rebuilding my 37 gallon AGAIN

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vartz04

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Jan 15, 2009
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Well since I had a horrible experience with my first false bottom i decided a redo was in order.

The main issue I had was substrate falling off the sides of the false bottom and the water not being accessible so that equals rotting STINK.

This time even though i didn't want to do a GS wall i did anyways. Instead of the cocoa fiber method I decided to use krylon fusion paint (deemed safe by lots of sources such as people with reef tanks and other viv builders)

I used a hammered black finish for the main paint, tomorrow ill spritz it with some of the cocoa brown textured paint to make it look kinda dirty and more natural

I solved the false bottom issue by laying down my egg crate, and my screen, then running a beat of GS around the edge of the tank. this way its impossible for any to get under the tank. It also makes it impossible to take apart, but if it gets to the point that I would need to im draining the water and throwing it in a dumpster.

On the far right side I made a false wall and thats where my pump will be for the waterfall, the tubing runs through the greatstuff over to the left hand side and it will run thru the globs of GS and down into the water feature. (cross your fingers on that one)

here are 2 picks of it as it sits right now. the light i have in the hood right now makes the background look much more metallic than it actually is. Ill have to get a different one if the addition of the brown paint doesnt help.

S7300791.JPG S7300793.JPG
 

vartz04

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Jan 15, 2009
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hydro balls any any other substrate is just not economical in my eyes for anything over a 20 gallon. It would take 3 bags of that so $30. For $20 i bought enough egg crate and screen to a 37 a 10 and a 20 gal.

Thanks for the complements on the background. I like it its cool, and def. different.

The waterfall works I tested that today after the paint hit the 24 hr mark. Now time to put the substrate in and some plants, woo hoo.
 

vartz04

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Jan 15, 2009
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update

Plants are in (same ones from my 10 vert, i bought more than i needed for that tank in anticipation for this one

Substrate is obviously down and the waterfall is hooked up.

S7300795.JPG S7300796.JPG
 

vartz04

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Jan 15, 2009
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I took some moss, jammed it in a lot of the nooks and crannies to make it look more natural, thats it for the background though. For something at is eventually covered in plants its not worth the effort for me.
 

calivivarium1

Finished the fight
May 5, 2008
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Fresno, California
Its gonna be some time before that background is covered, but to each their own. Looks good and keep us posted
 
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