Waucedah Joe's 140 Build

[waucedah_joe]

Here's what I've been up to the last few months.

Got this tank from Great Lakes Aquariums in Warren Michigan. Figured since I was in the area to pick it up The Wife and I might as well take in a Red Wings game. They beat the Blues to make a good trip great.

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r132/waucedah_joe/140%20Build/140Build-004.jpg


Stand frame in it's raw form.

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r132/waucedah_joe/140%20Build/140Build-001.jpg


Partially assembled.

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r132/waucedah_joe/140%20Build/140Build-002.jpg


All together.

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r132/waucedah_joe/140%20Build/140Build-003.jpg


Got a surplus Formica counter top from Larson's Custom Counters. Had it cut down to length so I had to redo the ends.

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r132/waucedah_joe/140%20Build/140Build-006.jpg


Painted all the raw wood white and put on the sides.

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r132/waucedah_joe/140%20Build/140build-015.jpg


I decided to build the front on a frame so I could remove it in the event I had to put in or take out a tank from under the stand. Here's a few shots of the frame assembly. You can see the counter top in some of them. The side has one coat of stain too.

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r132/waucedah_joe/140%20Build/140build-009.jpg
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r132/waucedah_joe/140%20Build/140build-010.jpg


Front frame complete.

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r132/waucedah_joe/140%20Build/140build-011.jpg


I screwed the front face to the frame from behind. Used the straps to pull everything tight first.

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r132/waucedah_joe/140%20Build/140build-013.jpg


Front face ready to stain. I hate making doors.

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r132/waucedah_joe/140%20Build/140build-008.jpg

Here's a few more photos of the progress so far.

Staining the front and doors

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r132/waucedah_joe/140%20Build/140Build-018.jpg

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r132/waucedah_joe/140%20Build/140Build-020.jpg


Test fit everything in position.

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r132/waucedah_joe/140%20Build/140Build-017.jpg

[waucedah_joe]

After I put on the trim, I had to take the front off and remove the doors to paint the backside. Well I've got the inside surface of the front painted, the trim on, and the final stain and poly applied so It's time to put it in place for good. I'm so close now I can taste it. (or maybe that's the cold Bush in my hand... whatever.) If you look real close you can see the reflection of the soon to be replaced 75 gal.

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r132/waucedah_joe/140%20Build/140Build-002-1.jpg

[youngtimothy]

Very Nice!!!

[kgood1]

Great start!

[ReeferRob]

Looking good, wish I thought to build a stand just a touch bigger than the tank. Keep the posts coming!

Go Wings!

[Sir Patrick]

Lookin good!!!

[iyachtuxivm]

wow nice wood work!

[waucedah_joe]

Thanks all.

I looked at literally hundreds of stands trying to decide what I liked and what I thought I could build. I saw one that had a tile lip around it and liked the idea of having the top of the stand bigger than the tank to keep the inevitable spills off of the rest of the stand and also somewhere to set things like acclimation coolers, test kits, beer, etc. I was just going to cover the stand frame with hardwood plywood when I remembered that I had a bunch of tongue and groove cedar left at camp from a ceiling project years ago, so that part was just out of availability and trying to keep the cost down. Luckily we had an early spring or I'd have been waiting for the snow to melt so I could get to camp and get it.

[waucedah_joe]

Cycle was done so, this was the big weekend.

Everything got moved OK, no casualties yet. When I got all the rock, fish, shrimp etc moved Saturday, there was 1 fish unaccounted for. Made sure it didn't go carpet surfing or anything like that when Jill asked, "could it be in the sand"? Well it had never done that before but it's a wrasse which are known to burry themselves in the sand for protection so I figured that could be a possibility. I left the old tank half full of water and left a heater and circulating pump going. Sunday morning still no fish. A couple of hours later, Jill says there it is, and sure enough he was swimming around the tank. I tried to net him 2 or 3 times unsuccessfully, then in a wink it was gone again. I went about other things until later in the day when I figured I'd start siphoning out the rest of the water and suck out as much sand as I could with the siphon. You can't siphon sand. Rats! So now I start raking my fingers through the sand looking for it. By the time I dug it out the water looked like a chocolate milk shake so there's no way I can see to net him. now I start scooping the sand out with a plastic coffee can and I figured once there was not enough sand to hide in I'd siphon out all the water and get him when the water got low enough to see it. I kicked him up a few more times while I was scooping the sand, missed him with the net a few more times when I just took a blind sweep with the net and got him. I put him in the new tank and he didn't look too good, but after 15-20 minutes he perked up and is still alive as of last night. I'll have to take some pictures tonight before the algae comes. I still have to do some more plumbing and electrical work but the stressful part is over for now.

[Mike]

very nice craftmanship on this

[Sir Patrick]

Glad ya found your wrasse!

[waucedah_joe]

OK, Pics is is.

Left Side.
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r132/waucedah_joe/140%20Build/Startup_004.jpg

Center
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r132/waucedah_joe/140%20Build/Startup_005.jpg

Right Side
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r132/waucedah_joe/140%20Build/Startup_006.jpg

Full Tank Shot
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r132/waucedah_joe/140%20Build/Startup_007.jpg

[MizTanks]

Sweeeet tank! Love the rock work!

[waucedah_joe]

Thanks tanks. Not real crazy about the right hand side. Kind of looks like a rubble pile compared to the rest but I ran out of nice shelf rock pieces. It is pretty open between the rocks though. All the bottom rocks are sitting on short pieces of 2" PVC for stability. I see one needs a little sand to cover it up. Then I used a long 1/4" masonry bit to drill down through the stacks and inserted fiberglass rod, (old bicycle flag), to pin them in place. I'm ready for an urchin now. :big_grin:

[Sir Patrick]

Really nice!

[waucedah_joe]

Thank you. I've never tried to build anything remotely like this before. Only took about twice as long as I figured. If I don't touch a paint brush for the rest of the year it'll be too soon.

[igot2gats]

Don't worry about your rockwork. Once you get corals in there, it'll be fine. Trust me.

I've seen numerous tank builds where you would laugh if you saw the original rockscaping. But, after all the corals grew out, you wouldn't think twice about how they laid the groundwork with their LR.

Awesome build already. Can't wait to see it with more life...