Bobby's tank build.
- Thread starter bobby
- Start date
Altohombre
The Tennis Pro Reefer
Fatman do you have a showcase thread?
My tanks are in clients offices and homes, I do not show case these. And I do not even show my tanks to my clients. If they want to see one of my clients tanks I contact that client and leave it up to him/her. As a matter of fact, other than my landlord only one other person has even been in my present apartment in the nearly four years I have lived hein it. My last apartment I lived in for 8.5 years and only three people were ever in it besides me. As a result of growing up in the sixties, a war, prison and three divorces and undoubtfully some other mental health issues, I do not share much with anybody my private life to include my tanks. No, I do not display my tanks on showcase threads nor will I ever. I do not put my tanks or clients tanks on brochures or advertisements. I spend too much time on tanks to need any more than one or two new customers per yer. If that bothers anyone it is their problem. I do keep very accurate tax information on every dollar I spend on my tanks, but I do not think that is what you want. If it matters to you or others I put approximately 7 to 10 thousand dollars into each 120 gallon tank. That is Alaska money which disapears faster than lower fourty eigth money. As an example: it costs just over $650 to get enough sand to Alaska to put a deep sand bed in a 120 gallon tank. Purchased locally that same sand would cost about $1400. For tax purposes what I spend on my, and customers tanks, is all the information I am required to prove to any one. I do spend more money on commercial tanks than my own and install some equipment on theirs that I do not use on my own tanks, mainly controls and top off equipment, doubled up skimmers and UV lights and internet connections with the controllers. So that is all I share other than knowledge, experience and opinion. I am not a 20 y.o., and I have learned a bit with over 20 years in the trade. :bounce:
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Altohombre
The Tennis Pro Reefer
I still think you should show it even if you are a hermit. I am sure we will be in awe of the work you have put in.
I am starting to get together what I will need to set up a tank for the ......... I might do a thread build on it as it is being built with public money and will be in a public building. It will have drilled back wall overflows and dedicated circulation loops running from drilled holes in the side walls, plus sump, skimmer, chiller, ozone, AquaDyne Controller and ATO. I finally broke down and decided to try a Tunze Osmolator for a top off system. A SpectraMeter will dose the two part calcium as the demands will be low, as the tank will be a cold water marine tank. Surprisingly there are quite a few coral varities growing in Alaska's cold waters. It will not have halide lighting.
bobby
I like to do bad things.
Sorry. LOL I have been super busy and have not got hardly anything done to it because of the extra classes and this stupid ICE testing I have to do (which I'm totally not ready for) Any way the only thing I have done since I last updated was finish another cabinet and tile the top, I also added a DIY 2x65watt pc light to it. I'll add a few pics soon.
bobby
I like to do bad things.
Here is the new cabinet done and tiled. I will change the rim of on the edge of the counter to a oak one to match.
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Here is a pic of the light I built. I made the housing and everything.
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BTW I finally got the wrasse I was wanting. Yes the carpenter flasher wrasse. Since I have been in the hobby I have never seen one for sale localy and was going to order one (sometime) but I just found one at a LFS on my B-DAY and the wife bought it for me! yay!!!! I'll add a vid of the new wrasse in a min.
Here is a pic of the light I built. I made the housing and everything.
BTW I finally got the wrasse I was wanting. Yes the carpenter flasher wrasse. Since I have been in the hobby I have never seen one for sale localy and was going to order one (sometime) but I just found one at a LFS on my B-DAY and the wife bought it for me! yay!!!! I'll add a vid of the new wrasse in a min.
bobby
I like to do bad things.
Heres the vid of the new guy. as you can see he is making good use of the caves I made.LOL
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RyanG
Reef enthusiast
Cool video bobby, I like the cave set-up what if anything do you do for flow in them? Welcome back by the way.
Bifferwine
I am a girl
That's a beautiful fish, for sure. Thanks for the update.
bobby
I like to do bad things.
Thanks for the welcome back, but the way things are going I think I will have more. This ICE testing is killing me. My teacher told me I shouldn't even be in it till I'm a 2nd year student. And when I'm going through it I'm lost, but I have no choice because without it I only have 11 credit hours and if I go under 12 I get kicked out.
Piggy
Reef enthusiast
Nice addition. Cabinet looks great.
Altohombre
The Tennis Pro Reefer
Bobby,
I kept looking for the cave and then all of a sudden the wrasse was gone. It was totally awesome. I can't wait to see it when you get coraline on that foam.
I kept looking for the cave and then all of a sudden the wrasse was gone. It was totally awesome. I can't wait to see it when you get coraline on that foam.
Great tile work with great colored grouting and edge trim on that cabinet. Those are, what about 2 inch tiles. Nice! Did you apply finish to the cabinet, or build and finish it? Either way it looks great. I really love solid oak cabinetry, floors and nearly all uses of oak. Is your Prism working out for you, lots of people downgrade the skimmers capacity all the way down to 30 gallon tanks. That is aluminum you used for your reflector I hope. Your definitely moving right into reefing.
bobby
I like to do bad things.
Yes they are 2x2 tiles. That made it easy I had no cutting at all. I did both finish and build. I bought the oak at Menards and built everything. Since I modded it the prisim is working great IMHO, but the prisim is on my 30L. On this tank I'm running a CSS 125 but am becoming more and more unhappy with it. I can only get really wet skimate out of it. I have modded it and raised the pump and still really wet. Then again it might only be this way because I only had two small clowns and 1 hermit crab, so probably not enough of a bioload. I don't know for sure. No is steel. Its not really a reflector, but more of a housing. As soon as I can find a sheet of aluminum I will redo it, because the steel retains way too much heat.
Try your local newspaper printer for aluminum sheets. Printing sheets are aluminum now and at least here in Alaska you can buy them cheap, you just have to clean the photo ink off them. It is not real thick aluminum, but you can double it up or more if you want it more rigid. The last sheets I bought wer 40 cents each. Each sheet is the size of one page of news paper.
bobby
I like to do bad things.
Thanks there is one about a half mile from here. I will stop in and ask.
yote
In Memoriam
Glad to see you back Bobby.
However I just cant figure out why in the world your going into HVAC when your a damn fine cabinet builder.
Great looking wrasse to.
However I just cant figure out why in the world your going into HVAC when your a damn fine cabinet builder.
Great looking wrasse to.
bobby
I like to do bad things.
HAHA Thanks yote but I never think my own work is good enough. I can always find something wrong. I guess we are our worst critics.LOL
The bad thing about being real good about something is you always know every tiny mistake you make and want to always do it over cause you now know you can do it better. Then the hard part is bringing yourself to charge what you should instead of minimizing its worth. I always had to have someone else do my price quoting, estimating and even price markups when running a retail store. I always felt I was overcharging even when I was working my tail off and had no money. I find it much harder being self employed then having someone else pay me for doing what I like to do anyway. That is really is great cabinetry though! Do you also do old fashion joinery like dovetails, mitered half-laps, mortise and tendon joints, etc.?
