Possibly starting over...

So i got a call back yesterday from the owner of the 55 for sale. I told him I could do $75 but wouldn't go any higher. He came back with "I've got another guy offering $150" . So I told him I was no longer interested and hung up. I think he's full of it, so he'll probably be calling in the next day or two after rethinking my offer. But I think I've changed my mind...again.
I think I've lost interest in this tank. Unless he calls me back in the next few days and sells it to me for next to nothing I think I'm gonna pass. Quite a few of you have pointed out a few other options I could go with, . Especially ReefSparky. I'm thinking about finding a 55 on craigslist or something and building a stand and hood myself. Make it exactly how I want it. I've already got the approval from the wife so I'm set.
BUT...I havent really seen any 55's drilled for sale. Can most lfs's drill a 55? And where's the best place to plumb the overflow? I LOVED that other tank because of the corner overflow. I'm not too sure about overflow boxes...
If I can get a 55 drilled (back center bottom) I was thinking about making a center overflow if I can find somewhere that sells kits for it and somewhere to get it drilled. I have a friend with a 55 that he said he would give me but it's tempered glass so it can't be drilled.
I have the idea in my head about the stand and hood but does anybody have any plans they have used before? What wood, sealer, hardware, etc..? You guys probably think I'm a nut for changing my mind so much lol. Thanks again everybody,

 

I know there are lots of plans on this site for hoods and stands. I have a thought on the hood, though. I have a 75g that came with a hood, nice setup. I have a 48" Current USA Sunpod ballast, 2 150w 14k mh bulbs, built in fans venting out top and sides of ballast. That kit under the hood sat too close to the water and I couldn't afford a chiller. I removed the top of the hood and used 2X2 wood pieces to rest the light kit on, now it's 7" off surface of water. I have acros, lps and sps and all grows well. I'll add a pic maybe you can see the rim of the old hood covers the rim of the tank and hides the wood lifts making it asthetically pleasing. I made jump covers to keep the fishies in the tank and off the carpet. Just another thing to consider as you make your decisions. I think the closed top for me was just too hard to control temp especially on a smaller tank, the 75g. Happy reefing!!

 

Good for you! Stick to your offer. As others have said, there are lot of people getting out of the hobby right now. I found a 55 for my brother that was already drilled in my local reef club - and traded some stuff for it! As we all know, being patient in this hobby is a must, so be patient and the right deal will come! And it will be better!

 

If you get that 55 free from your friend you could look up glass holes dot com(i think) they have kits that you could diy..they work better than the usual HOB O F..I have not used these my self but others here have and have nothing but good stuff to say..

 

Ive called all the lfs's around me and most don't drill tanks, the one that does said they won't drill a 55. If i don't get it drilled do I have any other options other than an overflow box. I've heard many mixed opinions about them. Any ideas?

 

If I'm not mistaken, almost all 55G tanks are tempered on the bottom, meaning they can't be drilled. Given the 12" depth (front to back) of a 55, installing a drilled overflow is going to make a small tank even smaller in the long run. It can be done, but the aquascaping piece is gonna kill you. The lack of depth makes it very tough to place corals and have all corals get their fair share of light.

Jim522, kudos to you for prolonging the pain!! I know how hard it is. You're in Miami. Maybe Luna can give you pointers as to where to go to get a new tank on the cheap. Personally, I got my tank locally (I'm in the Sunrise area, near Ft. Lauderdale). I got a reef ready, brand new, drilled 90G tank including the plumbing for $219.

If you can hold on and save up that much, it's a helluva deal, as I know many on this site alone have paid nearly $300 happily for a new 90G. As far as the stand goes, I have plans and there's a thread of mine you can look at to see how easily a stand is constructed. There are also many stands that folks on 3reef have constructed that beat the heck out of mine cosmetically. I made just a frame, and have no walls, doors, or center brace.

Here's the thread. Check it out. Home Depot will cut your 2x4's for you. My stand cost me a grand total of $22 or so to build. It was very easy with a plan I found on the web.

Here's the pic of the basic build. You can add walls and doors if you want. I left mine open.

 

Just keep an eye on craigslist and your local newspaper, deals are popping up everywhere, in chicago CL a guy says he is selling 30 or so pre drilled 55g tanks (no overflow) for 40 dollars each.

 

not sure if it would be worth it but this is just an idea. You could get that free 55g from your friend and just talk to a glass company and see if they can get you a new panel for the bottom that's not tempered. Then you can use a diamond bit to drill the glass yourself (although I think you should be able to find a LFS that will). And the stand plan that sparky posted is great. It would be pretty cheap to build your own stand and canopy.

 

Awesome tank build ReefSparky! With the company of a couple cups of coffee I just read throught the entire thing. Gave me all sorts of new ideas. The stand came out great, I'll probably do something very similar, but box it all in with a couple doors in the front and a matching canopy.
What store did you get the 90 from? Ft Lauderdale isn't a far drive from me. A 90 is bigger than I was planning on doing, but I like the sound of it. Maybe they have deals on 55's or 75's???? I know bigger is better, but on the otherhand more rock, more water, more sand, more lighting, more skimmer equals more money(that I really don't have right now). Unemployeed wife, 3 1/2 month ols twin girls...more bills, smaller paychecks...sigh..
It took quite a bit of convincing the wife to let me upgrade to a 55. But she knows how much time and money I've invested into the 20(especially since I just lost $HUNDREDS$ over the past week). If I mention a 90 she'll probably throw something at me lol.

 

Wish I was in Chicago lol, sounds good for a drilled 55. I havent seen ANY drilled in the Miami area. Even all the ones that aren't drilled everybody is asking $100 for! But I'm keeping my eyes and ears open.