My Aquarium Project

2008-11-25T11:04:00.000-08:00

I enjoy fishing and the outdoors as many other do. This project was born out of that interest. I spent much time digging around on the internet looking for examples of other diy aquariums, stands, and filters. The main factor was keeping price low, but as with most things diy you can go over you initial budget and have to keep the accounting department happy. She likes fishing too. I have not included specific instructions or dimensions to make these things. I just make them as I go and adjust for problems as I do it. Measure once, cut twice!

I have messed around with constructing lexan aquariums and did not have much luck on the first few tries, but I may come back to it on another project. I found a reasonable deal at a local fish store (LFS) called Uncle Bill's close by. The tank was a 55 gallon for $55. Much cheaper than I could ever hope to build for that price.

I quickly started building a stand for it. I used a simple 2" x 4" face and frame cabinet design, skinned with a 1/4" luan plywood - again cheap stuff, spending less than $50 for wood. I used pocket holes and lots of wood glue paying extra attention to strength. Sealed it up with several coats of a polyurethane stain. 55 gallons of water is heavy and makes a mess in house - don't skimp on the stand construction.

I left enough room in the stand cabinet for another 10 gallon tank to fit in the bottom for the overflow fitler. The filter is just a rubbermaid storage container with a pvc downspout 2 part expoxy glued on one end. The container I put 2" sand in the bottom and filled the rest up with pillow case stuffing from Walmart. The overflow tube from the tank go into the bottom side opposite the pvc downspout, so the water flows in from bottom to top (up flow) and across the container and out into the 10 gallon tank. The 10 gallan tank has a 500 gal/hour pump that pushes the water back to the tank. The system has ran for over a year without cleaning with crystal clear water.

A common issue with overflow systems are losing power and the siphoning effect pumping water out into your house. My 10 gallon tank holds enough that it holds enough water and the siphon from the return water tubing breaks, before it makes a mess. The return pvc pipe you want to be under water to reduce noise, but make some vertical cuts with a jig saw to help break the siphon, and still keep the noise down.

I used 2 different gravel sizes for substrate trying to get a natural look. I used small pea gravel and river gravel. These I bought at Home Depot. Make sure to wash, wash, wash, and wash again the gravel before using. It is both dirty and has PH issues to address. I changed out the water several times before putting fish in and checking PH.

The tank had a divider on top for support so I need to make 2 individual hoods. Again just made a simple 2" x 4" box at a slant - used oak 1/4" plywood to skin the hood and some small brass hinges. I does not seal well, but that is a good thing. It allows for the tank to breathe and prevents and fogging/moisture problems. I made the lights out of some cheap extension cords, round light bases, and low wattage flourescent lights all from Home Depot.

The overflow from the tank to the filter was a challenge. I did not want to drill the tank and did not want to buy a expensive overflow retail. DIY!! I stumbled upon a siphon overflow design made of PVC. I went with 2" PVC to make sure it had good flow rate. I also added a shut off valve that I have never used, never know! Once the siphon was established my design has not lost it in the 1 year I have used it. Some designs have a little valve on top of the siphon to prime it. I just dunked the entire thing in the tank and let the air out then installed the over flow. Adding the valve on top seemed like a sure way to let air in and would be the opposite of what the siphon needs. If you are into asethetic this may not work for you, but it functions great. If I let the water level get too low it makes some sucking sounds, but even that serves as a reminder to put in more water.

I added a small power head on the corner opposite the overflow to push debris and circulate water towards the overflow. The fish seem to like it and keeps the tank moving and interesting to look at.

I wanted a nice background. I looked at the pictures and stuff at the LFS but thought I could do better. Again dugg around on the net and found concrete backgrounds that are both functionally and good looking. I made mine using insulation panels. Glued 2 panels together with silicon and make some faux rocks in oblong panel cutouts. Used a steak knife to cut some lines and gouges for more character. I then cut it into 3 sections so I could install it easy. The small gap between the sections also made a spot to run air tubing. Make sure to make the background smaller than the actual size of the aquarium. Adding the layers of concrete add size. Putting the concrete on the panels was tricky. Water does not stick to styrofoam. I purchased a bag of portland cement and a seperate bag of sand. I had to prime the styrfoam for the concrete to stick. I used a thin mixture of water and portland cement, no sand. I took several coats of this to make a primer for the concrete. The concrete mix I made was heavy on portland cement, light on the sand, just enough to give texture, with 3-4 coats drying 30 min between coats. For the final layer I mixed in some charcoal coloring from Lowes and real charcoal/ash left over from a brisket I smoked the weekend before, giving a lumpy natural effect. Keep in mind the whole thing will get covered in algae anyway so it does not need to be perfect. It will feel like the background is flimsy - because it is. This is ok because you a not walking on it, just need to get it installed before you crack it, so be carefull not to bend or flex it. If you do just add another thin layer of concrete to cover the defect. Concrete has PH issues. After I installed it I ran several water exchanges with white vinegar to counter balance the basic PH of the concrete. Test PH before putting fish into any tank.

The tank was a quite a bit of work to get going, but has been maintenance free. I need to put some doors on the face frame of the cabinet, but just have not got around to it. I have not changed the filter and only have to clean the glass from time to time with a sponge to keep the algae off. In the summer I use it to keep bait minnows for fishing. In the winter I pull in my gold fish and chubunkins from the my diy pond in back of the house. I love it, the wife likes it, friends and family enjoy looking at. It is often the first thing I show when someone comes over.

I you are considering a similiar project - I say do it!

It was a project

My Aquarium Project