OK! Enough chat...Starting a 1000g+ Reef

[jnarowe]

Hard to believe but good thing these pumps don't have rubber impellers. I try to imagine what happened, like one day some tubing went missing and he couldn't find it anywhere. Good lesson really, that if you can't find something, it may be stuck in your pump. Shows just how powerfull these Sequence pums really are.--J

 

[jnarowe]

My curiosity got the best of me so I unravelled it as best I could. Looks like about 7-8 feet of 1/4" tubing.--J

 

[melev]

:lol:

 

[jnarowe]

Ok...quick update. I am starting framing on the sound walls and have had a terrible time with the cement floor (225 sq. ft.). I mean really bad. I want to seal it but it has a thick layer of over-spray & texture that is very difficult to remove.

Let me count the ways:

1. sanding with an orbital & 60 grit (loaded up very fast)

2. using citris strip & a putty knife (not effective)

3. using citris strip & a floor scraper (very effective for top layer, complete and total mess, I can't even describe other than to say one of the worst messes I have ever made.)

4. using citris strip and a 3M abrasive pad (somewhat good but terribly hard work. It would take 5 days to do the whole floor at best.)

5. using a wire brush (somewhat effective but back-breaking)

6. using a grinder with wire brush attachment (worked great until it heated up and turned the paint & texture into black tar)

7. using a grinder & a multi-layer 32 grit pad (works well but also extremely labor intensive)

Still not done. I can't seal over the paint/texture because it would come off and be a waste of time.

After 3 days of struggling I decided to give up. I picked up the 3M pad that had been sitting on the floor for over a day, and guess what? The floor was totally stripped under the pad. It was still wet and goopy with citris strip. So I will try small sections and leave it for a day and see what happens.

Lots of stuff coming in but I am too busy to post pics. Got The Blue Wave 1000W MH ballasts, Ushio 1000W MH 20K lamps, tiger shark magnet and more all in from ReefGeek. he seems like a nice guy and gave me a good deal on the lighting. I think I will do business with him again.

melev I put brackets on the header so you can sleep better at night, and I'll post a pic when I get the chance.--J

 

[melev]

Jay (is it Jay?), you might try something larger as the stripping pad, like some type of a/c filter or water cooler pad. Then you can pour that stripping on the surface, brush it around and lay the pad on top to prevent evaporation.

Stripping concrete is no fun, but with the right equipment it is plausible. I've used a low speed buffer with commercial stripper, and even used a metal screen that is round like a buffing pad to hit the difficult or rusty spots. When you are done, it needs to be clean of all chemicals, and dry out for at least 48 hours before applying whatever treatment you've got in mind. If moisture is trapped beneath the new coating, it will cause that new stuff to lift off the concrete and it will peel away in patches.

You almost want to acid wash it, I would think. My specialty is in VCT, not concrete.

 

[NexDog]

Ah, that's what you mean by "Occupation: Professional Stripper".

 

[melev]

Yeah. Occasionally I share samples of my work.

 

[jnarowe]

It has indeed been very tough with the floor. Your idea of laying the pad over it is good, and apparently I proved that yesterday. Maybe some oilsorb pads would work since they don't absorb water? That's a marine item I sell and they are very cheap. Acid washing is too much for me to handle. If you saw the mess I created with citris strip and a hose you would laugh all day long.

Please remove that music from your web site. it's so annoying I couldn't stay on it for even one minute, and I would like to check out your work. I guess I could mute my speakers....life is so complicated!

BTW, it's Jonathan not "jay" but who cares really?

 

[melev]

I like to know first names when I address people, but admittedly I forget them if I don't use them a lot. Thanks though.

Yeah, just mute the speakers. I rarely visit my site, so it is nice to hear some chipper music when I do stop in.

 

[JCURRY@WESKETCH]

Try putting polyethelene plastic over the stripper to keep it from evaporating. They sell 1 mil plastic sheets as drop cloths in HD. Let it sit for as long as it takes, then wipe up w/ paper towels.

 

[jnarowe]

Marc I have never been good with names and since my stroke, I have ZERO short-term memory. That's why I address posters with their user name.

JCURRY@WESKETCH Great idea on the plastic. I have been spraying with a water bottle, but if i miss it I am screwed. Thanks for the tip!

 

[JCURRY@WESKETCH]

When I strip the woodwork in my house I pour the stripper on 1/8" thk. +/- and cover with plastic wrap until its completely soft. Just pour the citrus strip on the floor & cover with plastic and let it sit. Don't forget you will need to neutralize the floor after you clean up the stripper or the sealer will peel up.

 

[jnarowe]

what do I neutralize with?

 

[melev]

Typically water mixed with "neutral" cleaner. There are plenty of Neutral cleaners on the market, including Zep, a product carried by Home Depot.

Rmember, let the floor dry out for at least 24 hours before applying your final treatment.

 

[jarhed]

Typically water mixed with "neutral" cleaner. There are plenty of Neutral cleaners on the market, including Zep, a product carried by Home Depot.

We used to use that stuff in the Corps to clean rifles..... when we could get away with it. Stuff cleaned the bluing right off the barrels!! :eek1:

HIGHLY potent stuff!

 

[olkeller]

so what have you done this week end

 

[olkeller]

so what have you done this week end

 

[jnarowe]

well, no pain no gain right??? I have finished insulating and screwing the lid, run the 100amp service line into the room, and I am working on the soffit over the tank and I may get one more wall sealed up. I also hope to get the ventilation outlet pipe installed. All easy stuff but time consuming as ever.

next couple of days I will finish installing 2 of the sound walls and bring the tank & stand into the room. That will allow me to button up the viewing room wall so I can get to mud and paint. I have to get that tank inside soon because the weather has changed and it's getting cold at night!--J

 

[melev]

"the lid"?

 

[jnarowe]

sorry, that's rural construction worker speak for the "ceiling". They don't have the word ceiling in their vocabulary. Hats are lids too. So is the hood of a car. It really just simplifies communication and narrows the range of vocabulary so that any dimwit can get in on the conversation. :twitch: --J