March 2009 POTM Contest

[Jason McK]

March 2009

This months subject: Ghetto DIY.

Show us your most embarrassing or true Genius DIY aquarium project

Requested, but not required, members should post info about their picture. This could include a picture title and camera specs.

Only the first 20 entries will be used, so do not delay.Entries will be accepted until March 23rd, 2009.

Entries to be posted in this thread, if you have troubles posting please email your photo to candjszoo@gmail.com and I will post it for you

[sphelps]

Haha, great idea. I'll go first.

This is all equipment I built when I first started, even had an inline phytoplankton and rotifer culturing system, beat that!



That's probably the tallest kalk reactor ever made as well.

[Jason McK]

That's wild. It looks like you have every sized PVC and Flex fitting known to man. But I bet it worked very well

J

[parkinsn]

This in my 944 watt 1/2 Ghetto 1/2 Genius DIY Light and stand

2x250w Ushio 10K MH PFO Ballast
6x54w T5HO 2 lamp Advanced Ballast's x3
3x40w Fans
Waiting for my piece of glass to block splashing
The reflectors are from a defective 4 lamp Cooper fixture, and im still thinking about getting individual reflectors on the MH's as well as mirrored plexie around the inside
The 4 panels around the metal stand are held with magnet strips on 1x2 frames with 1/4" rock panel
It may look ghetto but its better than my old fixture hanging from the celing and blinding me while im trying to watch TV.

Whole Shot



Inside



Side



Front



Top
1 switch for attinics 1 switch for the other 4 T5's the MH's are hard wired to the ballast

[cprowler]

This is my genius first attempt at plumbing a OM 4 way, that I later ditched all together.

LOL...Great topic!

[Snappy]

After seeing the "house" I'd love to see what this guy would come up with for a tank.

[Lance]

Originally Posted by Snappy

After seeing the "house" I'd love to see what this guy would come up with for a tank.

[Jay180reef]

Here's my ghetto DIY stand...the base is black steel square tubing, and I cut white styrofoam for the removable panels. The styrofoam makes the stand whisper quiet and they pop out for full access.
The hood is a unique design, I didn't like the look of a square hood, so I put some angles in the canopy. It's an open top, fans blow inward and draw the heat from the 3 250W MH and 4 T5 lights up and out. I think it looks cool as well. The hood is hinged on the wall so it is easily removed for maintenance.

Before paint


After paint

[sharuq1]

Yes, this was what we were using to hang the lights