# 75 Gallon Tank Journal ** Updated 9/22 - Nerites Arrived **



## JoeDizzleMPLS

I had been trying to work out a trade with an LFS for a few weeks to get a new 75 gallon tank for a complete 45 gallon tall setup I had been trying to get rid of for awhile... after working out all the details, we finally made the trade on Wednesday.

Since this is the first time in a LONG time where I am getting a new tank because I wanted one rather than being a spur of the moment purchase, I was actually able to put all of my ideas down on paper and plan everything out in advance. I will be selling my old 75 gallon setup once I am done putting this one together, so the only thing that is going to be switched over from the old setup is the wet/dry, overflow box, and the rhom.

The plan (so far) is to build a stand and light fixture/canopy, install black background, move my old setup, put the new tank and stand in it's final spot, put together the hardscape, plant the tank a bit, and then I should be able to fill the tank and transfer the filter and rhom over to the new tank. There are a few little DIY projects that I will be doing along the way, I will just have to see how much patience I have before I decide which ones.

I will be documenting the process as much as I can here, so questions, comments, and suggestions are always welcome. Anyways, I will be starting the stand tonight or tomorrow morning, here is a pic of the new tank to get things started...


----------



## T-wag

cant wait to see it done joe! u always do a rly good job scaping ur tanks


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

thanks man, i appreciate that... i always get excited when i get to scape a new tank, they just look so nice when the glass is free from scratches and there is no algae to be found anywhere.


----------



## jp80911

I'd love to get a new tank but my wife would kill me for that. I was lucky enough to pick up my 180g for $200 which is free of any scratch on the glass, even the old resident was an alligator. was very surprised about it myself.

can't wait to see more pictures of the new tank as you set it up.

will it be totally different from what your old 75g setup looks like? still going to be a black water tank?


----------



## FEEFA

Good luck joe and I'm looking forward to seeing your progress so be sure to take lots of pics


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

jp80911 said:


> Good luck joe and I'm looking forward to seeing your progress so be sure to take lots of pics


thanks man, i'll take plenty of pics... i want to document the whole process for everyone and i'll go a bit more in depth with the DIY stuff

i got a bunch of prep work done tonight, so i should be ready to cruise right along with the stand starting in the morning


----------



## jp80911

joedizzlempls said:


> the boss tells me that i can get tanks as long as i'm not spending a bunch of money on them. if i can work out trades for new stuff or find CRAZY deals on used stuff, it's all good... with the money that i get from the old 75 gallon setup, i'll get a 125 or 180 setup after we move.
> 
> this tank is going to be different, i did the blackwater setup because i was tired of waiting on plants... just wanted to do something a little different with what i had available at the time. this one will probably still be heavy on the driftwood, high current, and lower light, but i will have root plants in the new scape.


my boss is more key on the cost of operating a tank then the cost of getting one cuz she knows that I wouldn't spend too much on a tank setup myself.
anyway, how does the rhom react to all these change done to the tank in such short period of time? does it get stressed out? my big rhom was pissed off after I divided its tank and tried to bite through the divider (almost did, a big chuck of the egg crate was found floating around on the gravel) so I had to take it down and move the smaller rhom to my pygo tank. after which my big rhom stopped eating for 2 weeks after I put everything back to how it was, it's eating now but not as aggressive as before I guess it is still pissed at me messing with his property.


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

this rhom is tough and he's a trooper... i put him in a bucket when i did the substrate changes and he was attacking the glass immediately upon being put back into the tank both times. i have had him for about a year and a half now and he has always been in a planted tank, so things change quite a bit. this will hopefully be the last big change for quite awhile tho, besides adding plants and rearranging things, i think i have everything planned out so that i will be content to just leave things be.


----------



## His Majesty

Good luck joe







im sure you will do a great job.

love tagging along to these tank build journals


----------



## CyberGenetics

Trigger lover said:


> Good luck joe
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> im sure you will do a great job.
> 
> love tagging along to these tank build journals


Sweeeeet, im in desperate need of a new tank. Cant wait to see the end resault, keep us updated


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Made some progress today... I didn't get to start til much later than I had anticipated, but things went pretty smoothly right up until the battery for my cordless drill/driver died on me. Normally, that wouldn't be a problem, but I forgot to charge my backup battery last night, so I had to quit early. I was able to get the base of the stand and the corner uprights put together, all except one piece, which is kinda hanging off in the pics.

The stand is pretty basic, I got the basic design from a few stands I have seen on the internet and then I beefed it up a little because I want this stand to last... the base and uprights are made of 2x4s, the top frame (which I will put together tomorrow) will be made of 2x6s. Everything is being held together by 2 1/2 coated deck screws. Here's a few pics of the progress so far...


----------



## jp80911

looks good Joe.
any reason why the inner vertical beams are not touching the floor like the rest of the base? won't that provide better support if any load is being applied on them?


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

there is a lengthy explanation on a couple sites that i got the idea from, but the basic idea is that they are meant to help transfer the load to the bottom frame rather than the floor so that the load is distributed across a larger area rather than having those four pressure points alongside the frame... they also act as screw strips to help keep the corners square. the other plans that i have seen use support only in the corners, but i am adding two supports on the front side and two in the back, so there will be a total of 12 load bearing 2x4 uprights plus the 4 "screw strips".


----------



## Trigga

Cool Joe I'm gonna start building a stand for a new tank next weekend

good luck with your project


----------



## FEEFA

Holy crap joe that stand will hold alot more than the 75gal will weigh.
Great job so far and I cant wait to see it finished


----------



## TJcali

the stand is looking awsome I'm looking forward to seeing more pics


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Feefa said:


> Holy crap joe that stand will hold alot more than the 75gal will weigh.
> Great job so far and I cant wait to see it finished


yeah, this stand should be able to support a truck once it's done.... my girl keeps asking me if i'm sure this will be able to support the tank and i keep telling her to look at how flimsy the stand that has been holding up our 75 for the past 2 years is. the bottom box frame alone weighs as much as my current stand.

i know it's overkill, but the way i look at it is that the part of the stand that is actually supporting the weight of the tank is the frame, and the frame is made from 2x4s and 2x6s, which would have cost me about 12 bucks if i would have followed the original plan, so far, i have 16 bucks into the frame... at 2 bucks per 8 foot piece of lumber, it doesn't really hurt the wallet to make sure things are solid.


----------



## His Majesty

nice wood joe









some sturdy stuff for sure


----------



## Mughal

cool setup man, hope everything turn out ok.


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Mughal said:


> cool setup man, hope everything turn out ok.


as long as it doesn't fall apart, i'll be happy, haha


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Made a little progress today, got the top frame assembled and attached to the corner uprights. I need to run to Home Depot tomorrow for more screws and a few other things, so tonight I need to make a few decisions on what I am going to do about doors.

Now it's starting to look like a stand...


----------



## T-wag

that exactly how i made my 55gal tank stand


----------



## Guest

Looking good Joe









I kinda got side tracked on my stand but will continue with it shortly, I just have to build doors and stain


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

ksls said:


> Looking good Joe
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I kinda got side tracked on my stand but will continue with it shortly, I just have to build doors and stain


thanks k... i need to figure out what i want to do for doors, at first i wanted them to be flush with the front of the stand, but now i'm not so sure...


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Well, I hit my first snag yesterday... one of the 2x6s that I had used for the upper box frame wasn't even all the way across, it was 5 3/8 wide on the one side, but only 5 1/4 on the other (I HATE Home Depot lumber). I didn't notice until I put the tank up on top of it to see how it would look... good thing I did that before I moved on.

Anyways, I just got back from the lumber yard and I am about to start working on it now... should have some major progress pics tonight...


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

I got a lot of stuff done today... Started out by moving the current setup over so that I can set up my new tank in it's old spot. I really messed the floor up while moving it, but it will be covered up anyways, so no big deal. I also got a few plants for the new setup, you can see them in the pics...























I also managed to work on the stand while I was waiting for the tank to drain and fill and for awhile afterwards... I fixed the bad 2x6 on the top frame, added the rest of the uprights, and put a piece of 1/2" ply on the top of the frame. I also cut the piece of 1/2" ply that is going to go on top of the bottom frame (leaning against the chair behind the stand) and marked out the notches for the uprights, hopefully I can get the notches cut and install the piece tomorrow.

The frame is basically done, just need to add a few more screws to tighten things up... on that note, the guy at the lumber yard grabbed screws from the wrong bulk bin for me today, I got home and realized (after they had closed for the day) that I had philips screws, not star screws, I tried to use them, but after stripping a few out, I gave up.

Anyways, here's some pics of the progress...


----------



## CyberGenetics

Lookin real good, cant wait to see it all done

good stuff


----------



## Tdot_Jack

I'm gonna be building my own 75G tank stand soon.


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Tdot_Jack said:


> Lookin real good, cant wait to see it all done
> 
> good stuff


thanks man, it's been a lot of work, but it's gonna be worth it... while moving the other tank today, i started to get excited because i'm almost to the point where i can set the new tank up.


----------



## Winkyee

joedizzlempls said:


> there is a lengthy explanation on a couple sites that i got the idea from, but the basic idea is that they are meant to help transfer the load to the bottom frame rather than the floor so that the load is distributed across a larger area rather than having those four pressure points alongside the frame... they also act as screw strips to help keep the corners square. the other plans that i have seen use support only in the corners, but i am adding two supports on the front side and two in the back, so there will be a total of 12 load bearing 2x4 uprights plus the 4 "screw strips".


Right on,
pretty much the same way that I made mine and skinned it in painted MDF.


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

i actually wanted to skin it in mdf, but the only place near me to get it is home depot and the stuff they had was REALLY beaten up, so i went to the lumber yard near me and got 1/2" ply instead.


----------



## Winkyee

right on,
I still have to do hood/lighting and haven't had the right plans pop in my head yet.
Good Job!


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Winkyee said:


> right on,
> I still have to do hood/lighting and haven't had the right plans pop in my head yet.
> Good Job!


well, that's next on my agenda... should be starting that tomorrow or the next day.

thanks


----------



## FEEFA

That stand looks effin bullit proof Joe


----------



## Ibanez247

HOLY hell! You plan on parking a bus on that stand? I build mine over kill too. Better safe than sorry.


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

haha, yeah guys, it's definitely overbuilt... i want this stand to last, plus i wanted to make sure it is strong enough to handle the occasional bump from a dog or two. it is already really heavy and it still has to be skinned in 1/2" ply, which is gonna add plenty more weight.


----------



## Guest

Phillips is a star screw, Robertson is the square screw :rasp:

Now that thats cleared up, lol GREAT job Joe! The stand is coming along nicely! I just built the doors for my stand today, all I have left to do is stain the sucka. perhaps this weekend I will get on that and hang the doors (that i am very proud of, lol)


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

ksls said:


> Phillips is a star screw, Robertson is the square screw :rasp:
> 
> Now that thats cleared up, lol GREAT job Joe! The stand is coming along nicely! I just built the doors for my stand today, all I have left to do is stain the sucka. perhaps this weekend I will get on that and hang the doors (that i am very proud of, lol)


actually a star screw is a star screw, they can be driven by a star bit (sometimes called a torsion bit), a phillips screw has the "X" shape and can be driven by a philips bit... but nice try... smart ass







we don't really use robertsons here, that's mainly a canadian thing i think.

i hate philips screws now... i have been using the torsions for so long now that every time i use a philips, i strip it out... oh well.


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

I'm getting close now.... Started out today by notching out and installing the bottom shelf....









After I had the bottom shelf installed, I went around and added a few screws to tighten things up on the frame a bit, then I started skinning the frame in 1/2" ply. I didn't cut and install the two middle pieces for the front of the stand, the pieces that would be above and below the doors, because I still haven't decided 100% what I want to do for doors... I need to make a decision tonight tho because I want to move forward with this project and start the filling, sanding, priming, and painting process tomorrow.


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Wow, it's been almost 3 months since I updated this thread... Had to put the project on hold in November because we got really busy with the baby and trying to get ready for the holidays.

Anyways, I finally got to a point where I can start spending time on my hobbies again, so work on this project resumed a couple days ago. The stand literally sat looking like it did in the last pics I posted until a few days ago, it was driving me crazy.

I finally was able to finish skinning it in 1/2" ply, then I added 1/4" sanded ply to the outside of the front and sides to get a nice smooth surface for painting. I started adding trim pieces on the corners and to the bottom to clean it up a bit, but ran out before I could finish.

I tried about a dozen different ideas for doors and finally decided to go with a removable front... it's basically a piece of 1/2" MDF with a 2x4 mounted to the back on the bottom to keep it in position and it's held in place at the top by a magnetic door catch... I'll post more detailed pics of that tomorrow.

All I have left to do is finish putting trim around the top, my lumber yard has been out for the last few days (I put a piece on the stand to show what it would look like, you can see that it's not cut to size yet), then I can fill the seams in the front with wood filler, and start priming. Hopefully this stand will be done within the next couple days so that I can get the tank set up and move onto my 30 gallon project.

Here's a couple quick pics to show my progress...


----------



## jp80911

Joe, the stand is looking really good, can't wait to see the finish product


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

thanks man... i can't wait til it's done, staring at a brand new empty tank every day has been torture


----------



## jp80911

I know what you mean, it's already a torture for me waiting for you to post pictures of your tank after it's setup.


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

I've been working on the stand tonight and taking pictures along the way... Right now I'm waiting on the primer to dry, so I figured I'd post up my progress so far tonight.

I finally got ahold of some trim so that I could finish putting trim around the top of the stand, all they had was primed outside corners, but I'm painting it anyways, so I grabbed em. I also filled in seams and other gaps and holes with wood filler and finished up the last of the prep before I could start painting. Here's a shot of the rest of the trim installed...









After all the prep work was done, I started the priming process... here's the first coat on the inside of the stand...









Here's a couple pictures of the front panel removed from the stand to give you an idea of what it is, like i said, just a piece of 1/2" MDF with a 2x4 to help it fit in the opening... I'll post pictures of the magnetic catches after I reinstall them when I'm done painting.

















Hopefully I'll have more pictures to show of my progress later... If my son stays asleep tonight, I plan on staying up late to get the whole thing primed so that all I have to do is paint tomorrow. Thanks for looking


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Well, here it is with two coats of primer on the inside of the stand and one coat on the outside...


----------



## xeloR

Coming along nicely joe


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

thanks man... the end is in sight


----------



## His Majesty

looking good joe. keep up the good work


----------



## bigshawn

nice, good work


----------



## TheCableGuy

Looking good joe








Can't wait to see it when you're done!!


----------



## jp80911

very nice joe, what color are you going to paint the stand with? black?


----------



## Guest

Looking awesome Joe







I look forward to seeing the final product.


----------



## Nick G

nice joe. im going to use this thread to make a stand for my 75. lookin good man.


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

jp80911 said:


> nice joe. im going to use this thread to make a stand for my 75. lookin good man.


that's exactly why i made this thread... you gonna use power tools this time?









thanks for the compliments guys (and k)... my ma is coming to pick up my son in about an hour so i can spend the day painting. i'm hoping to finish the stand today so i can set the tank up tomorrow...


----------



## Nick G

yeah, this time ill use power tools.... hahaha


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Nick G said:


> yeah, this time ill use power tools.... hahaha


when you talked about making your last stand using only hand tools, i imagined you in some amish workshop... amish beard and all


----------



## Nick G

nah haha, it was more just me being too cheap to buy power tools, but i have since bought them so its game on... only reason i been so lazy is cus i have a stand that works its not very asthetically pleasing


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

right on nick... this stand is really easy to assemble, for anyone that is interested in building one, all you need is the lumber, screws, wood glue, carpenter's square, tape measure, and a drill/driver... a power miter saw definitely makes the job much easier, but a hand saw would get the job done.


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Ok, I have to wait 4 hours until I can put another coat of paint on the stand, so I figured I'd post a couple pics of what it looks like after the first coat, paint makes a huge difference...


----------



## jp80911

Joe, it's looking real nice man, well done.


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

jp80911 said:


> Joe, it's looking real nice man, well done.


thanks man... it's been a long time comin









i'm a little annoyed by the seams on the front on top of the opening for the door, i filled them with wood filler and sanded it down, but it's still uneven and i don't wanna just gob wood filler in there cuz that'll just make it worse. the paint is an eggshell enamel finish, so it might do a decent job of hiding them... if not, i might have to cover them up with some trim and do some other work to make it look like it belongs there.


----------



## His Majesty

its looking very nice with the paint on. done a very good job joe. with these skills your wife is gonna make you build her a new kitchen


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

His Majesty said:


> its looking very nice with the paint on. done a very good job joe. with these skills your wife is gonna make you build her a new kitchen


thanks man, it'll look even better after i get the second coat on in about an hour and a half... i already remodeled most of our house for my girl before our son was born, so i'm only building stuff for myself for awhile









i spent the last couple hours working on the light fixture that i'll be hanging above the tank and i decided that i'm going to wait until tomorrow when the old tank is torn down and i'll make the box using the lumber from the canopy on that tank.

all i have left here is really rough cdx plywood, which would have to be skinned in something else or sanded for hours to get a smooth surface for painting, but the old canopy is made from nice sanded pine, it'll save me time and money in the long run, plus it'll be one less thing laying around after the old tank is torn down.


----------



## RedneckR0nin

Starting to come together rather nicely man. Can't wait to see the finished project


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Well, I just found a chip in the corner of the tank as I was going to set it up... I feel defeated right now.

I don't know what I'm going to do, but I don't feel comfortable filling the tank up with water. I sent the store I bought it from an email, so we'll see what they can do for me. I got it 3 months ago, so I'm kinda thinkin I'm sunk.

I have spent so much money on everything I needed/wanted for this tank setup as well as a lot of time and energy on the stand... I really don't know how I'm going to react if I find out that the brand new $150 tank that has been sitting here along with all the other stuff I bought or made is now completely worthless.


----------



## xeloR

Don’t get distracted man, hopefully the store takes care of you. Is the chip real bad, got any photos?


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

it doesn't extend out into the pane too much, but it's all the way to the silicone, so it's just not worth the risk IMO. i can get pictures later. i'm so frustrated right now, the whole front of my house is a mess because i was getting ready to make the switch tonight, but that's not gonna be happening now...


----------



## xeloR

have a few drinks man and think it over- that usually helps me


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Well, since the stand is done, I figured I'd throw the (broken) tank up there to see how it looks... The tank is sitting on there a little crooked, it's higher on the left side, because I wanted to be able to lift it up easily again when I take it back down.









The plan for now is to wait and see what the owner of the LFS says about the tank... it would be awesome if we could work something out so that I could swap it out for a new one, but I don't know if he'll do that. If he'll swap it out, I'll be back on track as soon as he has one available, if I'm stuck with the broken tank, I'll have to order a new 75 and wait and then I'll sell this one as a tank for reptiles or something.

I'm planning on starting my 30 gallon project tomorrow, so at least I'll have something to keep my mind off of the broken tank.


----------



## THE BLACK PIRANHA

It looks real good Joe, want to build one for my 180


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

THE BLACK PIRANHA said:


> It looks real good Joe, want to build one for my 180


for sure bud... but shipping may be a problem


----------



## AKSkirmish

Shitty new Joe for sure man.
Keep positive and hopefully that manager will be willing to work with ya on this issue.


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

AKSkirmish said:


> Shitty new Joe for sure man.
> Keep positive and hopefully that manager will be willing to work with ya on this issue.


i'm really trying to think positive right now for sure









it's not a total loss or anything because even if i can't swap it out, i'll order a new one, it just sucks because i had everything all set up today so that i could fill the tank and move the wet/dry and my rhom over. the money issue would suck too, but i'm more frustrated with the fact that i have to wait.


----------



## Murphy18

You're definitely doing the right thing, some people would just get impatient and go right ahead and set the tank up, which could spell disaster. Hopefully the guy will sort it out for you and allow you to swap it, he should do because its still brand new and unused.

Fantastic job on the stand







, it looks great and i really like that colour you chose. You got any plans on making a hood or gonna keep it as is?


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

there is a decent chance that the tank would hold water and be fine, but i don't want to worry about it in the future... i've put too much work into this setup for it to not be exactly what i want.

i'll be making a light fixture for it as soon as i figure out when i can get a new tank... i'll be using the lumber from the canopy on my old 75 gallon, so i don't wanna tear it down and have to wait two weeks for a new tank. i was planning on doing a hanging fixture, either from the ceiling or from hangers built onto the stand, but i haven't decided 100% yet... i may still even go with something that just sits on the tank.


----------



## Winkyee

pics of chip ?


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Winkyee said:


> pics of chip ?


give me about 10-15 minutes...


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS




----------



## Murphy18

I certainly wouldn't risk it. Have you sent him pics of the damage?


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

i'm still waiting to hear back from him, i'll send him pictures if he seems willing to work something out.


----------



## jp80911

sorry to hear that Joe, where's the location of the chip? upper corner or lower corner or mid-corner? 
the 75g I sold had a pretty chip at the upper corner (about 4" down from the brace) and it held water fine. if the position is high enough it might be ok, just in case you couldn't swap it with a newer tank.
I thought 75g tank is usually available in stock, didn't know they have to specially order it, brand new 75g here is about $130.


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

it's basically right in the middle... i live out in the middle of nowhere now, the nearest LFS is 45 minutes away so i'm hopin he's got one. they retail for anywhere between $150-200 here...


----------



## dmackey

joedizzlempls said:


> it's basically right in the middle... i live out in the middle of nowhere now, the nearest LFS is 45 minutes away and the only tanks he can really move on a regular basis are small, so it's just not worth it for him to give up that much floor space to keep large tanks in stock. sometimes he'll have a 75 or a 125 in stock if he can get a good deal from his supplier, so i'm hopin he's got one. they retail for anywhere between $150-200 here...


okay i see good stuff !!


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Just talked to the store owner.... New tank should be here on Thursday


----------



## AKSkirmish

joedizzlempls said:


> Just talked to the store owner.... New tank should be here on Thursday


Glad to hear it Joe......

Is he working with you on the issue or did you have to buy a new one outright?

Either way it will look sweet once done


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

He said we would work something out, he was really cool about it. Even if I gotta pay a little bit in the event that he's stuck with it, I'm OK with that, it's a smaller store and the chip could have happened anywhere, so I don't want him to take a bath on the deal, if it was Petsmart on the other hand....

I'm sure he'd be able to sell it for a discounted price to someone that wants to keep bearded dragons or something in there and still come out ahead due to the mark-up on tanks.

I was more concerned with the delay than anything, so if it only gets pushed back 5 days, I'll be happy.


----------



## T-wag

i cant wait to see it!


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Ok, so we worked out the details on the tank... I'm gonna buy a new tank from him on Thursday for $75, which is more than 50% off and he's gonna sell the tank that I have now in his store as a reptile tank for $75-100 and I get credit at the store for whatever it sells for. So basically I get to swap out my broken tank straight up for a new tank as long as I spend some cash at his store in the future... that works out for both of us since he won't be losing any money on the deal and I get a new tank and have to buy stuff that I would have bought anyways.


----------



## jp80911

Joe, good to hear things worked out for you. can't wait to see the tank up and running and can't wait to see some new aquascaping in the new tank.


----------



## FEEFA

I'm really glad things worked out for you Joe, the guy sounds like a nice guy


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

jp80911 said:


> I'm really glad things worked out for you Joe, the guy sounds like a nice guy


yeah, i'm really happy with the deal, in all honesty, he could have told me it wasn't his problem seeing as how it is 3 months later and i really wouldn't have been able to say anything... this is definitely one of those situations where he is helping because he wants to, not because he has to.


----------



## Winkyee

Right on Joe,
Good stuff.


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

QUOTE (Winkyee @ Feb 15 2010, 10:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Right on Joe,
Good stuff.

definitely good stuff... i wish there were more hobbyists in the area to steer to this guy's shop as a way of showing my appreciation, but he definitely has all my future business


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

I started on the light fixture tonight... I wanted to use all the materials from my old canopy to make this fixture, so I had no plan whatsoever, I just took apart my old canopy, looked at the pile of lumber, and went to work...

Started out with a piece of 1/2" ply, which was the top of my old canopy and cut it to 48"x18", I cut and attached a couple pieces of 1"x3" pine to keep everything square and to add some strength along the length of the fixture.








I decided that 6" was a good height for the fixture, so I cut some pieces of 1/4" sanded ply and made the rest of the box. I haven't decided how I am going to hang this light, so I left the back piece off for now.








Just a close up to see what I did...








It's pretty much done, I just need to figure out how I'm going to hang it, then I'll finish putting on the trim, prime and paint, and then install the lights.


----------



## ju5tin95

joedizzlempls said:


> cool setup man, hope everything turn out ok.


as long as it doesn't fall apart, i'll be happy, haha
[/quote]

hey i just got a used 75 tank for free, and am trying to find specs for a tank stand, mind helping me out??


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

you mean the actual measurements and a cut list?


----------



## Nick G

glad its working out joe. great thread.


----------



## His Majesty

keep the good work up joe. enjoy reading through


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Well, I wasn't able to get the tank yesterday because it hadn't arrived at the store by the time my girl got off work and we couldn't get it today because we couldn't borrow my ma's van, but everything seems like it's lined up for tomorrow, so I'll keep my fingers crossed.


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

The tank is finally set up... Started yesterday afternoon and was up until 5 am today, I ran into a few snags along the way. I didn't really take any pictures of the process since I was in a hurry and there wasn't much to show, but here are a few of what it looks like so far (please forgive the horrible quality, due to lack of sleep, my eyesight is a little fuzzy today)....

It feels pretty good to see the tank sitting on top of the stand... the light box is just sitting on top of the tank for now to provide some lighting, I should be able to finish it and hopefully have it hung by tomorrow.








Tank is a little cloudy and the sand is a little blown out from the lighting, but I love the way a new tank looks...








The wet/dry is sitting in there kinda funny because the new return line I bought isn't long enough, I had to use the old dirty one and even that was a bit too short, so it's kinda sitting in the middle for now.








Here's a shot of my rhom, he's a little stressed out right now, he's not used to an empty tank...


----------



## Murphy18

Great work Joe!! Love it







Just read the deal you got on the tank too, that was nice of the guy


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Murphy18 said:


> Great work Joe!! Love it
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Just read the deal you got on the tank too, that was nice of the guy


thanks man... yeah, i'm pretty happy with it, he's gonna call me when the chipped tank sells and then i'll probably have him order me a new tank for my compressus with the store credit, so i should be about even on the deal when all is said and done.


----------



## jp80911

Joe, the new tank/stand looks nice. I'm sure it'll look much better once you finish with the aquascape. can't wait to see the final product.


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

i'm actually kinda workin on that right now... hopefully i'll have the hardscape figured out tonight and then i might add a couple smaller plants, i wanna wait until it gets a bit warmer before i put my big plant order in, so hopefully it warms up a bit within the next week or two.


----------



## xeloR

lookin good brothu- im sure the scape will turn out great! W/D FTW!


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

xeloR said:


> lookin good brothu- im sure the scape will turn out great! W/D FTW!


thanks man... i've been workin on it, takin a little break for dinner right now... i'm trying to get things figured out without moving stuff around too much in the tank so i don't stress my fish out more than i have to. it would be much easier if i had the plants that i'm planning on using, but i guess i'll just have to use my imagination for now.


----------



## FEEFA

Looks great joe I'm glad you finally got er done


----------



## TheCableGuy

Nice work joe!!!!








Sweet looking tank & stand!!!


----------



## thedude8

nice looking tank, fish and especially stand. Let me know when you wanna make me one..

what kind of plants are you planning on putting in there? And I don't know if I missed it but whats the lighting your using?


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

thanks guys... i still have a lot of work to do, but at least the tank is set up.

for plants, i already have some pennywort and a couple amazon swords... they are really small tho, they showed up basically as root balls with a few dead leaves attached to them. i have them in my 46 bowfront for now til they put on some size. the plan is to have either one big e. bleheri (amazon sword) or a few smaller ones, hydrocotyle leucocephala ( brazilian pennywort), v. gigantea (jungle val), e. barthii 'red melon', some e. tenellus, and possibly some floaters (if i don't let the pennywort float).

for lighting, i'm just using some t8 shop lights built into a light box (or a canopy if i get impatient)... i'll be showing more pics of the lighting later today, i still haven't quite finished that project because i keep changing my mind about how to hang the fixture.


----------



## Ja'eh

Holy sh*t joe that stand looks amazing!







You did an amazing job, hell it looks better than any store bought tank stand. How much did the materials cost you?


----------



## TJcali

yeah joe that stand looks awsome bro and so does that Rhom


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

I suppose I should do a break-down of the cost of materials for the stand now that it's done....

6 2x4s @ $2.33 each = $13.98
2 2x6s @ $2.49 each = $4.98
1 pound 2 1/2" coated deck screws = $5.00
1 4'x8' 1/2" CDX plywood = $10.49
1 4'x8' 1/4" sanded plywood = $17.00
8' of 1" outside corner trim @ $.67/ft = $5.36
12' of 3/4" outside corner trim @ $.47/ft = $5.64
8' of 1/4"x2" pine trim = $3.49
1 quart Behr Premium Plus Eggshell Enamel "Stealth Jet" = $9.49 (only used half, so $4.75 on this project)

That brings me to a total of $70.69... there were a few other things that I used, but I didn't include them because I already had them here and the little bit I used wouldn't amount to any real dollar amount.


----------



## Nick G

nice dude. good work.


----------



## Ja'eh

Not only is it better looking than any tank stand I've seen in stores it's also cheaper too.


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

i could have built this stand for under $50 and it would have looked the same... i used more lumber than i needed, i kept changing my plan around, and i had to do a lot of last-minute trips to home depot where things are more expensive than my local lumber yard... only problem is they close at 5pm and aren't open at all on weekends.

the light fixture i'm building has only cost me about $5 or so, i only had to buy some trim, everything else was either salvaged from my old canopy or extra stuff from the stands.


----------



## Ja'eh

Well what's a few more dollars if it brings you piece of mind?


----------



## jamezgt

great work, and rhom as well


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Ja said:


> great work, and rhom as well


thanks... he was pretty stressed when i took that pic, i'll be sure to take some better ones when things have settled down


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

My goal is to get the light fixture done today, I doubt I'll be able to hang it since I'll have to wait for paint to dry, but as long as I get it done so I can hang it first thing in the morning tomorrow, I'll be happy.

I got everything rigged up and hung the fixture for a test run, I wanted to do this before I painted the fixture so that i didn't mess it up at all when I was making the adjustments. It is actually hanging pretty level right now, in the front, the fixture is 7 1/2" above the top of the tank and in the back it's 8" above the tank, I'll make minor adjustments by tightening/loosening the screw-in eyes when I put the fixture up there for good. The chains don't look all that great now because I got them much longer than I needed just to be safe, I'll cut them to size later. If they still look bad, I'll replace them with wire.


----------



## His Majesty

very nice work joe. looks fantastic

the light fixture looks fine at the position it is.although i might of tried having it a smidgen higher


----------



## RedneckR0nin

Looks really good joe


----------



## Trigga

looks good joe.. i personally think its a tad too high but its all about personal preference


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Made quite a bit of progress with the light fixture, looks like I'll be able to get a couple coats of primer and the first coat of paint on tonight. Since I have to wait 4 hours between coats with the paint I'm using, getting that first coat on tonight will save me a bunch of time tomorrow. I'm waiting on the first coat of primer to dry right now, so here's a few pics of what I have done so far...

Here's the fixture sitting upside down ready for primer...








For lighting, I just mounted a couple dual strip T8 shop lights inside the light fixture, each bulb is 32 watts. If anyone wants better pictures of the inside of the fixture, let me know...








This is just the fixture sitting right side up, you can see that there's not much to it, just some 1/2" ply, to mount the lights and some 1/4" sanded ply to make the box, it was made entirely with pieces of my old canopy and scrap plywood from the stand...








Here it is after the first coat of primer...








I'm glad that I didn't finish the stand for my 30 gallon while I was waiting on the new tank, it has been a great little workbench...


----------



## CuzIsaidSo

great work Joe. Take all the pics you can I think I'm gonna be building one soon


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Just got done hanging the light...

Here is the fixture after it was painted, to hang it, I just used 4 screw-in eyes...








To attach to the ceiling, I used 4 screw-in hooks, some silver chains, and S-hooks... I decided on this method for now because I want it to be adjustable, I'm even leaving the chains as-is instead of cutting them to size because I want to try out different heights...
















I'll try to get some better pictures tonight when I can control the lighting better in the room that the tank is in, I just wanted to snap these quick to show my progress...


----------



## Killabee

Amazing job on the stand and lights. How long did this take you and what was the price tag on this roughly?

I have a 75g that ill be making a stand for very soon so ill be coming back to this thread to copy and steal all your ideas! lol


----------



## CuzIsaidSo

Where (in the store) did you find the trim for the canopy I looked in lowes this morning and couldn't find it. Couldn't find 6' light fixtures either, only 2' 4' 8'


----------



## Winkyee

Looking really good man...


----------



## jp80911

Joe, it's looking very nicely. the aquascape looks good so far, can't wait to see you add more plants to it.
how many T8 bulbs you have in the fixture?


----------



## xeloR

joe, your scape always looks bomb dude! im jealous!


----------



## balluupnetme

awesome set up, I'm gonna add driftwood to my tank only no plants


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Killabee said:


> joe, your scape always looks bomb dude! im jealous!


thanks bud, i'm still not happy with the driftwood, i have a bunch here, but i don't want it to be crowded, it's hard to figure out what to do without having the plants here right now.


----------



## Johnny_Zanni

Looks great Joe!!! I like the driftwood lol


----------



## TheCableGuy

Looks awesome joe!!!!


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Just spent about a half hour with my arm submerged up to my shoulder planting the e. tenellus... the tank still looks pretty bare, but it's a start...

Here's a FTS, the glass is pretty dirty from the sand, but I'm too lazy to clean it right now...








Here's the right side of the tank with the e. tenellus...








Here's the left side, I just kinda dropped that piece of driftwood in there to get it off the floor, I'll have to find a better spot/position for it to sit. The little plants in the back corner are just some amazon swords that I got a couple weeks back, they were basically just root balls with a bunch of dead leaves when I got them, so I'll see if I can get some growth out of them, otherwise they can go into another tank...


----------



## CuzIsaidSo

brian519 said:


> Where (in the store) did you find the trim for the canopy I looked in lowes this morning and couldn't find it. Couldn't find 6' light fixtures either, only 2' 4' 8'


it's just outside corner trim, you should be able to find it at lowes, just ask someone where it is, they'll know what it is. you aren't going to be able to have a huge selection of lighting, if you have a six foot tank, you could just stagger two 4' fixtures.

Would it be better to use 3 2' fixtures?


----------



## balluupnetme

Thats an awesome aquascape I wanna make mine just like that


----------



## FEEFA

Everything looks awesome Joe. I cant wait to see it fully scaped


----------



## xeloR

I forgot to add that it pays to have good quality furnature! I cant tell you how many cheap presswod stands that I have gone through over the years. My all Mahoganyy stand that I have now is just beautiful! I did pay the same amount on the stand as my tank, but this is one stand that I will garantee will outlast a couple tanks. Im sure that all your hardwork and time will pay off on this deal joe









Edit: Can we get an update?


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

i'm actually going to have to move this tank within the next few days, but i'll post some update shots before i move it and then again after... i'll update my other tank journal thread as well


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Finally got my 75 moved yesterday... It actually went pretty smooth until the end, I had everything all set up, tank full of water, just needed to give the equipment power. I flipped the switch on the power strip and got nothing, apparently the top outlet where I had it plugged in doesn't work. I had to drain the tank so that I could move it enough to reach the outlet, plug the power strip into the bottom outlet, and then repeat everything that I had already done. All in all, it added about 2 hours on to the move... no bueno.

The stand took a bit of a beating, the people that were helping me move it weren't very good at angling things through doorways. The background on the tank also got pretty messed up, there are a bunch of bubbles in it now, I might just pull it off and paint it in a month or so once everything is settled.

I will try to get some pics of the complete setup tonight when I get the rest of the stuff over here, but for now, I have a couple pictures of some of my new toys... I decided to put the wet/dry in storage since we are in a smaller space and I wanted the tank to be as close to silent as possible, I bought a new Eheim 2217 from Drs Foster and Smith using the discount code and a used XP2 from b_ack, the XP2 will be moved and replaced with another 2217 when I get my new 40b setup. I went with a 300w Hydor ETH In-line heater just to try it out (I normally use nothing but Stealths) and so far I'm lovin it. I also decided to try out a Pinpoint Wireless Thermometer setup, one wireless transmitter in my 30 long and one in the 75, and I have been pleasantly surprised with their accuracy, hopefully they stay that way.


----------



## xeloR

glad to hear you got er done joe







! I hate moving in general, but especially when you have careless people handling your goods (no ****). Ive always thought about getting one of those pinpoints, they seem pretty handy. looking forward to seeing more photos man!


----------



## CuzIsaidSo

How big is the sensor that goes in the tank on the pinpoint?


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

I really like the Pinpoint so far... I had heard some negative stuff about them in the past with people getting wireless transmitters that weren't accurate and stuff, but the two I ordered are spot on. The best thing for me is the fact that I can put the display on my desk in the office (where I spend most of my time) and I can see the temps for both of my tanks at all times. I'll definitely be getting another transmitter for my 40b when it's set up so that I can watch all three on the display.



CuzIsaidSo said:


> How big is the sensor that goes in the tank on the pinpoint?


Give me about 5 minutes... I'll take a pic of the display, transmitter, and something for size reference


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Ok, here's a shot for size comparison...

On the left is just a pack of playing cards, the sensor/transmitter is in the center -- that sits outside of the tank and the probe goes inside, and the display is on the right.


----------



## xeloR

you keep your house pretty warm :laugh:

im going to wait for a few weeks and see if you still like it, if so ill probably order one. i already have my heaters on a ranco controller, but it would be cool to be upstairs (where i spend most of my time) and know exactly where my guys are at down stairs. where did you order it?


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

It's actually not that warm in our place, it was freezing in that room when I took the picture, when I pulled it out of the water, it was slowly going from 82f down to about 65f.

I ordered them from Drs Foster and Smith, the display was on sale for $33 and includes one sensor, the other sensor was on sale for $17


----------



## Soul Assassin

Nice, I like your taste in gadgets :nod:


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Thanks man, I'm really likin the gadgets as well... this Hydor heater has kept the EXACT same temp, I'm talking down to the tenth of a degree, since a few hours after setting up, I've never seen that with a heater before.

I scaped the tank a bit last night and will get some pics posted soon, we had to move a bunch of stuff into the room where the tank is to organize our bedroom, so I didn't want to take a picture of all the clutter. Pretty sure I'm sticking with a very low light, no plant setup again, since we could be moving again soon, I don't want to plant this tank and then have to rip it apart in a few months.


----------



## Pirambeba

Nice Stand!!! You are very crafty, can't wait to see those pics


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Well, the water is still a little cloudy and the glass still needs to be cleaned, but this is what I have so far...


----------



## jp80911

Looks good Joe.


----------



## Pirambeba

Looks good dude, that's a pretty cool set up you have there


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

I finally decided on a way to hang my light fixture without putting bolts in the ceiling so today I went and got all my supplies, drained the tank so I could pull it out from the wall, and got to work. I made the light hangers out of electrical conduit and hung it with the chains I was using before -- they look horrible, so I'm going to swap them out with thin wire ASAP. I can go more in depth on them tomorrow, I am just sitting here bored acclimating my rhom so he can go back into the tank.

While the tank was out from the wall, I decided to rip off the vinyl background and paint it because the bubbles that formed during the move were driving me nuts.

Here's a quick shot I took to show the finished product, I'll get better ones tomorrow night when things clear up...


----------



## Johnny_Zanni

looks great joe.


----------



## Winkyee

Lookin great man!
I am going to do that stuff this weekeknd.


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Right on Pete... All in all, I bet the light bars only took about an hour to assemble and install, I gotta swap out those ugly chains for wire still tho.


----------



## CuzIsaidSo

lookin' good Joe


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Thanks man

I have some floating plants arriving on Friday or Saturday. As much as I wanted this tank to be low light with driftwood and no plants, I am considering adding a few root plants as well, we'll see....


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

I took a few shots of the light fixture and hangers tonight. The light hangers are just 3/4" electrical conduit bent at 90 degree angles, I drilled some holes in the section that hangs over the tank so that I could put some eye bolts in and then spray painted them black. I attached the hangers to the back of my stand using the brackets that are made for the 3/4" conduit. It didn't take long at all and only cost $14 total for materials. Here's a couple pics...
















I finally got my office organized tonight, this room was full of boxes and random stuff about 6 hours ago...
















Here's just a couple shots of the tank, it's really starting to come together...


----------



## FEEFA

Everything looks awesome and I love your place also


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Thanks man, you should have seen that room earlier today, I definitely feel like I accomplished a lot today. Tomorrow I'm gonna work on finishing up the living room and I'll post updates on my 30 gallon setup. I'm also planning on picking up that 40b tomorrow, so I'll be starting the stand on Monday.


----------



## FEEFA

Cant wait to see them Joe


----------



## jp80911

Joe it looks great.


----------



## CuzIsaidSo

Looks real good Joe







The apartment looks pretty nice too

What Twin signed the bat & ball in the window ?


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Thanks man.... That's my Kirby Puckett autographed bat and Kirby Puckett autographed game-used 1987 World Series ball -- my most prized possessions, haha.


----------



## balluupnetme

Awesome tank awesome place looks nice and clean


----------



## Winkyee

Looks like a bottle of Tanqueray Gin on there too..
That was the best gin I ever drank.


----------



## CuzIsaidSo

Tanqueray Gin = Ignorant Juice...I used to drink that when I was younger and then fight somebody for no reason

Joe did you paint the background with flat black paint ? Have you ever used semi gloss ? I have some semi gloss left over and was gonna use it on my 180


----------



## Soul Assassin

Great work Joe, looks killer


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Thanks guys

Pete, gin can always be found in my office...

I used satin finish on the background cuz I had a bunch left over from another project, I don't think there's that much of a difference between finishes when painting a background


----------



## Mattones

I love it man!!


----------



## T-wag

A+ man looks really really good


----------



## redbellyman21

very nice clean install and setup, really a great read throughout entire thread. Well done Joe


----------



## RuthlessCarnage

KUDOS to you sir. Epic set up, your rhoms one lucky little guy.


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Thanks a bunch guys, I really appreciate all the compliments.

I had a plant package arrive on Wednesday but they showed up as soup, so I hope the package I'm getting tomorrow or Monday gets here in good shape.


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Finally got some plants... After receiving 2 packages of rotten plants in the mail in the last week, my girl surprised me by picking up two Amazon swords while she was out shopping today. I also have some salvinia minima floating in there, what's left of the shipment I got, but I don't think it will be staying in there.

Not much, but it's a start...


----------



## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer

Fawking Epic, Looks so damn good and professional.


----------



## FEEFA

Looking good as usal Joe


----------



## CuzIsaidSo

Plants made it look even better


----------



## Lifer374

Looks fantastic Joe. 
I've been looking to do tha same effect with the "driftwood coming down from the surface" thing. Just looking for the right piece.


----------



## nilocg

How did you mount the drift wood that is hanging down? Sorry if you explained it previously.


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Thanks guys... I was actually talking to someone yesterday about how frustrated I was getting with trying to find plants and then my girl ended up getting me the swords, so it was a nice surprise. I'm still not sure exactly where I want them, I can't find my root tabs after the move, so I just kinda stuck em in there for now.

The driftwood is actually just kinda floating there, it is pressed between that piece of driftwood on the left and the rim of the tank... I let it dry out before the move, so I'll have to rig something up when it starts to sink again.


----------



## Ba20

Driftwood looks great Joe, What size koralia are you running and would you say its powerfull enough for your 75 ?


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Thanks man... I'm running a Koralia 4 and it seems to be about perfect for a 75.


----------



## jp80911

great looking setup Joe, as always.


----------



## Ba20

Im jealous Joe you and JP have great cameras and photogenic fish


----------



## T-wag

you gotta help me make a canopy with lights







....if u could pm me some more pics of it and mayb how to do it that would be awsomeeee =]


----------



## sapir

the way you did the hanging canopy with lights makes the tank looks rich.
amazing work forsure.


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

T-wag said:


> you gotta help me make a canopy with lights
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ....if u could pm me some more pics of it and mayb how to do it that would be awsomeeee =]


The light fixture is literally just a wooden box that I made with scrap pieces... Then I attached the shop lights to the inside. I can see if I can dig up some more pics, just let me know what you want more info on.


----------



## T-wag

like how did u attach it to the box?


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

How did I attach the shop lights to the fixture?


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Got some plants in the mail from Ba20 today, showed up looking great and there was more than I knew what to do with, definitely appreciate it bud...









The dwarf sag on the left is probably gonna stay in the tank, the stuff on the right will either all be moved to my 40 breeder when it gets set up or if I like the look, I'll just thin it out a bit so I can keep some there and fill in the 40 breeder. I am just getting over a bit of an algae outbreak, so you can see some of it on the glass and the driftwood, I might need to add an algae clean up crew...

Here's a full tank shot and a shot of the salvinia minima that I got from someone a few weeks back, only a couple leaves survived the trip, can't believe it's taking hold...


----------



## His Majesty

gonna look even better when the plants fill out a bit more.


----------



## Davebod89

I am quite jealous of your skills mate! Keep up the good work


----------



## Soul Assassin

great work Joe looks killer


----------



## FEEFA

Looks killer Joe


----------



## Ba20

Thanks for the shout out joe, tank looks awesome. If anyone else needs anything hit me up i guarantee live arrival, and have a good selection of plants in stock.

I will give some pretty good deals to get a few more mod's on my side


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Thanks for the compliments guys, I have a few more plants I want to add and then I think I will be able to sit back and enjoy this tank while only having to worry about maintenance.



Ba20 said:


> Thanks for the shout out joe, tank looks awesome. If anyone else needs anything hit me up i guarantee live arrival, and have a good selection of plants in stock.
> 
> I will give some pretty good deals to get a few more mod's on my side


I can't say enough how happy I was when I opened that package yesterday, it was packed FULL of bright green, healthy plants. I was expecting 10 or so small dwarf sag plantlets that grew off of your big plants in your tank - I got probably 50 or so dwarf sag plants, a few were huge, most were of average size, and then there were a bunch of small ones to fill in space. There was also a bunch of rotala thrown in as well as a handful of some other ground cover.

The last two plant packages I got (from some people on a planted tank forum) in the mail were awful, I paid 10 bucks for some salvinia that showed up as rotten soup, I could smell it when I opened my mailbox. The second package was also 10 bucks and probably 98% of it was rotten and useless. This was definitely a HUGE improvement







.


----------



## rhom15

your hired very nice work


----------



## superbite

great work! keep it up, cant wait to pick up my 75g and build a very similar stand for it


----------



## TheSpaz13

Man, your tanks just look better and better...good work...


----------



## Rugged Child

Nice aquascaping work Joe..the tank looks dope!


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Started another project for the 75 last night... a filter went out on one of my other tanks and rather than buying a new one, I decided to dig the wet/dry out of storage to hook up on the 75, then the Eheim 2217 will get moved over to the 40 breeder, which will push the XP2 over to the 30 long. I figured this is the way I should have set it up from the beginning, I just hope the extra noise from the wet/dry doesn't make the boss too mad.

All of my hoses for the wet/dry got ruined during the move, so I decided to plumb everything with PVC. I ran to the hardware store last night to get everything I needed and then went back again this morning to grab everything I forgot to grab yesterday







. I need to cut a larger hole in the back of my stand, so I am going to drain the tank here soon and move it out so that I can cut the hole and have more room to work on the plumbing.


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Just got done with the plumbing... the pics are crap, I only wanted to pull the tank out as much as I had to and it didn't allow much room to get the camera back there.

Here is the pipes coming down from the overflow...
















They come into the back of the stand and connect to the wet/dry...









Here is the return line from the pump...









It comes out the back of the stand...









And up to the return outlet...









Now I just need to wait for everything to cure, I'll clean up the wet/dry while I'm waiting since it is pretty dirty after sitting in storage.


----------



## AKSkirmish

Very nice Joe.
Is that return hard plummed to a rena return? if so how was fitment?


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

It's not a Rena return, it's actually one of these...










The fit is pretty good but I'm kinda nervous that it's gonna fly outta there and shoot water all over the room, so I'm gonna make a DIY spraybar. If I can get moving before the hardware store closes, I might start that project today.


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Well, I just got back from the hardware store and they had the stuff to make the actual spraybar, but not enough 90 elbows to attach it to the return line, so I guess I'll just make the spraybar and try to find more elbows tomorrow.


----------



## Nighthawk

Very beautiful Joe. I'm want to use a sump on the 75 I'll be setting up soon. I was wondering what size pvc you used for the drains and return? Also, what pump are you using?


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

The drains are 1" and the return line is 1/2". I am using a Mag Drive 7 for a return pump, I probably could have gotten a larger pump, but this one moves a good amount of water and doesn't use a ton of electricity, so I'm pretty happy with it.


----------



## Nighthawk

JoeDizzleMPLS said:


> The drains are 1" and the return line is 1/2". I am using a Mag Drive 7 for a return pump, I probably could have gotten a larger pump, but this one moves a good amount of water and doesn't use a ton of electricity, so I'm pretty happy with it.


Thanks for the help!


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

No problem man


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Finally done with the wet/dry and getting the filters moved around, now it's just the wet/dry on here. I will start on the spraybar tomorrow and I think I might also add a union above the pump to make maintenance a little easier -- right now I can remove the pump, but it's kind of a hassle.

Anyway, here's a pic of the tank now, ignore the mess of plants in the back right corner, I just threw them in there because I had nowhere to put them until I get more plants for the other tanks.









Here's a pic of part of my new clean-up crew, I got 5 otocinclus and they are doing a pretty good job of not drawing much attention. I have nerite snails arriving on Wednesday. These guys are flying all over the tank, so getting a picture wasn't easy.


----------



## His Majesty

thats some nice work joe. looking great


----------



## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer

Joe your running an overflow? I always wanted to ask :

Say I went on vacation and didn't tell anyone to keep tabs on evap, and the evap happens and stops the overflow from siphoning. What prevents the pump from burning out after it sends all the water back into the tank and runs dry?

Thanks.


----------



## random

WOW! That looks amazing. Good work. Love your attention to detail and your aqua-scaping abilities.


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Danny Tanner said:


> Joe your running an overflow? I always wanted to ask :
> 
> Say I went on vacation and didn't tell anyone to keep tabs on evap, and the evap happens and stops the overflow from siphoning. What prevents the pump from burning out after it sends all the water back into the tank and runs dry?
> 
> Thanks.


Nothing would stop the pump from running dry if it was left alone, but it would take a while to get to that point. With an open top on my 75 gallon, I top up the wet/dry with about a gallon of RO water every couple days, it would probably take about a week to run completely dry.


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

random said:


> WOW! That looks amazing. Good work. Love your attention to detail and your aqua-scaping abilities.


Thanks... I actually kinda rushed through this project (even tho it took so long overall) and didn't take the time that I should have on certain things so I'm not 100% happy with the stand and canopy, but I think I'm going to build another version this fall and since the tank is already set up, I won't feel the need to rush things and I can build it exactly the way I want to and take my time on every part.


----------



## BRUNER247

Looks awesome!I'm looking forward to the stand rebuild.


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Finally got started on my spraybar tonight, gonna hit it with a couple coats of Krylon Fusion tomorrow morning and then I'll put it on the tank when I shut the pump down for my next water change. Here's some pics to show how I did it.

Here are the pieces I started out with, just some 1/2" PVC cut to the sizes I wanted, a couple 90 elbows, a cap, couple 1/2" threaded adapters, and a threaded 90 elbow. I decided to go with the threaded parts because I wanted to be able to easily remove everything for maintenance and so that it could be broken down into 2 separate pieces.









Here is the actual spraybar, I started by marking out where I wanted to drill the holes, it's kinda sloppy but all I really needed to mark was the 1" spacing.









Here's a couple pics of the dry-fit of the two separate pieces that will attach to each other...
















Here is the spraybar with the holes drilled...
















Got everything primed, I wanted clear primer, but the hardware store was out and I didn't want to wait or drive to a different town. It's not such a big deal on these parts because they will be painted, but it would have been nice for the rest of the plumbing on the wet/dry.









Here is the part that hangs off the back of the tank and attaches to the return line cemented together...









Here's both pieces cemented...









The following pics are of both pieces screwed together taken from different angles to show how it all goes together...






























Now I just need to let everything cure overnight and then I'll paint tomorrow, I might even try to paint the doors to the stand if I have time and if it doesn't rain.


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Got the spraybar painted tonight... I was planning on attaching it to the return line on the tank on Sunday when I do my water changes, but I think I might let this paint cure for a full week before I put it on there in hopes that it will be fully cured and be more resistant to flaking in the future.

Anyways, here's a couple pics...


----------



## CuzIsaidSo

It looks stock Joe







You got skills man


----------



## Ba20

ive been wanting to try some ottos my rhom hunted down my neons but is best of friends with a 4" red tail shark go figure

O and next time your in your hardware store look at some of the schedule 80 stuff its already a dark gray


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Thanks Cuz

My rhom picked off at least a couple of the ottos already, but the others are staying attached to plants and driftwood now. The ones that got eaten were chillin on the front glass too much, just asking to be eaten...

I was supposed to get some nerites today, but I never heard from the guy, so hopefully he calls me tomorrow so I can go pick them up.


----------



## Ba20

what kind of nerites you gettin ? Zebra ? Spotted ? tell me not the ugly olive ones ?


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Ba20 said:


> what kind of nerites you gettin ? Zebra ? Spotted ? tell me not the ugly olive ones ?


No, no, no... I'm getting some zebras and horned nerites -- there might be others to choose from, but those were the ones he said he could get for sure.


----------



## Ba20

right on keep us updated


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Did a water change tonight and installed the spraybar...

Here's the part on the back of the tank...








View of the top of the tank...








Here's the actual spraybar inside the tank -- these pics turned out really bad, I just go done filling the tank back up with water and there's stuff floating all over plus a bunch of air bubbles, I'll get better pics tomorrow when the tank is cleared up.


----------



## I Can Mate

wow that looks nice!!


----------



## AquaticMonsters

Sick man. I was scrolling through the pages and wow you did everything nice and perfect. You have a wonderful setup man!


----------



## random

Looks good and effective.


----------



## Ibanez247

Very nice job Joe! I need to finish off my tank stands myself. I jsut have a drop cloth to keep dust out but with the kid gettign older and more curious and the cats getting into stuff I gotta close it up. Did you use standard plywood or moisture resistant plywood for your canopy?


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Ibanez247 said:


> Very nice job Joe! I need to finish off my tank stands myself. I jsut have a drop cloth to keep dust out but with the kid gettign older and more curious and the cats getting into stuff I gotta close it up. Did you use standard plywood or moisture resistant plywood for your canopy?


When I set up my 40 breeder, the doors weren't on the stand yet because it took me forever to make ones that I liked so it was just sitting open for a few weeks. One day I ran to the Post Office to drop something off and when I got back home, my girl was standing in the living room freaking out about water being everywhere and blah, blah, blah... turns out my 1 year old son thought it would be fun to go and pull on the hoses for my Eheim 2217 and he ended up pulling hard enough that the hose detached from my Hydor in-line heater and at least 5 gallons of water siphoned onto the carpet. Needless to say, I got my butt in gear and finished the doors that weekend.

I used scraps to make the canopy, a combination of 1/2" CDX, 1/4" sanded ply, and 1/2" MDF. I just put a few coats of Kilz latex on the whole thing to make it moisture-resistant.


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Finally got my nerites today... the store owner gave me a good deal because they took so long to get there, even tho it wasn't his fault. I got 6 zebra nerites and 6 horned nerites -- 4 of each went into my 75 gallon and the rest went into my 40 breeder. I'm definitely gonna order some more in the future, just wanted to check out the stock first.

Here's the zebra nerites right after I dropped them in the tank, already climbing all over everything.






















The first picture is mine, but the horned nerites are so small that it's kinda tough to get a good pic, I will try to get something better once they are settled in, the second picture is just one I found on the web of what they look like... pretty awesome.


----------



## I Can Mate

nice nerites!!!! the only thing i dont like about nerite are that they lay white eggs all over the place


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS

Yeah, that can be annoying, but I think their algae eating habits more than make up for it.


----------



## jayyyson

hey... BEAUTIFUL tank, man... since im in the cities too, maybe i can get some help from the professional... when my black diamond gets bigger, i would like to try a similar setup







i LOVE it though... AWESOME job, bro!


----------



## Lifer374

Only tankmates I've had success with for my rhombeus


----------

