[NursePlaty]

For my 20 gallon long tank I am planning to do the following below. My friend is an electrical engineer and says what I was planning to do costed over $300 or $400 because I wanted the Coralife fixture with the duel 6700k color and the CO2 reactor. He says I can do all this and only cost me 50 bucks or less. He is planning to help me do the following, let me know your opinions.

LIGHTING
I am going to buy 4x 14w daylight pig tail light bulbs 6500k color lined up across a board with fixtures paralleled. This will go as a part of the top. Total here is 6$

CO2
I have a 40oz paintball gun CO2 tank and he has a psi regulator and going to give it to me and attach it for me. I told him there might not be an adaptor to attach the two. He put it together to show me and indeed it gives out CO2 at any bubbles per second I want in my tank. Total here was $0

The other things I would need to buy was cedar wood to handle the moisture for the tanks frame and paint it black and I'm not sure of the cost of the wood but I'm sure it cant be too much.

 

[James0816]

Just goes to show ya .... you can't go wrong with DIY. Saves a ton.

 

[Dmaaaaax]

They sell paintball CO2 kits for aquariums. I have one and have been using it since day one. The great thing is that I have 2 paintball tanks so I can easily swap out. The price for a refill is $4 and every 5th one is free. I would not consider what you have as a DiY set up since you are using pressurized CO2 and a regulator.

 

[NursePlaty]

They sell paintball CO2 kits for aquariums. I have one and have been using it since day one. The great thing is that I have 2 paintball tanks so I can easily swap out. The price for a refill is $4 and every 5th one is free. I would not consider what you have as a DiY set up since you are using pressurized CO2 and a regulator.

Oh yea I guess not, I guess because I didnt spend any money and just was given a regulator I considered it a DIY. I guess I'm not the only one that thought of the paintball CO2 idea lol. I saw my old paintball gun with the CO2 attached when looking for some daylight lights and the idea just poped in my head.

 

[NursePlaty]

Also, I'm glad that the CO2 paintball cylinder works because I've heard on other forums that the "oil" in the cylinder is harmful to the tank and wasn't sure if that was true. But if it works for you, thats reassuring ;D

 

[WhiteGloveAquatics]

The oil can be removed, if its a concern the filler will exchange bottles for no oil ones.(depends on marker gun)

I am all for DIY, get er dun itll be nice.
I am working on a DIY spray bar for my tank, cost under 10 bucks DIY, cost to buy...they dont make em this big. a little mechanical apptitude and a few bucks can be turned into a product that rivals those that cost 1000X as much.

 

[Dmaaaaax]

I made my own spraybar used a T connection. I had it lower in the tank than most spray bars, and then it would split and spray out over a length of about 18". It is the white pvc in the center:

 

[NursePlaty]

Wow that is some tank Dmaaaax. I like the looks of your driftwood. Congratulations.