# Mastercraft shelf unit 20 Gal shrimp build



## alstare2000 (Feb 16, 2013)

I had a thread going in equipment section about this but since my project of putting together and cycling tanks has ended. I wanted to provide few shots and updates in the best section of GTAaquria 

The unit is holding 4 x 20gal long tanks no problem I have put little wooden planks under the feet of the unit to distribute the weight on my laminate floor and to level off as well since the basement drain is near by so there floor was sloping quiet bit, also screwed the unit to the wall for safety. I have already spilled tons of water on the shelves and it just sits on the top of the grey coating so I'd highly recommend this unit.

I also squeezed two more 10 gal tanks on the side as well  so the space I had is used up well.

The empty 10 gal you guys see on top is used for WC so the water can slowly drip down into required tank using 1/4" air line and a simple valve it's siliconed in so I don't have to babysit the WC.

LED were dyi project made from LED 5M strips for low power consumption and even lower cost I'm very impressed so far how much light they put out also the brightness can be adjusted.

Air is driven by Tetra AP150 to 20Gal tanks and AP-4 Aqua supreme pumps to 10Gal ones. (AP-4 is very cheap pump I had sitting useless wouldn't recommend for anyone just had it so used it)

Where I didn't cheap out was of course substrate there is 4 bags of ADA Amazonia and 1.5 bags of inert white gravel. 

Each tank is using one big sponge filter and one smaller double filter that exhausts water/air to the side providing movement on the surface. 10Gal running only on 1 filter.

It was winter when I got the tanks so used semi gloss black latex for the backs, needed multiple coats but was quick and didn't smell  looks like it will hold up well.

Let me know if anyone wants to see the cost of this as it was not too crazy.


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## planter (Jun 9, 2008)

Nice little setup you got there. It looks great.


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## razoredge (Dec 31, 2011)

Nice setup.. It would be hard for me to manage the bottom tank on the rack.


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## w4x (Dec 13, 2014)

so how much for the system excluding the 10gs?


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## supershrimp (Dec 29, 2011)

keep the updates coming , rack looks great!


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## alstare2000 (Feb 16, 2013)

w4x said:


> so how much for the system excluding the 10gs?


Rack $100
Pump $56
Parts for LED Lights power supplies dimmers etc $80
4 20G long tanks and hoods $260
Sponge filters $50 (4 large and 4 smaller double ones) 
Ada Amazonia 4 bags $160
White inert gravel $25
Air line splitters valves ~ $30

All added up to about $760


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## jumpsmasher (Oct 1, 2012)

Looks great!


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## uslanja (Feb 15, 2011)

Very nice setup! Actually, very insperational! Wonder if I could get Tracy to agree to something similar? Hhmmm...... more tanks ;-)


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## alstare2000 (Feb 16, 2013)

It is wife approved lol.
One I wanted to put together using my carpentry skills using 2x4s and plywood that I would stain etc that one my wife hated it. Probably would cost close the same and would take me a while to do it. Advantage would be having different spacing between tanks as mastercraft one is limited.


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## brycon (Aug 5, 2014)

That's awesome.  I have two of those shelves but actually use them for storage. I think I will look at them in a whole new light now.


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