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Author Topic: Quarantine/fishroom rack build  (Read 4035 times)

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Offline guynamedfleck

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Quarantine/fishroom rack build
« on: April 26, 2017, 12:11:35 »
Thanks to Miles' upgrading his basement tank rack, I found myself with a surplus of old aquarium glass. Time for another crazy DIY build. This time around I have my eyes set on an overly complicated fish rack of my own.  Taking a hand full of 10g tanks and repairing a panel to get them back in service was too easy, so instead the plan is to break them all down and create a series of 20"x20"x12" (20G) tanks. This will then let me stack another row of narrower tanks above them for an interesting layout that utilizes all the available space.



Some initial sketches and math skills...




I started breaking down the tanks.

Trying to calculate the number of tanks I could make at 12" height and it was only going to yield (x2) of the 20g tanks. Then I realized that if I shorted them to 10" height (17g) I could use the bottom panels and make (x4) tanks.

Thats when I realized that I'm a hoarder! As luck would have it, the (x2) 55g tanks I recently broke down are the perfect size to combine with a 10g. The side panels are 20" x 12", exactly the same as the front and back panels on a 10g. Back to (x4) full size 20g square tanks! Then I thought it was blind luck, but the 55g front/rear panel were exactly the size needed to cut new bottom panels for the build! I was dumbfounded that I wouldn't need to order any custom glass. Thats when this happened... 



Yep, turns out that the 55g I thought was only tempered on the bottom, was in fact all tempered glass.  :alas:

In all honestly, I figured out the panel was tempered before it broke, but i had already scored it, so wrote it off as worthless.  There was some part of me that wanted to see it shatter, lol!

Guess I'll be ordering up some 20"x20.25" glass panels from Hemm's in the near future if i can't find some old windows.


Also, if anyone is looking to build a sump, I have all the side panels from the 10g's left over. I may make a couple of 5g tanks, but I've got roughly (x14) 10"x12" panels. They'll fit perfectly into a 10g tank, and should fit sideways into a 20 long, 29g. Let me know.

Offline guynamedfleck

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Re: Quarantine/fishroom rack build
« Reply #1 on: April 26, 2017, 18:45:02 »


Chugging along. I ordered the glass bases from hemm's, which should be ready tomorrow. I also spent some time cleaning the remnants of the silicone from the first 8 pieces of glass. should be able to assemble the first two tanks tomorrow.

Offline thepipbull

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Re: Quarantine/fishroom rack build
« Reply #2 on: April 28, 2017, 09:22:04 »
I knew it wouldn't be long for you to start on something ......lol   looks good

Offline guynamedfleck

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Re: Quarantine/fishroom rack build
« Reply #3 on: April 28, 2017, 10:18:40 »
I knew it wouldn't be long for you to start on something ......lol   looks good

Lol, yeah, I was just too excited to sit around once I picked up the tanks.  Though I may have gotten a little too much into the DIY mode. I found a foundry that was getting rid of an old 40"x 40" x 27" steel grinding table (fun fact, my jeep can 'just' fit a 40x40x27 steel table) and drove out to pick it up yesterday. Should be a perfect tank stand for a 48"x48"x13" (130g) using the old 55g glass sitting in the workshop! Pictures to come when I get a chance.

I also picked up the glass for the 20x20's, need to clean off the bench and start assembling!

Offline thepipbull

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Re: Quarantine/fishroom rack build
« Reply #4 on: April 28, 2017, 10:35:58 »
you have some work ahead of you..good luck cant wait to see the progression 

Offline guynamedfleck

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Re: Quarantine/fishroom rack build
« Reply #5 on: April 28, 2017, 15:26:03 »
I knocked together the first of the 20g square tanks this afternoon.



Laid out on the work table and one final pass with acetone to prep the glass for silicone.




Since these are more for show (and to practice for larger tanks) I went ahead and taped the seams on the glass to give a cleaner silicone edge.




Assembled, siliconed, and clamped. The extra bit of time taping up the seams really makes the siliconing process a lot faster. Similar to the last time; just lay down a bead, stick the panels in place, then follow up with another bead along the inside of the joined edges. Smooth it with your finger and peel the tape. Boom, instant clean edge! 



Also, here are a few photos of the new stand!



This thing is a beast! 2.5" angle steel welded and foundry tested. The intention is to use this as a base for the 130g build when i get around to it. Though after realizing that it will perfectly fit 4 of the 20g square tanks, I may get fancy and do a cool 4 corner table with the plumbing coming up through the bottom and a shared sump underneath?

Offline thepipbull

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Re: Quarantine/fishroom rack build
« Reply #6 on: April 28, 2017, 16:59:06 »
WOW cant wait to see the finished product
and man that thing must way a ton

Offline Agame43

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Re: Quarantine/fishroom rack build
« Reply #7 on: April 29, 2017, 10:25:09 »


Rock on, this is very interesting, great work.

Offline guynamedfleck

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Re: Quarantine/fishroom rack build
« Reply #8 on: April 30, 2017, 14:14:38 »
Two tanks down! Tank #3 will hopefully go together tonight.





#2 comes with a pre-drilled panel, gotta love that!

Offline guynamedfleck

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Re: Quarantine/fishroom rack build
« Reply #9 on: April 30, 2017, 15:42:14 »


Three down!  Might have to get a bit creative on the last one. A few panels chipped a corner during disassembly, so I either have to shorten tank 4 or come up with alternative glass.

Offline guynamedfleck

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Re: Quarantine/fishroom rack build
« Reply #10 on: May 01, 2017, 16:19:06 »
Cleaned up a little bit more of the glass and knocked out (x2) 6g tanks.  Since some of the 20"x12" panels cracked a corner when breaking down the 10g's, I opted to use them to cut 12"x12.25" bottom panels.  Assembled with the left over side panels, I've got enough glass to make (x4) smaller 6g tanks that are 12"x12"x10". Not exactly sure what I'll do with them. They could go onto the rack build. I could get (x7) of the 6g's on the top row, above (x4) of the 20g's.

Here's a group shot of the 5 tanks so far.


Offline guynamedfleck

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Re: Quarantine/fishroom rack build
« Reply #11 on: May 02, 2017, 09:31:54 »
The 20g's are out in the workshop for a water test.


Offline lazylivin

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Re: Quarantine/fishroom rack build
« Reply #12 on: May 02, 2017, 11:16:48 »
Excellent job, they look great

 

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