Slow 400G build

[20vturbo]

Ok so this will probably be the slowest build thread ever but here is the beginning!

Some pics of the tank pickup!

Overall Dimensions 5’ Wide x 8’ Tall x 3’ Deep â€"œ Hex shape.
Tank - 60”W x 42”H x 36”D
Canopy with 2 access doors and open top -- Dimensions 61”W x 24”H x 37”D
Cabinet with two doors -- Dimensions 61W x 38”H x 37”D

Dive Dive Dive!!

This thing is tall!

Wow...hope I'm not afraid of hights!

I'm going in!

Sure did smell good

That may be where I passed out for a sec.

Finallllly

 

[20vturbo]

Using those muscles

Acclimation is fun

Hope this is back up by the time my wife gets in!

Can't we just get done?!

 

[20vturbo]

He is real proud of that thing.

Did we really move this huge thing?!

Makes 210 look small!

LOTS OF ROCK

LOTS OF ROCK CONTINUED...don't even look in the sumps.

Anyone know how this works?

How about now?

 

[20vturbo]

Front shot...just needs a little buffing.

I am no just wondering what is the best way to filter this thing! The guy I bought it from had no idea how it worked b/c he paid people to take care of it for him. NOONE in our local club has any idea how the filtration was working so I was planning on just drilling the back of the tank...however I need opinions on where to drill this acrylic?? the black overflow box has all those different chambers and is 29 x 3.5 x 49. I am just not sure where to drill it (A or B or somewhere else inside the overflow) for the drains for the sump and where to drill for the (C or D or somewhere else outside the overflow) returns. An suggestions on the size of the holes would be good too! I was thinking two holes at A or B and then two for the returns. I don't want to drill the bottom b/c I don't want to take out the existing "overflow"

I was also thinking of putting Cheato (the fuge) in the two larger chambers on both sides of "A"

 

[Toolguy942]

Were there any other parts to the filter? If not, why not fill it with tap water to figure out the flow pattern?

 

[20vturbo]

the only thing in the back is one filter...looks like there should be two and we pulled out two small rio pumps...looks like they were attached to the two tubes circled on the ends?? That is a good idea, I think I may have to see how the water runs just out of curiosity, but there is no way to have a reef tank without a skimmer is there?!

 

[Toolguy942]

Looks very similar to the internal filter system (simplicity) on the tenecor tanks.

It looks like as the water goes through the overflow teeth some of it goes into the "large" area where the return pumps are and some of it goes through the "filter boxes".

The water going through the filter boxes wide area overflows into the narrow area (where the filter media would be) and then overflows again into the "large" area.

The "large" area could possibly be acting like a sump area. The pumps then push the water back through the returns which look like they are in the angled pice of black acrylic.

Although it would be a huge waste of space, you could leave the current overflow in place and drill a couple of holes for bulkheads/standpipes in the bottom where the filter is laying in the pic, but more to the outside.

As for a reef without a skimmer, I suppose it could be done, but I personally wouldn't. Especially, with any SPS included.

Good luck!

 

[20vturbo]

thanks for the suggestion!! I need all the help I can get!

 

[Toolguy942]

No problem. It will be intersting to see if I guessed right when you get it up and running.

 

[erics3000]

First.. that thing is huge. Now is 20valve a toyota engine or an audi? I will guess it is a 4 cylinder.

 

[20vturbo]

my other hobby...VW

 

[erics3000]

Sweet.. Nice ride. My buddy has the sr82 something its a a quick little car. Where is DFW at?

 

[TandN]

nice 42" is TALL!!!!!!

 

[SolidDetail808]

Sweet another VDubber that's a reefer also. I've owned about 7 VW's now I have a Audi A4 Avant. So you got a BMP 20th, looks good! What do you got as far as mods for your 20th.

 

[JCTewks]

DFW = Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas

 

[erics3000]

thanks..

 

[hahnmeister]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10793527#post10793527 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 20vturbo
my other hobby...VW

Owning a VW does require it to be a hobby. They break down more than any car I have ever seen. The woman wanted a bug... I told her that after the warranty... everything will break. Sure enough... even with the Audi-made Turbo model, the sucker still sucks an extra $1500 in 'break down' repairs every year.

I love the car... but yeah... it needs to be a hobby to own one.

 

[20vturbo]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10795570#post10795570 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SolidDetail808
Sweet another VDubber that's a reefer also. I've owned about 7 VW's now I have a Audi A4 Avant. So you got a BMP 20th, looks good! What do you got as far as mods for your 20th.

apr chip, FMIC, exhaust, downpipe
pulleys
n75
lower IC pipe
modded airbox
SS brake lines
slotted rotors

I think thats all

 

[20vturbo]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10796902#post10796902 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hahnmeister
Owning a VW does require it to be a hobby. They break down more than any car I have ever seen. The woman wanted a bug... I told her that after the warranty... everything will break. Sure enough... even with the Audi-made Turbo model, the sucker still sucks an extra $1500 in 'break down' repairs every year.

I love the car... but yeah... it needs to be a hobby to own one.

Wow I must be the luckiest person in the world then!

 

[hahnmeister]

I love their cars... dont get me wrong. Those Audi's are a blast to drive. I was considering a RS3 myself... but their reliability is just so 'iffy'. They have notorious electrical problems... and sure enough, within the first 3 months of having that turbo beetle, there was a recall on the entire instrument cluster and all the wiring in the car. Still to this day, sensors break left and right, and sometimes the engine wont start just for random reasons. To date, the electronics in the key werent being recognized by the ignition... so you couldnt start the engine. The response was 'these things happen' from VW. At 35,000 miles, the water pump just quit. Recently, the engine just wont 'turn over' under random circumstances... seems like a battery... replaced the battery... still happens and not even the dealer can figure it out. At 20,000 miles, an entire bank of fuses just fried... again a 'these things happen' thing. This car is stock, no aftermarket 'pimp my ride' stuff. Engine/emission sensors go bad once a year it seems... oh, and dont run the car on anything other than BP gas or else something will break!

'These things just happen'... yeah, right. Not to a Honda or Toyota. I know a guy at BOSCH in Germany... he does electrical engineering on Porche's now, but used to do VW's. Since its all one company now, they try to cut costs and make the Porche's engineered more by VW's teams. They wont allow it because they know it will be the source of all problems to come.

The woman's father was a CEO in detroit, in the auto industry. He had a Caddy SRX SUV that he hated when he got it (previous company car was a Mercedes M-class). So he had the prototype engineers rip apart the Caddy and put the suspension from the Mercedes in there. My suggestion at the time was to gut the Beetle and put everything from a Civic Type-R in that thing (engine, suspension, electronics, etc). She said 'nah, thats a huge hassle and things arent THAT BAD'. Its been a year since then, and boy... does she wish she would have done that now.

Im on the waiting list for a BMW 1-series now.