Building My 375gal Glass Reef
- Thread starter JohnL
- Start date
Sorry for not responding sooner, folks. Seems the subscription to my own thread got lost in the shuffle. 
I didn't get any emails notifying me of replies, so I assumed no one had posted.
eran, searey, edandsandy, Jhardain, StevieK, erics3000, Elliott - thanks, everyone, for the kind words. I'll be finishing up on the acrylic DIY series today or tomorrow.
eran asked whether my LumenBright reflectors cover the tank's 36" depth: very well, actually. The bulbs are 16-1/2" above the water - this allows the light to be spread evenly across the tank. I'll be posting the obligatory PAR readings for the tank, sometime this week or next.
I didn't get any emails notifying me of replies, so I assumed no one had posted. eran, searey, edandsandy, Jhardain, StevieK, erics3000, Elliott - thanks, everyone, for the kind words. I'll be finishing up on the acrylic DIY series today or tomorrow.
eran asked whether my LumenBright reflectors cover the tank's 36" depth: very well, actually. The bulbs are 16-1/2" above the water - this allows the light to be spread evenly across the tank. I'll be posting the obligatory PAR readings for the tank, sometime this week or next.
Frag/Fuge DIY continued ....
Both my frag tank and refugium will have an internal overflow in the front right corner. I chose the front corner for ease of access. I'm not really too worried about how the tanks look - ease of maintenance, etc. is more important. Each overflow box consists of one side and one end, each has had teeth routed in the top to form the weir.
Here you can see the overflow box being solvent welded into the refugium:
From a different angle:
From the other side - showing the overflow weir:
I first welded the two interior (black) pieces of the OF box together and then let them dry. Then I placed the completed assembly in the tank and welded the part facing down to the side piece. When solvent welding, you can only weld horizontal joints. As mentioned earlier, the solent is very watery - trying to weld a verical joint will result in the solvent merely running down the joint. I used blue painters tape to hold everything in place. Once that dried, I turned the tank on it's end and welded the remaining side of the box to the tank.
This pic shows a judicious use of weight
to ensure the (not so perfectly square) box makes full contact with the side of the tank while it's being welded:
Next, the entire assembly is placed on the acrylic sheet for the bottom. The bottom piece is 1/8" longer and wider than the actual size of the tank. This creates the ledge along which the solent needle will be rested. The shims and needles are placed around the entire tank using the method already shown.
When welding the bottom and top pieces, it's a good idea to have a helper. Any time you're building a tank that is over approx. 24" long, the time it takes to inject solvent all the way around the bottom/top is longer than we want to allow a needle to remain in the solvent. If you have a helper, he/she can begin removing needles 30-45 seconds after the solvent has been injected at their position. If you're wondering why I have not posted a pic of this process - I forgot to take one.
See next post ....
Both my frag tank and refugium will have an internal overflow in the front right corner. I chose the front corner for ease of access. I'm not really too worried about how the tanks look - ease of maintenance, etc. is more important. Each overflow box consists of one side and one end, each has had teeth routed in the top to form the weir.
Here you can see the overflow box being solvent welded into the refugium:
From a different angle:
From the other side - showing the overflow weir:
I first welded the two interior (black) pieces of the OF box together and then let them dry. Then I placed the completed assembly in the tank and welded the part facing down to the side piece. When solvent welding, you can only weld horizontal joints. As mentioned earlier, the solent is very watery - trying to weld a verical joint will result in the solvent merely running down the joint. I used blue painters tape to hold everything in place. Once that dried, I turned the tank on it's end and welded the remaining side of the box to the tank.
This pic shows a judicious use of weight
to ensure the (not so perfectly square) box makes full contact with the side of the tank while it's being welded:
Next, the entire assembly is placed on the acrylic sheet for the bottom. The bottom piece is 1/8" longer and wider than the actual size of the tank. This creates the ledge along which the solent needle will be rested. The shims and needles are placed around the entire tank using the method already shown.
When welding the bottom and top pieces, it's a good idea to have a helper. Any time you're building a tank that is over approx. 24" long, the time it takes to inject solvent all the way around the bottom/top is longer than we want to allow a needle to remain in the solvent. If you have a helper, he/she can begin removing needles 30-45 seconds after the solvent has been injected at their position. If you're wondering why I have not posted a pic of this process - I forgot to take one.
See next post ....
Before I attached the bottom of the tanks, I drilled two 2-3/8" holes - the correct size for the 1-1/2" bulkheads I'll be using for the overflow. I used a regular hole saw. I purchased this set at Home Depot:
When cutting the holes, using a hole saw, ensure the work piece is laying on a flat support and allow the weight of the drill to do most of the work. Applying too much pressure can easily damage your acrylic.
I'll be building my version of a Hofer Gurgle Buster to use in the overflow boxes of both the frag tank and refugium. My setup calls for two 1-1/2" standpipes in each box - never can have too many standpipes. Together, the Frag and Fuge will be fed by a Gold Reeflo Dart. I intend to dial it back a little, to about 2000gph. At 500gph per standpipe, I'm pretty sure that nothing can go wrong.
Here are the parts I'll be using for the standpipes. The pics shows the parts for two standpipes:
This takes the place of the part that forms the bell in the original Hofer parts list. I just like it better.
I'll show some pics of the finished standpipes a little later.
When cutting the holes, using a hole saw, ensure the work piece is laying on a flat support and allow the weight of the drill to do most of the work. Applying too much pressure can easily damage your acrylic.
I'll be building my version of a Hofer Gurgle Buster to use in the overflow boxes of both the frag tank and refugium. My setup calls for two 1-1/2" standpipes in each box - never can have too many standpipes.
Together, the Frag and Fuge will be fed by a Gold Reeflo Dart. I intend to dial it back a little, to about 2000gph. At 500gph per standpipe, I'm pretty sure that nothing can go wrong. Here are the parts I'll be using for the standpipes. The pics shows the parts for two standpipes:
This takes the place of the part that forms the bell in the original Hofer parts list. I just like it better.
I'll show some pics of the finished standpipes a little later.
clevengergl
New member
Great work, Tom!!! Your thread is amazing and your attention to detail inspiring; been studying it thoroughly as I'm preparing to resume my build very soon.
I was just wondering if 1000gph through your refugium might be too much flow? Seems like the water might cycle through too fast to allow the dwell time necessary for denitrification.
Very interested, though, as I'm planning to use a similar setup to yours and ReefEnabler's by pump-feeding my frag and fuge tanks from my sump and then allowing a gravity drain back down into the sump for return to the main display.
Thanks!
Gary
I was just wondering if 1000gph through your refugium might be too much flow? Seems like the water might cycle through too fast to allow the dwell time necessary for denitrification.
Very interested, though, as I'm planning to use a similar setup to yours and ReefEnabler's by pump-feeding my frag and fuge tanks from my sump and then allowing a gravity drain back down into the sump for return to the main display.
Thanks!
Gary
Both the frag tank and the refugium will be Euro-braced with an integrated middle brace. I've chosen to go with 3" bracing along the sides and ends and 6" for the middle.
I've found that the easiest way to complete the top of my tanks is to rout the acrylic sheet before it's attached to the tank. I do this using a router with a 1/8" flush trim bit:
The flush trim bit is designed to follow a template which has been attached to the work piece. Rather than construct a full sized template, as is often suggested, I always piece mine together - saves a whole bunch of time and trouble. Here are the pieces for the template which will create the Euro-bracing for both tanks. The pic shows 3" wide (the width of the bracing) strips of 3/4" MDF. The strips have been cut to a length that will form a rectangle with sides that match the dimensions of exactly half the size of the top of the tank. You'll see what the small triangular pieces are for in a moment:
I use double sided tape to attach the pieces of the template to the top of the tank:
Once the tape has been attached to the MDF template:
We can start applying the pieces to the tank top:
See next post ....
I've found that the easiest way to complete the top of my tanks is to rout the acrylic sheet before it's attached to the tank. I do this using a router with a 1/8" flush trim bit:
The flush trim bit is designed to follow a template which has been attached to the work piece. Rather than construct a full sized template, as is often suggested, I always piece mine together - saves a whole bunch of time and trouble. Here are the pieces for the template which will create the Euro-bracing for both tanks. The pic shows 3" wide (the width of the bracing) strips of 3/4" MDF. The strips have been cut to a length that will form a rectangle with sides that match the dimensions of exactly half the size of the top of the tank. You'll see what the small triangular pieces are for in a moment:
I use double sided tape to attach the pieces of the template to the top of the tank:
Once the tape has been attached to the MDF template:
We can start applying the pieces to the tank top:
See next post ....
And here it is, finished:
The rectangle's outer edge is aligned with the outer edge of the acrylic piece. Here, you can see that the small triangular pieces have been attached at each inner corner. They serve to enlarge (strengthen) the corners of the bracing. You most often see this done using a quarter circle, but straight lines are much easier to cut.
What is shown in the pic is a template that covers exactly one half the top of the tank. The router and flush trim bit will be used to remove the material inside the rectangle. The ball bearing at the end of the flush trim bit will ride along the edge of the MDF template, guiding the cutter through the acrylic sheet.
To do this, a hole must first be drilled through the acrylic to allow the bit to pass through. I usually use a spade bit to do this. The hole is drilled close - but not touching - the inside edge of the template:
When the hole is done, the top is turned over. Here you can see the hole just drilled. The template is now resting on the work table:
The router is placed on top of the acrylic sheet, with the bit going through the hole. The bit has to be adjusted so that when the router rests flat on the acrylic, the bearing (under the sheet) rests against the template, but is low enough so that the cutter will cut completely through the sheet (in this case 3/8"):
Now it's just a matter of routing along the edge of the template. Make sure to follow the rule: If routing inside a template, rout in a clock-wise direction - if routing outside a template, rout in a counter-clock-wise direction. This ensures that you don't do what is called a climb cut - where the bit is turning is a direction with the cut instead of against it. Climb cuts are very dangerous and almost guaranteed to ruin your work piece.
Here's the completed cut. You can see that the template has helped create a nice Euro-brace pattern:
To continue with the top, I will remove the template pieces, apply them in axactly the same manner to the other end of the top piece and rout again. This way we have 3" Euro-bracing with a 6" (doubled up 3" template) center brace.
Unfortunately, someone, whose name will go unmentioned, accidently erased the memory chip with the pics of the final stages of completion for the tanks. All that was left to do was weld on the top pieces, and rout all edges to clean up the overhang left from the welding process. A 1/2" flush trim bit is used to do that. I also use a 3/8" quarter round-over bit to clean up the top edges - makes it look nice.
The rectangle's outer edge is aligned with the outer edge of the acrylic piece. Here, you can see that the small triangular pieces have been attached at each inner corner. They serve to enlarge (strengthen) the corners of the bracing. You most often see this done using a quarter circle, but straight lines are much easier to cut.
What is shown in the pic is a template that covers exactly one half the top of the tank. The router and flush trim bit will be used to remove the material inside the rectangle. The ball bearing at the end of the flush trim bit will ride along the edge of the MDF template, guiding the cutter through the acrylic sheet.
To do this, a hole must first be drilled through the acrylic to allow the bit to pass through. I usually use a spade bit to do this. The hole is drilled close - but not touching - the inside edge of the template:
When the hole is done, the top is turned over. Here you can see the hole just drilled. The template is now resting on the work table:
The router is placed on top of the acrylic sheet, with the bit going through the hole. The bit has to be adjusted so that when the router rests flat on the acrylic, the bearing (under the sheet) rests against the template, but is low enough so that the cutter will cut completely through the sheet (in this case 3/8"):
Now it's just a matter of routing along the edge of the template. Make sure to follow the rule: If routing inside a template, rout in a clock-wise direction - if routing outside a template, rout in a counter-clock-wise direction. This ensures that you don't do what is called a climb cut - where the bit is turning is a direction with the cut instead of against it. Climb cuts are very dangerous and almost guaranteed to ruin your work piece.
Here's the completed cut. You can see that the template has helped create a nice Euro-brace pattern:
To continue with the top, I will remove the template pieces, apply them in axactly the same manner to the other end of the top piece and rout again. This way we have 3" Euro-bracing with a 6" (doubled up 3" template) center brace.
Unfortunately, someone, whose name will go unmentioned,
accidently erased the memory chip with the pics of the final stages of completion for the tanks. All that was left to do was weld on the top pieces, and rout all edges to clean up the overhang left from the welding process. A 1/2" flush trim bit is used to do that. I also use a 3/8" quarter round-over bit to clean up the top edges - makes it look nice. JRaquatics
New member
Great work as always Tom. You talents never cease to amaze me.
Here are some pics of the frag tank being leak tested. You will notice two things that don't jive (is that word still used, these days?) with my previous posts.
1. The top consists of two pieces instead of one, as I had described. The reason is I found that I screwed up and measured the top incorrectly (1/2" too short). I didn't want to use another 4' X 8' sheet, so I made do. Shouldn't have any influence on the strength of the tank.
2. The bracing over the right hand half of the tank is not a mirror image of the left side as I described in my post about routing the Euro-bracing. I changed the plan and routed a separate opening for the overflow.
I'll post some pics of the tanks on their stand, in the fish room, tomorrow.
1. The top consists of two pieces instead of one, as I had described. The reason is I found that I screwed up and measured the top incorrectly (1/2" too short). I didn't want to use another 4' X 8' sheet, so I made do. Shouldn't have any influence on the strength of the tank.
2. The bracing over the right hand half of the tank is not a mirror image of the left side as I described in my post about routing the Euro-bracing. I changed the plan and routed a separate opening for the overflow.
I'll post some pics of the tanks on their stand, in the fish room, tomorrow.
To be honest, I probably won't be shoving 1000gals through the fuge - probably more like 600gals. I was just a little nervous about stating that I plan on pushing the remaining 1400gals through the frag tank. I'm always a little leary about describing things that might not work or present a questionable situation for someone else. Although I feel comfortable with the 1400gals througn the 1-1/2" pipe - I wouldn't want to bet someone elses living room on it.
And there is the backup pipe. 
reefrubble
Premium Member
Tom , You do such beautiful work . I wish I could do work like that . Ted
