El Cheapo Fuge Build!!!

[jason sartain]

O.K. so I thought about buying a pre made fuge somewhere and using it and then I was going to buy a acrylic tank and add my baffles and things like that and then I went to HD and with some help from my smart wife I decided to duild one from scratch.

1) I got a 28 gal rubbermaid container.
2) I got two 7 quart trashcans.
3) Misc.plumbing parts.
4) A pump I already had.
5) L.R. and sand I already had.
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[jason sartain]

Well then I started putting it all together.
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[jason sartain]

Then I added the LR in the two trash cans and the sand in the bottom of the container a clip on light with a 100 watt 6500k CFL lightbulb and there you go El Cheapo fuge!!!
I've got less than $40.00 in the basic materials,and considering a good quality diamond tipped glasscutting hole saw is $40.00, I think I did O.K.
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[linda lee]

+1 for innovation!

Very clever design. Keep us posted on how it works out.

A few questions..

I'm guessing those are rubber washers?

Did you use any silicone anywhere at all?

Is your skimmer external?

How big a display is this 'fuge supporting?

Nice job!

(and kudos of course to the brains behind the project... the very smart wife)

 

[jason sartain]

Thanks, I'm ordering some more pods to jump start it faster because I want to get a Mandrin.
As for your questions, yes they are rubber washers and I didn't have to use any silicone anywhere, each pipe I drilled into the containers is higher than the next so there's no way to flood because the return is the lowest pipe in the system so it just flows out with gravity,my skimmer is in my 100 gal sump, and it's supporting my new 240gal display that I have been posting in my tank build thread,which is now up and running and I am going to be posting some full tank shots pretty soon.

Linda Lee;230436 wrote: +1 for innovation!

Very clever design. Keep us posted on how it works out.

A few questions..

I'm guessing those are rubber washers?

Did you use any silicone anywhere at all?

Is your skimmer external?

How big a display is this 'fuge supporting?

Nice job!

(and kudos of course to the brains behind the project... the very smart wife)

 

[markl]

Linda Lee;230436 wrote: +1 for innovation!

Very clever design. Keep us posted on how it works out.

A few questions..

I'm guessing those are rubber washers?

Did you use any silicone anywhere at all?

Is your skimmer external?

How big a display is this 'fuge supporting?

Nice job!

(and kudos of course to the brains behind the project... the very smart wife)

no need for silicone.if the hole is nice and tight .the rubber oring is all you need.

 

[jason sartain]

1+ The fittings are actually electrical fittings so I could screw them together with the o-ring and I used a 1 1/8 holesaw to make it good and tight.

MarkL;230446 wrote: no need for silicone.if the hole is nice and tight .the rubber oring is all you need.

 

[jcook54]

Man that looks great. I've been looking for fuge ideas and the one you built looks well thought out. Tnaks for the pics and ideas!

 

[jason sartain]

No problem thats why I love this club,you get lots of advice and ideas.This set up is alot of differant ideas from alot of differant threads.

jcook54;230453 wrote: Man that looks great. I've been looking for fuge ideas and the one you built looks well thought out. Tnaks for the pics and ideas!

 

[jason sartain]

Well the hose from the power head is all the way in the bottom of the first can,as far as the second can,it just pours in and flows out.Also the out put from the second can is lower then the output from the first can,there is some good flow there but I'm not sure about the bottom?
Do you think I'll have a problem with sediments?

 

[crew]

put a hose over the fitting between the first and second trash can and have it flow to the bottom of the second trash can.. da dang da dang.. instant flow

 

[jason sartain]

Thanks guys good ideas,I'll change it.

 

[jason sartain]

There's only like $40 bucks in the whole thing(minus the pump) and I could tell you how to do it.

 

[jason sartain]

I can post step by step info on here for everyone,I didn't take step by step pictures ,so some of it I'll have to explain a little better.

andregarcia_73;230543 wrote: That would be appreciated. Should I Pm you or let you explain setp by step for DIY Dummies like me so everyone can learn?

 

[blind1993]

andre it is simple.
1) drill 1 seven quart container near the top
2) drill other container near the top and where you want the water level to be(half way)
3) put bulkhead in the seven quart containers to connect them
4)put bulkhead in the lower hole
5) set both seven quart container in the larger tub
4) put the light on and you are done.

 

[blind1993]

i meant 6

 

[jason sartain]

That's about it,but I will post step by step instructions tonight because I said I would,I won't be able to post it till prob 7 or 8 though.I will give the o-ring dia.,holesaw dia. and measurement of the bulkhead holes,and things like that.

blind1993;230626 wrote: andre it is simple.
1) drill 1 seven quart container near the top
2) drill other container near the top and where you want the water level to be(half way)
3) put bulkhead in the seven quart containers to connect them
4)put bulkhead in the lower hole
5) set both seven quart container in the larger tub
4) put the light on and you are done.