600 gallon Acrylic Reef
- Thread starter pwhitby
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yep Gary has the truth...Im in trouble.
Actually she was laughing at the pics of me in a mermaid suit...till she saw hers ....but only cos my costume was better.
She does however think we are all crazy.
14 inches of water. half full.
I hope to get the closed loop running tomorrow.
I filled the tank using tap water to do leak tests. Once the CL has run a day or so I will begin adding sand etc and get this baby done.
P.
Actually she was laughing at the pics of me in a mermaid suit...till she saw hers ....but only cos my costume was better.
She does however think we are all crazy.
14 inches of water. half full.
I hope to get the closed loop running tomorrow.
I filled the tank using tap water to do leak tests. Once the CL has run a day or so I will begin adding sand etc and get this baby done.
P.
Not the greatest pic, but....
Heres the tank half full, so about 260g. It does show the bottom returns and the ones in the back.
The reflection is from the glass clamps we used to move the tank. I havent cleaned the sides yet. On the far end the protective sheet can still be seen.
all the speckles are bits of acrylic from the drilling
P.
Heres the tank half full, so about 260g. It does show the bottom returns and the ones in the back.
The reflection is from the glass clamps we used to move the tank. I havent cleaned the sides yet. On the far end the protective sheet can still be seen.
all the speckles are bits of acrylic from the drilling
P.
More Pictures....
Here is one of the two hole saws I used together with one of the heavy duty bulkheads.
heres the drill press and the pilot drill. The press has handles, but they were too big to fit in the holes I cut in the base, hence the need for the zip ties.
First off, I drilled a pilot hole. The drill press made sure it was at a perfect 90 degrees:
then I swapped the drill for the hole saw and repeated the process, cutting maybe 1/4 inch deep. Here is a view of the cut from the top.
and from the back:
then the hole was completed from inside the tank using the pilot hole drilled previously.
The result, a hole with clean edges inside and outside.
Priceless.
Here is one of the two hole saws I used together with one of the heavy duty bulkheads.
heres the drill press and the pilot drill. The press has handles, but they were too big to fit in the holes I cut in the base, hence the need for the zip ties.
First off, I drilled a pilot hole. The drill press made sure it was at a perfect 90 degrees:
then I swapped the drill for the hole saw and repeated the process, cutting maybe 1/4 inch deep. Here is a view of the cut from the top.
and from the back:
then the hole was completed from inside the tank using the pilot hole drilled previously.
The result, a hole with clean edges inside and outside.
Priceless.
The returns to the pump are already drilled. They are between the overflows in this pic, about 2/3rd way up the back. You can just see the back of black bulkhead.
I placed them there to pull water across the top, to make the rolling flow and to make them easy to clean, which they will need every so often.
Ill be plumbing those today.
P.
I placed them there to pull water across the top, to make the rolling flow and to make them easy to clean, which they will need every so often.
Ill be plumbing those today.
P.
BTW, they are SAVKO bulkheads, heavy duty.
Heres a comaprison pic:
they are MUCH easier to use than the black plastic ones. They require a slightly larger hole and the gasket rubber is far more substantial and has concentric ridges, making a better seal.
I order from www.savko.com
P.
Heres a comaprison pic:
they are MUCH easier to use than the black plastic ones. They require a slightly larger hole and the gasket rubber is far more substantial and has concentric ridges, making a better seal.
I order from www.savko.com
P.
- and these bulk heads look really good! 
captbunzo
Premium Member
Not to be a detractor to Paul's bulkheads, but here is another neat option as well...
http://www.aquaticeco.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.detail/iid/6835/cid/1885
These are just another type of HEAVY DUTY bulkheads. They also require a bigger hole. One nice thing to them is that they have a slimmer profile. I used these on a couple tanks I setup recently and really liked them.
Whatever the case, I fully agree that standard bulkheads suck.
http://www.aquaticeco.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.detail/iid/6835/cid/1885
These are just another type of HEAVY DUTY bulkheads. They also require a bigger hole. One nice thing to them is that they have a slimmer profile. I used these on a couple tanks I setup recently and really liked them.
Whatever the case, I fully agree that standard bulkheads suck.
Gwalker
In Memoriam
Paul,
Did you like the smell of the burning black acrylic when you were drilling? That smell was arsnic being released but you have plenty of brain cells to spare right??? Well on second thought maybe I should have told you that before you started......
Looks good by the way.
G.
Did you like the smell of the burning black acrylic when you were drilling? That smell was arsnic being released but you have plenty of brain cells to spare right??? Well on second thought maybe I should have told you that before you started......
Looks good by the way.
G.
eddybabyhd
.Registered Member
arsenic huh? i wondered what that smell was, is it bad that i dont remember drilling my tank
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