Epic Overhaul/Builds: 3D Backgrounds 300g-125g-120g

[JK47]

kribs are the perfect inhabitant for a small planted tank... such as the one you just set up (though curviceps, which I insist are distant relatives of kribs from across the atlantic, are just as good...

All my rare fish and I have never kept an oscar, angel fish, discus, a common pleco or a kribensis... In my defense I do have a glass banging swordtail that will check any CA cichlid, any day... seriously... (Jeff back me up here you have it on video..)

Speaking of which, I've got a buyer for my Uaru Oranges coming tomorrow. I'm both excited and sad. He's taking 4 of my 6, leaving me with a pair plus my regular one. I hope the split doesn't cause behavioral issues...

In case the smily thing takes over that was a red >> : ( << sad thing..


He has an awesome narrated 8+ minute video linked in his sig. Until I saw that in this thread I never knew he also had that tank. No disrespect to the giant ones, but that 810 might be my favorite... just wait til you see the crowd in there. (Oh, and mbu. My wife wants one now for our African tank... which is only 75g. Ha.)

I didn't catch that thanks Dave!

How thick is the overflow plastic?

1/4" thick at best. Very hard and you can tell it is mold injected.

I wonder if there's a grooved piece of plastic you could glue/mount to the glass that you could then slide the overflow into. Sort of like the sliding plastic pieces that allow you to fold glass tops on glass tanks... but only half of that, and the flat part affixed to the tank.

That is not a bad idea. Nothing on the overflow tower itself would work like that but I have done that in the past with chambers in sumps.

Or, glue something L shaped at 4-6 points inside the overflow, glue magnets to it, then put magnets on the outside?

Dang Dave you can type! I had to deploy the "red text" for the first time! . So the only issue I have with the idea of tile to hold the towers under the sand is that the gutter guard is not very strong IMO. If I can strengthen it somehow (enough to elevate the plastic tower), I can add the tile like I mentioned and be good to go. Thoughts on that idea? I was thinking of some type of dovetail fitting like you mention above but haven't even found anything to get me started on that idea. The tank is acrylic BTW.

 

[DaveB]

Dang Dave you can type! I had to deploy the "red text" for the first time! . So the only issue I have with the idea of tile to hold the towers under the sand is that the gutter guard is not very strong IMO. If I can strengthen it somehow (enough to elevate the plastic tower), I can add the tile like I mentioned and be good to go. Thoughts on that idea? I was thinking of some type of dovetail fitting like you mention above but haven't even found anything to get me started on that idea. The tank is acrylic BTW.

You already knew I'm chatty once you get me going...

What about punching some holes in the overflows? (I know they have lower-level slits... which I wish my built-in overflow had. I am not satisfied with the mechanical filtration in an overflow-fed anything in this 120)... if you were to do that, you could build a little rock pile or something and tie the overflows to that via the holes you drill in it...

 

[Muni]

fear the red text. A pair of kribs in a small planted tank is perfect. you know you want them.....

 

[Inglorious]

LOL, i'm working on the 30" tall , that should help out alot of peeps. As for the right side up instructions, im gonna call it the "Justin Rule", and start spray painting the back with...... TURN AROUND w/ a big arrow saying THIS SIDE UP.

I can't wait for the 30" tall background to be available. I had a background picked out for a 90g that I was going to build, but the tank purchase fell through which was fine becuse I ended up getting a much bigger tank, but was unable to get a background tall enough to fit.

 

[DaveB]

I wonder if I could talk them into building me a custom background for my center overflow tank... it's 48x24 with an overflow that juts out 5" and tapers at 45 degree angles to be a total of 16" wide...

Would look a heck of a lot nicer than the bright blue I have.

BTW, not sure if you ever go to this site, but this is a similar use of the BG to hide plumbing:

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?t=83201

 

[David K. Bradley]

I wonder if I could talk them into building me a custom background for my center overflow tank... it's 48x24 with an overflow that juts out 5" and tapers at 45 degree angles to be a total of 16" wide...

Would look a heck of a lot nicer than the bright blue I have.

BTW, not sure if you ever go to this site, but this is a similar use of the BG to hide plumbing:

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?t=83201

Maybe with a bit of persuasiveness DaveB. But then you wouldn't have proper bragging rights either, if you didn't do it yourself!

 

[JK47]

Moving forward on the towers. I figured out how to mount them, I will post pics of that in a few minutes. I used a sack of cable ties to hold everything together. I had to go buy black, I only had white..



I decided to mount the gutter guard on the outside of the tower so I had better contol over height.







My oldest son helped me with these and was excited I turned him loose on drilling holes.









My boy showing how it will be mounted in the tank.

 

[joecoulson]

I really don't know how you are so patient, you saw my DBN background right? Took me all of 20 hours to get it, cut, fit, silicone and fill. I am sooooo impatient when it comes to things I can control (not a cycle) But I can't wait to see yours finito! BTW, Matt needs more pics and I plan on giving him a vid of my background for the smaller tank customers out there. Great work and HURRY UP!!

 

[JK47]

I only have white PVC so I am heading out in a moment to buy ABS black. I am building a small cage and siliconing the cage to the inside of the tower to retain some structural integrity..





I finally have them mounted temporarily how they will rest inside the tank. I like it. Fuunctional and look pretty good.







This is how I am securing the overflows to the tank but still leaving me the abillity to pull them out to change things behind the towers at will. All four corners of the tank have a 1" ID hole in the top.



So I will put the 3/4" ID pvc pipe into a larger diameter piece siliconed inside the overflow. I will drop in the 3/4" ID pipe in like a door hinge.







The "lock" idea. Anyone see any fails waiting to happen with this idea?

 

[JK47]

I really don't know how you are so patient, you saw my DBN background right? Took me all of 20 hours to get it, cut, fit, silicone and fill. I am sooooo impatient when it comes to things I can control (not a cycle) But I can't wait to see yours finito! BTW, Matt needs more pics and I plan on giving him a vid of my background for the smaller tank customers out there. Great work and HURRY UP!!

Thanks man. I know I am taking my sweet time but this thread isn't just about the backgrounds, I'm overhauling my hobby. The backgrounds are just something I have always wanted to add to it.

If you think about it, this build thread cover 6 tanks in one shape or form. That's allot of work! (10g, 120g, 125g, 180g, 220g, 300g)