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Unfortunately I am still working on my aquarium stand, building my overflows are next on my list. What I plan on doing... Leftover from another project, I have 1/2" thick flat PVC material which I will cut into squares and glue them on both end of a 3" PVC pipe. I am doing both ends to make it...

Agreed. I prefer my seperate garage instead of an attached structure which I use as a shop in warm weather and can still put one car in it during the winter. If I awoke and saw my garage on fire, I would calmly try to secure any cars parked in the driveway than call the fire department in hopes...

The wonderful thing about USA, we have a vast array of building codes to choose from :) Typically your local government controls building codes which are derived from codes developed by the state government. So your local government could create codes more restrictive but cannot overrule...

Just a reminder, most of the stress on a beam comes in the middle of the span ie: leverage. Another issue, have you thought about running plumbing to the tank? For my 75 gallon I am currently setting up, instead of buying a $80 Python water change system, I just connect house plumbing. No 5...

We have building permits. The issue I had, my house was built before they had proper building codes. By DIY, I saved alot of money so I didn't have to cut corners.

I fully understand, I was the idiot who bought an old house built before they had proper building codes in my mid-20's, the building inspector we hired was useless. What can you do if the cost of the house plus remodeling far exceeds the value of the house? What option do low income families...

Are you looking to buy an overflow system or are you a DIY person?

Glad I don't live in the UK, I have completely remodel my house with no permits/certifications. Using contractors with full permits is great until to see the total cost.

To increase the strength of the joist, you can cut 3/4" plywood into strips and glue them to the exist joist. This is an easy project and very effective. You can also nail/screw 2x6s between the joist, this will help to distribute the load to more joists and the wall. Personally I believe you...

Musk claims they are addressing this issue by making the satellites non-reflective. Personally I think the world would be a better place by running fiber optics trunk lines everywhere with 5G towers connected to them instead of a satellite system.

A local stream near me, now dry with the lack of rain in my area (western NY), has a carpet of small plants growing which would be perfect for my tank. I just assume this would not work in my planned tiger barb tank but who knows. I might dig some up and see what how well they do submersed in a...

If buying new.. Substrate, buy play sand at Home Depot/Lowes. All of the rocks I have used in aquariums was collected locally for free. I have an old unused hot tub filled with dead wood I collected locally, it's been soaking for 4 weeks. I estimate this will save me ~$300 for my tanks I am...

Become a craigslist warrior, check everynight/morning for any deals. The great deals such as people giving away stuff or moving/estate sales go quick. Four days ago, someone put a 30 gallon tank/hood on the curb for free. I doubt it is still there. Many of the aquariums I see listed locally...

It is difficult to compete with video games. I bought my kids a slot car set long ago but it was very lame compared to Need for Speed, Porsche Unleashed video game with force feedback steering wheel. As another poster suggested, set up the timer feature to limit their time found on many video...

Long ago my father-in-law bought my kids a telescope, it was a basic refractor scope. It was fun to look at the moon with more details but stars/planets were still just tiny dots in the sky. Kids were completely bored. I would suggest an app enabled scope ie: look at the image on your phone. If...

No tin foil for me, I use baking paper :) I love modern material such as PVC, this weekend I finished covering my exterior wood windows with white PVC. No more rotting of wood or painting. With the leftover PVC sheets, I plan on building a sump for my tanks. If I have any PVC leftover, I will...

My wife gets a bit upset when I heat up PVC pipe in the oven, she can be quite unreasonable :) With lots of aluminum foil, you can use a outdoor grill on low heat.

That's too bad, we have ~300 million doses to get rid of..

Long ago I had a 50 gallon (190L) Mbuna tank, the dimension of the tank were 36"x18"x19" (91cm x 45cm x 49cm). I created a rock slope using PVC pipe, the entire bottom was covered with 4"-8" rocks. All the Mbuna in the tank could find a home in the rocks, they seem to do quite well. Mark

Here is a strategy for ya, check craigslist offen and a complete saltwater system may pop up. Look Dad, here is a 55 gallon tank with a sump and skimmer dirt cheap! You may even get some fish!

Not trying to discourage you but there are 100s of sump for sale in the USA (look at ebay), they are so easy to build. Just buy a small glass aquarium and glue in baffles. I think you are underestimating the complexity of building your design, you have alot of different sized parts which have to...

Well there is a perfect time for a wife to make such request :) This June, my dear wife wanted and got an above ground swimming pool and we paid a premium with the pandemic, everyone was sold out for the year. She deserved it, she works very hard in a high stress environment, long term care...

Which is why I told my wife that I am getting a tank for my birthday, why ask the question if you don't want to hear the answer (No!). The 2 20 gallon used tanks I pickup cheap will just be that extra surprise :)

Issue with your sump. When the water level drops in your sump, the water exiting the filter area will create a waterfall. This will add bubble in saltwater and will outgass CO2 in planted tanks. Water will always seek the path of least resistance. If someone using bio-balls, the water may...

Speculation but I think your Dad wants a saltwater tank!

And just in case your Dad forgets, have him come online and we will remind him :) My favorite saltwater fish long ago was a Flame Angel but I would be quite happy to have 120 gallon tank with an Emperor Angel.

You got a great Dad but does he understand cost and complexity of a reef system? Or are you just dreaming about a saltwater tank ie: no coral? Suggestion, watch some youtube videos with Mbunas, African Cichlids from Lake Malawi. Very colorful, alot of fun to watch as they are very territorial...

I hope that solves the problem with the surface slime, sometimes it is a little annoying issue which impedes progress and inspiration. And I had fun thinking about a solution, I like the idea of using magnets to hold an overflow box. Mark

Another issue to understand concerning your plants, Immersed vs Submerged plants. Cut&paste time: What does Emersed and Submsersed Mean? Emersed is a term that describes plants that are grown partially in and partially out of water. In the case of aquatic plants, the roots and substrate are...

Understood. My wife is against putting a 75 gallon tank in an office space which she never uses and is a step below an oak floor made from reclaimed old growth wood. If some type of failure occured, the water would just run into the basement with minimal damage. There is also plumbing inside the...

Your tank looks great, you are starting out right.

Why is a sump out of the question? You could get an overflow box which will eliminate the need to drill your tank and will give you an very effective skimmer. With a filter in your sump, you can easily change the filter pad to remove the oily junk in your tank. What am I missing?

Speculation but one day you will grow tired of bucket system and will buy some type of Python system. If you take care of it, it should last you decades. So just buy one now.

I plan on getting the Finnex Stingray 2 with the review from Girl Talks Fish being a major factor, she has a Master Degree in Engineering which gives her credibility for me.

AdoraBelle Dearheart, A confession from me, when it comes to fish, I am the bad guy. The last time I had an aquarium was 25+ years ago when I lived a very active lifestyle. Do to my negligent, I end up with a tank filled with dead Tiger barbs. I made a promise back then that I would never do...

Yep, here you go, an Amazon Mermaid

Then please accept my apologies, that was not my intent.

Fair enough and I stand corrected, I should have stay with the herbivores vs carnivores argument. After consuming a large rodent, a snake may be quite happy for many weeks.

I hope I didn't offend anyone, it is an interesting topic.