Pickupman66's 240 gallon build thread

[Pickupman66]

Well, as many of you may know, I took on the challenge of the Free 240 gallon tank offered by Waynesworld. I picked the tank up yesterday and got it all unloaded in my garage. it was filthy to say the least with one end pane completely cracked. this pane will have to be removed. Here are teh starting photos of the tank.

Monsters of the deep

 

[Pickupman66]

Sunday june 27th:
Got the broken glass out. I wish I had taken a few more before shots. there was an overflow build into this end of the tank with a very thin pane of glass. I removed thsi before the shots of the boys in the tank along with the mud and sand from the bottom.

Here is the pane removed. I have started cleaning it up a bit.

The front pane has this large chip on the top corner. it was filled with silicone with the glass thickness, I dont think this will be a concern.

 

[Pickupman66]

Cleaned the glass.

My fat butt inside the tank.

Now the delima. this area is where the extra glass was siliconed to the tank. where the silicone was, the glass is perfectly clean. where it was not, you can see the residue on the glass. it is almost as if it is etched on the glass. I have tried vinegar, windex, CLR, rubbing compound and cannot make a dent in it. you can hear the razor blade going across it, but it does not remove it at all, no matter hard you push down. Anyone have any advice on getting this of?

 

[Pickupman66]

the next question I have is this:
the silicone on the end that is not being replaced is very dirty. I am considering cutting it out (not that between the panes) and redoing it when I do the rest of the tank. I may do the bottom too so that I have a good seal across the entire tank. THoughts?

 

[tkimmons85]

Try cerium oxide, its a glass polishing compound. I used it to polish out some scratches on my old tank. Maybe it would work well to get that residue off without scratching the glass.

 

[orthokardia]

might try concrete cleaning acid from the hardware store. The name does not come to me right now, but it is much stronger than vinagar. I would also get a second opinion before trying this. Tank looks good though. I am impressed.

 

[Pickupman66]

Ill look into the acid. Melanie is of the opinion that it looks good as it is. all I have is time, so I may try the compound. I almost bought some today, but didnt get any at the store. I plan on painting the back black,and have toyed with the idea of the sand/rock wall on the back. I will not be doing a closed loop system on this tank. really dont want the extra plumbing on this system. I plan on using those mag thru prop type pumps (cant remember the brand). this way I can have a bit more adjustability in the tank. I will use a single overflow with 2x 1" bulkheads. on either side of that will be a 1" bulkhead for the return. all will be drilled thru the back wall. Im going to try and see if I can get the local glass company to maybe come out and drill them for me as they may have more experience than I do. what sucks is that I will have to lay the tank on its side to drill these as I dont want to drill the bottom. I cant tell if it is tempered or not. is there a way to? Lastly, here is a pic of the boys in the tankat its present state.

Oh yea, the tank is actually 225 gallons.

 

[orthokardia]

you should come by the house and see my rock wall. it might help in your desicion. i can also share a few lessons learned. Also you might consider going with bigger bulkheads. you can always reduce down, but once you put in a 1" hole you can not go bigger. just my 2 cents

 

[Pickupman66]

Yea, I am completely torn on the bulkhead size. I was really thinking I needed to be 1 1/2 to be able to handle 2000gph flow, but guess I got chicken as that is a MONSTER hole to be drilled (2 3/8"). What size are your bulkheads?

I know I really like the rock wall look. it is awesome! how did you achieve the flow in your tank?

Hmmm.. Thinking this is the overflow kit I need. talk about some serious water movement.

http://www.glass-holes.com/Dart-Overflow-Box-Complete-Kit-dartkit.htm

 

[sal-t-dawg]

I had heard that if you put on a pair of polarized sun glasses and look at the glass in the sun that you will see a distinct pattern in tempered glass. Put some on and look at your car glass and you'll see what I mean.

 

[Pickupman66]

OH! I thought that was polarization in the auto glass. Ill have to check that out. Yes they do make a rainbow effect in the glasses.

 

[orthokardia]

my tank is glass cages and it has 2x1.5" input and 2x2" output. I think drilling a larger hole would be easier. the bit would be more $$, but it would sit flatter on the glass due to the larger footprint. me thinks

 

[supertech99]

bigger is better! larger holes hidden behind a overflow should not change the looks of it but it would help ensure low noise in the drain. I think thats a good idea. Amazed how that tank cleaned up!

 

[Pickupman66]

Done deal then. I will order that kit from Glass holes for the dart. this is a dual 2" bulkhead kit rated at over 3000gph. Ill just drill 4 3" holes in the back wall. 2 for the overflow and 2 for the returns with 2" bulkheads all around. like you said, you can always restrict them. Dayum those are gonna be some monster holes!

Also, Let me get your thoughts on this. the two cross braces on the tank were busted out. with 1/2" glass, do you think I need to find a way to replace the rim? any suggestions?

 

[Mikeyjer]

It's gonna be an awesome tank once you get it done. Too bad I can't give you any advice cause I'm not talented in this area of expertise. I would be afraid to drill through glass, if I crack it, I probably would shatter the whole tank along with it...lol

 

[NeveSSL]

Wow, Lindsey! This is quite an undertaking.

Did you do any research on replacing the pane?

I've always heard that you have to redo all silicone in the tank due to the old not sticking to any new. I hope you prove that wrong.

Very cool!

Brandon

 

[Pickupman66]

Brandon, that is what im thinking as well. I tried, but could never get a full answer anywhere. I did get to thinking that I will have a weak spot where the silicone meets on that end at the bottom. where as if I replace it all, then I should not have any internal seams (just those under the silicone where each pane is glued to the other.

Im also working on sourcing a new top frame for it. looks like $72 from that pet place and they are on backorder. said maybe 2 weeks to get it in. and the manufacturer (perfecto) wont let you order direct from them. If I cant get that then I will have to try and do Euro brace which im not sure if I want to undertake.

 

[Popes120]

Like the little cleaning crew should of put my 2 boy in my tank to clean that will save the lower back.

 

[Pickupman66]

This thread is Moving... Felt like it belongs in the large tank forum. while not as flashy as some, ill keep it there to get a better range of opinions.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=17304294&posted=1#post17304294

 

[Pickupman66]

OK, got the glass test fitted today. there is a gap on each side that I can slide a box cutter blade thru. it is a bit wider at the top, but I can take my hand and very easily bend the front pane and the gap is gone on both sides. it is like that for at least 3/4 way down. do you think that a gap the size of 1 blade thick is too wide? I hope not as I really dont want to have to get another pane cut. am I screwed?