DIY Monster Fish Tank

NU_WTF? · Jan 30, 2022

Peter Gozintite said:
I wonder if the holes you drill should be sized, based on how far away they are from the pump connection.

no.

Bayou Tiger · Jan 30, 2022

Parka said:
(Sung to the tune of, 'If I had a Hammer (and a ladder))

Parka · Jan 31, 2022

Bayou Tiger said:

Bah ha ha! Are you allergic to ladders too?

Well here's something that might cheer you up a little bit, it did for me.

The two pieces of glass in the front of my tank? (24" X 48") Together they cost me $260 and today the same pieces from the same company now cost $382!

I'm sorta having a do nothing day today, so far anyhow. I'm all anxious about all my deliveries that will be coming in this week and I can't stop looking at pictures of 'em!

I need to get my workshop cleaned up though but I'm just not feeling it. When I was making my cabinets I had the good habit of cleaning up every day at the end of the day. I need to get back in that groove.

Maybe tomorrow... and that's the attitude that got my shop messy in the first place, Bad Guide Bear, Bad bad Bear!

Bayou Tiger · Jan 31, 2022

Parka said:
Bah ha ha! Are you allergic to ladders too?

Well here's something that might cheer you up a little bit, it did for me.

The two pieces of glass in the front of my tank? (24" X 48") Together they cost me $260 and today the same pieces from the same company now cost $382!

I'm sorta having a do nothing day today, so far anyhow. I'm all anxious about all my deliveries that will be coming in this week and I can't stop looking at pictures of 'em!

I need to get my workshop cleaned up though but I'm just not feeling it. When I was making my cabinets I had the good habit of cleaning up every day at the end of the day. I need to get back in that groove.

Maybe tomorrow... and that's the attitude that got my shop messy in the first place, Bad Guide Bear, Bad bad Bear!

First thing you must do is make your bed every day....

Parka · Jan 31, 2022

Bayou Tiger said:
First thing you must do is make your bed every day....

That's funny but kind of true too. But you know what else? One of my deliveries came today that I wasn't expecting, oh the joy!

It's a tiny Danner pump exactly like their pond pumps but in miniature. It's rated at 19 watts and 195 GPH.
Here's a pic. I'm only holding it for size perspective. The 950 GPH that I returned is about the same size as the box is that the 195 GPH came in. I don't even know what I will do with this pump yet, alls I know is it's all mines! I turned it loose in the sink too and this thing can really move some water! It makes me feel pretty confident that the 700 GPH that will be delivered soon, that it will be plenty enough to push water through the under gravel filter.

Bayou Tiger · Jan 31, 2022

Parka said:
That's funny but kind of true too. But you know what else? One of my deliveries came today that I wasn't expecting, oh the joy!

It's a tiny Danner pump exactly like their pond pumps but in miniature. It's rated at 19 watts and 195 GPH.
Here's a pic. I'm only holding it for size perspective. The 950 GPH that I returned is about the same size as the box is that the 195 GPH came in. I don't even know what I will do with this pump yet, alls I know is it's all mines! I turned it loose in the sink too and this thing can really move some water! It makes me feel pretty confident that the 700 GPH that will be delivered soon, that it will be plenty enough to push water through the under gravel filter.
View attachment 59150 View attachment 59151

I used to have a 90 gal. marine aquarium that had a separate tank in the cabinet below that the top tank drained into. The bottom tank had glass dividers that created different chambers that the water had to flow through that contained bio-balls that did what your under gravel setup probably does...in the other chambers were other medium to treat the water...carbon and cotton stuffed down with a screen and coral on top to weigh it all down and then it went into the last chamber that contained a powerhead about the same size as the one you just got that had a 3/8" hose connected that would pump the filtered water up behind the tank and it connected to a diffuser that released it back into the top of tank. Worked great for years. Even had live rock in the tank.

Bayou Tiger · Jan 31, 2022

Something similar to this:

Parka · Jan 31, 2022

Bayou Tiger said:
I used to have a 90 gal. marine aquarium that had a separate tank in the cabinet below that the top tank drained into. The bottom tank had glass dividers that created different chambers that the water had to flow through that contained bio-balls that did what your under gravel setup probably does...in the other chambers were other medium to treat the water...carbon and cotton stuffed down with a screen and coral on top to weigh it all down and then it went into the last chamber that contained a powerhead about the same size as the one you just got that had a 3/8" hose connected that would pump the filtered water up behind the tank and it connected to a diffuser that released it back into the top of tank. Worked great for years. Even had live rock in the tank.

Before I decided on under gravel I was considering making exactly what you described. I'm just so unfamiliar with all the parts and pieces it seemed like a huge undertaking. I been reading more about them and down the road I might try it! And 'tanks' for sharing! Those salt set-ups are really pretty.

Bayou Tiger · Jan 31, 2022

When I was in college I had a 60gallon fresh water tank that I kept an Oscar in. When I bought the Oscar it was about an inch long. That Oscar got so freaking big! I could have filleted it and had a fish fry!

He would act like a dog....wag it's tail when I came back to my apartment. It would get so excited to see me it would jump out the tank sometimes. I'd have to pick him off the floor and put him back. That's how he eventually died...he jumped out and I never noticed until it was too late. I was pretty upset about it.

NU_WTF? · Jan 31, 2022

Bayou Tiger said:
When I was in college I had a 60gallon fresh water tank that I kept an Oscar in. When I bought the Oscar it was about an inch long. That Oscar got so freaking big! I could have filleted it and had a fish fry!

He would act like a dog....wag it's tail when I came back to my apartment. It would get so excited to see me it would jump out the tank sometimes. I'd have to pick him off the floor and put him back. That's how he eventually died...he jumped out and I never noticed until it was too late. I was pretty upset about it.

fuckin oscars!! thats how all mine died in the past (well except the ones that had ick from the store)

Parka · Feb 2, 2022

Bayou Tiger said:
When I was in college I had a 60gallon fresh water tank that I kept an Oscar in. When I bought the Oscar it was about an inch long. That Oscar got so freaking big! I could have filleted it and had a fish fry!

He would act like a dog....wag it's tail when I came back to my apartment. It would get so excited to see me it would jump out the tank sometimes. I'd have to pick him off the floor and put him back. That's how he eventually died...he jumped out and I never noticed until it was too late. I was pretty upset about it.

Man BT, that sucks about your Oscar! Just because it was a long time ago, it still sucks if you still remember it, and that goes for you too @NU_FTW

I have a bizarre fish death story that also suggests that fish have memory. And memory is a sign of intelligence, I can't even remember my mom's birthday!

Anyway, probably about the time you started college, I had an old 70 gallon tank and I caught about a 3 inch perch on a hook with a worm. I got it home and it and it seemed to adjust fine. I was probably feeding it guppies at first and after a week or so I dropped a small worm in the tank and the perch just want crazy swimming out of control banging into to the ends of the tank and after a minute or two at the most, that perch was dead on the bottom of the tank.

I have to think that that perch had recall of being taken from his place and had a heart attack.

Okay friends, I will check with yins later! Have great days!

Bayou Tiger · Feb 2, 2022

Parka said:
so I dropped a small worm in the tank and the perch just want crazy swimming out of control banging into to the ends of the tank and after a minute or two at the most, that perch was dead on the bottom of the tank.

Did you get the worm from the bottom of a bottle of tequila?

Parka · Feb 3, 2022

I made an oversight on my UGF. I put the inlet dead center at the one end of the UGF and that is also dead center in one of the round glass windows so I moved the inlet off to the side. And that was another big plus for NOT gluing the joints, it made the re-do a very simple task.

And I got two new pumps today! The Danner pump is for the under gravel filter and that other fancy pump is for IF I ever decide to add an outside pump in the design that @Bayou Tiger showed.

And yes, I have also been cleaning up my shop. The hardest part was getting started. The next hardest part is getting finished! :laugh:

Parka · Feb 4, 2022

I sorta lucked out yesterday. I needed special plumbing fittings to fasten the pump to the UGF and I was able to 'make' my own fittings and they are super tight and plenty strong. One of the fittings is just a short section of ordinary garden hose. This is so good because it might have been a week or two or who knows when I get another ride to the store, WTF Knows? Not ME!

So now there is nothing in the way of getting this thing ready for critters, well except I still need gravel. I have all the lava rock I need and then some.

Also, this is a hobby now and no longer a build so the priorities shifted and I'm also going to be helping Bunny take care of the other side of the downstairs. That would be what we call the front room and dining room and my job will be to finish that half of the first floor, to finish putting on the new baseboard and quarter round.

But anyway I got lucky yesterday!

TigerBait1971 · Feb 4, 2022

Parka said:
I sorta lucked out yesterday. I needed special plumbing fittings to fasten the pump to the UGF and I was able to 'make' my own fittings and they are super tight and plenty strong. One of the fittings is just a short section of ordinary garden hose. This is so good because it might have been a week or two or who knows when I get another ride to the store, WTF Knows? Not ME!

So now there is nothing in the way of getting this thing ready for critters, well except I still need gravel. I have all the lava rock I need and then some.

Also, this is a hobby now and no longer a build so the priorities shifted and I'm also going to be helping Bunny take care of the other side of the downstairs. That would be what we call the front room and dining room and my job will be to finish that half of the first floor, to finish putting on the new baseboard and quarter round.

But anyway I got lucky yesterday!

Lay that wood to Bunny and she'll start acting right.

NU_WTF? · Feb 4, 2022

Parka said:
I sorta lucked out yesterday. I needed special plumbing fittings to fasten the pump to the UGF and I was able to 'make' my own fittings and they are super tight and plenty strong. One of the fittings is just a short section of ordinary garden hose. This is so good because it might have been a week or two or who knows when I get another ride to the store, WTF Knows? Not ME!

So now there is nothing in the way of getting this thing ready for critters, well except I still need gravel. I have all the lava rock I need and then some.

Also, this is a hobby now and no longer a build so the priorities shifted and I'm also going to be helping Bunny take care of the other side of the downstairs. That would be what we call the front room and dining room and my job will be to finish that half of the first floor, to finish putting on the new baseboard and quarter round.

But anyway I got lucky yesterday!

You need a 3d

Wingsauce7 · Feb 8, 2022

Bayou Tiger said:
When I was in college I had a 60gallon fresh water tank that I kept an Oscar in. When I bought the Oscar it was about an inch long. That Oscar got so freaking big! I could have filleted it and had a fish fry!

He would act like a dog....wag it's tail when I came back to my apartment. It would get so excited to see me it would jump out the tank sometimes. I'd have to pick him off the floor and put him back. That's how he eventually died...he jumped out and I never noticed until it was too late. I was pretty upset about it.

NU_FTW said:
fuckin oscars!! thats how all mine died in the past (well except the ones that had ick from the store)

I had a big ol Oscar about 20 years ago. My wife shook me awake one morning saying she thought someone had broken into the house. After not believing her for a few minutes, I heard the ruckus myself, grabbed the ball bat and crept out to the living room only to find that fucking fish flopping around on the floor.

It lived, but was a little brain damaged after that. Not sure how long it was out of the water.

Parka · Feb 8, 2022

NU_FTW said:
You need a 3d

I don't know what those symbols all stand for?
The middle is an explosion

and the last one has snow on its head? Is the first one a printer?

I'm puzzled!

NU_WTF? · Feb 8, 2022

Parka said:
I don't know what those symbols all stand for?
The middle is an explosion and the last one has snow on its head? Is the first one a printer?

I'm puzzled!

LOL you need a 3D Printer. Boom. Mind Blown (mushroom cloud)

Parka · Feb 8, 2022

I have put together what I think is an ingenious pre filter/ water skimmer for my under gravel filter

I had bought and returned a pricey canister filter and I copied some of the design features and I'm pretty excited about it. I made it out of trash, and it is quite nice. The real test will be if it works like I hope it will. I have some pics and I hope I can explain it without confusion.