Here we go! 336 gal acrylic tank with CL-Suggestions Plse

[LCATTIN]

Don == Thanks for your input. I will keep these things in mind. I will probably eventually go with the MBV but it won't happen unless we make a move in residence. Then I will have the option of getting to back of the tank once again. We have been wanting to relocate and I am going to consider making the mods at that time. With the shaky situation with work I cannot put any more investment into the tank other than keeping livestock fed and alive. I have been scrounging and trading to get this set up so the extra expenditure is not an option right now. Hoping things will pick back up next year. If it wasn't for that I would install the MBV & plumbing right now as that is the way I would like to go but we have to make do with what we have available.

By the way how is your weather out in Seattle? Looks like you may have gotten some significant snow yesterday.

Les

 

[dnjan]

The weather is icy. What the Monday Night Football game didn't show was a layer of hail that came down between 4:30 and 5:00pm yesterday. When it was about at freezing temperature. As it cooled down overnight, that hail became a layer of ice, with the (small amount by midwestern standards) snow acting as a filler/polishing compound to smooth out the surface even more. Since it is a bit hilly here, transportation last night was very slow.

Almost (but not quite ) wish I was indiana to help you move your tank in.

 

[LCATTIN]

The tank move is going to happen this evening. Pics will be forthcoming. And as all else goes, the walls will have to be painted before the tank is moved into place so we now add that to everything else. It is all good as my wife has been wanting this done for sometime now.

 

[NC2WA]

It is a great thing when the wife is happy.

 

[dnjan]

There is a presumed cause and effect there (wife wants walls painted and tank moved in, and wife will then be happy) that excedes my own experience.

 

[LCATTIN]

It's all good.

Thanks to all you guys for following along.

With the help from some friends, it is in the house now. The wall behind the tank has been painted but the jury is still out on the color. May get a verdict tomorrow. If it has to change it needs to happen before there is water or sand in the tank.

Sorry about the yellow lighting but that was the glow that I got with the overhead incandescants. It'll look better later.

 

[class clown]

this looks fantastic! I can't wait to see the final

 

[Krish]

Nice!!!! Great job so far man...

 

[LCATTIN]

Well, it looks like the wall color is locked so I can start adding sand and RO/DI water. Sure glad I have a system set up for that. About half the water will be new and the rest from the 180 gallon tank as we transfer all the rock over and aquascape once again. In the tank are the 20oz pop bottle carriers that are going to be the support for the LR. We shouldn't have to worry about the Twin Spot Goby removing the substrate support under the rockwork any more.

 

[NaH2O]

Awesome work Les! Maybe we can have the Jan meeting at your place . Can't wait to see it in person. Keep the updates coming.

 

[LCATTIN]

>>Thanks Nikki. I wouldn't be opposed to the meeting idea if you wanted to drive that far.

I have 18 cubic feet of Kolorscape sand in the tank now (450 lbs. or so) and 60 gallons of water. Pics later. I am concentrating on the sump configuration now while I get some more RO/DI water made for the tank. A new sump would have been easier to work with as this one has holes to patch or plug and baffles to install to get it where I want it.

Does anyone local have a cartridge filter that I could borrow to get some of the sand powder filtered out of the tank?

Les

 

[NaH2O]

Les - I'm not sure of anyone, but the fine silt will settle as your tank gets populated with bacteria. If you want you can take a filter sock, put it in the sump, and run a siphon hose into it and try to clear it out (or put it on the tank drains). If the sump isn't in use yet, then run the water into a bucket and empty the cleaned water from the bucket, back into the tank before siphoning out more water. Not ideal, but it will get the job done.

 

[LCATTIN]

Thanks Nikki. I may have to do that. I fixed up a cartridge filter last night, the type you use for your house filtration and am getting some of it out but the filter plugs up pretty quick. I thought about the siphon and filter of some sort and may try that tonight. I have old socks around that I could use for that which may work. I have taken any more pics as you can't see anything. When we get this settled down and get the sump ready it will be time to start moving things. I didn't get an E-vite but I am not sure if I can make it or not as I think I have a wedding to run sound for and I am not sure when that is yet and I have to get this tank going so I can finish painting the family room.

Les

 

[LCATTIN]

Well, another dilema, I just found where the pump housing is cracked in several places. I don't have the funds for a new wet end right now so I am going to try put some epoxy on all the cracks. I don't think that it is cracked through the housing, only the mounting area and a strengthening rib or two. Maybe some epoxy will keep it together for a while. I am going to also put some flexible PVC coupling sleeves on the pipe going to the pump to take the stress off of it.

I am also going to try pumping the tank water through some fiberfill to see if I can filter some of this nasty dust out of the tank and get it cleared up. Lot's to do.

Les

 

[dnjan]

Sorry to hear. Can't tell from the picture you posted, but do you have valves and unions on either side of the pump? If not, I would add then ASAP in case stress/pump vibration causes the cracks to grow.

 

[LCATTIN]

Here is a nice mess to look at. I am still filtering. Don't look at all the extra pipes and all as it will all be cleaned up later. The piping in the tank was to cut down on the splashing and sand stirring.

Just thought I would let you all know that I am still working on it when I have time.

Les :lol:

 

[Scooterman]

Wicked stuff man but water in a tank is cool

 

[Krish]

That's insane!!!

 

[dnjan]

Those hose-clamp unions are not a good idea for very long. You really should have the screw-together "true" union.

The typical type of stainless used on those hose-clamp unions is 18-8 (or Type 304). It rusts in saltwater. Salt creep, spills, etc. can be enough exposure. If you must stay with those type of unions in a saltwater environment, replace the hose clamps with Type 316 (available from West Marine). You can tell you got the correct ones because they are much more expensive ).

Avoid future disasters now ...

 

[LCATTIN]

Thanks Don. I do have true unions in place on the plumbing. I added these PVC flexible unions due to the fractures in the pump support hoping to get rid of some of the stress of the weight of the 2" PVC on the pump itself. I have 2" true unions out of sight just up behind the stand.

Les