Lunchbucket's 48"x48"x20" Reef

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1st coat is on!!! Waiting 3hrs to let it dry.

Here is the basement cleaned out and ready to be sealed
IMG_5070.JPG


1/2 done w/ first coat. That is Mrs. Lunchbucket in the pic
IMG_5071.JPG


All done w/ 1st coat. 2nd one should go a LOT faster since all the pin holes are sealed up and the 2nd coat will have a smoother surface now
IMG_5072.JPG


I'll get the 2nd coat on and start framing tonight. Hope to have 1 wall done. More pics later

Lunchbucket
 
Question for all of you. The foam that you guys put under your tanks is always pink but @ Lowes I only see blue foam?? This the same stuff? I need to get the plywood on the tank and the foam so I know how high my tank will be.

Is 1 sheet of 3/4" ply good enough under the tank since I have so many steel supports or should I double it up?

Lunchbucket
 
blue foam? haven't seen that here at Lowes. I use the white foam with the mylar coating. Has blue printing on it. Seems to me one sheet of ply would be OK, but would it be too much money and effort to double it?

You're wife is great man. Mine never got involved at all. Well, she was running our business, so that's not an entirely fair comparisson, but it was part of the "deal" that she not have to do any of the work. :rolleyes:
 
2 sheets of 3/4" ply would be a waste of $$$ IMO. 1 sheet and a layer of the White foam with what appears to be million of little white beads is the best stuff to use. The pink and blue foam are a bit too rigid and will not allow the tank to "settle" from what I have read.
 
One 3/4" is enough. I would use a 11 layer over a 7 layered ply though. The more layers the more stable the sheet.
 
jnarowe - Not too much $$ but not sure if it was needed or worth it.

I only have blue here no pink but I do have the white (tones of beads compressed foam) w/ mylar coating. I have blue and the white at my house now so I'll get pics later

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11870062#post11870062 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jnarowe
You're wife is great man. Mine never got involved at all. Well, she was running our business, so that's not an entirely fair comparisson, but it was part of the "deal" that she not have to do any of the work. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

My wife isn't a man baby!! Not my bag. It is nice that she helps a lot. She's been amazing through the whole process!! I love her very much!

46 - The white stuff is best?? Seems like it would come apart easily/ though?

FFrankie - I'll see what I have for layers ply. I bought my piece of ply sometime back. Should be printed on the sheet I'm sure

Lunchbucket
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11870578#post11870578 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lunchbucket
jnarowe - Not too much $$ but not sure if it was needed or worth it.

I only have blue here no pink but I do have the white (tones of beads compressed foam) w/ mylar coating. I have blue and the white at my house now so I'll get pics later

My wife isn't a man baby!! Not my bag. It is nice that she helps a lot. She's been amazing through the whole process!! I love her very much!

46 - The white stuff is best?? Seems like it would come apart easily/ though?

Lunchbucket
Click to expand...
No way..re-read...I did not suggest that she is a man!

On the foam coming apart...I even use it as a float for my probes, but what I do is torch the ends a little bit so it fuses together. :D

probe%20float2.jpg
 
:lol: Thought I'd see what you'd say about the whole man thing :D put an "a" in there and it has a whole new meaning :D

Ahh..I remember seeing that stuff at Lowes. Does the little bead foam ever fall apart? I mean would I have to worry about it crushing under the tank and messing everything up?

3/4" foam?

I counted the layers in my ply...it only had 5 layers.

Lunchbucket
 
it won't be crushed by the tank at all. in fact I put my tank on it, filled it with water, and it didn't compress at all. That's about 10,000 lbs. on 8 x 5 feet. The corners can be knocked out though as you mess around in the tank room. The solution is to tack up some wood strips. The light torching helps a lot.

3/4" would be fine IMO.
 
I would tend to agree with that and I don't really know why I chose the white one over the pink. It's not nearly as stable IMO, but it is working out fine.
 
Melev - Thanks for the info. How thick of blue? 1/2" or 3/4"??

Got one wall framed up!!! Fit perfect only a few whacks to get it to fit.
IMG_5074.JPG


Lunchbucket
 
The 11 layer ply would be better for stability Lunch. The 5 could bend and shape to the framing more so then the 11. 5 layer has more cell structure to absorb moisture. 11 is more dense. I have yet to have a tank this large or need to put a full base under a tank, so maybe others will post their thoughts on this. If it was me, I would use the 11 layer. Preferably the sanded one side ply.
 
melev - Thanks. I'll get 1/2" actually I have some but it is at 47.5" since I cut some off to put in the outside wall that I just ripped down :(

FFrankie - Sounds good. I'll see what Lowes has. I think thier oak faced plywood has a lot more layers. There are 5 bars w/in the 4ft that the tank is so I'm sure I'd be ok but I'll get the beefy ply to make sure. I'll use the 5 layer under the sumps under the stand.

Lunchbucket
 
Actually, forget the normal plywood. CWARD turned me onto this material, and you can get it at Lowes very likely. AdvanTech It's flooring panel that is super smooth, flat, weather resistant, etc. I used it when I made my new frag and sump stand (with a layer of laminate on top).

The name is in huge print on the wood. I didn't take any good shots before applying the laminate, but here's an idea of what it looks like:

(laminate down)
09.04.2007-1.jpg


(used a spare piece to build my sump it was flat enough actually)
10.27.2007-2.jpg
 
Cool Eric, I will have to go check that stuff out in the morning. Looks like a laminate ply. Not MDF. Very promising.
 
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