My "small spring" tank project

[lizzardking]

Its the end of aug. and im still tying up loose ends but i wanted to show & thank all those who helped me the progress that has been made.
in no particular order:
BigSmokeShowJOE
NeO
smcnally
dz6t
marco67

this is the only pic i could find of the tank before i started. it was on a beautifully rusted iron stand and the fuge was fed via a large pump sitting in the dispaly tank

 

[lizzardking]

here is the *cough* final product.

It is made from maple, plywood,and some 2x4's
My favorite thing is the white marble inlay along the top and bottom trim. it makes the tank look really sharp.

 

[Moe_K]

Very nice! Sure is a big improvement.

 

[lizzardking]

the system is made up of 5 tanks;
55g display
30g tall fuge
10g sump (reverse lit)
12g cryptic zone
5g HOB fuge

 

[lizzardking]

here is my buddy splitting a marble tile to make some inlay strips

 

[lizzardking]

I wanted everything on the top of the tank removable so i have access to the tank when i need it. the wooden trim tops wrap around the tank's 3 sides leaving the back open for plumbing and mounting stuff. they easily pop right off. i mounted the lights in such a way so that i could to slide them out of the way on my own even if they are already on. The fan at the top is running of the same timer as the light.

 

[lizzardking]

i used 3 coats of poly on the outside of the tank and white garage paint for the inside

 

[lizzardking]

i am a renter so the whole time i was doing this project i was very aware that this would one day have to be broken down and moved. all the plumbing/wiring/woodwork can be split into parts and reassembled (i hope)

 

[lizzardking]

this is how the sump is set-up
return from the main tank comes in on the left by the skimmer
the middle returns are from the fuge and the cryptic zone....i have added a light and alage here and run this reverse-lit
on the right is the mag9.5 return
the sump is fully enclosed to reduce sound, a fan thru the wall helps to keep fresh air moving

 

[lizzardking]

the sound was very quiet but the only thing i could hear was the skimmer
so i decided to see if i could quiet it down

 

[lizzardking]

the hose runs from the kitchen to the mudroom. you can see it at the left of the pic curled up the wall so no debris can fall in
now the skimmer pulls fresher air too
you can really hear the skimmer when you walk in the front door now
i also have a 5g rubbermade frsh water topoff here
i added a airpump to keep the stored topoff water oxygenated

 

[lizzardking]

here is a pic of my cryptic zone. after 3 months im starting to get some serious sponge growth

 

[MikeG]

What an improvement. You did a great job!

 

[lizzardking]

here are a few pics of the tank's inhabitants


a few ricordia

 

[lizzardking]

flower anemone and passers by

 

[lizzardking]

RBTA and host
does anyone know why my clown fish is sucking on the anemone's tips? does he know something i dont?

 

[Yaktop]

Sweet!

 

[lizzardking]

this is my best grower so far
over 6'' across

 

[lizzardking]

happy as a clam

 

[Mr. Slippery]

That looks great. Very original and nice finish work.