adova
Premium Member
I imagine I will have some extra JB Waterweld left over to keep anemones in place :thumbsup:
Shawn's 180 Wall Divider Build
- Thread starter adova
- Start date
I imagine I will have some extra JB Waterweld left over to keep anemones in place :thumbsup:
Zipties work well too. Put them on the back side so that it is not visible. That way what you have on a rod, can be tied to it, if too small to drill, or are afraid to crack one.
While JB will be the ticket.
Humm... I think the anemone will grab you and pull you in if you try any of those shenanigans.
While JB will be the ticket.
Humm... I think the anemone will grab you and pull you in if you try any of those shenanigans.
adova
Premium Member
It's been a month and I figure it is time for a small update. I bough a small CUC from reefcleaners.org and a tuxedo urchin, 2 black Ocelaris (sp) clowns and 3 Royal Grammas from LiveAquaria / Divers Den. Tank finished cycling and has been maturing as the new fish and CUC went into QT.
I am using the TTM method of QT, followed by 3 -4 weeks in another, larger QT tank where I treat PraziPro and chloroquine phosphate.
I had one Gramma that came in looking rough and only made it 3 days. Still pretty when out of water...
I am using the TTM method of QT, followed by 3 -4 weeks in another, larger QT tank where I treat PraziPro and chloroquine phosphate.
I had one Gramma that came in looking rough and only made it 3 days. Still pretty when out of water...
CatsnClownfish
New member
I posted this elsewhere, but I think I should have posted it here because this sounds like a question for the experts in this thread. Thanks for all your help last time I asked. It was great.
I'm finally able to return to building my ~50g tank, and I just bonded the eurobrace top to the four assembled sides. My last steps are to bond the overflow chamber, bond the bottom to the top, and add Weld-on 16 touch-up where needed (after adding rods maybe? see below). My tank dimensions are 46" x 17" x 17" (I'll fill up to only 15" or so). My tank's walls are all 0.5" cell cast acrylic with routed edges. I bonded with Weld-on 4 using the pin method and camper foam on MDF boards. This is my first time using these methods: I used to just do straight capillary method with shims.
I didn't accomplish perfect seams. I have a few bubbles here and there, mostly small but not all as small as I'd like. So I was reading about adding triangle or square rods along the seams for added structural support. I was going to put them along all four seams on the bottom and possibly two vertical seams at the back of the tank. Maybe even all four at the top, too. This tank will go in my office, so I need to over-engineer it"”I don't want to be fired for a leaky tank!
Five questions:
1) I seem to be able to find only extruded rods, not cell cast. Is it okay/wise to use extruded rods for this?
2) How much will adding these help the tank not leak?
3) Does it matter if I use triangular rods instead of square rods? Square seems better to me because of the added strength from contact at the rods in the corners to each other.
4) What should I use to bond the rods down? Weld-on 4 and a pin method? Weld-on 16? Weld-on 40 (which I don't own yet)? Something else?
5) Would it be a good idea to put Weld-on 16 on the seam first I was about to put a rod on, and then quickly put the rod down too so that I had that Weld-on 16 seal across the inner seam? If I do this, I'm guessing I can't use Weld-on 4 for bonding then, but maybe not"”for some reason, I was thinking you couldn't let Weld-on 4 interact with Weld-on 16 (or vice versa) when either one or both was still wet.
Thanks all. I'll post picks when I'm done. I've been taking them along the way. I couldn't have done this without the great help on this site and others.
I'm finally able to return to building my ~50g tank, and I just bonded the eurobrace top to the four assembled sides. My last steps are to bond the overflow chamber, bond the bottom to the top, and add Weld-on 16 touch-up where needed (after adding rods maybe? see below). My tank dimensions are 46" x 17" x 17" (I'll fill up to only 15" or so). My tank's walls are all 0.5" cell cast acrylic with routed edges. I bonded with Weld-on 4 using the pin method and camper foam on MDF boards. This is my first time using these methods: I used to just do straight capillary method with shims.
I didn't accomplish perfect seams. I have a few bubbles here and there, mostly small but not all as small as I'd like. So I was reading about adding triangle or square rods along the seams for added structural support. I was going to put them along all four seams on the bottom and possibly two vertical seams at the back of the tank. Maybe even all four at the top, too. This tank will go in my office, so I need to over-engineer it"”I don't want to be fired for a leaky tank!
Five questions:
1) I seem to be able to find only extruded rods, not cell cast. Is it okay/wise to use extruded rods for this?
2) How much will adding these help the tank not leak?
3) Does it matter if I use triangular rods instead of square rods? Square seems better to me because of the added strength from contact at the rods in the corners to each other.
4) What should I use to bond the rods down? Weld-on 4 and a pin method? Weld-on 16? Weld-on 40 (which I don't own yet)? Something else?
5) Would it be a good idea to put Weld-on 16 on the seam first I was about to put a rod on, and then quickly put the rod down too so that I had that Weld-on 16 seal across the inner seam? If I do this, I'm guessing I can't use Weld-on 4 for bonding then, but maybe not"”for some reason, I was thinking you couldn't let Weld-on 4 interact with Weld-on 16 (or vice versa) when either one or both was still wet.
Thanks all. I'll post picks when I'm done. I've been taking them along the way. I couldn't have done this without the great help on this site and others.
adova
Premium Member
Hi Cats -
To be honest, I see no real reason to add either the rods or triangles. Your tank dimensions are well matched with the acrylic thickness, so additional strength is redundant and I would not suspect they will help prevent leaking.
With regards to bubbles, I would not sweat it too much. My first sumps were built using table saws, capillary method and were just plain ugly with massive bubbles and all (and used 1/4" for about same dimensions you are describing). But, they lasted without issue for 6+ years without failure.
However, should you want to use the rods and such, I would say that it should not matter cast vs extruded. Square rods would work fine, I suspect. To attach, I would just use weldon-4 and capillary action. 16 would work too, but that stuff gets messy. If you do use 16, there is no need for #4.
Good luck and let us know if you need anything else...
Shawn
To be honest, I see no real reason to add either the rods or triangles. Your tank dimensions are well matched with the acrylic thickness, so additional strength is redundant and I would not suspect they will help prevent leaking.
With regards to bubbles, I would not sweat it too much. My first sumps were built using table saws, capillary method and were just plain ugly with massive bubbles and all (and used 1/4" for about same dimensions you are describing). But, they lasted without issue for 6+ years without failure.
However, should you want to use the rods and such, I would say that it should not matter cast vs extruded. Square rods would work fine, I suspect. To attach, I would just use weldon-4 and capillary action. 16 would work too, but that stuff gets messy. If you do use 16, there is no need for #4.
Good luck and let us know if you need anything else...
Shawn
adova
Premium Member
Thanks! The bottom tank is a bit of a pain for two reasons. First, since it is so low, I can't use gravity to siphon out water if I need to. Second, even with the sliders I installed, it is not easy to slide in and out of position to add salt when full. I could put on some beefier commercial grade sliders, but I am goingto see how much of a pain in the butt this really is.
I have yet to see how the DoS pump does with it (mostly concerned with head loss if that is even a factor) but I hope to have it hooked up this weekend and will report...
CatsnClownfish
New member
Thanks, Shawn.
adova
Premium Member
While hooking up the DoS unit, I got frustrated with the wire mess that was in that little box I made under the stand. It just wasn't working for me. Too much trying to happen in too small an area.
To solve it, I decided to make an electronics cabinet. It will sit flush with the drywall when complete and will have tinted glass (or most likely bronze acrylic) inset into 3 cabinet doors that will display the electronics. The doors will be stained in some way to match...
One of the things that needed to happen anyways was the removal of the remaining wall structure:
Then, I built the cabinet and setup all of the electronic components.
To solve it, I decided to make an electronics cabinet. It will sit flush with the drywall when complete and will have tinted glass (or most likely bronze acrylic) inset into 3 cabinet doors that will display the electronics. The doors will be stained in some way to match...
One of the things that needed to happen anyways was the removal of the remaining wall structure:
Then, I built the cabinet and setup all of the electronic components.
adova
Premium Member
I was doing a small water change on the QT (really just to clean it up) and I noticed that the WC water was much warmer than the main DT. I had been using Apex to manage the temp on the DT. After checking it with three different sources, it looks like the DT is almost 5 degrees cooler (reporting 80 but really 75 degrees) than the apex says it was.
Perhaps I missed the calibration instructions on the probe and never did it, or it got that far off in 2 months, but jeeze! I am going to get another backup temp probe to use as well.
Just an FYI for all of you Apex owners!
Perhaps I missed the calibration instructions on the probe and never did it, or it got that far off in 2 months, but jeeze! I am going to get another backup temp probe to use as well.
Just an FYI for all of you Apex owners!
BigBlueTang
Active member
Great build so far! I will have to come visit one day 
SNAKEMANVET
PREMIUM MEMBER
I really like the equipment cabinet.
LowHangingFruit
New member
LOVE your stand. Would you mind sending me everything you have on it?
adova
Premium Member
Update:
Not much going on with the tank itself - just trying to get the fish moved in.
Currently I have 3 blood shrimp, 2 black and white clowns, 2 purple fire fish and 2 royal gammas.
In QT (5 more days) there is another firefish and three bartlett Anthias.
Finally, in the Tank Transfer QT, there are: a Purple Tang, Chevron Tang and a Powder Blue Tang.
I will try to get some pics of all of them up tonight!!
Shawn
Not much going on with the tank itself - just trying to get the fish moved in.
Currently I have 3 blood shrimp, 2 black and white clowns, 2 purple fire fish and 2 royal gammas.
In QT (5 more days) there is another firefish and three bartlett Anthias.
Finally, in the Tank Transfer QT, there are: a Purple Tang, Chevron Tang and a Powder Blue Tang.
I will try to get some pics of all of them up tonight!!
Shawn
