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Well since rescueing a RES & Painted we went to petland and bought a 75Gal tank for them. The male RES should be gone soon (zoo) too. Once he leaves we're planning on moving the painted over to the 55gal and bringing the two RES over to the 75gal.

I'm currently assembly a custom made stand (2x4's & birch wood). Should be done soon, then I'm going to work on building them an ATBA out of acrylic. Also the stand will hold a 90Gal if we ever upgrade.

Stay tuned for pics.

It's gonna have a 4+ w/ Carbon pads, 501 w/ biomax, and a mini water fall filter for two weeks. The FX5 should be here late next week. Planning on loading that up with biomax like the 404 on the 55G.

Progress!!!

Got the stand built:





Also ATBA:



Got a new super glue that makes a super bond with acrylic. No need for silicone with this setup.

Should be figuring where we want it and filling it within the hour. Look for more pics later!!

Specs on the ATBA:

11" x 22" area for basking and 10" high walls. Plenty of space for 2 6" turts.

Are you sure your tank will be OK on sthe stand? Some tanks need the base fully supported or they risk cracking.

i think u should be fine with that stand. the glasss on the bottom of tanks never touches the surface the tank is resting on. the weight is distributed on the trim at the bottom of the tank

seanwb wrote:Are you sure your tank will be OK on sthe stand? Some tanks need the base fully supported or they risk cracking.

The only part of the tank that touches the ground is that outer frame along the bottom. Which is fully supporte by the frame of the stand. Then there's also a piece of plywood across the top. I had it off for the picture so the pictures could show the frame.


The openings on the bottom of the tank don't actually touch the surface it's set on.

What brand of superglue did you use? I'm interested in making an acrylic atba somewhat soon. I didn't want to use silicone or the stuff that melts acrylic together.

Good progress so far as well.
Thanks.

grem89 wrote:i think u should be fine with that stand. the glasss on the bottom of tanks never touches the surface the tank is resting on. the weight is distributed on the trim at the bottom of the tank

It depends on the tank.

You are very right that some have trim and do not need supporting.

Others (cheaper) have no trim and much thinner bottoms. If you do not support this type evenly the bottom is virtually guaranteed to crack on a large tank. For obvious reasons, these tanks normally have a large and visible warning sticker.

Chrisbarnett wrote:What brand of superglue did you use? I'm interested in making an acrylic atba somewhat soon. I didn't want to use silicone or the stuff that melts acrylic together.

Good progress so far as well.
Thanks.

It's loc-tite brand super glue. You can get it at any hardware or automotive store. It bonds acrylic in less than 15 seconds. Let it dry for an hour and your done.

seanwb wrote:

grem89 wrote:i think u should be fine with that stand. the glasss on the bottom of tanks never touches the surface the tank is resting on. the weight is distributed on the trim at the bottom of the tank

It depends on the tank.

You are very right that some have trim and do not need supporting.

Others (cheaper) have no trim and much thinner bottoms. If you do not support this type evenly the bottom is virtually guaranteed to crack on a large tank. For obvious reasons, these tanks normally have a large and visible warning sticker.

The stand that was made for this aquarium was a joke (the one the store sells)! It was a steel frame with some 1/8" angle iron. My setup not only provides more contact area but is waaay stronger. So I'm definately not worried.

Looks good, can't wait to see the finished product!