135 build blog

The official startof my first build blog. I got a 135 ocianic tank last weakend and dicided to start cleaning and repairing (covering up the bad spots) to make it a show tank again. I started with buying the tank for a 100 dollor bill.

it is a heavy dutty tank with 1/2 inch glass and no center brace. It also has two holes drilled in the back glass.



I started by cleaning some paint off of the glass. I then remove the mirror tent off of the back and scrubbed the glue off of the glass, then started to clean the bottom trimming. Shortly after starting to clean the trim i realized the trim was too far gone to keep the wooden grain. The top piece of trim neds to be replaced all together. itlooks like two pieces from other tanks placed on the top of this tank. I hace no lip to hold glass tops or any top for that matter.


I was thining of the tank when it was complete. The compete tank you will not see the trim at all anyway, so i continued to clean the paint off of the trim and painted it black. I also painted the back of the tank black to help hide the new bulkheads i ordered for the tank.
This pic you can see te two drilled holes in the tank. I have a special plan for those two holes later in the build.


Yesterday while i was at work my bulkheads came in! yeah te first of many things to come.
I got them installed on thetank and it dramaticly inprooved the looks of the tank.


at least most off the bad damage is on the rear of the tank as you can see in the above pic.

More to come!!!!

nice a old oceanic 135 for a bill sweet deal. If you know the actual sizr of the trim alot of stores can order you new trim to give it that finished look. Check out classcages.com (sorry could not link the website mouse keeps acting up) and they can make you one realitively inexpensive.

Betcha she weighs a ton...What are you thinking about stocking it with???

So what are your plans for it?

Looks like an awesome deal, 1/2 inch glass means a magnificent rock wall surely, whether SW or FW?

Elrollo wrote:

nice a old oceanic 135 for a bill sweet deal. If you know the actual sizr of the trim alot of stores can order you new trim to give it that finished look. Check out classcages.com (sorry could not link the website mouse keeps acting up) and they can make you one realitively inexpensive.

Betcha she weighs a ton...What are you thinking about stocking it with???

Thanks for the website, ill check it out. If its cheap enough I may replace the bottom trim too. This is the heaviest tank I have moved so far. My 110 and 120 didn't weigh near as much as this one. Currently the stock list will be an Oscar, 2 jd's, and a Texas. The final stock will be either a mixed cichlid or fronts.

Elrollo wrote:

Check out classcages.com

Glasscages.com

Got some play sand for the tank now. Will put it in tonight and start putting some of the holly rock and drift wood in for a while. Then off to look for replacement trim from glasscage.com. will add some pics in a little while.

Look it's my zen garden!

Got the sand in place. 3 50lbs bags worth of play sand. Got the holly rock placed in the tank with som drift wood and filled with water.

will see how fast the water evaporates and how worm it will stay while in the garage before i put any of the fish into it.

biggest tank frame i found on glasscages was a 90 long. will check with lfs to see if they may be able to rder the frames.

looks nice...

Looking good buddy!You gonna put some lights on it?You forgot to paint the stand hot pink like you wanted to!I know you got excited about setting it up and must of forgot to paint the stand.Its totally understandable.I will let it slide this time!Just don't let it happen again!

BFinley wrote:

Looking good buddy!You gonna put some lights on it?You forgot to paint the stand hot pink like you wanted to!I know you got excited about setting it up and must of forgot to paint the stand.Its totally understandable.I will let it slide this time!Just don't let it happen again!

I was saving that for you. But I guess since you like pink so much ill paint the 75 gallon hot pink just for you.

No that is not the stand for this tank. That is the start of the big boy, which will have his own buil blog a little later. Right now I am checking water evaporation and temp control with the tank out in the garage. Witch by the way is not looking to good for staying in the garage.

The plan for goes goes like this. I have a shop light not in use, after I check to see if the ballast is still good I will but some t8 fresh water bulbs to put in it. Where I placed the tank for its temporary home I have a 2x4 stud right above the tank. If I can get the temp and evaporation where I would like it then i will hang the light from the 2x4 above the tank. Then start collecting the parts to retrofit the light with some t5 bulbs.

[quote="lgsasquatch"]

BFinley wrote:

Looking good buddy!You gonna put some lights on it?You forgot to paint the stand hot pink like you wanted to!I know you got excited about setting it up and must of forgot to paint the stand.Its totally understandable.I will let it slide this time!Just don't let it happen again!

I was saving that for you. But I guess since you like pink so much ill paint the 75 gallon hot pink just for you.

That would be cool!

Back to the thread. After 24hrs in the garage, I have a few choices with the tank,

1. Cut some ventilation holes at the bottom of the garage door and instal a vent fan(solar powered to keep electric bill lower) and see if that will cut out the humidity(which a figured i would have) and the tank temp.

2. Same as above but add a $800. Chiller to the tank.

Or
3. Move tank inside house.

I think we all know which one it will be.

I got home too late tonight to do anything with the tank. This week's plan is to move some things around in the house so i will have a place to put the tank. Then friday i will be making a trip to the local lumber yard to get the matrials i need to build the stand for the tank. what typeoff stand should i build. Should i build one like what you would buy in the store, or a hour glass shaped stand? That i will have to answer some time this week. I am leaning towards the store bought style just because i havn't built one like that yet.

I got the wood to start the stand know. I decided to go with the 2x4 stand and then skin it after i get the structural part done. First thing i did was to cut all the pieces of wood to length for the top and bottom of the stand. I am making the stand deaper then the tank so i can hide all of the pluming and electrical within the stand it self. I got the bottom and top pieces built and squared, then i cut the four main lrgs for the corners. I notched the corner legs to go over the 2x4 to make the stand flush with the bottom of the tank instead of the hour glass i did for my 90 gallon. all i have left to do before it gets skined is to cut the center legs and the filler pieces for the ends to make the 2x4 into a 4x4 leg. will have to add some pics later my computer and internet are not working quit right right now.

here are some picks of the stand as i built it. Structural only still have to skin it and put the bottom floor in.


This is the top portion of the stand, where the tank will be setting. I am making the stand deaper then the tank is so i can hide all of the pluming and electrical with in the stand itself.

This would be the bottom part.

Just added the legs connecting top to the bottom, Now time to square it all off before completing the stand.

I notched the 2x4 so it would sit over the top and bottom railing to make a flush stand, instead of an hour glass look.
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Here we have the comeplete stand all squared and ready to have the finnishing touches done, like the skin.



Stay tuned for the next episode where i will be installing the floor of the stand and start adding the skins. And may e placeing the tank on the stand.

I bet that tank is heavy.. But that stand is heavy duty :)

havent updated in a while. but the stand is together with a floor, still needs to be skinned. Got the pluming for the filter done. I am using a rena xp4 for now. Used an old shop light i had in the garage for the light right now. I hung it from the cieling because i have not ordered the new top trim piece yet but thats ok for now. The decor is in and i have some fish in it.( i just couldnt wait ) I will post some pics of it soon.

Looking Good !! Thanks for sharing with us!!

Looking good!

Looking good!Keep it up!When your finished you can make me one!

Here are some pics of the tank. It has two xl pieces of holey rock. The big one on the left is 100lbs and the smaller one on the right is about 70 lbs or so. Also got these and more at a steal of a price. If you look closely you can see my texas cichlid hiding in his mancave.

I am thinking of using my old 55 gallon as a sump and a place to possibly keep and breed crawfish for fish food.

And this is my new 12 inch shovel nose cat i found for $20


This is some of the diy pluming for the filter.

if you want to see what jealousy looks like... PM me, and i'll send you a pic.