# DIY 20g High All In One



## coldmantis (Apr 5, 2010)

So I finally completed a project I always wanted to do which is to make a diy AIO tank. Someone tossed out a 20g high which required a reseal and a few days later someone else tossed out a 20g high that's pretty broken (bottom and back glass cracked). I have everything I need so I proceeded to plan out the AIO build. I managed to score a 24"x12" steel stand for cheap which I sanded down the rush and respray painted.










I dismantled the broken 20g high tank and used it's glass for baffles and back chamber. Drilled a hole for the return and did something I never done before which was to cut a slit in glass with a diamond cut off wheel, it was scary but success on the first try.




























Ordered a weir comb from the UK for the overflow part. Reseal the "good" 20g high but had a small leak afterwards, scrape everything off again and redid the seal which held water this time.










Did all the glass cutting required for the baffles and the back chamber, silicone everything and all compartment was water tight. Spray painted the glass with some Krylon Plastic spray that I know is aquarium safe once dried and painted the back, sides and a bit of the front black.



















Made a cover for the filter part and spray painted black.



















Did a final leak test and transferred most of the plants from my Fluval Spec V which was my inspiration for this project to the 20g high AIO. I'm probably not going to transfer the Bloody Mary's over since they don't look their best under dark substrate. Did a water change on my 53g rimless with a 29g sump and my 28g bowfront with a 20g high sump, clean the sump and took out all the media to squeeze into the WC water and poured it into my new tank.
































































Only thing left to do is to check the water parameters in a few days to see if it cycles quickly and to make some sort of guard out of fine stainless steel mesh so that baby shrimp don't swim into the filter compartment.

Thanks for reading this long novel I mean post 

*Equipment List:*
20g High
Corallife T5HO 2x 24w
Jebao DCS-1200 (set on lowest)
5lb Co2, reef regulator, smc needle valve, hook style co2 diffuser
ADA Amazonia 1 substrate
diy ATO with a 5g tank as water storage
Wifi power bar (schedule on/off, turn on/off over internet, voice commands with google home)
Rena 150w heater connected to a temp controller

*Media list:*
lots of 2" thick foam
filter floss
Pumice stones
Scrubby pads

*Plant List:*
Rotala 'Vietnam H'ra'
Ludwigia Palustris
Ar 'Mini'
Downoi
a Red forground/midground plant name escapes me right now
HC Cuba

*Live Stock List:*
Haven't decided yet but most likely a shrimp tank, for sure not Blue Dream or Bloody Mary's due to how they look in a dark substrate.


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## tom g (Jul 8, 2009)

*Awesome*

Awesome build thanks for the build thread 
Great ideas come from these


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## cica (Feb 10, 2013)

You did a very nice job. Thanks for sharing.


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## coldmantis (Apr 5, 2010)

A little update after about 2 months. I decided to keep Fire Reds in here and they are doing great, there is a population explosion. They were previous in a 7.5g cube with a Large HMF filter driven by a canister filter and they barely ever bred. In this one however they won't stop breeding.



















*9/8/2019 Changes*

*Plant List:*
Rotala 'Vietnam H'ra'
Ludwigia Palustris
Ar 'Mini'
Downoi (all melted)
Hygrophila Araguaia
HC Cuba
Phoenix moss
Buce

*Live Stock List:*
Started with 50+ Fire Reds, now it should be 100+


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

Awesome!!!!


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