5.5 Gallon

[showjyr]

I have a spare 5.5 gallon AGA tank laying around that I want to use fro a qt and throw a few corals in. The black plastic frame is broken. I was wondering if I removed the top and bottom plastic frame would it be usable? On a tank this size I wouldn't think there would be a lot of pressure on the glass.

 

[chrissaysyes]

I wouldnt recommend removing that bracing but on a tank that small I cant really say how much of a difference it would make. I would go ahead with it personally. Are you wanting to make a pico reef or a QT tank? You may want to weigh out which one you want more since you cant really use it for both...that is...it will function for quarantine but never a fully functioning hospital tank if a fish gets sick and requires some sort of treatment.

 

[showjyr]

Well turns out I had another 5.5 that's never been used.(I think I have too many tanks) I'm going to set this up as a QT for new fish but it will also be a pico with no fish. I just made a light fixture from stuff I had laying around. Only 26 watt PC but the ballasts will handle 40 watts if I want more light. Going to put some LR and sand in and a few softies. Will post a few pics tomorrow.

I'll keep the one without a frame around for a sick fish QT. I have no shortage of bits and pieces around.

 

[chrissaysyes]

Yup, I have an over abundance of bits myself It only leads to more tanks in weirder places

 

[showjyr]

Ok, after a wiring mishap and my computer deciding not to recognize my digicam i finally got some pics of the little pico. This was just a dry run with no water to see how it looked. I also need to find a place for it.....I've got MTS bad.

This was just a plain old AGA 5.5gal with back painted black. I used a set of flip up legs I had laying around and spanned them with a piece of painted tongue and groove pine. The reflector is a piece of stainless pickup bed rail cap(no bending ). I wired some 13 watt 50/50 pc lights into a pair of 13-20watt ballasts I had from a planted nano I used to have. I decided to piggy back the ballasts on the back of the tank to keep them off the light fixture. It just hangs on the back with a steel bracket I made. May get a pair of 20watt bulbs if I want more light. Going to throw in a 50watt heater and Koralia nano when I decide on a spot for the tank.

I have to thank Ski for the idea and I'm pretty sure I even used the exact same leg set.

 

[SkiFletch]

THEIF! Looks great. And hey, you did't fry the bulbs/ballasts like I did .

 

[showjyr]

Hey when your on to something good.....it's bound to be duplicated. Ha, I decided not to make mine from stainless after your adventure.

 

[chrissaysyes]

I wanted to do something very similar with the wood. I have two very large fixtures over one tank and I was wanting to break them down and combine them into one large fixture.

 

[showjyr]

It worked out nicely. I wanted to do it with a piece of acrylic but after thinking how much of a PITA it is to work with and get perfect, I figured what the hell....why not try wood.

 

[chrissaysyes]

ditto on the thought process I want to do more of a "box" so tank just has a big wooden box on top. The back may remain open though...going to take a good bit of planning for that adventure though.

 

[SkiFletch]

Oh yeah man, acrylic is a bear to make it look nice. Gotta be so careful with it when you cut it. *shudder*

 

[chrissaysyes]

I made ONE acrylic hood for my little bow front pico...I made it four times.

 

[showjyr]

I got nervous when I cut the 1/4 inch thick, $40 piece for my sump baffles. After I saw how the first cut went it was a breeze. However I was using a table saw with and 80 tooth, $90, finish blade

 

[chrissaysyes]

This convo is starting to inspire me to do my hood I've been wanting to do. Dunno if I will start any time soon, I dont really have anyone in person to advice me both in the carpentry and electrical areas I may require...not sure if it would be a legitimate move to just gut both of these fixture and then mount all the contents into a wooden hood. This is 390watts of power compact so I will probably have some heating/cooling kinks to iron out.

 

[showjyr]

Well, start a thread. I'm sure there are plenty here that know a lot about both. I'm not to bad with the carpentry side of things and the first one that comes to mind with electrical is Ski. With enough people helping/thinking it makes finding the kinks and doing a better job that much easier.

The worst that could happen is you spend a little $$$ and learn some things. Shoot for the moon man.