300 gallon tank, 96*48*15

[mwood]

I put a 2*4 under the ends of the 2*6's several days ago, after the pics on the 15th. I'm also adding 6 diagonals right now, to avoid rocking. Thanks for the replies. Keep them coming.

Marcus

 

[TheCoralReef731]

wow, looks good

 

[mwood]

I think I'm stuck for the moment. There is a side of the tank that isn't quite level and straight. I assume the stand has to be perfectly level and straight with an acrylic tank, right?

 

[Bryan89]

mwood - Perfectly level is relative. You could get away with some degree of out of level if you put foam between the tank and stand. Is the stand 'wavy' or just out of level at one corner? From what you posted, I am believe you are trying to say that the stand is level but the tank is not. is that correct? If that is the issue, make the stand level and accept the tank as it is.

viggen - I guess funeral directors have higher standards than engineers.

Bryan

 

[mwood]

I know the tank is wavy. The tank sat on just the perimeter 2*4's and one 3/4 inch plywood for years. It bowed about an inch in the middle. Now when I put the braces to make the plywood straight, the tank sits a 1/4 inch off the stand in places. Some is the tank. But I can't tell if some may be stand. I'm tempted to finish plumbing the tank, fill with enough water to let the tank settle, then adjust the level. How fragile are acrylic tanks?

 

[Bryan89]

mwood - put some foam material between the stand and tank. It 'should' make up for the wavy part of the tank. While the tank will flex to make it level, that puts a lot of stress on the tank. Better to do the foam, it helps dissipate some of the stress. You can get 3/4" foam cheap at Lowes/Menards/Home Depot in the insulation section.

 

[viggen]

the foam is required on acrylic tanks. It helps even things out & also covers up irregularities in the top of the stand

When you fill it, I would do it slowly over a week or so

 

[TheCoralReef731]

Yes, it needs to be perfectly level, especially with a tank that big.

 

[mwood]

Here is a pic of the plumbing and extra bracing. I adjusted the shims a little. I also put the rodi output line in to the tank. At 30 to 50 gpd it will be slow. I plan to watch the areas of consern and make small adjustments to the shims as the tank settles. Got about 3/8" of water and not leaks so far. All bulkheads are hand tight only.

Wish me luck or say a prayer. Which ever you wish.
Marcus

 

[qwuintus]

if you are testing for leaks, then maybe you should use tap water.

wouldnt want to waste all the ro water on a test.

 

[mwood]

Up to 1.75" and no leaks. Tank isn't settling much yet, but it was pot-bellied for 7 years. I'm hoping if I get a leak, I can just tighten things a little. If no leaks, since I used RO, I can just add salt. Besides, using RO was an easy way to slowly add the water and watch the stand and tank settle.

 

[mwood]

I had my first leak. I thought it was the bulkhead but now I think itââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s the pipe threaded into it. I tried to fix it twice. Iââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢ll see if the second fix took tonight.

Say a prayer for me, Marcus

 

[mwood]

6 inches, no leaks, tank and stand are slowly coming together. I'll start pluming in the pump soon.

 

[phoenix_princess]

I believe Micromesh is what most people use to buff out scratches on acrylic.

Only use the micromesh kit for deep scratches and only sparingly on your viewing panel, because it will cause distortion. Try the Novus products #2 and #3. They should take out any superficial scratches and hazing.

 

[qwuintus]

very fine micro mesh in combination should make it extremely clear.
you will only get distortion if you did it wrong ie used the wrong grit, or didnt polish.

but if you use enough novus, it should do the job by itself.
all you need is lots of elbow grease ;D

 

[mwood]

What grit of micro mech should I use? Do I do it by hand or can I use a palm sander?

 

[mwood]

Update!

Update!

I have the OM 4way hooked to a Ampmaster 4700 and running. I put my heater in the tank and am adding salt and crushed coral. The Ampmaster leaks a little. I'm trying to figure out where. I'll post more updates soon.

Marcus

 

[Herbert T. Kornfeld]

you should put unions and ball valves on the pump's inlet/outlets for easy maint in the future...or at least the unions.

 

[mwood]

As far as unions, the pump has a union of sort where the pvc hooks to the pump. I can just unscrew it. I agree on the ball valve. If I had to remove the pump, about 2 gallons of water would come out from the lines to the ball valves under the bulkheads. I'm just not sure a ball valve would fit between the om 4way and pump.

Marcus

 

[mwood]