40G Tank restore and stand build

[Alan79]

I'll start this thread with a confession. For 7-9 years i have been an enthusiastic keeper of Comets, but absolutely clueless about stocking ratios, required tank size and even dietary requirements. I won't talk about my die offs but i've had 2 big ones most likely due to overstocking. Having learned that Comets need 75G each for a healthy life. One very friendly Comet will be my path to redemption. His Name is Brutus and he will eventually have a 75G when i find one that fits my budget. It's going to have to come in stages though

The first step is to get him into something bigger than the 20G he lives in now. I scoured Gumtree + Ebay for anything i had time to pick up. Last weekend i missed out on a 75G ready to go deal. I felt sad about that until i spotted a listing for a pair of 4 foot tanks with broken panels. I was in time to get one of them (a 40G) and at $30 I'm calling it a bargain. I have a repairer lined up to add a new end panel for $30. I plan to ask how much extra it will cost to reseal the whole tank so i have peace of mind. I'll work out how to post pics tomorrow and add some pics of the tank as it is now. Broken and dirty I do like projects though and the path to redemption deserves some effort.

I'll be making a DIY stand which is where my main effort comes in. I'll take a trip to Bunnings tomorrow and buy some materials for the stand. I currently have 2 matching 20G tanks and i am toying with the idea of leaving space in the stand to house both of them

Alternatively i could add a small tank there as a sump for the 40G. And maybe a couple of 5G tanks I have that are empty. I don't know much about setting up sumps but the internet is my friend for DIY lately. If i went with the 5G's it would leave more space to work with at cleaning time.

The stand plan is simple right now. 6 2x4 legs. Either 2 shelves if i opt for the 20's below, or three shelves if i go with the 5's and a sump. Shopping starts tomorrow for stand materials, and hopefully on Monday the tank goes in for repairs before Christmas delays things.

I'm m hoping to have the tank cycling before Christmas. Anyway I hope you all enjoy reading because that came out longer than planned. I'll sketch out my plans as i go so people can make suggestions for improvements.

 

[melosu58]

Good Luck on your start up.

 

[Alan79]

Thanks Melosu. I bought some wood for the frame today. I have a few things to do in an hour but i'll draw up a plan that's currently just a sketch and post it on here for pointers. I'm leaving things simple and plan to leave electrical work out of the build so i can do things quickly.

 

[J.Mcpeak]

Signed up mate. I'm going to read it now!

 

[J.Mcpeak]

Read the post, what happened to uncle grandpa?
I'm so pleased for you, keeping Brutus! You must be pleased to bits.

 

[Alan79]

Read the post, what happened to uncle grandpa?
I'm so pleased for you, keeping Brutus! You must be pleased to bits.

I had completely forgotten about getting him involved. I'll pass on my plans to him and see what he thinks. If he shows interest in the plans i might ask if i can borrow some clamps and mention that all my power tools were robbed. If he offers to help i'll jump on the offer and reward him with an extra nice Christmas present Thanks for the reminder

Anyway with no further ado. Some picks that will hopefully show up (edit yay i'm not completely useless).
Plans from the side. I left cross braces off the ends because my design allows me to fit my 2 running 20G's in the base. I'll need to add 1.6cm to allow the two central legs and the cross beams to fit. Their will be 0.25 inches of slide space for the tanks from front to back by the time the width of the legs is factored in.



Front view
The legs on the end will be placed flat side front, while the central legs will be narrow side front (because i need the tank space). The legs are 3.5cmx7.0cm. I'll add another cross frame on the back to prevent horizontal movement, but need to work out a way to add more support on the ends while allowing a full view into the ends of the each tank in the base. I'll have 6 inches above the tanks which will allow access and let me sit some lights on the tanks. I may just add a 6 inch plywood board screwed on at the sides to reach to where the tank ends. Will go and take some pics of the tank now.

 

[J.Mcpeak]

It will be hard chewing those cuts
If you don't have a team of well trained beavers, Tools are probably a good idea!

(Cheeky so and so) that's why I have a certain nickname!

Enough fun and games!

Pics are a little unclear but at least you have a plan on paper, that is where all the best ideas evolve from.

Good luck with all of it, you know I'm on your team even if I am a bit cheeky!

 

[J.Mcpeak]

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f20/diy-tank-stands-pics-281373.html

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f20/double-tank-stand-286065.html

These have some further info, may help you out.

 

[Alan79]

The tank
From the working end.


A sad sight.


Excuse the mess behind the tank in the first shot.

 

[J.Mcpeak]

With regard to the mess

You can't make scramble without breaking eggs!

 

[Alan79]

It will be hard chewing those cuts
If you don't have a team of well trained beavers, Tools are probably a good idea!

(Cheeky so and so) that's why I have a certain nickname!

Enough fun and games!

Pics are a little unclear but at least you have a plan on paper, that is where all the best ideas evolve from.

Good luck with all of it, you know I'm on your team even if I am a bit cheeky!

The beavers sound like a great idea. At least i won't have to provide them lunch. I was planning on taking the wood to a karate class , not sure if the cuts will be neat though.

We also have a local mens shed (for skint buggers like me who don't have tools to work with and retirees who want company). It's a fully equipped workshop which is open for community use according to local radio ads. That is plan B if grandpa doesn't want to get involved.

Sorry about the image quality. My phone stopped transferring images a while back so I'm taking pics with a laptop It's the most basic plan i could come up with really.
I'll reinstall my old scanner at some stage if i can find the install disc and scan my plans so they're actually visible. The plan is only for the frame anyway. the 4 foot will sit on a platform 24 inches high. The 20's will be be about 5 inches off the ground unless make modifications.

Thanks for the support. I look forwards to the laughs i get from your posts.

Thanks for the tips on algae and fish transport by the way. I did start a 4h, 2h, 5h light cycle sometime last week to fight the algae. Results are encouraging but not as instant as i'd like. I have a three pronged algae attack. Snails, improving mechanical filtration and adjusting my lights. I may look at dosing glut too.

And because i can now, here is an image of my 20G on the 13/11.



And today (because i want to compare)

 

[J.Mcpeak]

Algae takes some fine tuning, once dialled in it is a sure thing.

Glad you like the laughs! Who doesn't?

Looks like you've got loads of options then, it can only be a success!

 

[Alan79]

I actually gave some thought to running a hydrogen peroxide bath through both tanks when i am moving my fish. You can do it fish in but i prefer to have them out. You dose a high level and run filters at a really high flow rate for about half an hour with media removed until the peroxide has reverted to O2 and H2O. The higher the flow rate you can get the better. The article i read said it can be done fish in but i'd rather not risk damaging my fish. Just something i'll keep in mind though. Some days i'm winning some days not so much.

The stand build should begin tomorrow. I have done a lot of the measuring and marking after work so things should proceed fairly quickly. I also volunteered to fit a new window pane at my sisters house so hopefully i can get that done fairly quickly and maybe recruit an extra pair of hands for my jobs I'll be fitting two more for her when she has the glass. It will save her about 110 on getting them fitted. She's getting recycled glass at a great price too.

I'm also tossing up if i should repair the tank myself and reseal the whole tank. I can get the glass for $10-$15 from the recycled building goods supplier and will have my piece on Tuesday. The quoted price for repairs sounds like it will jump up. The guy i spoke to on the phone wouldn't confirm the price for me so i ordered the glass elsewhere so i have a backup plan. I bought some aquarium safe silicone too. Would a 310g tube be enough to run for the 12-14 feet it will take to seal the tank? It's only $9 atube so another tube won't break the bank if i'll need it. I'd rather know before i attempt to reconstruct the tank so it's there when needed.

 

[J.Mcpeak]

One tube built my first tank 100x45x45cms, about 7 metres bead length, it is fairly straightforward, you're a hands on chap.

The reseal will use less than the construction. A seam should run all around the tank seams (at least below waterline) in one continuous bead. Wet doesn't stick to dry. Ie it is not watertight.

You have two choices, fit panel wait to dry, cut back the internals and reseal or attempt the whole lot in one phase, silicone is really slippery on glass. Like oil on Tarmac. You have about 20 minutes (humidity/temperature variable) before it forms a skin, don't fiddle with it after this happens.

Don't cut yourself! Have a roll of tissue handy for the silicone, it gets everywhere!

Good luck with your sisters.

Can't comment on hydrogen peroxide use, never heard of it. I don't believe in chemicals in tanks in almost any case. Most things have more natural remedies.