Supplies needed:

• 2 Paint brushes
• 3 cans of spray paint(black,grey,brown)
• 1 tupperware container
• Spoon
• 3 liters of fiberglass resin and 70ml of hardener
• Fiberglass cloth….. not mat
• Box of rubber gloves
• 1 sheet of styrofoam
• 1 liter of acetone
• 1 tube of GE I silicone
• 1 can of “great stuff” foam
• Blow dryer

Since i have a corner bow front tank, i wanted it to go into the corner. I also decided i wanted it to be a tree trunk with its roots extending out.

So on with the carving. I used just a basic knife with a serrated edge for all of the carving. First the trunk, which as i carved it, I kept changing my mind on the outcome so i did just a basic half cylinder and figured I’d do the rest once i see how the roots look. I also used the great stuff foam to hold all of the styrofoam together and it does a great job at that. After I did the trunk I cut up a few pieces of styrofoam and glued them together, then set them in front of the trunk to get a better idea og how it all was going to look.

I forget to take pics of some of the steps and progress, but i got most of them(Click To Enlarge)

After the carving and sanding was complete I fitted the background into a corner of my house to insure a snug fit. The carving and gluing took 3-4 hours over 2 days to complete and was the most labor intensive part of the whole build, however, its not all that bad.

So on with the fiberglass. I used fiberglass cloth, which is suppose to be a lot easier to work with than other methods. The directions say to use 10ml of hardener for every liter and it will cure within 3-4 hours. I used double that and it hardened in one hour. I would not use anymore than that though since it produces a lot of heat and may harden too fast and become brittle. Directions also say to apply the mixture to the part your fiber glassing over, then put the fiberglass over that and paint or smooth more resin over it. That seemed like overkill so i just dipped my strips of cloth into the mixture and put it directly onto the styrofoam by hand while smoothing it and shaping it. I did find that cutting the cloth into strips rather than trying to do it in big pieces was a lot easier. I cut mine into 3X8 inch pieces. I also made sure to where rubber gloves, which is a must.

After getting it all covered, I waited until it was almost fully cured and did it all over again.

This is after the first layer:

I then waited a couple of days to remove the styrofoam since I planned to use acetone to remove a lot of it. This stuff also stinks, but, it’s not as bad as the fiberglass resin. I removed most of the styfofoam by hand and with a knife, and then used the acetone.

Most of the styrofoam gone:

For the paint I used krylon fusion. I done the first coat in black, and then the second in brown. I then combined them both for a more mixed color before adding a light mist over grey over top of that. After painting it all, i sealed the whole thing in one more coat of fiberglass resin and used the blow dryer on a low setting to help with curing.

Upon placing it into the aquarium I felt it was far too shiny so out it came. I had to wait for the silicone to dry before giving it a light sanding to take the shine away. Once completed I siliconed the background into the tank.

Thanks to joey020283

Notes:

Cut List: The calculations below are based off of a stand that is “W” inches wide X “D” inches front-to-back X “H” inches high.

(2) Red – Upper Rails: Length = W
These will be sized according to length: 2X4 for 48″ or less for smaller tanks (Rule of thumb is 75g-90g); 2X6 up to 72″ with 125g-150g being acceptable; For longer spans and larger tanks 2X8s are recommended.

(2) Yellow – Upper Ends: Length = D-3″
Theses will be made of the same material as the upper rails.

(4) Green – Screw Strips: Length = H-2″
These 2X4s are shorter then the tank is tall.

(8) Purple – Uprights: Length varies:
- 2X4 Upper Rails: Length = H -7″
- 2X6 Upper Rails: Length = H-9″
- 2X8 Upper Rails: Length = H-10.75″
These 2X4s support the weight of the tank. The ones on the short sides of the stand provide a flat surface for attaching a plywood facing and while they do provide some strength, they are optional.

(2) Orange – Bottom Rails: Length = W
These 2X4s act to spread the weight of the tank over a larger area.

(3) Blue – Bottom Ends: Length = D-3″

Covering the sides of the stand with plywood will help to stiffen the stand against twisting and shifting. Doors can be mounted to the legs as desired.

So there it is. 21 pieces in 6 lenghts equals a tank stand that should fit the bill for most people. There are other plans out there but this is a simple design using simple tools and common wood sizes. It may not suit everyone’s application but it should fit the bill for most common size tanks.

Source

2. Cut the pipe to the size you would like for your particular aquarium.

3. Get some plastic plants from your local craft store.

4. Drill a series of holes for the sprigs of plants. Once you decide how the will placed use a hot glue gun to secure them.

5. Once the plants are glued you will need to keep the plants in place. If your aquarium has the middle brace create 2 loops, one on each side of the brace with zip ties.

6. Below is the finished product.

Enjoy!

DIY Coil Denitrator

A coil denitrator is nothing more than a cylinder with a coil of tubing and some bio-balls. This device works, and achieves the same denitrification results as the more complex and costly commercial units, but much more easily, as well as naturally. A coil denitrator takes 5 to 6 weeks to cycle (yes, they cycle just like the tank). The quantity of product that is processed, (nitrate) is truly amazing, considering how once established there isn’t anything more to do! So how does this happen? As oxygen rich water is pumped into (G) and enters the top of the unit (A) it is forced to spiral down through the layers of plastic coil tubing (E) until exiting within the center of the cylinder (C). As the water level increases within the body of the unit, the bioballs (F) become host to the millions of colonies of bacteria that commence multiplying. As the water reaches back up to the top, it exits through the other fitting (B), the one not internally connected that runs back to your sump or display tank. So? So, as the water slowly works it’s way down the spiral, the O-2 is consumed by the AEROBIC (living only in the presence of oxygen) bacteria, the same ones that are in your filter and make all the life possible. Somewhere around 3/4th’s of the way down however, the O-2 levels diminish within the spiral, having been consumed by the aerobic bacteria higher up the coil. (D=Base)

Now that you have an idea of what a coil denitrator is, let’s get on with the project.

The Ingredients

4″ S&D PVC pipe (non schedule 40)
75′ 1/4″ tubing (get more as 75′ just fills the pipe and you’ll need more for plumbing)
4″ S&D cap X 2
3/4″ tee
3/4″ ball valve I had laying around
3/4″ to 1/2″ adapter
Three 1/8″ Barb x 1/4″ MIP
Two 1/4″ brass coupling
1/4″x1/2″ compression coupling

1. Cut the 4″ PVC pipe to 24″ (I used a saw but I imagine you could use your teeth if you don’t have a saw around)
2. Insert the airline tubing into the pipe (This is where most people will quit because I almost did. My recommendation is to wrap the tubing around the outside first so it takes the general shape of the pipe then insert it using both arms, one in each end. Use a clamp to keep the starting end in place. This will allow you to keep torque on the tubing as you wind it tight along the inside wall)

3. Next clamp the end piece so it doesn’t unwind on you.
4. Fill pipe with sweet bacteria condos of your choice (I used scrubbies)

It took 24 pads to fill it to the top.

Set this piece aside as we will now start on the top cap. Don’t forget to clamp that end piece because it will unravel on you!

5. Get out a drill and a universal bit.

You’ll use this to drill the inlet and outlet holes on the 4″ cap. So I wouldn’t drill holes too big for the 1/8″ barb adapters to fit, I traced out the bottom of the adapters using a sharpie.

Once the “threaded” end of the adapter has been traced out on the cap take your unibit and slowly drill out the holes being careful not to exceed the trace lines you made. I drilled mine just large enough to where I could screw my adapter into the cap creating a tight seal.

6. Flip the cap over and use plumbers tape around the threading of both adapters.
7. Place a 1/4″ brass coupling on both. Tighten the couplings to the adapters using wrenches. Mine were tight enough that leaks were not a concern in this low pressure application.
8. Place the third 1/8 barb adapter on the coupling mated to the inlet, again using tape on the threads.
9. Grab the pipe that we set aside ealier. Attach the airline tubing to the inlet barb. Use PVC primer and cement to secure the cap. Voila! Hope you didn’t forget anything because its sealed tight now!

10. To attach it to your setup will differ depending on pipe sizing and such. My return plumbing is 3/4″ pvc so adjust according to your setup.
11. Attach 3/4″ tee to 3/4″ ball valve using 3/4″ pvc, primer, cement.
12. Attach ball valve to 3/4″ to 1/2″ pvc adapter
13. Screw on 1/4″x1/2″ compressions coupling
14. Attach airline tubing to the compression end and run this into your sump

Finished Enjoy your new coil denitrator, your freshwater cichlids definitely will.