Oscarr19's 100 Gallon System Upgrade

[Oscarr19]

It's finally time to start this upgrade!

So, for those of you who knew I wanted to start a coral business knew I had picked up a used 40 Breeder to start it off with. This is it:

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After some thinking, I realized if I wanted to start a business I needed a lot more gallonage and so I decided to keep my hobby for personal pleasure and not profit. For me, it still paid off as I now have a tank to upgrade to!

With only a 40 breeder and a 15 gallon sump, total volume would hit about 47-48 gallons and that just wasn't enough for me. I already was uneasy about the structural integrity of the tank, plumbing choices, and sump size. And so, I decided I was going to overhaul this kit.

My plans were to get a 65G tank, similar to the dimensions of a 40 breeder, but 8" taller. That alone would get me an extra 25 gallons.

The stand would stay, but unfortunately the opening is only 26" so I had to settle with a 20H tank. Assuming, while running it's 50% full, it brings my total gallonage to 75.

My final idea was to plumb a frag tank into the system. Ideally, a 20-30 gallon tank. Not only would it help me with water quality, but it would make my life so much easier only having to maintain one system instead of two.

So now we're here, the 40 breeder is sold and due to leave October 1st. There's a lot of work to do and I'm going to make sure I do this right. If all goes well, I'm hoping to have this wet and have my old stock transferred by January.

There are still a lot more details I want to share with you about my plans but for now I just wanted to introduce you to what's in store. I hope you guys will enjoy the ride from here as I share this little adventure

 

[Macscale]

First official reply of this thread.

On another note,
This is exciting

 

[Oscarr19]

It is indeed!

The first order of business is to fix up
The stand. It got a little roughed up during the move and needs a good sanding, filling, and paint job.

I'm actually putting together a small man cave in the area the tank is in. I'm going with a sporty look as the walls are already yellow which fits perfectly as I'm a Bruins fan. Jerseys hung up and all it's only fitting that I repaint the stand black instead of the current dark brown.

 

[Chefjpaul]

Nice! Looking forward to your build.


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[Oscarr19]

Just wanted to throw in the link to my current tank for any new readers

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/showthread.php?t=311031

I'll be working on the stand pretty much for the next week. Gonna have to fill, sand, paint, and add some nicer details to it.

It would be smart to also repaint the interior of the stand. Do you guys know what the best paint is to preserve the inside of the stand?

Here's what the stand looks like presently, including the inside with the 15G sump.

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[Oscarr19]

Well, it's time to get back on track.

Unfortunately, this won't be a 100 gallon system just yet. I decided to dial down this build until after the holidays, spring the latest. But, due to growth rates in my current tank, I'm going to be forced to upgrade to something anyway.

So, I picked up a brand new 32G aquarium kit for only 40$. This allows me to not have to upgrade anything, only have to worry about transfer, and allow me to have more space for livestock so I don't bore anyone to death. Of course, I'll still be slowly adding equipment to my build that'll fit into this tank and it'll still be a factor in my 100G system as the possible frag tank.

The tank will sit on the 65G stand and because of obvious size difference, it might be a little unsightly, but I can live with it for a few months.

All that's left to do is finish the stand and I can't start transferring stock. The stand is prepped for painting and I'm likely to get it done next weekend, this time for real though.

Sorry, for the long post but it's good to be active in this hobby again!


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[paul87]

Well, it's time to get back on track.

Unfortunately, this won't be a 100 gallon system just yet. I decided to dial down this build until after the holidays, spring the latest. But, due to growth rates in my current tank, I'm going to be forced to upgrade to something anyway.

So, I picked up a brand new 32G aquarium kit for only 40$. This allows me to not have to upgrade anything, only have to worry about transfer, and allow me to have more space for livestock so I don't bore anyone to death. Of course, I'll still be slowly adding equipment to my build that'll fit into this tank and it'll still be a factor in my 100G system as the possible frag tank.

The tank will sit on the 65G stand and because of obvious size difference, it might be a little unsightly, but I can live with it for a few months.

All that's left to do is finish the stand and I can't start transferring stock. The stand is prepped for painting and I'm likely to get it done next weekend, this time for real though.

Sorry, for the long post but it's good to be active in this hobby again!


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Hey a 32 is big compared to a 20! I believe you will thoroughly enjoy that extra 12 gallons even if temporary.

 

[Oscarr19]

Yeah I'm getting a little more than a foot extra in length and a couple inches more in width so it'll provide plenty of space for the time being. Plus, I've got my eyes on a few corals haha


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[Oscarr19]

Finally getting some progress in here. I really suck at painting though...

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[Macscale]

Finally getting some progress in here. I really suck at painting though...

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You should have seen my floor after staining the 55 stand. The cleaners yelled at me for making such a big mess.

 

[Oscarr19]

Yeah i made a mess of the slate rock on the stand. I have to sand a lot now or hope the doors hide most of it lol


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[paul87]

Looks good though. Glad to see it coming along!

 

[Oscarr19]

Here's the finished product it's nowhere near perfect but it was my first time ever doing something like this. I definitely learned what to do and not to do for next time.

All that's left now is to drill in the conduit pipe to hold the lighting, paint the back of the aquarium, let the stand cure for about a week, and last but not least, the transfer!

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[Mattyfelts]

beautiful work


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[Oscarr19]

beautiful work


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Thanks Matty!


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[paul87]

Nicely done. I like the slate, don't think I've seen that before on a stand.

 

[Chefjpaul]

That turned out sweet!
Great job.


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[Oscarr19]

Nicely done. I like the slate, don't think I've seen that before on a stand.

Thanks Paul. It was the previous owners idea but I really liked it as well. It was a real pain to transport though, it weighs a ton!

That turned out sweet!
Great job.

Thanks Chef, I appreciate it!


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[alyxandria]

Looks awesome! Wish I had that kind of creativity. I just screw some 2x4's together and I always plan on finishing them up nicely later on but never do lol.

 

[Oscarr19]

Looks awesome! Wish I had that kind of creativity. I just screw some 2x4's together and I always plan on finishing them up nicely later on but never do lol.

Thanks! I'm thinking of building a similar but simpler stand for the eventual frag tank. It would be cool to have the smaller "mini-me" next to the 65.


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