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29 gallon BioCube HQI with MP40 & custom stand/canopy


Mr Cob

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Ordered a 29g Biocube HQi nano last week from a LFS on store credit. Man it's so much easier to purchase something on store credit.

This will be my temp tank until we purchase a home for my black clown pair and some of my corals.

Going to run my MP40w ES on this tank for circulation.

MODS:

-Switch pump out to a Maxijet 1200

-Add a Truelumens LED actinic strip to MH

-Add a fan to the back hood

I'm having the stand and canopy built by Hobogato (Ace), here is the design that he drew up for me:

robstandcanopy.jpg

It will be painted a gloss white and drilled on top for fans. The entire canopy will lift up. Should be pretty cool.

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Ace sent me some progress pics of the stand and canopy today, he does great work and is very fast. The tank came in today and I dropped it off to him early this evening and within an hour he was already sending me pics. lol

molding pieces cut

DSC00577.jpg

stand frame

DSC00621.jpg

the stand is tall...the bottom of the tank will sit at 42"

DSC00622.jpg

door cut

DSC00623.jpg

ok, now I'm starting to get excited, I pretty much could not do this lol

DSC00624.jpg

this canopy will be on hinges, allowing me to reach entirely into the tank without obstruction

DSC00625.jpg

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haha! No sandstorms if I don't have sand :P Going bare bottom with this tank. The MP40 will obviously be turned way down...might actually not have to hear that annoying hum noise for once. Anyways, I have the MP40 so rather than let it sit waiting for a larger build, I'm going to put it to use.

Ace has completed the stand and canopy:

DSC00628.jpg

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Made a few decisions over the weekend in regards to this tank. I spent a lot of time just staring at it after I picked it up from Ace on Sunday.

So, after much thought I decided to run a sump on this, I have an old nano sump that I got awhile back, I've been using it as my top-off container on my 85g; intake and live rock in first chamber, hole will be plugged up, refugium with macro only in second chamber and return on the last chamber.

7256122350_4a7cb5b6f3.jpg

Overflow:
I will be using an Eshopps Nano HOB overflow in the 3rd chamber of the BioCube.

Skimmer:
CPR Backpak, got this a few years ago... It fit perfect on the back of the first chamber of the BioCube. It's one of those skimmers I just could never get rid of because it worked so well. The pump sits in the first chamber and the return outputs to the second chamber.

Fans:
I have 2 radioshack 3" fans on a 12volt ac/dc adapter, very quiet, that will pull air from inside the canopy and both will push the air out, the back of the canopy is open.

Background:
Wife picked me up a can of black pond foam so I guess I'm foaming lol. I don't want anything thick though so probably just going to do a thin layer to get some texture on the background. I will also install a piece of blue acrylic and foam around some of it to give the appearance of depth and the deep ocean. Pretty much the only way I could think to get some blue on the back black glass. I'm also going to foam most of the bottom and leave a small section in the front for sand, will have to kind of block it in to fight off the MP40.

More pics as these things play out. Just trying to make sense of it all in my head right now.

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Thanks jestep, Ace really killed it on this one. I cannot imagine it being any better.

Thanks, Jeremy... I can't wait to set it up dude! Trying to be patient and get the things done to it that I want to...but it's so tempting to just set it up already. lol

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So all you have to do is foam it?

I wish, just been gathering parts.

1) Just picked up all of my paint and finish for the stand and canopy

2) Need to paint stand and canopy

3) Just picked up the plumbing for the sump/return

4) Need to pick up black krylon fusion paint to paint white pvc plumbing

5) Waiting for Eshopps HOB nano overflow to arrive so I can figure out where the return line will go

6) Waiting on blue acrylic to arrive so I can foam the background and bottom

7) Let foam cure

then I can fill'er up...

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I would like the ability to run the tank on it's own when we move.

Once I get into a new house this system will not run with a sump and that type of attention will go into a much larger tank. I will keep this tank but it will just run as a normal BioCube. The sump and all the extra stuff I'm doing right now is just to keep my interest since this will be my only display tank for awhile.

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Pretty awesome man! u just gona use a filter sock in the sump or u keepin the biocube filter in there? i used truelumen strips on my biocube 14 and was not impressed, i would get the truelumen pro if i did it again but im not sure what ur doin with them lol i might hit him up for a stand!

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