Does anyone else enjoy DIY as much as livestock?

[Strawberry]

I am new to this hobby and I’ve come to learn that the DIY portion seems to be just as satisfying as routine tank maintenance and even placing corals. I started with a heavily modded Biocube 29g that I purchased from someone getting out of the hobby. It was basically a rescue mission and I just feel really accomplished with the results. Anyways here’s Wonderwall

Before:

After:

I made a couple of brackets out of lexan and added a nice concealed top.

 

[reef lover]

Looks great!

Careful using that windex near the tank...could be catastrophic in a small tank like that.

 

[S2G]

I work in ready engineering and a tinkerer by nature. I love diy problem solving especially filtration. Plus I'm pretty thrifty so I like saving money

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

I think that DIY has kept me interested in this hobby, most of my tank build is DIY.

 

[Strawberry]

Looks great!

Careful using that windex near the tank...could be catastrophic in a small tank like that.

It’s just vinegar but I am always super careful. I only spray it on my paper towels. What do you use?

 

[Strawberry]

I work in ready engineering and a tinkerer by nature. I love diy problem solving especially filtration. Plus I'm pretty thrifty so I like saving money

I am an industrial maintenance technician so this hobby is right up my tinkering alley. Lol I am also thrifty! I made my own ATO system and it works, but keeps flipping my breaker because I live in an older apartment complex and I think they daisy chained nearly all the outlets together, so it was overloaded.

 

[foxt]

Nice tank! I am always tinkering with something hobby-related. This is all a work in progress, and I think I would be a little sad if all I had to do was sit back and look at the tank.

 

[Strawberry]

Nice tank! I am always tinkering with something hobby-related. This is all a work in progress, and I think I would be a little sad if all I had to do was sit back and look at the tank.

Exactly! I love trying to improve things. Lol today I nearly gave myself a heart attack when I pulled my protein skimmer out of the first chamber and dropped in a media bag full of porous pebbles to increase my surface area. I didn’t turn off my return pump and the displacement of removing the skimmer while I was making adjustments made it seem like the back of the AIO was going to overflow!

 

[dantimdad]

Anyone who knows me knows I love diy
Even building most stuff in an LFS I am opening

 

[foxt]

I am an industrial maintenance technician so this hobby is right up my tinkering alley. Lol I am also thrifty! I made my own ATO system and it works, but keeps flipping my breaker because I live in an older apartment complex and I think they daisy chained nearly all the outlets together, so it was overloaded.

That's a little scary looking, hoping you have that line voltage relay in an enclosure or something!

 

[Strawberry]

Anyone who knows me knows I love diy
Even building most stuff in an LFS I am opening

There are tons of ways to save money! And DIY is just way more satisfying.

 

[Strawberry]

That's a little scary looking, hoping you have that line voltage relay in an enclosure or something!

The only part with “exposed line voltage” is where the yellow electrical tape is. I had it mounted on denrail with a lexan cover around the top with silicone all the way around

 

[foxt]

The only part with “exposed line voltage” is where the yellow electrical tape is. I had it mounted on denrail with a lexan cover around the top with silicone all the way around ☺

Glad to hear it, figured you had safed it somehow but you never know. Sometimes I see stuff and just have to raise my hand! FWIW, for things like that I have also used relays-in-a-box (RIBs), they are fully enclosed and all you need to do is figure out how to isolate the low and high voltage sides.

 

[Strawberry]

Glad to hear it, figured you had safed it somehow but you never know. Sometimes I see stuff and just have to raise my hand! FWIW, for things like that I have also used relays-in-a-box (RIBs), they are fully enclosed and all you need to do is figure out how to isolate the low and high voltage sides.

I’ve never been shocked and I’d like to keep it that way! Haha I made it at work and some of the maintenance guys were teasing me saying that I was making an electric chair for my fish. I will look into the RIBs.

 

[S2G]

I am an industrial maintenance technician so this hobby is right up my tinkering alley. Lol I am also thrifty! I made my own ATO system and it works, but keeps flipping my breaker because I live in an older apartment complex and I think they daisy chained nearly all the outlets together, so it was overloaded.

That's what I wish I went into. I spend more time than I care to in a cube and meetings.

I thought about my own ato but ato.com was like $70 shipped. I dont have access to free 99 supplies like I use to.

 

[Strawberry]

That's what I wish I went into. I spend more time than I care to in a cube and meetings.

I thought about my own ato but ato.com was like $70 shipped. I dont have access to free 99 supplies like I use to.

No way any of this was free 99 from my employer lol

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

I am new to this hobby and I’ve come to learn that the DIY portion seems to be just as satisfying as routine tank maintenance and even placing corals. I started with a heavily modded Biocube 29g that I purchased from someone getting out of the hobby. It was basically a rescue mission and I just feel really accomplished with the results. Anyways here’s Wonderwall

Before:

After:

I made a couple of brackets out of lexan and added a nice concealed top.

Me love it!!!! Thanks for sharing, comrade

 

[dantimdad]

I tend to not use line voltage for anything run on a relay.

I use a double float setup for a backup in case the first one sticks or otherwise malfunctions.

I also put everything in a project box with an oring seal. Check on aliexpress for them they are inexpensive.

 

[Flippers4pups]

I've ways DIY everything possible, tank stands, canopies, lights....etc.

I hate suction cups!

World famous Flipper heater bracket! Lol

 

[Strawberry]

I've ways DIY everything possible, tank stands, canopies, lights....etc.

I hate suction cups!

World famous Flipper heater bracket! Lol

That looks great!!