This is a LFS to me and they carry some rare stuff:

http://www.blueribbonkoi.com/webcart/products.php?cat=11

They have quite a few rare angels in stock and the pair of flame wrasses are amazing. I saw them in person and their colors are incredibly bright & John (the owner) said they only get brighter. He said he got most of this stuff on a trip to Hawaii.

Looks like everything's getting into the process! It looks great so far!

NOR

Amazing fish, but I thought these were a cold water fish?



Yes, the acrylic shop didn't cut everything perfect as I asked so I'll be trimming the entire sheet once it's polished up. The next one will be the same way (same batch) but the last two I've custom ordered out of Houston to ensure they are cut accurately. Either way, each piece will still end up being trimmed before welding.



Very nice stuff! Most is more than I want to spend, but a great site! Thanks for the link and feedback.



As for an update, I was able to finish sanding one side last night, 320 grit, 400 grit, 600 grit, 1200 grit, 1500 grit, 1800 grit, 2400 grit, 3000 grit, 4000 grit, and finally buffed clear. I'll be starting the opposite side when I have time, and then weld up the next piece and start the process over again. I'll post pics when I have the first piece finished.

VERY nice work. I would strangle a kitten (and i really like kittens) for a fraction of your construction skills.



- Josh

What company in Houston did you order from?

LOL! Thanks Josh.


A&C Plastics, they have an office here in Colorado and truck shipments up from Houston weekly. It should have left Houston yesterday and be here by tomorrow. Hope to have the next set ready to weld up by Tuesday.

Lots more pics and vids on that other site, but here's an update:

400 Wet


600 Wet


1500 Wet


1800 Wet


2400 Wet


3200 Wet


3600 Wet and 4000 Wet not shown, 6000, 8000 and 120000 are available...

Buffed Clean...

Here's panel two being glued up...

First tape it off...

And if you're not sure how to tape, here ya go...



And cutting off the excess...



Clamping down just one side.



Note the gap for the WeldOn 42.



42 Gun.



And Tape on the bottom to prevent the solvent from running out.



Applying the 42



Squeezing the pieces together



And un-tape one side to see how the weld turned out (bubbles or not) Unfortunately this one has some small bubbles toward the end, so hopefully I can keep it in the sand to help hide them. Or it will become the bottom since I now have 2 more attempts.

Bump to check progress....

Sorry, I've been just swamped with work. I hope to get some more progress done this weekend, I now have all the acrylic I just need the time to work on building it.

hey, whats the website for the cal reactors you make?

Business name is changing and I need to do some additional R&D but can still work on some custom orders... http://www.reefiniti.com

do you make custom tanks for people??

I have in the past, but would rather work on equipment or small nano's as they are easier to handle working solo.

any progress?

What about a chevron tang? I have one and love. Nice fish, very pretty, doesn't get too large. They are also affordable and not extremely common.

Sorry for the lack of updates guys, I've been SOOOOOOOO busy with other projects, but I just finished welding the last two pieces to complete all 4 16' pieces. I hope to get them all cut, sanded, and polish tomorrow so I can begin assembly of the tank some time next week. I'll get some more pics when I start the assembly process.

I really thought about a Chevron Tang but they are only colorful as juvi's... Adults are a drab olive color. I guess I could just take him out as an adult and get another small one? Not really responsible, but better than putting a Unicorn in right? Thanks for the thought.

All the acrylic panels are cut, so it looks like the tank is going to end up at approx 142x15.5x16.5 (outside dimension w/ 1/2" acrylic) putting it at almost 140 gallons. I still need to sand, polish, and buff the seams but they are cut to size and ready for assembly as soon as they are polished. I'll get post more pics (6 of us) cutting the 12' panels as soon as I get them uploaded.

Wasn't tough to cut, just tough to keep pressed against the fence.

This thing is going to be amazing. If you don't mind, could you share what a project like this would cost?

Actually I try not to think about the cost... The stand was minimal, say 100 for materials, although I still have to buy the wood and hinges to build the doors. The tank took 2 sheets of 1/2" for 500, then the ends and overflow (black acrylic) ran about another 75. 1 tube of weldon 42 was 45 plus 4 tips at 1.50 ea. I already had the weldon gun (245). Lights will be another 1000, skimmer will probably be about 500, I will build my own sumps (another 300-500) Return pump another 150, Dart for the closed loop 235, CO2 tank 100, regulator 200, Ca reactor (will build my own for about 150), plumbing is another 200, canopy I haven't priced yet, but hope to keep it under 200. Sand, Rock, and livestock will vary. Once setup, I'll look to add some additional equipment such as UV, Carbon and Phosban reactors, lots of fans, and I'm sure there is stuff I'm forgetting.

So materials only, not including tools, livestock, or down the road equipment I'm estimating just over 4 grand.

It really is best to try not to think about it.

if the wife asks just tell her the labor was free!!

LOL! It's alright, she get's to stay home with our boys so she can't really complain about the tank. Everything will come together in time, and with enough DIY work, and maybe some used equipment deals, maybe I can shave a little off those prices. Unfortunately, I don't think I can shave much off the lights...

Sorry for the lack of updates, here's a quick summary of the progress (not much)...

Overflow box is done...






The second display panel is done with rough sanding, I hope to finish it tomorrow, then I can knock out the top and bottom and start putting it together!!!

looks good man

so your only going with the over flow on one side? looking good

Yeah, I decided to say "Screw It!" and keep the end clear... Instead I'm going to run the CL through the bottom and the sump return will come up through the overflow and then pipe along the length of the tank so I can have it still force water toward the overflow from the column side.

I finished sanding out the 2nd display panel last night and now it's time to get the bottom and top done. The top will take a while... Here's the rendering of all the cuts I have to make.

That is an awesome tank. Its gonna look so sweet.

Very nice work! I wish my overflow hadn't cracked in the mail

Did you try installing it and resealing it once it was in place?

not yet... i've been trying to think of ways to seal it back together. I want it to look seamless... i'll have to go over those old PMs and see what you told me before. Been really busy lately!

Keep up the good work man.

Dude thats going to be so beautiful... What kind of timeline are you looking at on this? I would love to do something like this in my house, never worked with acrylic though, but I guess its just another trade to add on to the ever growing list

I don't have a timeline, other than get it built and setup as soon as I can. At this point I just have to finish sanding the top and bottom pieces then cut out for the bracing in the top. Once that is done I'll start putting it together. After that, the sump will need to be built, then the skimmer will need to be built, then a canopy, install the lights, plumb everything, and then I can fill it. Going to take a while, but every step will be documented, so if there is something you anticipate wanting extra detail on, let me know and I'll take it step by step and maybe even video/s if it's necessary.

-E

I'm definitely interested in how your going to cut out the top bracing part, I'm not very familiar with cutting plastics/acrylic. I'm gonna follow this thread, this is too cool of a project.

I'll do my best to document the process for ya... Be warned. It's a messy job!

<---still following. Good job, man.

Looking good man. I think you'll be happy with the one overflow. Any ideas on a return pump to push that much head?

Holy Crap!!

I'm a pretty handy guy but you've done a Great job!

Thanks guys, I haven't decided on a pump yet, but due to the amount of pipe it will have to travel, I'll likely go with either the Pan World or the Eheim.

the tunze master recirculation pumps look pretty good too:

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_AquariumPage...electronic.html

Just not sure if the Tunze is pressure rated...

Sorry for the slowness of the build, but here's an update:

-All 4 12' pieces are now sanded, polished, and cut to length.
-I have my becketts for building my own skimmer.
-Cabinet door mount has been assembled and is ready for paint.
-Cabinet doors are ordered and will be here in approx 10 days.
-Construction on the top for euro and bracing has begun.

Here's some quick pics, more details on the top will come, I plan to show two methods (without and with a jig).

Youre tank is gonna look so sweet. Do you have a general idea of when you will start adding livestock?

As soon as it's ready... I know that's pretty foggy, but I have so much to do still that I can't even tell when it will have water in it. Even once it's built, I can't tell you when water will be in it as I have to have the basement signed off (inspection) incase they try to make me install electrical boxes in the tank stand. Code here requires an electrical box within 6' of any spot on the wall (12' between boxes) and I don't have any boxes in this stand. I'm hoping they will allow me to classify it as furniture as I have no intentions of installing electricity under the tank. *fingers crosses*

Left to do:
Finish basement:
-Hang 2 more doors
-Finish installing trim
-Finish the stairs (build pecan stair treds)
-Install stair hand rail
-Install stair banister
-Replace glass on broken window
-Install vent covers
-Install door hardware
-Install closet doors

Aquarium:
-Finish building top of tank
-Assemble tank
-Build skimmer
-Buy return and skimmer pump(s)
-Build sumps
-Assemble cabinet door unit (w/ locks for kids)
-Drill for plumbing
-Install plumbing
-Build canopy
-Install lighting
-Buy rock and sand

Alrighty... So here's my two techinques, the first is without a jig and would probably apply to most nano tanks, as they don't need any cross bracing (well most)... Please mind the pics, I'm still in the process of finishing the top but wanted to show you the steps.

First, mark out your area...


Next, drill out each corner with a 1-2" radius (2-4" diamater) hole saw, this step is important as the curve really strengthens the bracing. I've seen many tops crack in these corners when they are cut to a square or small radius.



Next is to router from tangent to tangent along the edge of your access hole. First is clamp a straight edge alone the line to give your router a guide, or you can move it in a little for a quick rough cut and allow for an easy and clean final pass.



Rough cut


Final pass


Do this for all 4 edges.


And you're done.


Okay, so here's the steps with a jig. First you have to build the jig, and this is done by using the same method we just did but with MDF or another suitable material. Then position the jig where you want the access hole.



Drill a pilot hole...




Here is the router bit I use... It's a flush trim bit, but with the bearing mounted on the bottom instead.


I run an initial pass as a rough cut and then a final pass to remove the last of the material. This final pass reduces chipping and heat on the bit as there is less material to remove.



And done.



Be warned... I vaccumed between each shot, as you, your router, your acrylic, and work space will be covered in this!

Looks awesome man, your doing a great job! Thanks for all the directions too.

Thanks!

Top is done! Stay tuned for assembly shots...







I also got my ATO reservoir today in the mail... 15g w/ bulkhead in the bottom.

1 end is done.

Here's my prep:
For pins I use 2 strands of copper wires, twisted together.





Clamp the end at a 90* angle, and ensure it's also 90* to the edge.





Apply your solvent (I use WeldOn 3; in our climate 4 evaporates too quickly). I'm using a 16g syringe I got in the mail this week, it was supposed to be a bottle not a syringe so I'm trying it out. I think I'll be calling Tap to ensure I get a bottle next time, as I don't like the inconsitency of the plunger. Sometimes it's easy to push, sometime it's like a rock.





Once it's soaked and pins are pulled I apply 2 clamps. I don't tighten them much, just enough to keep them from falling. Once I have this side done (both ends), I can just use weights for the other side.