TV being converted into 30g seahorse tank

[tim the toolman]

AS the title says i am taking an old floor model t.v. and turning it into a new seahorse tank.
Full Disclosure. I had turned this into a freshwater tank a couple of years ago and it was actually the first aquarium i had ever owned. Then as many of you can relate to it became an addiction which led to several tanks of many different sizes. That then led to a small saltwater tank and the eventual dismantling of my 5 freshwater tanks including the t.v.
After it sat in my garage for a year or more i decided to take it apart and rebuild it as a fairly basic saltwater system, just to facilitate my want for a seahorse tank. And also to keep the memory of the tank that got me into this hobby. So here goes. Any suggestions are welcome, but please keep in mind that i am endeavoring to use up some of the extra equipment around the house to make this a little more cost effective.
This is my dog watching the tv as a freshwater tank couple years back.


Here is the tank gutted and basically everything remover from inside.
I then took the old box from the frshwater system and cut it apart so that i could resize it and add a side sump/fuge/overflow/systems compartment.

here is my silicone heavy overflow with a small skimmer mounted beside it.

More pics to come.

[mexxedm]

You moved your big tank already? That was fast, Tim!
Nice TV.

[fishoholic]

Very cool, I love the idea

[rayjay]

If you don't already have experience with keeping seahorses, you can check out the links at the bottom of "My Thoughts on Seahorse Keeping".
They are written by experienced seahorse keepers from the "org" plus one important article by Dan Underwood of seahorsesource.com.
You will find that a 30g tank is sufficient for one pair of standard sized seahorses like reidi, erectus, kuda for example.

[tim the toolman]

Thanks for the info I will definitely give it a read. And any other info would be appreciated, I don't want to screw this up and cause any harm to a seahorse. I don't think I could forgive myself if I killed one.

And mexx. No I still have the big one running where it was, the pic of the tv in the house is an old one from before I had the big guy running. I think the tv will go in my office actually.

I will be posting more pics of the lights and possibly of the finished system today. It will just depend on how much golf I end up watching.

[Aysha]

Thats pretty cool! can't wait to see it when its done

[tim the toolman]

So i worked my butt off this weekend and got it all together and running.

added a t5 24" and some of those ikea LEDs to add a bit of color.

over head shot. I added a little spot to the overflow to hold some filter floss.also put in a 425gph nano powerhead. I hope this wont be too much flow. The return pump is a maxi jet 1200 on a small DIY spray bar.

Filled the side compartment with about 4" of crushed coral from an existing setup. Used liverock and livesand which was also from an existing system.

In the house and ready for water and liverock.

there she goes.

and one last overhead shot.
Now i just need to let her run for a bit and then its time for some ponies.
ANY input or suggestions would be appreciated.

[bignose]

You should turn the dials into switches.

[tim the toolman]

the power switch used to be my power when it was fw but i had to remove all the electrical components so i could maximize my tank size. As you can see in the pic, one of the knobs is missing because of this

[sphelps]

Love it

Are the T5s sealed from moisture?