Pirate's Reef

[Anonymous]

Thanks everyone. I am trying. Wish I had a woodworking shop though. I am building this on my carport with basic power tools. I am off work this week and really need to get this nano project running so I can get some more work done on the 140.

 

[Anonymous]

More progress. Got the canopy roughed out today. Still have to trim the slats on the ends, fill nail holes, sand and paint it. Thinking about ordering some old trunk harware to dress it up a little more. Starting to look a little like Pirate's Reef now. Think I'll take a break and have a beverage. :beer2:

 

[reefman23]

Very cool... VERY unique. I love it!

Jesse

 

[AlexfromSATX]

WOW!!!!!!!!! :maitre

That Looks great!!! I wish I could DIY like that, but I simply don't have the patience! I'm an instant gratification person!

 

[Anonymous]

What you will undobtedly find weird is that I have a 140 gallon in the living room that is just sitting there unfinished - and it is this little tank that I am working on. The big tank is less about DIY than this one. I am actually enjoying this more than the other project - for now anyway. I sure hope it operates well enough to keep a few things alive. I hope you have enjoyed watching this progress - however slowly that might be. I know I have enjoyed sharing it. One day soon there will actually be something living in it! :strip

 

[Anonymous]

very nice and yep some old looking antique brass hardware an wow!!! wheres the booty!!!! yo ho and a bottle of rum...........

 

[TimSchmidt]

This is a beautiful tank. Maybe you can find some of that trunk hardware at an antique store or thrift store. Are you going to put the Jolly Roger on the tank somewhere?

Tim

 

[skipm]

WOW! I have been off the board for awhile because of out of state company so this is a very nice suprise to come back and see this update. I can hardly wait to see this thing stocked.

 

[Anonymous]

very nice and yep some old looking antique brass hardware an wow!!! wheres the booty!!!! yo ho and a bottle of rum...........

Well, it had to look the part. Actually hadn't planned to do the chest thing when I first built the tank. The whole thing is now out of control. Many hours have gone into making a 7.5 gallon tank. Insane.

This is a beautiful tank. Maybe you can find some of that trunk hardware at an antique store or thrift store. Are you going to put the Jolly Roger on the tank somewhere? Tim

Thanks. If I can find the right hardware then maybe a skull and crossbones would be appropriate. I am looking around. Has to look good.

WOW! I have been off the board for awhile because of out of state company so this is a very nice suprise to come back and see this update. I can hardly wait to see this thing stocked.

Thanks Skip. I just had to make some progress on this project, as it is dragging on way too long - and I have a huge empty tank in my living room that needs my attention. Got way more detailed than I had intended it. Glad it is generating some interest though. I was planning on painting the box black, but chickened out at the last minute. Stained it with a red mahogany instead, to match the stand. Painted the inside bottom black and inside top white. Don't have any pics yet. Hope to get some polyurethane on it tomorrow and finish the enclosure - unless I can find some nice trunk hardware somewhere.

 

[Anonymous]

More pics. Got the enclosure stained and painted. Just need to do a little trim up work under the canopy once the polyurethane dries on the outside. Still haven't gotten my 3" fans in yet. Other than final assembly and putting water in the tank, it is getting close to the end - and another beginning.

P.S. - Thinking about using these handles on the sides.

What do you guys think about the hardware?

 

[TimSchmidt]

Yaar. I like it. Maybe add a band or two of 1" wide black iron along the "hood" of the chest from front to back?

Tim

 

[skipm]

That looks fantastic. I like the hardware but when I pictured a pirates chest in my mind I thought about it having either leather or rope handles. I also think that putting asll of the hardware on it to make it look like a treasure chest will tkae away from the aquarium. Maybe just add handles and maybe the hasps (not sure if I would add these since it seems a single hasp in the center would look the best).
You color choice looks great, I applaud your choice.

 

[sadielynn]

What is left to say other than :bigthumup: :whoa:

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the compliments everyone. Hopefully the tank will look good with rock & corals in it. That would really suck if it didn't. :doh

A few more shots. Set the tank down inside the enclosure and took a few pics with pretty much everything together (except the fans).

I think the only hardware I will put on the cabinet is the side handles. Skip's probably right about too much decorations detracting from the display. After all, this was uspposed to be all black, except the corals & fish. Thanks Skip.

 

[TimSchmidt]

Absolutely stunning! Please let us see it with live stock in it.

 

[drty811]

tank looks awsome.......cant wait to see further progress

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks guys! Of course I will continue to post pics of the tank, as long as there appears to be any interest in it. Some of you have watched this thing grow out of nothing, so that wouldn't fair to not post more pics. I like it here in this forum, so ya'll would have to flame me pretty bad to run me off. :lol3:

I finally have all the plumbing glued up now, except for the little 4 watt UV light. Again, this little piece of equipment is probably 15 years old - but it does have a brand new bulb in it. Another addition to the system at no cost.

Also got the "DSB in a bucket" built and plumbed in. I got this idea from Anthony Calfo on RC http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=595109 and (hopefully), it will serve two purposes in this tank. 1st of all, since I went with the black sand for substrate that has no buffering properties, the aragonite sand will provide buffering. It will also serve to help reduce nitrates. The container will be filled up to about 4-5" from the top with aragonite sand (with some Mineral Mud on the bottom). The water level above the sand will be only about 1" - 2", with a steady slow flow of water across the top and water will exit through the outlet on the opposite side.

Anyway, here are a few new pics.

 

[TimSchmidt]

Man, that is a great looking setup. I love how all the things to keep a reef healthy commonly are larger than the reef itself (at least at this forum :lol: ). In the last picture, is the glass "box" to the left of your skimmer your DSB?

 

[EDGRAY]

WoW what a setup :shock: :shock: and the stand love the shape good just like a pirate tank..... what a great tank amazing... :shock:

 

[Anonymous]

Man, that is a great looking setup. I love how all the things to keep a reef healthy commonly are larger than the reef itself (at least at this forum :lol: ). In the last picture, is the glass "box" to the left of your skimmer your DSB?

Thanks again Tim! Yeah, this tank the support system is bigger than the tank and my other tank ( a 140) is just the opposite.

The glass tank on the side of the skimmer is the DSB container. It will actually hold about 3 gallons. So, it should be more than sufficient, according to A. Calfo. Now if I can only get some livestock in the darn thing.

WoW what a setup :shock: :shock: and the stand love the shape good just like a pirate tank..... what a great tank amazing... :shock:

Thanks! I actually made the tank suit my username. Didn't have any plans to do this when I signed up for the forum. Like I said before, it has gotten a little out of hand, but was fun doing it.