$50 craiglist 225 tank/cabinet/canopy DIY refurbish

[Arkangel77]

Who said the neighbor could leave? dident he know you would need him for the entire day and it was his duty to be on standby? Its tuff when other folks lives hinder your projects. I run into this all the time! lol - I hope you can get some help soon there big guy!

Arkangel77

 

[CWO4GUNNER]

Well I have been asking for a fare share of help so I don't mined when my voice mail and emails dont get answered. people have to have their own time without being bothered too much.

Really wanting to get the tank inside I decided to just give it some thought while doing other chores like pulling weeds, cleaning up the wood pile, sweeping up all the leaves, and picking up 10 five gallon jugs of RO water. Drank some coffee and applied my ideas to do this without any help.

(1) I braced my knees against the cabinet and tilted the big tank on edge while on the stand and I could feel the cabinet pushing against my knees wanting tip as well. While tipped on edge placed a 2x4 underneath one end and gently lowered the tank back on the stand and the 2x4 which gave me clearance over the cabinet trim board to shove slide the tank back onto the truck.
(2) Then I spun the cabinet around in the opposite direction so the tank would be facing properly with it good side toward the front. Then I pushed the tank back off the truck onto the stand again and then called my wife to pull the 2x4 out while I lifted one end up off the stand (this is where I felt my shoulder blade strain).
(3) Then I braced my knees again and tilted the thank to shove the 1/2 inch foam bad underneath working from both sides to get it centered. had a couple close calls as the stand almost jackknifed on me with the tank tilted at 45 degrees.
(4) Now I had to lift the stand and the tank 5 inches off the ground to get my 4 old car wheel dolly's underneath the stand and tank, but how? I decided if I could tilt the tank on the stand surly I could tilt both the tank and the stand simultaneously but I knew I needed some way to make them rigid as one so I used my 2 green ratchet straps to secure the tank to the stand under tension. Then I was able to tip them both as one unit 45 degrees and place one dolly at each corner one at a time.
(5) Now with the stand and tank on dolly I secured the dollies with C-clamps and then cut a doorway threshold ramp 30" wide by 72" long from an old 3/8 inch plywood sheet used for dog shade (less shade LOL).
(6) The C-clamps really made the difference keeping the dollies from sliding out from underneath. It too some finesse and coaxing but the whole thing made it up and down the ramp and into the house carpet and is now siting in place. Now I just have to figure how to get the dollies out since the wall will not let me tilt the tank. Oh well Im too tired to think about that today with a gimpy wing, Ill sleep on it and figure it out tomorrow LOL.

 

[Mssisaac]

Wow, well done. Well done indeed. Good job.

 

[67chevelle]

Great job! :clap:

 

[JimL]

WOW! Fantastic! What A Beauty!

 

[FISHSHROD]

More pics please

 

[Navyscuba]

First of all nice to hear from you. I have been busy on the other forum. Well my old friend I can see you have been really busy. I had projects with my tanks as you may know but You win by a long shot. That's was a lot of work and a great find too. :thm: Lot of work but I think if it keeps your mind from the stress and issues from life is better than going nuts.:swear: haha Well like you know from the last time I have been breeding the Africans and now I'm supplying to a local petstore. I'm getting ready to expand my house tanks. I'm getting ready to build a stand to hold 10 tanks plus a sump and some other stuff. haha Birthday gift from the wife. Well nice to see you are doing good.

 

[CWO4GUNNER]

Hay shipmate, yeah this being one of those projects I had to get done or stare at in the back yard kept me busy and focused. But this is it for me as far as aquariums unless I get rid of a couple smaller ones. I have other projects like an RV that needs a head rebuilt so I can take off next summer and set the fish feeder LOL. Im glad your moving right along and wish I new how to breed AC's.

As I write this the tank is filling up behind me as I finally got the Harold over who helped me get the cabinet off the dolly's using a fulcrum and 2x4 to lift each end while I unclasped and pulled them out. Had to recharge the water softener to bring my supply hard water down from 850 PPM to 14 PPM Cal/Mag. Then I filled the tank just a couple inches before stopping to shim one side of the cabinet at the studs to get it level, the best I could archive was 1/16 of an inch difference between one end of the tank and the other, I hope that should be OK.

I'm not putting in any ornament or sand in even though I have it all already set aside and waiting until I get my filters up and running first (1 sump and 1 canister FX5) and just add a few feeders to start cycling the tank first. This it gives me more time to detect any leaks as a tank without ornaments will be much easier to drain and get working on if it springs leaks. God willing I just don't think its going to leak as I was as careful one could be and over sealed the tank, who ever heard of 1 inch corner and 2 inch bottom seals 1/2 inch thick at the center LOL (eight 10oz tubes of silicone $30).

It looks like Ill be transfering my 14 AF Ciclids from my 80 tall tank first becasue they are getting too big and crowded and secound becasue that 80 tank has a leak at the top rim in 3 places so I plan to drain to 1/2 way and do a top reseal only. You know me, if it ant all broken why fix it all LOL, just like this 244 tank as it still has the original top sides and center brace seals and holding well, although all the joints inside and out are new silicone.

harold and I found a dry bean size bubble in one of the inside corner seals, an obvious flaw when I used the spoon and diden't press down hard enough in that spot. Harold asked me if I was going to follow protocol and drain the tank and redo the entire inside seals over againe? I told him are you day dreaming my friend LOL, of course not, that bubble will be there dry as a bone probubly as long as I will be.

Tomorrow Ill post pics becasue they are too dark and grainy to do the tank justice tonight. Thank you and God bless AC members kind, helpful, honest, and uplifting posts.

 

[Navyscuba]

I just got back from getting the lumber for my stand and got 4 more tanks for $46. One 30 with all the goodies and 3 10's one is falling apart but I will use that one for drilling practice. I going to drill for overflows in all the tanks so need some practice. haha.

 

[CWO4GUNNER]

I mounted my 3 Walmart $8 fixtures complete with 24" florescent bulbs. Because the plastic fixtures are so light I was able to mount them under the canopy brace using Gorilla glue and clamps. Unlike my 120 tank where they are mounted to the door this has a much cleaner look.

But all was not perfect as I am draining the tank becasue apparently my placement of those leveling shims was premature, once all the water weight was on the stand it had the opposite effect making the shimmed side suspected as being too low, now too high by 1/4 inch. So im draining and will remove all the shims and refill for what I suspect will be an almost perfect level.

I must say this low iron glass that tank builder (Lee-Mar) used is much brighter and less green then my glass Oceanic 120.