20 Gal FOWLR journey

[AJK]

Hello friends, I need to stay off CL, Lol !!! Bought a 55 gal tank today with stand, filter, sw gravel, rocks, etc..... A deal I couldn't pass up Just needs a good cleaning.

I began designing my 20 gal sump with skimmer, thinking this is an overkill for 20 gal DT. Have a beautiful strong oak dresser in my bedroom, was going to head to Petco, for $1 per gal sale to buy a 55 gal tank, problem is no where to put sump, got on craig's list and began doing some negotiating with several sellers. Finally, one accepted my offer. I picked up this tank/stand approx same price as tank from Petco. I was excited :bouncer: Today was my lucky day. Seller was being very generous.

So soon, my 55 gal sw adventure begins, stay tuned

 

[dmatt88]

Exciting. You have time to plan it right. Take ur time this will b fun. Now when u gettin the 125gal...?

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[AJK]

Exciting. You have time to plan it right. Take ur time this will b fun. Now when u gettin the 125gal...?

Hi Dmatt, thanks for visiting friend. I have to much time to plan, all my planning is making my wallet severly light, Lol !! Thanks friend, I'll try to slow down and enjoy. Happy reefing.

 

[dmatt88]

Hi Dmatt, thanks for visiting friend. I have to much time to plan, all my planning is making my wallet severly light, Lol !! Thanks friend, I'll try to slow down and enjoy. Happy reefing.

This hobby is great right? Ya start small n u grow as your wallet allows Haha.

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[Clownfishfan]

I can't wait to see the 55 and 125 running!! I love your yellow tail, DON'T get rid of him ! Does he have a name? Nice skimmer and clowns . What kind of sps you have ?

 

[AJK]

Sump in progress. Overflow cost me $15. As for toliet overflow tube, no stores had bulkhead in town. My brain at work, Lol !!! I bought additional rubber washers, cutting off top part of toliet mount. I'll probably end up ordering Eshopps overflow or bulkhead, if my design doesn't work.

Dollar store overflow

Collecting pcv for sump.

 

[AJK]

This hobby is great right?

Hi DMatt, absolutely fabulous

Ya start small n u grow as your wallet allows Haha.

Yup, went from 26 gal bowfront, to 20 gal high, now 55 gal, in 4 months flat. I need a 2nd job or a psychiatrist, Lol !! Happy reefing.

 

[AJK]

I can't wait to see the 55 and 125 running!! I love your yellow tail, DON'T get rid of him ! Does he have a name? Nice skimmer and clowns . What kind of sps you have ?

Hi friend, thanks for visiting. Thanks for compliments. I can't wait to see both tanks sw someday. I had a vision, when I bought 120 gal a few years back, but not the wallet size, Lol !!!! Thanks for lovin my yellowtail, I told em, and he's swimmin around on cloud 9,.

Actually I had 2, but one outgrew the other and became too aggressive. A member at the forum, named my first yellowtail Mr.Damsel, no name for 2nd one, unless you have one in mind.

All I have now is a Kenya tree/feather duster. My mushroom and candy coral didn't make it

 

[catran]

Wow, great deal on the 55g and stand! I'm going to have to start calling you MacGyver after your done with the overflow. Hope everything goes well. I've got my fingers crossed!


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[mcentire1123]

Great find on the 55 gal good luck on the sump!

 

[AJK]

Hi friends,
After many hours of thinking, change of plans, overflow build with pvc. Dollar store containers worked too, but wasn't happy with the look. Ordered glass to be cut today for sump baffles, will be picking up on Thursday, making a mess with silicone, Lol !!!! 20 gal long sump, would not fit into stand, custom 20 gal long to fit in stand cost approx $55, new stand with correct dimensions $120, so I built a mini stand for my sump. Stay tuned

Progress so far with pvc overflow

PVC overflow test, it works !!!

 

[AJK]

Wow, great deal on the 55g and stand! I'm going to have to start calling you MacGyver after your done with the overflow. Hope everything goes well. I've got my fingers crossed!

Hi Cat, I'm becoming a craig's list expert, Lol !!!! Thanks friend, I've been brainstorming like crazy, trying to figure out all the measurements. So far, everything is going smoothly Tomorrow, I'll be making a mess with sillycone, Lol !!! Happy reefing friend.

 

[AJK]

Great find on the 55 gal good luck on the sump!

Hi Michael, thanks friend. Hope everything works out smoothly, happy reefing

 

[Haaileybop]

I am loving watching your progress! I think your handy-skills could put some people out of business! I just put my fish in my tank and I am already like hmmmm that bigger tank looks nice. LOL. And craigslist is awesome, I found my RO/DI unit on there for $50.

 

[AJK]

Hi friends, bummer picked up glass for baffles, width is 3/8" shorter then expected. So, more glass being cut at the moment, only this time, I have exact measurements, Lol !!! Picking up new glass within the hour. So, this evening, I'll start making a mess with sillycone. I may have to seperate baffles 1.5"-2", I have very large hands, will not be able to fit between an inch. Over the weekend, will be selecting a return pump. Hopefully by next weekend, I can get the 55 up and running. Stay tuned.

 

[AJK]

I am loving watching your progress! I think your handy-skills could put some people out of business! I just put my fish in my tank and I am already like hmmmm that bigger tank looks nice. LOL. And craigslist is awesome, I found my RO/DI unit on there for $50.

Hi Haailey, thanks so much friend. Happy, your enjoying progress along with me. I love watching your progress as well, learned alot from your threads. Should have called my thread budget reefing, Lol !!! Craig's list is awesome with patience. Great deal on RO/DI unit. Happy reefing.

 

[AJK]

Picked up glass today for sump, but too tired to install Now, I have spare glass for future sump use. Now, I'm trying to figure out, if I should put skimmer in sump or hang on sump. Decisions, decisions, more research, decisions, Lol !!

 

[catran]

Aw, sorry to hear the first glass was short. You have the weekend to do the sump!


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[AJK]

Aw, sorry to hear the first glass was short. You have the weekend to do the sump!

Hi Cat, aww thanks so much for sympathetic thought friend. It was a setback. I haven't started sump yet, have too many questions, and not getting any answers, I called coralLife this morning, still haven't heard back from them. Hope all is going well with your tank systems. Happy reefing.

 

[AJK]

Hi friends, I haven't made any progress on my sump yet Over the weekend, I was thinking, skimmer will intake water from overflow compartment, skim, then return water back to the same compartment, before the fuge. So, skimmer will continously will be intaking water from skimmer out, mixed with overflow. Hope I'm not confusing anyone. So, I want to do is, extend the overflow elbow into the fuge section, just have to make sure overflow water does not go over baffle into fuge area, pump from skimmer will fill the fuge and return sections. But, I need to know the gph rating of skimmer pump. CoralLife has not called back yet. I don't know if it will work. My idea is, nothing but filtered clean water will return to DT. Probably not that critical, just somethin I thought up. Going to use ball valve to increase/decrease flow from overflow. I may just hang skimmer on DT. Just don't want a massive pump in DT.