30 Tanks for $300. My first saltwater build!

[wolfcaroling]

Oooookay. Here's how a total n00b ended up with 30 commercial tanks.

So. I have always wanted a saltwater tank but knew I couldn't afford one. I creeped places like this, scanned facebook marketplace for potential miraculous posts like "100g aquarium complete with all equipment, free, will deliver and set up at your house" but it never happened

Then my husband, who loves a good deal, says "there's a 100 gallon tank up for auction that no one has bid on." I look, and it's a commercial saltwater tank from a fish business that must have sadly been closing down. Used, no equipment, but starting bid was $25. So I said "hell yeah!"

My husband calls me at work the next day. Says "so we got the tank for $25. No one bid on the other lots. The auctioneer refused to move foreward until the tanks were sold. Offered me all the lots for $1. So... now we have 31 fish tanks for under $30 with fees.

Holy hell. We rent a Uhaul and a couple of international students. Two friends show up. One of them is recovering from brain surgery a year ago and the other's mother just died.

We managed to load almost all the tanks on the UHaul except for two absolute monsters of frag tanks that I need GONE by Monday or the auction house will ban us.

I am frantically messaging local coral businesses.

My husband is like "I can't help but notice that you, a person who supposedly had no plans for a saltwater tank in the foreseeable future, know what a frag tank is and what it is used for..."

The international students help me get the many many tanks unloaded on my deck, back patio, side of the house, and help me hoist the one tank I want to keep to the landing where I plan to keep it.

My goal is to trade the tanks for equipment etc to see if I can do my first built all with that initial $300 for Uhaul and help moving it...

Join me on this crazy journey?

And if you know anyone in vancouver who wants commercial used tanks all ready to hook into existing systems... hit me up...

 

[Naekuh]

Frag tanks can be converted into lagoon style.
The problem will be the plumbing done and how the tanks are drilled.

Some frag tanks were designed to feed water to the basement where all the sump and mechanical filtration was kept.

 

[kimts]

I'm just getting into the hobby too. Looking forward to watching your progress.

 

[ZzyzxRiver]

31 problems but a tank ain't one!

Can't wait to see what happens!

 

[wolfcaroling]

Frag tanks can be converted into lagoon style.
The problem will be the plumbing done and how the tanks are drilled.

Some frag tanks were designed to feed water to the basement where all the sump and mechanical filtration was kept.

These ones are plumbed on the side I think.

I wish I had space to turn this into the most boss kitchen peninsula ever lol.

 

[Ziggy17]

Oooookay. Here's how a total n00b ended up with 30 commercial tanks.

So. I have always wanted a saltwater tank but knew I couldn't afford one. I creeped places like this, scanned facebook marketplace for potential miraculous posts like "100g aquarium complete with all equipment, free, will deliver and set up at your house" but it never happened

Then my husband, who loves a good deal, says "there's a 100 gallon tank up for auction that no one has bid on." I look, and it's a commercial saltwater tank from a fish business that must have sadly been closing down. Used, no equipment, but starting bid was $25. So I said "hell yeah!"

My husband calls me at work the next day. Says "so we got the tank for $25. No one bid on the other lots. The auctioneer refused to move foreward until the tanks were sold. Offered me all the lots for $1. So... now we have 31 fish tanks for under $30 with fees.

Holy hell. We rent a Uhaul and a couple of international students. Two friends show up. One of them is recovering from brain surgery a year ago and the other's mother just died.

We managed to load almost all the tanks on the UHaul except for two absolute monsters of frag tanks that I need GONE by Monday or the auction house will ban us.

I am frantically messaging local coral businesses.

My husband is like "I can't help but notice that you, a person who supposedly had no plans for a saltwater tank in the foreseeable future, know what a frag tank is and what it is used for..."

The international students help me get the many many tanks unloaded on my deck, back patio, side of the house, and help me hoist the one tank I want to keep to the landing where I plan to keep it.

My goal is to trade the tanks for equipment etc to see if I can do my first built all with that initial $300 for Uhaul and help moving it...

Join me on this crazy journey?

And if you know anyone in vancouver who wants commercial used tanks all ready to hook into existing systems... hit me up...

Were these tanks from Canada Corals? Perhaps J&L in Burnaby could use a couple more tanks?

 

[wolfcaroling]

Were these tanks from Canada Corals? Perhaps J&L in Burnaby could use a couple more tanks?

That's my suspicion but auction houses respect the privacy of their donors. I feel like surely the owners of Canada Corals would have asked around before sending them to auction though??

 

[smitten with ocean life]

oh man! i can only imagine what my husband would be like if i told him i was hauling that many tanks home wishing you the best eh

 

[Ziggy17]

That's my suspicion but auction houses respect the privacy of their donors. I feel like surely the owners of Canada Corals would have asked around before sending them to auction though??

Yeah, fair enough. Well, welcome to R2R and good luck on your journey!

 

[wolfcaroling]

Yeah, fair enough. Well, welcome to R2R and good luck on your journey!

Thanks. Someone else has pointed out that it could also be from Shiny Fish in Surrey. Either way sad, hoping to find good homes for these fellas.

 

[wolfcaroling]

Soooo how's my build looking so far??



So this is where I want it to go. I have this WEIRD space on my landing. House is from the 80s and is a custom build with all kinds of weird features and this is one of the weirdest.

Tiled sunken area with heavy duty grounded outlet. I tried keeping plants in here but the only kind of plants I can keep alive are ones that live underwater.

So obviously I need a real stand before I put water in this thing. The tank is slightly wider than the space but not as deep so it'll be a ***** to plumb. A metal wheeled table would probably be idea with a table surface that extends wider than the legs.

Thoughts??

Pics of the weird space:

 

[smitten with ocean life]

interesting! but how in the world will you do maintenance on the inside?

 

[nuxx]

This should be interesting!

 

[wolfcaroling]

interesting! but how in the world will you do maintenance on the inside?

Once I have it on a proper stand it'll be lower and I'll be able to reach

 

[wolfcaroling]

Update!

The owner of Current Aquariums in Victoria BC says he built the glass tanks in my possession including this incredible 120 G glass sump:

We now think that Progressive Reef may be the store these came from. So many have closed lately though...

 

[wolfcaroling]

Can anyone translate this into n00b for me?

 

[rc8t6353]

Can anyone translate this into n00b for me?

I think he's saying that you should check it that tank is built with a brace to support the weight of water, rock, ect. Euro bracing is when extra glass is used around the inner bottom and top perimeter of the tank. I could be wrong on exactly what it is. But basically, it helps keep the tank together and water off your floor lol

 

[wolfcaroling]

Seems somewhat important! Any idea why it wouldn't have that?