiting a while, I pulled the trigger on the lifeguard aquatics 9.98 gallon aio tank. At first I was happy with it, but I quickly realized the design flaws with that tank. Firstly, the overflow weir cut outs are too small. That combined with the improper heights of the baffles meant my return section was running dry at an alarming rate. 
 

After giving up with that tank, I decided to try to create my own aio tank. Since I don’t have the means (or budget) to have the aio system to be created from acrylic, I decided to take a risk and use corrugated plastic. I found a black sheet of the material for only 5.99 CAD which was very convenient. 
 

The most time consuming part was precisely cutting the overflow, because I tried to make it look proper by printing a template, and gluing it to the plastic. Upon realizing that I Couldn’t properly make the rounded overflow like the real tanks, I just cut out a rectangle opening, and cut out small rectangular pieces to act as the barriers. I then siliconed them to the back of the opening. It’s fragile and crude, but it works.

 

for the baffles, I modelled them after the Fiji cube aio box. The intake chamber will consist of the media, and the return chamber will have the heater and the pump. I went this way because I didn’t think I would have enough space for a middle chamber. Soon I will make some sort of media basket to properly contain the filter media in the first chamber. 

 

Please disregard my crude silicone job. At first I had taped off a perimeter to keep it neat, but after I removed the tape I decided to add more silicone to be safe. 

 

P.S The tank is still cycling, no livestock is in here yet. 
 

thanks for taking a look everyone. 

[seabass]

Nice.  And welcome to Nano-Reef.com.

[M. Tournesol]

Welcome to nano-reef😉

 

Don't see why it wouldn't work. you could have used an "overflow comb" to have a cleaner overflow.

I think you should build/diy a little basket for your media.

example: 

 

 

[debbeach13]

Welcome to NR. Is this your 1st reef tank?

[sabareefer]

Thanks and no this is my 2nd 

[DaJMasta]

Was the overflow for the commercial AIO too small for the pump shipped, or too small for the one you wanted?  For applications where you have a separate powerhead in the display or for freshwater or whatever, sometimes lower flow through the back section is more desirable, though that doesn't look as clean as having a powerful pump in there and nothing in the display section.

 

If the lower edges of the overflow bothered you, you could probably take a rat tail file or similar (depending on the slit width) and just give it a couple dozen strokes at the bottom to round it off, though below the water line it's less noticeable than above.

 

Does a heater fit in between that pair of baffles?  Could be a good place for it if it fits.