trukgirl's 65g build

trukgirl

Well... I don't think I want to remove the existing walls. I'd rather work with what's already there. I am almost positive the existing spot is large enough for the skimmer. Should I just skip the bio balls and go with a refugium for the macro algae, etc? How would anything be mechanically filtered then?

This is a goofy question.... but when I would go to do a water change... would I suck it out of the sump then, or the main tank? Or is it just personal preference, lol.

GradyBaby16

suck water out of main tank because of filtering and ease

trukgirl

Yeah, that makes total sense. LOL Thanks :)

On a side note... I have a thread going about this exact same thing to get a few more ideas on reefcentral since yesterday... 200+ people looking at their DIY section, and NO body has said 1 word to my thread.... kind of hard to believe... Poo on them....

GradyBaby16

lol i know, ppl are nosy then become to lazy to post

trukgirl

Some pics from yesterday....

Hubby modded and reinforced the stand. It had been sitting and wasn't very well taken care of. He added a lot of reinforcement and added the trim piece that is going around the front 3 sides of the top, to "hold" the tank in better and give it a more finished look.

trukgirl

Pics from this morning....

He repainted it (it was already black) with a high-gloss valspar black, and put 2 (3 in some areas like inside where the sump is) THICK coats of polyurethane. It shines like glass now!!!!

And the last pic is the beginning of the brand new hood.

GradyBaby16

well isnt he the handyman lol....WOOT WOOT lookin good nice and shiny im jealous ha ha

trukgirl

LOL! Thanks :D
Actually he IS quite the handyman.... he built his "shop" back there by himself... (that bldg that has Lowe's wrap on it, he just has to put in a cpl windows and the siding)

trukgirl

The hood is done! It looks great. I need to get out there and take more pics but it's raining. :P As you can see by that last pic it was a pile of plywood...now its a nice hood! :D

I bought several "parts" off Ebay... it was THE cheapest.

I got a Jebo 182 II in sump skimmer. Yes I know some people have ripped them but you can't beat the price... plus I think I mentioned this earlier but I found some stuff about slightly modding them with just a little screen and they whup name brand ones of the same size LOL. skimmer link $45 vs $100+

Got a no-name overflow box... but it is designed a lot like some other ones, such as the CPR...
overflow box link $40 vs $100+

I did get a brand name powerhead... got the Hydor Koralia Evloution 750 (like the Koralia 2)
powerhead link I only saved about $3 since marinedepot happens to have this on sale... (including shipping cost on both) but I still got it cheaper and added another rating to my ebay, lol.

I am still on the fence for the type of return pump for the sump. I found one thats 720 gph adjustable.

xrayjeeper83

jealous of your backyard and your tank