New 29g Build Log

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WinnipegDragon

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Apr 9, 2007
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The parts are all ordered, the tank is here, and it's time to do a build log.

This tank will be a medium light, DIY CO2 system. I debating building my own stand but I got lazy and bought one. Here are the final system parts:

Aqueon 29g Aquarium
Hagen Stand
All-Glass Pine Canopy
Rena Filstar XP2 Canister Filter
TEK 2 x 24w T5HO Retro Lighting
Geismann 6000K 'Midday' Bulbs
DIY 4L CO2 w/ Hagen Ladder
Aqueon 100w Heater
21kg Flourite Black Sand Substrate

Today was spent prepping the stand and aquarium. I wanted to mount the retro lighting but UPS decided that even though they picked up two boxes from J&L in B.C. only one needed to be delivered at a time. The lights are in Calgary I think, hopefully they will be here on Monday.

Here is the stand, tank and canopy:



The Hagen stand has two small holes in the back, but I wanted a little more leeway, so I flipped the back panels to put those holes at the bottom for electrical connections and drilled 2 2" holes to run the CO2 and canister lines through:



Since this is a pressboard stand, unsealed edges are a bad, bad thing. The stand was glued together when built, but to be on the safe side, I ran a bead of black silicone on every single seam after the glue had dried.


This is hard to notice unless it's pointed out so I am happy with how it turned out, and it's certainly helped to calm my worries about using a pressboard stand. Just to be on the safe side, any exposed edges or other places I could not silicone were pained with Varithane Black Epoxy Plastic paint. This stuff *reeks* when it's drying, but it's completely waterproof.

I also put a coat of the epoxy plastic on the bottoms of the canopy. it wasn't painted very well from the factory.

Finally, I set up a little surgical theatre in my utility room.



Next the victim, err patient, was brought in.



Eight coats of Krylon Fusion spray paint later and we have this:



This stuff is fantastic for painting tanks. A nice, seamless black background that is completely waterproof. Combine this with the black sand and black stand/canopy and the colours of the fish and plants should really pop out at you.

So for tonight, the house smells of curing silicone, epoxy and acrylic. Tomorrow, I'll get the tank back on the stand and take a new picture for comparison.

Hopefully the lights will be here on Monday, and I can get the substrate rinsed and in the tank in anticipation of planting next week!
 

WinnipegDragon

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Apr 9, 2007
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And here it is with all the paint and silicone cured.




Now if UPS would just make with the lights we'd be ready to go.
 

lovemybarbs

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Dec 23, 2006
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Looks really good! :headbang2:
 

WinnipegDragon

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Apr 9, 2007
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Thank you for the kind words. I've been going nuts waiting to start my reef, so this is slaking my tank lust for now :)
 

WinnipegDragon

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Apr 9, 2007
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Yay my lights are on a truck for delivery today according to the UPS website. I'll have more pics up tonight apparently.

Update: My wife just called, and the lights are there!
 
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