# Craigslist Aquarium/1st Planted tank Journal 56kBad



## Jareardy (Feb 14, 2008)

Hey everybody just recently bought this 75G from a guy on craigslist and am going to be renovating it and creating a planted tank out of it. What it initially had was 2 bulkheads in the back of the tank (which I plan to keep) and a center overflow (which I plan on removing and instead leaving the bulkhead on the bottom for easy water changes). He also gave me his DIY stand project that was unfinished, so I want to basically cut it in half so its not so tall and put cupboard doors on it, etc.

For the aquascaping part, I have a lot of driftwood so I was thinking I could either have the off-center-to-the-left driftwood showpiece and have a small river type sand trail going from the left to the right diagonally across the tank. Or I could just have the driftwood in the tank and have rolling hills of the substrate I choose.

So this will basically be a huge DIY project for me and the first one I've undertaken. Any feedback or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Here are some pictures of the tank so far:



This is the outlet for the bottom bulkhead that I hope to be able to attach a hose to, in order to be able to add and take water out during a water change:



This was the overflow setup:



Here is the unfinished stand:



Here are some pictures of the driftwood I have to work with:

 

I will be adding to this as I get more equipment and make more progress on the DIY part. Thanks for looking!


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## Jareardy (Feb 14, 2008)

Can I have a moderator move this to the journals sections, sorry didnt see it before.


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## Jareardy (Feb 14, 2008)

Has anyone worked on a DIY clear PVC spraybar? Thats what I want to have on the right side of the tank going towards the front of it. So I'd have to connect it to the rightside bulkhead somehow too.


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

Those outlet fittings already installed on the bulkheads are far superior to a spray bar. They are more inconspicuous, allow you to easily direct the flow in any direction, and they reduce the velocity of the flow significantly. Are you going to use two canister filters? If so, just use one bulkhead for each filter. Then use the bottom bulkhead for the inlet line to both filters, with an extension on the bulkhead to get it above the substrate level.


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## Jareardy (Feb 14, 2008)

No, I was just planning on using one canister filter and having the left side bulkhead be an intake to the filter and the right side be a clear pvc spraybar. The center bulkhead would just be for quick water changes. That way I would have a 'river like' flow of the water in my tank.


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

It has been very hard for me to get a "river like" flow of water in my tank. When I first set it up I can sometimes get something like that, but as the plants grow they increasingly disturb the water flow until my "river" becomes a stagnant pool. I used a spray bar repeatedly trying to keep the river going, but never successfully. Eventually I always needed a powerhead to maintain reasonably good circulation. So, I gave up on spraybars and started using an outlet fitting similar to those that are on your bulkheads. I find it works much better, even though I still must use a powerhead to get good circulation.


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## Jareardy (Feb 14, 2008)

hmm, so it just sprays straight out to the glass surface in the front?


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

I have my filter outlet near the top of the tank, and it is pointed diagonally across the top, slightly up so it ripples the water a little. The Powerhead is low in the tank, in the other back corner, directed along the end glass and slightly down. It appears that all plants sway at least a little in the flow. With the dual outlet you have, near the bottom, I would aim one at the upper front corner, and the other along the side glass, then adjust them as needed.


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## Jareardy (Feb 14, 2008)

Okay, here's an update. Just recently was able to fill the tank all the way up and discovered that the left bulkhead from the rear leaks. Also there are some serious scratches on the front and side of the tank that I thought wouldn't be so bad once I got water in it. Well, they're that bad. 

So what I'm going to try and do is remove the bulkhead, apply some plumbers putty in the inside of it in case there isn't any and try to put a gasket on the back of it as well. For the scratches on the glass, after doing some research I came across something that's called jewelers rouge. People said that this works wonders on glass and so for $1 a stick I figure I might as well try it. Has anyone else ever used this before?


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## Jareardy (Feb 14, 2008)

Has anybody used jeweler's rouge before? I've been using it for about an hour now and can't really see any difference. Am I not using enough pressure/rouge??


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

If you can feel the scratch with a fingernail, the rouge isn't going to be enough to remove the scratch. That stuff is for very slight scratches only. You would need a range of abrasives to be able to remove a deep scratch.


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## Jareardy (Feb 14, 2008)

can you recommend some? There are a few that I can barely feel with a nail.


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## Mr Fishies (Apr 9, 2006)

I've seen this (or a process much like it) done to a car windshield, but I have no personal experience with this type of process on aquariums. When I read your post, I remembered seeing this page and the author's work to remove scratches from his aquarium (still with fish and water).

Removing glass scratches

You might have an "easier" job on an empty aquarium, but it still sounds like a lot of work.


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## Jareardy (Feb 14, 2008)

Alright thanks a lot for the link, I'm going to be checking out another tank here hopefully in the coming week to see if its in any better condition than the one I have now. If not I'll definitely try out the diamond powder solution he has on the site. I'll be sure to take before and after pictures too.


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## schaadrak (Aug 18, 2006)

If you use the procedure on that site, get a couple different grit sizes and work your way up from heavy to fine. It shouldn't take nearly as long as it did on the site.


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## Jareardy (Feb 14, 2008)

Just got my XP3 today from a guy on craigslist for $75 and its in great shape!! One step closer to starting the thing, I should change this threads name to cheapskating 101. 

Where can I buy Diamond Powder??? I've tried searching online and have had no luck whatsoever.


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## Jareardy (Feb 14, 2008)

Now that I've had a day to think this over, I'm actually considering just buying a new pane of glass for the front. I would be able to even buy starphire glass for relatively cheap. Because the tank is already shaped and leveled as well all I would have to do is take off the old pane that looks terrible and put the new pane on with some silicon that scolley recommends over at plantedtank.

The only thing that worries me is whenever something sounds incredibly easy it never turns out that way...


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## Afyounie (Aug 10, 2007)

I think that would be a good idea. I mean the biggest problem you would run into is the glass wasn't cut exactly right. But I would definitely have someone or maybe a few people to help, cuz glass can get heavy.


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## Jareardy (Feb 14, 2008)

Well in these next two weeks I should be getting some extra money in so I will keep you all updated!


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## Mr Fishies (Apr 9, 2006)

Jareardy said:


> Now that I've had a day to think this over, I'm actually considering just buying a new pane of glass for the front. I would be able to even buy starphire glass for relatively cheap. Because the tank is already shaped and leveled as well all I would have to do is take off the old pane that looks terrible and put the new pane on with some silicon that scolley recommends over at plantedtank.
> 
> The only thing that worries me is whenever something sounds incredibly easy it never turns out that way...


I have an old 50G that I resealed about 2 years ago. When getting prepared to do the job, I seem to remember reading that it was very important to clean off all the old silicone as silicone would not bond well to old silicone <?>. I was not too concerned since I didn't actually remove the seal between the glass, I only cut away the "chamfer" of silicone at the intersections and replaced that. (The tank used to house turtles which did a number on the chamfer with their claws).

For what it's worth, my tank survived my DIY sealing episode and is holding water still today. However, if you are removing and replacing a pane of glass, I understand it is _very_ important to ensure *all* the old silicone is removed from the joining surfaces (which is easer said than done) before proceeding with the new panel.

Found a bit of supporting info on The Krib: http://www.thekrib.com/TankHardware/glass.html#10


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## Afyounie (Aug 10, 2007)

If you need to remove the silicone, I think there are chemicals to do that. You could probably check into that.


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## Jareardy (Feb 14, 2008)

Nah, I found another tank that was cheaper than replacing the pane of glass and is more gallons!! Hooray! I'll post pictures of it once I get it on next sunday.


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## Seagul (Mar 27, 2008)

hey bro, if you removed that black acrylic overflow and would like to sell it, pm me im looking to build one for one of my reef tanks, but this would be easier.


awesome tank tho, good luck.


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## Jareardy (Feb 14, 2008)

ALRIGHT!! Here's my new tank (which is bigger, whopping 90G) and not a scratch on it! Just finished taking off the black background flakes with a razorblade and it looks nice.





Now all I need is a lighting setup and a co2 system. I'll hopefully start finishing that stand thats been sitting in the back yard for a month too. I'll try to chronicle everything with some pictures as I go.


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

Very good decision on the tank! You can make a light fixture using either T5 light kits or AH Supply light kits, but the T5 would be ideal, if a bit more expensive. You wouldn't be hanging around here in this forum if doing a DIY light wasn't somewhere in the back of your mind!


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## Jareardy (Feb 14, 2008)

Well, the day has come. I have finally been able to acquire everything I needed. I have my CO2 system setup, plants, substrate, and new tank.

I started tearing the stand down and have some questions. When I was removing some nails The end of one of the 2x4's split. Now is this a problem, or can I just nail it together and it should be okay?

Here's a picture of what I'm talking about, and there are also other small splits which I don't know if they would be a problem or not. Can any carpenter pros or anybody who's worked with this kind of thing before help?





Here's the rest of my equipment as well:

Rena XP3
Current USA Orbit 48" 4x65w
Azoo Regulator
20lb Co2 tank


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## sonaps (Nov 15, 2005)

It looks to me like you have 4x4’s in the corners of that stand. That should be enough to hold your car on. The split in the 4x4 is normal and nothing to worry about. If the wood isn’t treated though I would put some sort of water sealer on it. The 2x4 in the top pick doesn’t look like it’s ever been treated. I’m not sure about the split in the 2x4, it really depends on where it is on the stand. If its positioned horizontally on the stand and its purpose is to keep the stand from rocking side to side then I’d say its integrity has been jeopardized. That’s easy to fix with a little glue and a clamp though. I’d also recommend using screws instead of nails. Screws are easier to work with and hold better in my experience. When you cut those 4x4’s down make sure you get them all the same length and that the cut is perfectly square (easiest to do with a chop saw or equivalent). An uneven stand can be disastrous!


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## Jareardy (Feb 14, 2008)

Alright thanks, I'll start cutting today.


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## Jareardy (Feb 14, 2008)

UPDATES!!!!

Sorry for taking so long but I've finally been working on getting the stand completed.

Here are some updates, been working on the stand for the last two days. I have to say for my first project ever involved with carpentry I'm happy with my work. But there some areas that I'm not proud to show off. Enough talk, here's some pictures.







I know, I got tons of comments about my stunning choice of pink for the stand. I scared even more people by saying I thought it was a great color for it.


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## Jareardy (Feb 14, 2008)

hoppycalif said:


> Very good decision on the tank! You can make a light fixture using either T5 light kits or AH Supply light kits, but the T5 would be ideal, if a bit more expensive. You wouldn't be hanging around here in this forum if doing a DIY light wasn't somewhere in the back of your mind!


Honestly, I've never really like the way the hoods look. For my birthday I got that Orbit fixture, so I'll prrrrrobably be sticking with that. I have seen some nice hanging t5 setups though.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

Looking forward to your set up all completed.


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## Jareardy (Feb 14, 2008)

Updates:

Almost finished with the stand, just need one more coat of pain and then it's done. But in primering my stand I've noticed that the white and the orange looks really good. Has anyone ever had a white trim tank with a white stand before?





Also for the tank, the reason I left the middle kind of half finished is because I want to put a layer of white latex on that area to kind of give it a different look. If I don't like it I can just use a razor blade and cut it off.

I'm not going to use the wood in the first post. Rather I'll be using this to create a kind of underwater bush look and have it oriented to the left of the tank.


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## Jareardy (Feb 14, 2008)

Updates:

Got the tank and the stand in last night and started scaping today. What do you think? I plan on having Fissidens hanging from the branches and UG growing around it as a carpet.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

I think that will be very nice. I might stick a stem plant in the far right corner- kinda balances the void on the right.


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## Jareardy (Feb 14, 2008)

Used some krylon fusion spray paint to cover my rena intake, looks awesome. If you haven't done this yet I would strongly recommend it. What you see here is the gloss black color.

Well that worked out really well. It dries almost like latex, so you can peel it off if you don't like it. Here is a pic of the product.



I'm debating just throwing a bunch of fast growers in the tank and adding water to get it cycled while I am waiting for the carpet plants...

Here's another tank shot.



And here's my 30g that sprung a leak, just mocking me until I get this other tank running


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## Jareardy (Feb 14, 2008)

Decided to take apart my solenoid that was hanging in the open position even when power was off. Here are the results, I was actually really surprised with how simple it was once you get the cover off.






After testing a couple times after I had put the thing back together I heard that great 'ping' noise every time I plugged it in and unplugged it. When I tried to blow through it when it was unplugged there was no flow at all. needless to say I'm pretty happy about it. :thumbsup:


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## jmontee (Feb 7, 2008)

That's great with the solenoid. I did the same thing with mine and it has been working great ever since. Don't know if it's dirty or it just needs a little fresh air!!


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## monkeyruler90 (Feb 27, 2008)

wow, great pics. i personally love the orange color but thats cause those are my school colors. Orange and blue baby, national champions!

wow, its that easy to fix a solenoid? thats cool. i just bought my JBJ, i can't wait to get it started. 

have you thought about what fish are going in here? a nice school of tetras would look nice.
oh and ps. craigslist is amazing!


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## Jareardy (Feb 14, 2008)

monkeyruler90 said:


> wow, great pics. i personally love the orange color but thats cause those are my school colors. Orange and blue baby, national champions!
> 
> wow, its that easy to fix a solenoid? thats cool. i just bought my JBJ, i can't wait to get it started.
> 
> ...


Yeah, I'm thinking about some cardinals if I can find a good deal and a bunch of RCS or CRS if I have enough money. Add to that a couple white molly's and a albino cory, they're all from my old tank.


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## Jareardy (Feb 14, 2008)

Well, been thinking, just got my HC and when I went to plant it I started wondering if I should cut the wood a bit to make my tank more sustainable. Right now it would be hard to clean the glass as needed or prune some of these plants I'm putting in. I'm going to try and plant the HC and see what happens. If it is too difficult to work with I'll probably cut the shape of the bush a little shorter.


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## Jareardy (Feb 14, 2008)

Things have been crazy busy for a long time but now I finally have some time to devote to my tank and as a result I'm back at the forum!

Status update:
My co2 tank ran out during the fall quarter and as a result all of the HC that I bought and the UG died. I also have duckweed that is out of control and no fish left. They died when I did a small water change ~10% and didnt add any water conditioner. So I'm almost starting from scratch again.

Here is an updated picture of the tank.


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