Jump to content
Coral Vue Hydros

Neanderthalman's 40 Breeder


neanderthalman

Recommended Posts

neanderthalman

I dunno. I think it's a personal preference, to be honest.

 

I like the way it "frames" the tank. I wouldn't hang a picture with only a frame on the top and the bottom.

 

However, the opposing argument will be that clear silicone "disappears", so that it mimics the look of a seamless bent glass tank. Personally, I think that if you want the look of a bent glass tank, then get good at bending glass. :)

 

 

 

Found out tonight that my skimmer had stopped working entirely. Turns out there was so much overgrowth of algae inside the intake hose, it blocked the flow of water almost completely. New hose, skimmer's working again. Still haven't gotten that new airstone. Maybe this week?

 

Also picked up a new algae scraper, this one has a razor blade attachment so I can actually get the coralline way deep down in the tank where I can't reach.

Link to comment
  • Replies 206
  • Created
  • Last Reply
Yeah, that's the sort of thing I'm talking about Maeda. Not that exact form factor, but the price is more what I'm talking about. Switches and buttons should only be a couple bucks, not twenty. Didn't make it to the electronics store this weekend, but I did pick up something else.....

 

 

2mg5opt.jpg

 

Note the extra-sexy black silicone. Wheee!

 

 

I'll think about that skimmer Maeda

 

Another tank? o.O

 

The skimmer is a monster. Give it a good thinking about. You have at least a couple months.

Link to comment
However, the opposing argument will be that clear silicone "disappears", so that it mimics the look of a seamless bent glass tank. Personally, I think that if you want the look of a bent glass tank, then get good at bending glass. :)

 

I also think people who argue that point need to lay off the crack, clear silicone doesnt disappear, it just looks like you have clear silicone...

 

black looks much better anyway.

 

Sexy tank btw.

Link to comment

Mmmmm that looks nice!

 

What is your budget for a skimmer? I'll keep an eye out for some good deals. Also, are you one of the nuts who thinks overskimming is bad? :D

Link to comment
neanderthalman

I'm one of the nuts who thinks "overskimming" is a contradiction in terms.

 

Haven't really sorted out a budget for it yet, it's one of the later additions. Just trying to design a custom sump on the backburner, and want to have a few models in mind to leave enough space for a good skimmer.

 

I have the AWC BOM finished, in case anyone wants it. Unfortunately, I cannot attach it to the thread, so anyone who wants it will have to PM me their email address. Will check with mods, as I recall attaching a spreadsheet a few years ago. Might be the new software.

 

 

Edit - Here's the spreadsheet. Discovered that I can attach zip archives.

 

AWCBOM.zip

 

 

 

 

Total cost on the BOM is just under $62, but a third of that is the cost of the floatswitches alone. It also doesn't cover the pushbuttons. I could not find anything cheap enough in the catalogues, so you're on your own to find something suitable from a local surplus store. 1 switch, 1 momentary button, 1 two position button (on/off).

Link to comment

I've got a 40BR I'm working on setting up as well.

 

What size holes are you going to drill in yours? I was thinkig of drill for 1" bulkheads

2 for the overflow using the Herbie method

1 for the sump return (maybe 2)

1 for the closed loop intake

2 for the closed loop returns on a SCWD

 

How do you plan on building your overflow box?

Link to comment
neanderthalman
I've got a 40BR I'm working on setting up as well.

 

What size holes are you going to drill in yours? I was thinkig of drill for 1" bulkheads

2 for the overflow using the Herbie method

1 for the sump return (maybe 2)

1 for the closed loop intake

2 for the closed loop returns on a SCWD

 

How do you plan on building your overflow box?

 

I'm thinking of oversizing my drain to 1.5", but using only 3/4" for the return and closed loop. Most pumps in the size range I'll be looking at have 1/2" fittings, so 3/4" is sufficient. I'll have two for the herbie drain, one for the return, one for the CL intake, and four CL returns. Eventually, I'd like an OM squirt, but for now I'll just double up the return lines on the SCWD that I already have.

 

The overflow box....I haven't fully decided yet. Probably a standard 3 sided acrylic box with teeth. After getting my hands on the 40B, I really don't think the extra inch to put the strainers in will be a big deal.

Link to comment

Yo man,

 

Glad to see another 40B on the block. Looks like you are coming along nicely. I can't wait to see this sucker up and running!

 

Ben

Link to comment
kenthenanoguy

I see you got your tank already. I like the shape.

 

What do you have for a stand thus far? Your kitchen table?

Link to comment
kenthenanoguy

I see you got your tank already. I like the shape.

 

What do you have for a stand thus far? Your kitchen table?

 

Edit - Crap, I just looked back and saw the plans for your stand. Looks good!

Link to comment
  • 5 weeks later...
sandcruiser

If you get the name & address of a mailboxes etc in Buffalo, you could probably arrange to have stuff shipped to them, and you can pick it up in person there. I've done the same to New York and Atlanta, each time it was painless and inexpensive. I think that MBE will hold stuff for up to a week, but I'm not sure on that.

 

I don't know if a 4 hour round trip to save $200 (minus fuel costs) is worth it to you or not, but it could be a good solution if you plan ahead enough.

 

Lights still aren't here. I'm working on buying a new rabbit cage for the g/f. The local store has it for $395, but it's $250 on petsmart.com. Ok, so, how 'bout I buy it online......shipping can't be that much.....

 

 

 

 

 

#####!

 

 

It does NOT cost $250 to ship a box across the border. Note that, if I were two hours away in Buffalo, it'd be free shipping. I need to make a friend in Buffalo.....

 

Just thought this was relevant...

Link to comment
  • 2 months later...
  • 1 month later...
neanderthalman

Well, seeing as I work in the nuclear industry, I have absolutely no idea how to keep a project on budget or on schedule....... :D

 

The tank itself, in a box, is currently covered in a tablecloth and holding up a lamp in the living room. Actually looks kindof nice, like a really tall end table.

 

The stand is sitting in my father's workshop. It is very nearly ready, and I'm going to be bringing it down from his place this weekend so I can actually finish it. It's been slow because I can only work on it maybe once a month. Once it's down at my place, I need to give it a couple coats of polyurethane and it'll be good enough to move ahead on the rest of the project. I will not have side doors on it yet, but whatever. It can hold up the tank, and I can do the doors later.

 

Hopefully money won't stop me from moving ahead fairly quickly.

 

Midna - sorry bout taking months to reply - the AWC is an automatic water changer. Water changes at the push of a button.

Link to comment
  • 2 weeks later...
neanderthalman

Bad news. Heater stuck on, tank got up to 98 for at least eight hours overnight. Everything is dead.

 

Good news. I no longer have to deal with the plagues of brown zoas and anthelia when I want to start stocking the 40Br. Pretty much everything else was already fragged out to other tanks, should I want to replace anything, except for the electric green frogspawn.

 

I'm going to cook the rocks for a couple weeks - not enough to kill off algae, which is really a pointless endeavour, but the regular scrubbing will remove a hell of a lot of detritus and decomposing matter.

 

I've picked up a visitherm stealth, so I should hopefully not have any problems with it. Eventually, I'll either buy or DIY a backup temperature controller for it, just in case. In the meantime, if it fails due to infant mortality, there's nothing left to kill.

 

The stand has been moved into our spare bedroom where I can work on it. I've got the polyurethane finished, and the first coat of paint on the insides. Will post pics once the second coat is on and the tape is off.

 

I've also ordered my pumps, bulkheads and holesaws, so hopefully they'll be here soon. I've decided to go with a pair of panworld pumps - 40PX and 200PS. Should give me about 1600gph overall.

Link to comment

Sorry about the cooked tank! I'd highly reccomend picking up some kind of external thermostat controller to keep that from happening. It's always nice to back those things up.

Link to comment
neanderthalman

Thanks bdare. An external thermostat is definitely going to be added to the list. No question.

 

For now, how about a progress update?

 

213orr7.jpg

 

^^Door stops are not yet installed, so the doors close too far.

 

fu6n1v.jpg

 

^^Doors Open

 

33om88y.jpg

 

^^Left Side electrical panel - isolated from sump area

 

2gwfe5u.jpg

 

^^Levelling feet

 

 

The skimmer stopped freaking out last night, so the water in the tank of death is as clean as it's going to get now. I'm going to siphon off what I need to start cooking the rocks and use the rest to fill a scrub bucket. My apartment is going to smell awful when my wife comes home.

 

My holesaws and bulkheads are sitting in customs....yargh...I should get them sometime around christmas. My pumps are currently lost somewhere in the aether, I don't have a tracking number yet, and the supplier said that the UPS site was causing them problems so they're going to email me later.

Link to comment
neanderthalman

Woohoo! My pumps are supposed to be here today!

 

Unfortunately, nobody will be home to receive them or pay for the customs charges :(

 

Tomorrow maybe?

Link to comment
neanderthalman

UPS didn't show up until 6:00!! Woohoo!

 

sb7mo1.jpg

 

BOOSH!

 

That's a pan-world 200PS, 40PX, and a can of sprite for size.

 

200PS datasheet

 

40PX datasheet

 

I'm shooting for about 40X turnover after losses.

 

 

 

To much my surprise, check out what showed up as well!

 

160xv83.jpg

 

 

 

I know who's going to have a fun weekend.....

Link to comment
neanderthalman
Dude... that stand is SEX. Talk about similar interests. Well, now I know who will be building my stand when I move home :D

 

Who, my father? :P

 

I had a fair amount of help from him, particularly with the mitred joints. There is no way it would have turned out this nicely without his influence and experience. When you come back up, and if I actually have a shop to work out of, then sure. Working on this at my parent's place wasn't the best idea; it was just too far way to work efficiently.

 

Update: I've figured out what I'm going to do for a sump. I have limited space, and after a lot of consideration, I'm going to move the closed loop pump to a shelf on the back of the stand. There's just no room for a pump this big, plus an OM squirt, plus all of the associated plumbing.

 

The second decision has been the size of the sump. I was debating between a 15H and 20H, and was initially going to go with the 15H because it gave me more room for an ATO reservoir. Still, that left me with only 6 1/2" of space to put in a reservoir, so I'd have to find something long and narrow.

 

Instead, I picked up a 20H, and will partition off a 5 gallon section for the ATO reservoir. Also, based on past experience, I'm going to drill the sump so that I cannot lose the prime to the return pump. This meant picking up another union ball valve, but I happened to be passing through Newmarket yesterday so stopping at the Lowe's there was easy. Can't wait until ours is built locally, they're so much better than Home Depot and Rona.

 

Speaking of Rona, I discovered that they too sell the glass holesaws, so I could have purchased them locally. For about $80 each. :haha:

 

I hope nobody ever buys a holesaw for that price.

 

Seriously, glass-holes.com is the place to go. Fantastic prices, and Mike and Scott really helped me out when their software was having trouble with the international shipping. Amazing for customer service and they did not make me "assume the position" when paying for shipping to Canada.

 

I should be drilling nine holes in total this afternoon - eight in the display and one in the sump. Wish me luck :D

Link to comment

Damn dude, good to hear the drilling was successful.

 

I'm not surprised at all that you built that thing in your parents basement, your dad has pretty much everything down there. Man I can't wait to move home... I'm at a point where the office tank might be kind of a waste of time because it might not be up long enough to bother.

 

What are you using to paint? (Krylon fusion obviously, but what colour?) Black is the classic, and that light blue looks cheap... but I painted my 10g the dark blue, and I absolutely love it. The downside being that my bulkheads and overflow are black.

Link to comment

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recommended Discussions


×
×
  • Create New...