# Project 75G - Low Tech - Looking for friends



## Grey Legion (Mar 20, 2006)

Howdy Folks, 

Long time aquarium keeper, mainly Freshwater & Cichlids. Tried salt water YEARS ago and loved it. Had to shut it all down due to moving, that was 5+ years ago. So I got bit by the "fish bug' again and this time considering saltwater. But.... I want to start it low-tech and on a monitored budget.

Now before anyone jumps in and says it can't be done, please keep in mind that low-tech & budget are relative terms and people have been doing it for years in order to get to the state we're at now. Also I have the means to buy quality equipment where needed and as required.

I want this to be a long project, like the BRS 52 week project which was actually what got me thinking about a marine tank again. They have some older videos where they basically start with a tank and build up from there. I really like this idea as it will help me learn about the equipment, why it is needed and will provide acurate positive results when installed and used.

What I have on hand is (4) 75G tanks that can be drilled. This is a "basement" build so it does not have to look pretty but has to be functional and tidy.

What I am missing is someone to enjoy this hobby with, after a long time away, many of the people I used to know are no longer active in the hobby. I know this may sound kind of lame but I really enjoy having someone to discuss things with as part of the hobby, also it will make my wife alot happier as she is the one I am yapping to non-stop.

So if you are interested in perhaps meeting and talking fish and how to do this project, please feel free to contact me. I will record this project as a vlog and it will be posted on youtube. FYI

Thanks for reading my novel and I hope to hear from you.


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## tom g (Jul 8, 2009)

*welcome*

dude ..... u just found your calling we are all fish nerds here . as for finding someone to talk to u found us .theres a great bunch of guys and gals on here who live and breathe this stuff .. start a thread and we will follow as for meeting and such ,that's always a possibility , surf thru the forum , theres a frag show this weekend in London ... great place to start talking . 
congrats and look forward to following your build 
cheers 
tom


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## Grey Legion (Mar 20, 2006)

Thanks Tom, 

yes, saw the post for the show and I may actually go. Still on the fence as I do still love Cichlids and they will be a heck of a lot easier for me to get bak into.

But I find myself always being drawn back to marine tank videos on youtube. DAMN YOU BRS !!!

I'll be sure to keep things posted here as to my progress.


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## Cichlidrookie (Apr 6, 2014)

That is me pretty much. I started with FW Cichlids and now I have a little PICO tank 5 gal SW. I LOVE MY 5 gallons way more then my 120 gallon Cichlid tank. 

Good luck with what ever you build or decide but that BRS looks awesome and since you are building in the basement you can set it up nice with a separate sump room. 

If you need any info or help just ask on this forum people are great.


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## Grey Legion (Mar 20, 2006)

Very cool, I hear you. I was actually thinking of going with a "all-in-one" system to start with, but since I have tanks I figured why not use them?

Just to be clear, this will not be a pretty build, my basement is unfinished so this tank may look "ghetto" for awhile....



Cichlidrookie said:


> That is me pretty much. I started with FW Cichlids and now I have a little PICO tank 5 gal SW. I LOVE MY 5 gallons way more then my 120 gallon Cichlid tank.
> 
> Good luck with what ever you build or decide but that BRS looks awesome and since you are building in the basement you can set it up nice with a separate sump room.
> 
> If you need any info or help just ask on this forum people are great.


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## fury165 (Aug 21, 2010)

Grey Legion said:


> Very cool, I hear you. I was actually thinking of going with a "all-in-one" system to start with, but since I have tanks I figured why not use them?
> 
> Just to be clear, this will not be a pretty build, my basement is unfinished so this tank may look "ghetto" for awhile....


Welcome to the club Grey! The AIO route is a good one, but may limit your urge to expand in the future (trust me, the future is very near in this side of the hobby). You already have the 74 so start with that... Sounds like you are already doing your research with the BRS 52 week series - boy I wish I had that when I started. Keep your eyes peeled on the FS forum, some of these guys have probably bought more gear (and sold it) than the clothes they own . You can certainly get good deals there too. Just do your research before hand.

HTH


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## Grey Legion (Mar 20, 2006)

Thank you!

Yes I am loving BRS their video's are top notch, you can tell they really care about the hobby. I will for sure be looking for any quality used equipment, but I have my eye on a few key products to start.

Thinking of this of my short list.
T5 or T5/LED combo for lighting.
RO/DI water for sure.
Carbon reactor
Skimmer

Need to learn how to make a 75G into a sump, and ensure I have the correct plumbing & pump etc...



fury165 said:


> Welcome to the club Grey! The AIO route is a good one, but may limit your urge to expand in the future (trust me, the future is very near in this side of the hobby). You already have the 74 so start with that... Sounds like you are already doing your research with the BRS 52 week series - boy I wish I had that when I started. Keep your eyes peeled on the FS forum, some of these guys have probably bought more gear (and sold it) than the clothes they own . You can certainly get good deals there too. Just do your research before hand.
> 
> HTH


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## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

Grey Legion said:


> Thank you!
> 
> Yes I am loving BRS their video's are top notch, you can tell they really care about the hobby. I will for sure be looking for any quality used equipment, but I have my eye on a few key products to start.
> 
> ...


Sounds like you already have higher tech than what I have, lol!

From what I have learned running a low tech tank, here are some key factors:

- a form of detritus collection and removal
- a form of nutrient export
- water movement
- light
- low stocking

The last part is relative. The heavier you stock, the more expensive equipment you'll need to compensate for the bioload.


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## aspiro (Jan 28, 2015)

This hobby is really multiple hobbies in one. It's a fish keeping hobby, a diy hobby, and oh yeah, as per other posts on this forum, it's a great way to satisfy a drinking hobby lol.

If you need help, I have plenty of power tools, and an extra set of hands


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## mensa (Nov 25, 2015)

welcome, thanks for the tip on the brs-52 series, this is the kinda info I can use as I'm building my second saltwater tank now (30 gal) and slow is good on the wallet
I'm going to follow this build with interest and may have time availability for a special project or a cup of coffee Im a pretty handy guy as I used to be a fabricator. my wife as well is a little tired of hearing about my hobby
please feel free to reach out

regards
kevin


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## Grey Legion (Mar 20, 2006)

Mensa & Aspiro

I would LOVE the help and I am happy to pay with coffee/beer/pizza & a round of blazing high 5's !!!!

My wife is already zoned out when I start any sentence with "you know what I'm thinking of doing..."

(30) premium 2x4's arrive tomorrow so I am actually ready to start building things ASAP..but I'm soooo worried I'll do it wrong, I over researched things which brought me full circle to confused 

I have changed my plan a bit, was thinking of starting as a FO setup to save some cost on lighting and allow me to research things. Go glass bottom with dry rock and allow things to set up slowly before adding any frags.

I have this DIY project in mind as well.
http://spec-tanks.com/how-to-make-an-aquarium-temperature-controller/

This way I can buy a whack of cheap heaters and bypass the internal thermostat... Not being cheap, just love DIY and thins project looks awesome...

So if you are free any day/night this week or weekend, just let me know. Please just ignore the state of my basement as I was tearing down old tanks etc..


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## Grey Legion (Mar 20, 2006)

Ha Thanks Solarz, but that is most likely my end result. I am no stranger to water changes so that will be my main equipment for a while. I actually like the idea of starting "ghetto" and making it work and grow not only in equipment but also knowledge...



solarz said:


> Sounds like you already have higher tech than what I have, lol!
> 
> From what I have learned running a low tech tank, here are some key factors:
> 
> ...


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## altcharacter (Jan 10, 2011)

Good to see another freshwater guy jump into the salt world!!! Every time I meet a freshwater guy I always tell them they should give up on freshwater and jump into salt. Of course they always tell me they love their FW tanks...and we all know that's a lie 

Here's a short list of people I know that have switch from FW to SW:

*Me!!
Tom G
Mattitude
Alex (fragcave)
Alex (Bigfishy)
Jaysan
TwobyTwo
GTAReef (Thang)
*

And the list goes on and on and on!

My suggestion to you is that you post what you want to buy in the marketplace section and see who has what. You won't believe what people have in their basements sitting around! I know I literally have like 5 heaters and I use to have about 100 pounds of dry rock doing nothing. All the rock went to people looking for some of course.

Also, take a trip around the GTA and meet a few of the members on here. The salt guys are all really awesome (except for 2 guys) and they would gladly hand you a beer when you enter their house. Take a look at their tanks and ask a thousand questions. EVery member here will tell you what they *WONT* do on their next tanks. So learn from their experience and take into consideration what they have to say.

You can only get so much experience from videos.

Lastly, did you know the 5th annual Salty BBQ is coming up in June? We usually get together once a year and chat about everything from your salinity to why the Leafs suck hard!

Good Luck!!


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## fury165 (Aug 21, 2010)

Add me to that list 


altcharacter said:


> Good to see another freshwater guy jump into the salt world!!! Every time I meet a freshwater guy I always tell them they should give up on freshwater and jump into salt. Of course they always tell me they love their FW tanks...and we all know that's a lie
> 
> Here's a short list of people I know that have switch from FW to SW:
> 
> ...


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## Grey Legion (Mar 20, 2006)

I agree, I try to obtain as many opinions as possible then base my decision on that. Of course many are subjective and "know-it-all" both those are easy to see from a mile away.. Not my first rodeo...LOL

I am very pleased that I have met many good people on this forum and I'm sure that list will continue to grow.

Once I get a list together I'll be sure to post what i am looking for, being a basement build "used" is the way to go..





altcharacter said:


> Good to see another freshwater guy jump into the salt world!!! Every time I meet a freshwater guy I always tell them they should give up on freshwater and jump into salt. Of course they always tell me they love their FW tanks...and we all know that's a lie
> 
> Here's a short list of people I know that have switch from FW to SW:
> 
> ...


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## Grey Legion (Mar 20, 2006)

Well the lumber arrived today at 7am !?! good thing I'm a early bird. Being that it was outdoors I'll leave it alone for a few days in the garage to slowly thaw out.



Now to figure out my layout...


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## swissgaurd (Sep 28, 2011)

welcome back did you forget everything i taught you

vic


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## Grey Legion (Mar 20, 2006)

Hey I know you !!

LOL, maybe a little bit slipped away..



swissgaurd said:


> welcome back did you forget everything i taught you
> 
> vic


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## mensa (Nov 25, 2015)

when's the build ? I might try to make it to help out


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## Grey Legion (Mar 20, 2006)

Actually no clue to be honest 

The lumber had some wet/frozen spots so I'll let it thaw for a few days/week

Still need to clean 2 tanks to get them ready.

But could really use a extra pair of hands, so I'll keep the forum updated.



mensa said:


> when's the build ? I might try to make it to help out


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## Grey Legion (Mar 20, 2006)

Update.

Area is now clear for new stand setup, now to figure out the following:

1 - Design & build stand to house (5) 75G tanks ( 4 tanks - 1 sump )
2 - Drill tank(s) and find internal overflow (learn how to drill glass)
3 - Design & build sump w/75G tank (learn how to cut glass)

Been googling for idea's, but still have not settled on anything, I can kind of see both sides of this hobby. The DIY and the [email protected]!k it, I'll just buy it...


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## mensa (Nov 25, 2015)

I hope you don't literally mean to build the stand/rack to the house, there's a lot of weight there your stand should be freestanding on the floor and not relying on the basement walls to provide any support of the weight.
But you knew this already


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## Grey Legion (Mar 20, 2006)

Ha! No, the stand is freestanding in the basement on a cement floor.

I would not want to put (5) 75G tanks on the main floor 


mensa said:


> I hope you don't literally mean to build the stand/rack to the house, there's a lot of weight there your stand should be freestanding on the floor and not relying on the basement walls to provide any support of the weight.
> But you knew this already


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## mensa (Nov 25, 2015)

I was thinking more like this rack being bolted to the foundation wall and pulling your wall down


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## ichy (Jun 17, 2013)

I have 3 of those controllers but I modified a power bar instead of using a receptacle.
This way you can modify 2 outlets dedicated to heaters and maybe another one or two for fans and use the rest of the other outlets for pumps, lights or whatever.
Looks a lot cleaner as well, otherwise you will end up with a huge box housing the controller and receptacles.
The controllers can be bought cheap on ebay. I got them for about $18 CDN.



Grey Legion said:


> Mensa & Aspiro
> 
> I would LOVE the help and I am happy to pay with coffee/beer/pizza & a round of blazing high 5's !!!!
> 
> ...


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## Grey Legion (Mar 20, 2006)

Cool man, sounds like a solid setup. I'm hoping to start the stands in the next week or two... I'll try to take pictures of my progress..



ichy said:


> I have 3 of those controllers but I modified a power bar instead of using a receptacle.
> This way you can modify 2 outlets dedicated to heaters and maybe another one or two for fans and use the rest of the other outlets for pumps, lights or whatever.
> Looks a lot cleaner as well, otherwise you will end up with a huge box housing the controller and receptacles.
> The controllers can be bought cheap on ebay. I got them for about $18 CDN.


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## Rookie2013 (Jan 17, 2013)

altcharacter said:


> Good to see another freshwater guy jump into the salt world!!! Every time I meet a freshwater guy I always tell them they should give up on freshwater and jump into salt. Of course they always tell me they love their FW tanks...and we all know that's a lie
> 
> Here's a short list of people I know that have switch from FW to SW:
> 
> ...


Thts a very deep insight...yes we are all here to help and get help. this is a place where we share our ups and downs in this hobby and still manage to move forward progressing every day...


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## Rookie2013 (Jan 17, 2013)

altcharacter said:


> Good to see another freshwater guy jump into the salt world!!! Every time I meet a freshwater guy I always tell them they should give up on freshwater and jump into salt. Of course they always tell me they love their FW tanks...and we all know that's a lie
> 
> Here's a short list of people I know that have switch from FW to SW:
> 
> ...


And yes I can be added to tht list too. From a successful 55G Discus tank to a 90G SW tank which got upgraded to a 150G SW tank in 7 mnth's plus now a 17G cube frag tank a secondary refugium oh man where do we stop lol


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## Grey Legion (Mar 20, 2006)

I agree, I am moving very slowly ( for a few reason ) while i'm a little frustrated by my lack of actual progress, my knowledge is growing everyday. In turn it means that when i do actually make some progress I can be almost sure it is in the right direction.



Rookie2013 said:


> Thts a very deep insight...yes we are all here to help and get help. this is a place where we share our ups and downs in this hobby and still manage to move forward progressing every day...


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## Rookie2013 (Jan 17, 2013)

Grey Legion said:


> I agree, I am moving very slowly ( for a few reason ) while i'm a little frustrated by my lack of actual progress, my knowledge is growing everyday. In turn it means that when i do actually make some progress I can be almost sure it is in the right direction.


Don't worry you are on the right track as they say in this hobby "Nothing happens fast in keeping SW tanks ".


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## Grey Legion (Mar 20, 2006)

Plans changed. Will be using a 150G as my display tank, but will not get it until June. Very pleased as this will allow me time to build a nicer stand without any pressure to rush..


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## Rookie2013 (Jan 17, 2013)

Grey Legion said:


> Plans changed. Will be using a 150G as my display tank, but will not get it until June. Very pleased as this will allow me time to build a nicer stand without any pressure to rush..


Wow Thts awesome congrats. Is it a cube or rectangle ?


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## Grey Legion (Mar 20, 2006)

Regular style tank


Rookie2013 said:


> Wow Thts awesome congrats. Is it a cube or rectangle ?


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## Rookie2013 (Jan 17, 2013)

So it's a 72" long


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Grey Legion (Mar 20, 2006)

Sorry 48" it's a tall tank


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