DIY Acrylic Nano Pix (Pic Intense)

[pookstreet]

Just wanted to share some pix of my 16 gallon DIY acrylic nano cube. This tank has been up and running for about 6 months now. It's basically a clone of the other nano cube but with an open top It's lit by a Hamilton 150W Reefstar pendant with an Ushio 20K bulb. I really like the blue look since I can't do any actinic supplement.

Here is a FTS from today.

 

[pookstreet]

Some of my favorite corals in the tank

 

[pookstreet]

More......

 

[pookstreet]

And some more........

Hope you guys enjoy! Thanks.

 

[Diana]

Nice!


Very sharp looking, and very healthy corals :mrgreen:

 

[Anonymous]

Sweet.


What happened to the overflow? Are pieces busted out?

Just curious because I am getting ready to make something like that.

 

[pookstreet]

Nice!


Very sharp looking, and very healthy corals :mrgreen:

Thanks Diana. I have been very lucky so far with this tank. Even tho it's small, all my corals have done very well.

 

[pookstreet]

Sweet.


What happened to the overflow? Are pieces busted out?

Just curious because I am getting ready to make something like that.

Yeah, when I finished my light stand and was hanging the light, one end slipped and fell on the teeth, knocked out a couple. Luckily, the other end was already hung and the pendant didn't fall into the water 8O One time I forgot to put something on the tank before I worked on the pendant. It still works fine tho, no difference. I'll post some setup pix tomorrow when I have more time.

 

[pookstreet]

Well, here are some pix when the tank was first set up.

 

[pookstreet]

I fabricated this light stand out of copper pipes a couple of months ago since hanging the MH pendant from the ceiling was too hard.

 

[pookstreet]

Then I painted it a flat black.

 

[Meloco14]

Wow, you have inspired me :wink: . I have had an old standard nano cube and for a while now I have been wanting something bigger and better, but no one makes anything that fits what I want. Your tank, is basically what I want, haha. So I am now thinking of copying you and building my own. What size acrylic did you use and where did you get it? And what type of glue did you use to bond it together? Also if you can give me any little pieces of advice that one would need when building a tank like that I would appreciate it. Great job on the tank, and the light stand was a great idea, and looks really good. And I also like the mangroves growing out the back. Thanks for the pics and ideas!

 

[pookstreet]

Meloco14,

Thanks for the kind words.

I used 3/8" but I would recommend 1/2" if you want an open top like mine. There is definitely some bowing. But if you are going to put bracing on your tank, then 3/8" is fine. I bought all my acrylic from S&W Plastics in Montclair. I know there are other plastics stores in other parts of LA prolly closer to you. I used extruded acrylic instead of cell cast b/c of the small size of the tank. It's just as clear IMO and cheaper. I was able to buy small scrap pieces. I think they only sell full sheets of cell cast.

I used Weld-On 4 to join the edges. It's a little slower working than Weld-On 3, so it give you more time to join the edges, especially for amateurs like me

You'll need a good tablesaw with a blade that has 60-80 teeth. Then lightly file and sand the edges to be joined. Just a few strokes, nothing excessive, or the edge will not be straight anymore.

Check out www.melevsreef.com for all the tips you'll need. Good luck.

 

[Meloco14]

Thanks

 

[dogstar74]

Very nice light stand. Good idea!
Nice tank too.

 

[Anonymous]

Very nice light stand. Good idea!
Nice tank too.

Ditto!!! How does the light stand look at the bottom? Is it attached to the desk it's on, or free standing? I'd like to copy your design for my new nano.

 

[pookstreet]

Thanks dogstar and Matt.

The stand is actually free standing. It's got a base that right now has a Rubbermaid tub sitting on it with some equipment inside to make it more stable. Here is a pic.

 

[Anonymous]

I know that the light stand won't come into contact with the tank, but seeing that much copper by a reef tank still gives me hives. [itch, itch]

 

[pookstreet]

LOL.......me too. That's why it's got several coats of black paint :wink:

 

[Anonymous]

That's a very attractive light stand, by the way. You know it would really be an eyecatcher with just several coats of clear lacquer. :lol: