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Author Topic: Big tank/Office build  (Read 85068 times)

Offline Steve

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Re: Big tank/Office build
« Reply #90 on: October 15, 2013, 10:48:38 PM »
Managed to get quite a bit done tonight. All three back panels are now carved and textured and have the first coat of drylock on them. Still have to build the two side panels to cover the sides of the tank but those will come after the back is all done that way I can integrate the filter intakes into the corners of the background and side panels to completely hide them all the equipment from view.



Couple shots of it mocked up in the tank now





Now I'm painting the whole thing black that way I can go back over it with dry-brushing drylok coat again and then start shading and highlighting. The black will stay in the crevasses and add to the 3 dimensional look of it.

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Better to have a short life full of what you like doing, than a long life spent in a miserable way.

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Offline Steve

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Re: Big tank/Office build
« Reply #91 on: October 17, 2013, 12:52:42 AM »
Rolling along very well now after a ton of work today. two full coats of drylock and a coat of black over that on all three pieces. Then two dry-brushed coats of Drylok to give it the base rock color with black depressions. After that I did some more dry-brushing with dark brown to simulate some dirt, as well as some dark green to simulate some algae. Then dry-brushed some white highlights on all the edges and raised portions to make the rocks look worn so it give it some nice depth to the rocks.


Some pics of it mocked up in the tank








Also started working on the side panels which will hide the intake tubes for the dual FX5 filters. Once the side panels are done then all that will be left on the background will be to coat it all in Pond Armor 2 part epoxy which seals it to durability and then I can start working on the cave lighting, tank lighting and substrate etc etc. This big background was a lot of work but I'm very pleased with the way this one is coming out.
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Better to have a short life full of what you like doing, than a long life spent in a miserable way.

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Offline Ron

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Re: Big tank/Office build
« Reply #92 on: October 17, 2013, 06:59:49 AM »
Talk about setting the bar for a nice setup! Can't wait to see it with fish!
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Offline RichE

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Re: Big tank/Office build
« Reply #93 on: October 17, 2013, 08:14:36 AM »
Looks awesome Steve.

I know when I was at you house a few weeks back the walls outside the tank were impressive, this is going to look great once you are done.

Rich
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Offline Steve

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Re: Big tank/Office build
« Reply #94 on: October 17, 2013, 11:28:48 AM »
Thanks guys. It's coming together well now. Right now I'm starting to think about what color sand substrate to use and I'm kind'a torn. Not sure if I want to go white or black. It's gonna take a ton of sand to fill this tank so I want to make sure I pick the one I will want to stay with right the first time ;D
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Better to have a short life full of what you like doing, than a long life spent in a miserable way.

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Offline Maize-N-Blue-D

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Re: Big tank/Office build
« Reply #95 on: October 17, 2013, 02:44:03 PM »
Steve - you will have to be a stop on the next Fishroom tour...

You should take a queue from the Light Workshop and set up a Background making workshop to teach us "dummies' how to do this...

AWESOME !!    8)
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Offline LoveTheFishies

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Re: Big tank/Office build
« Reply #96 on: October 17, 2013, 06:50:49 PM »
Quote from: Maize-N-Blue-D on October 17, 2013, 02:44:03 PM
Steve - you will have to be a stop on the next Fishroom tour...

You should take a queue from the Light Workshop and set up a Background making workshop to teach us "dummies' how to do this...

AWESOME !!    8)

That sounds like a great idea.
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Offline Steve

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Re: Big tank/Office build
« Reply #97 on: October 17, 2013, 09:16:02 PM »
I'm sure I could probably put something together for that sometime in the near future.
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Better to have a short life full of what you like doing, than a long life spent in a miserable way.

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Offline bmarine

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Re: Big tank/Office build
« Reply #98 on: October 17, 2013, 09:31:12 PM »
Wow, just looked at the whole thread. Thats a pretty sweet man cave! And awesome tank! Wish i could make such a good background!
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Offline Steve

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Re: Big tank/Office build
« Reply #99 on: October 18, 2013, 12:02:14 AM »
Been working on the side panels and some lighting tonight. This is the first side panel, as you can see from this pic taken from the rear of the side panel I'm building angled "rocks" which will have an opening behind them that will have the intake tube for the filters so it's all concealed with only the strainer of the intake open to the tank.


Here's the left side panel carved and the first coat of Drylok applied.


The lighting I am doing for this tank since it is an odd size will be four dual T8 48" fixtures mounted side by side and one in front of the other so it lights the entire nice well. I bought two of the fixtures today and currently have them filled with Daylight spectrum 6500k bulbs. Once I pick up two more fixtures and some actinic bulbs each of the fixtures will end up with one actinic and one 6500k in them.

Here's a shot with just two of the fixtures let up.
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Better to have a short life full of what you like doing, than a long life spent in a miserable way.

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Offline Steve

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Re: Big tank/Office build
« Reply #100 on: October 22, 2013, 06:18:46 PM »
Still a ways to go, still shooting for water/fish by Thanksgiving though, but getting closer every day now. Said panels are now all done. Just have to pick up some "Pond Armor" to seal the whole background with and then I can final install the background and side panels for good. Next job will probably be framing the edges of the tank window with some nice finished wood and getting the "cave lights" hooked up.. Here's the current state of the tank/office.

BTW Rich and Wayne "TrailerParkFishTanks"...it was really nice hanging' out with you guys here today and getting to know you both better.







Also finally have the filtration sorted out (thanks for the deal Rich)



Really starting to look forward to getting this up and running now.
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Better to have a short life full of what you like doing, than a long life spent in a miserable way.

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Offline TrailerParkFishTanks

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Re: Big tank/Office build
« Reply #101 on: October 22, 2013, 07:34:10 PM »
I had a good time as well. I'm really looking forward to seeing this monster show tank up and running. So no pressure but there's a bunch of us getting antsy... lol
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Offline Steve

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Re: Big tank/Office build
« Reply #102 on: October 26, 2013, 01:47:34 AM »
Picked up some 1x3 select grade pine the other day and got that all sanded smooth/stained and poly coated now and installed to add a nice finished look to the window for the tank.





Still have to pick up some Pond Armor so I can seal the whole background and then final install it into the tank but no where local carries it so looks like I am going to have to order that this week.
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Better to have a short life full of what you like doing, than a long life spent in a miserable way.

-Alan Watts

Offline Steve

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Re: Big tank/Office build
« Reply #103 on: November 02, 2013, 06:53:58 PM »
Testing out my moonlight setup I am making for it now. After checking into "aquarium moonlights" from aquarium supply shops there was no way I was going to pay what they want for moonlights on a tank this big. So spent some time today running around testing out the brightness on different blue LED rope lights that stores have out for Christmas now and finally found two 15ft LED rope lights that are not only nice and bright, but LED so they will give me the shimmer effect, plus they are able to screw together end to end so once I make the light fixture for the T8 lights I will build these into the fixture as well. From the quick test I think they are going to be perfect from what I can tell.

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Better to have a short life full of what you like doing, than a long life spent in a miserable way.

-Alan Watts

Offline DragonMungo

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Re: Big tank/Office build
« Reply #104 on: November 03, 2013, 12:30:38 AM »
This Post is amazing.  I like the background.  I wish i had this in my office.  Not sure that I wol dget anything done though.
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