The not so budget, 25g add-on

[fishytime]

As some of you may already know Ive decided to plumb in a 25g tank to my 110g mixed reef. I have had a NNTC(no new tanks clause) in effect from my g/f since we moved into this house a year and a half ago. She has always really wanted seahorses and she has been upset with the direction Ive gone with the big tank. Ive removed all the softies and most lps that move and sway. (10000 gph and things that sway dont mix well.I say "the polyps on those sps sway and move" She misses the xenia, gsp and frogspawn that I used to have. So I told her if I did a smallish, inexpensive add-on tank, then she may be able to get her ponies and some other corals that sway and move......she said yes

Ok.....so phase 1 of the whole project is what ended up being the "not so budget" part of this build. The big tank's total system volume is around 130-140g and Ive been running a euro-reef RS135 skimmer. Some may say that the system is somewhat heavily stocked, so the first thing that would need to happen is a skimmer upgrade . After carefully measuring my skimmer section and going over the specs on the skimmers easilly available to me at RC, I had my choice narrowed down to two....a Hydor.....or a BK mini 200.....what would you get if you could?.....So.....gettin a BK *does geeky little happy dance*.....shhh...dont tell the g/f....about the BK or the happy dance

The BK is on back-order atm , but that gives me time to get the rest of the parts together and a stand built. So as Im sitting here one night looking at the sump area of the current tank I realize that a 12"x12" footprint skimmer is not going to go in the 8" of space I have between the top of the sump and the display above it..........Then I got to realizing what a pain in the butt this sump has been to work in and around..... so I decided to get a custom sump built.....The old sump was one I built from a 55g tank(48"lx12"wx20"t)....It was both too tall and too narrow....so the new sump is 54"lx15 1/2"wx15 1/2"t which works out to about 56G...not a huge change in volume, but way easier to work in (I will include the pics in this thread as well, as it is a integral part off this tank build).

[Abbyreefer]

your tank looks amazing.

[BlueAbyss]

Originally Posted by Abbyreefer

your tank looks amazing.

+1, can't wait to see how the horsy tank evolves

[Delphinus]

"Not so budget" That's awesome!

Should be great little project, can't wait to see more.

[fishytime]

Originally Posted by Abbyreefer

your tank looks amazing.

Originally Posted by BlueAbyss

+1, can't wait to see how the horsy tank evolves

Thank you both....I sure hope I can do the ponies....already iffy because of temperature issues....again shhhhh dont tell my g/f

[fishytime]

Originally Posted by Delphinus

"Not so budget" That's awesome!

Should be great little project, can't wait to see more.

I honestly thought(before I got serious and started really planning and gathering equipment) that I could do it for a couple hundred bucks....and if it wernt for the need for a bigger skimmer it probably could have been done for about that much.

I have to admit that I am farther along than the thread reveals....I was lazy starting this thread, so I am playing catch up

The tank I got free...literally from the alley....its wasnt a coincidence....Mikey(El Gauppo) recently moved and left the tank in the alley where he used to live....it spent a couple weeks back there, before I went and got it(leak tested it in the tub and it still holds water(I hope)). I waffled back and forth about grabbing it because Mikey had painted the back of the tank blue and this wouldnt work for my plans.....so it was like...."spend a couple hours scraping the back of the tank" or "just go and buy a new one for $60"..... Im cheap, so scrape the tank it is.


The add-on will go beside the main system (where the speaker is now) peninsula style.


The longer and wider sump meant that all the products and other crap that you see in and around the sump in the picture above, needed to find a new home... so....(this makes the g/f happy)



Heres the tank before scraping and clean up (which only took an hour)


then I punched three holes in it (middle hole is the return, outside holes are for a herbie style drain)

[Carmen]

Very cool Doug! Can't wait to see it set up with WATER!

[lastlight]

Rad dude. So you just have a pump in the sump pumping into the new tank and it gravity feeds back?

I think the best part of your amazing looking tank is the beautiful wood-skin you have on your stand. I mean you're a skilled carpenter so why wouldn't you finish it off. Impressive

[fishytime]

Originally Posted by Carmen

Very cool Doug! Can't wait to see it set up with WATER!

Me too....gotta build the stand.....thats about the only thing holding me up(got material for it today)

Originally Posted by lastlight

Rad dude. So you just have a pump in the sump pumping into the new tank and it gravity feeds back?

I think the best part of your amazing looking tank is the beautiful wood-skin you have on your stand. I mean you're a skilled carpenter so why wouldn't you finish it off. Impressive

Thats the idea... I have an OR 2500 that I will use for the return...for now....thinking on drilling the sump and and doing a dart with a manifold to feed things, but that an upgrade that will have to come later...



Have you been talking to my g/f, Brett??? Thats exactly what she keeps bugging me about....."when is the stand gonna get skinned?".....my excuses are numerous......some of which include; "I do carpentry all day....I dont wanna do it when I get home", "Im workin seven days a week and doing household chores and keeping up with the tank. When am I supposed to skin the stand" and my personal favorite excuse " you know when you have an old Camaro with the engine all supped up and chromed.....and you leave the hood off so people can see the engine in all its beauty....thats what this is like"

[Boomboy]

we have the exact same tank, except mine has no budget and yours is much bigger, its nice to be able to plumb smaller tanks into bigger ones. cant wait to see how this one turns out.