nother wavebox question

[gwaco]

hi roger , i am also putting together a 75 gal , (seems to be a popular choice around here ) my question is right now i have a 37 gal oceanic cube so it is basically half of a 75 dimension wise , my live rock is more vertical than horizontal and some of my corals break the top surface , so with these couple of things in mind does it matter wether the rock formations are high to generate a good wave or do they need to be more on a horizontal plane,and what about the corals that will be in the open air for the fraction of time ? one more thing, the 75 is a perfecto that will be drilled for a couple of bulkheads in the rear , will the constant motion cause any weakening of the glass around them ? i have heard you need to have a really strong stand also due to the motion . thank you in advance ! gary

 

[gwaco]

heres what i am talking about . since i will have to add rock i was thinking of leaving this as the center and the outside ends tapering down , so will the height of my rock work hurt performance.

 

[rvitko]

The wavebox would work in the 75 but not the 37. It does stress the seems and shorten the tanks life. A well made tank will not lose much life but I would not use it on a used tank that is old.

 

[gwaco]

thanks for getting back to me , but i am still a little confused ! you say the wavebox will shorten the tanks life , by shortening how is this achieved ? will the glass weaken or the silicone seems burst , and any idea what i can expect , i mean would i need to worry about my tank exploding in 1 yr , 5yrs , 10 yrs ! this is a brand new 75 gal tank made by perfecto . the glass on this tank isn't as thick as the glass on my oceanic , so will glass thickness be a problem ? (i have not heard anything bad about these tanks so i assume they hold up ) i hope you don't take these questions as insults to the product , but my wife would not be a happy camper if this tank burst because "you spent 500 on this " and "now look at my floor " just because " you had to have it " . i think you see where i'm going with this ! i love what this product may do to enhance my tank but just want to be cautious about it . again thanks for your time . gary

 

[rvitko]

The manual says on tank built in accordance with Timeshenko's formula the lifespan will be reduced about 10%. They give a link to the Saint Gobain companies website (OEM glass manufacturer for Mercedes Benz and many other companies). Figure a well made glass tank like an Oceanic (no comment on Perfecto) will last 15-20 years. So, with a wavebox it will last 13.5-18 years. It is really only theoretical, it stresses the seams but so does heat, draining and filling, unlevel stands. It is virtually impossible to give an exact figure given all the other stressors. On the other hand a poorly made tank that has sat dry in a garage for a year or two and was already 5-10 years old could blow up immediately. It is not a product problem, just the nature of surge type flow on a glass tank.

 

[gwaco]

thanks roger ! i think i have made up my mind and am going to go for it ! i had also talked with the glass co. that is going to drill my tank and they said it should be no problem also . i'm sure within 5-10 years i will be in a bigger tank anyways . i will be back in contact when things get going and if i have any problems or just to let you know how it has worked out . thank you for your time . gary

 

[rvitko]

That is the main point, hardly anyone keeps a tank longer than 10 years, you alwyas move, move up or move on so it just isn't likely to ever come up. Also, as I said in the past tank life is like a persons life, you could be 16, jogging and hit by a steam roller or you could be a 120 year old alcoholic chain smoker, their just isn't a definite why or how.

 

[skippyreef]

Does the same stress hold true with an acrylic tank? I bought a wave box prior to knowing this little fact LOL. The tank is 72*36*24 inches.

 

[rvitko]

In theory I would think it isn't such a big issue because acrylic tanks should be one solid unit with no flexing seems.

 

[skippyreef]

is this because they are welded chmically?