Let's build a trap door leading to a secret fish room under my porch!
- Thread starter kenchilada
- Start date
- Tagged users None
WestMI-Reefer
Active Member
OP
OP
kenchilada
Palytoxin Abuser
These are perfect for that!
Wow, and for a 1" door, that does seem perfect. The chart in the catalog seems to indicate the door might be too heavy since it's 48" wide. Maybe with the struts I could get away with using four of them?
The green line is the one I added (the red is their example, ignore):
OP
OP
kenchilada
Palytoxin Abuser
Wow, and for a 1" door, that does seem perfect. The chart in the catalog seems to indicate the door might be too heavy since it's 48" wide. Maybe with the struts I could get away with using four of them?
The green line is the one I added (the red is their example, ignore):
Also, I'm sure this chart is based on ratings for vertically-hung doors, not a trap door in the floor. The forces would be completely different and the chart is probably useless for this.
Troylee
all about the diy!!!!!
I’m sure 2 would be fine because it’s not hanging on them.. it’s more of an axis point if you catch my drift.. 4 wouldn’t hurt thou. I’ve hung some heavy metal doors with them myself.Wow, and for a 1" door, that does seem perfect. The chart in the catalog seems to indicate the door might be too heavy since it's 48" wide. Maybe with the struts I could get away with using four of them?
The green line is the one I added (the red is their example, ignore):
OP
OP
kenchilada
Palytoxin Abuser
Ok thanks, I ordered 3 of them. Had a Lowes gift card so they were free, but have to wait a week to get them.
Thanks everyone for your input on this!
OP
OP
kenchilada
Palytoxin Abuser
Day 28.
Getting the freshwater holding tank ready to install. Need to put in an access port (because it’s a sealed tank), add the float valve for RODI, and a uniseal for the drain line that runs to the salt tank.
Cutting the hole for the access port.
I cut this with a jigsaw. Fits like a glove.
I used nylon screws and nuts to secure it.
Next, drill a hole for the float valve.
Then install the float valve on the wrong side of the tank. Oops.
Next, I hauled the stand down below.
In goes the tank!
Oh no, it doesn’t fit!!! It’s too tall!!!
Just kidding, the tank sits up in the pocket behind the joist.
Ran plumbing from the float valve back towards my laundry room where the RODI will live.
Unfortunately I couldn’t get water hooked up today because I don’t have the right size uniseal on hand. It will come Friday. While I wait on that, I will work on electrical tomorrow instead.
Getting the freshwater holding tank ready to install. Need to put in an access port (because it’s a sealed tank), add the float valve for RODI, and a uniseal for the drain line that runs to the salt tank.
Cutting the hole for the access port.
I cut this with a jigsaw. Fits like a glove.
I used nylon screws and nuts to secure it.
Next, drill a hole for the float valve.
Then install the float valve on the wrong side of the tank. Oops.
Next, I hauled the stand down below.
In goes the tank!
Oh no, it doesn’t fit!!! It’s too tall!!!
Just kidding, the tank sits up in the pocket behind the joist.
Ran plumbing from the float valve back towards my laundry room where the RODI will live.
Unfortunately I couldn’t get water hooked up today because I don’t have the right size uniseal on hand. It will come Friday. While I wait on that, I will work on electrical tomorrow instead.
Daniel@R2R
Living the Reef Life
Staff member
Super Moderator
Reef Squad
Partner Member 2024
Excellence Award
Photo of the Month
Article Contributor
Hospitality Award
Article Administrator
Reef Pumpkin Carver
R2R Secret Santa 2023
My Tank Thread
This looks fantastic!!
OP
OP
kenchilada
Palytoxin Abuser
Day 29.
Finished plumbing the RODI system and hooked everything up in the laundry room.
The product water goes through the floor (blue tube) into 3/4” PVC that runs all the way to the freshwater storage tank float valve. Why 3/4”? I had a ton leftover from another project. I wanted the majority of this to be hard pipe because I hate 1/4” tubing — eventually it can get brittle and break.
Also found my hot water heater pressure valve has a slow leak. Another thing to fix.
I put the filter on the top shelf. The wife will love it!! The drain goes right to the laundry drain.
Finished plumbing the RODI system and hooked everything up in the laundry room.
The product water goes through the floor (blue tube) into 3/4” PVC that runs all the way to the freshwater storage tank float valve. Why 3/4”? I had a ton leftover from another project. I wanted the majority of this to be hard pipe because I hate 1/4” tubing — eventually it can get brittle and break.
Also found my hot water heater pressure valve has a slow leak. Another thing to fix.
I put the filter on the top shelf. The wife will love it!! The drain goes right to the laundry drain.
OP
OP
kenchilada
Palytoxin Abuser
Thank you! Glad to be almost finished.
OP
OP
kenchilada
Palytoxin Abuser
Day 30.
Power and lights wired up. Just need to tie this into the house circuit and it’s done.
Got my uniseal from Amazon, so I plan to fill the freshwater tank today and leak test.
Power and lights wired up. Just need to tie this into the house circuit and it’s done.
Got my uniseal from Amazon, so I plan to fill the freshwater tank today and leak test.
OP
OP
kenchilada
Palytoxin Abuser
Day 31.
Water and power.
Finished up the electrical.
I made sure to caulk anywhere that spiders could live.
Then inside the house everything terminates In this junction box behind my cabinet. There’s two dedicated circuits here for the tank. I’ll also add pass-thru plugs here for The pumps to plug into the Hydros XP8.
Lights are on!
Water and power.
Finished up the electrical.
I made sure to caulk anywhere that spiders could live.
Then inside the house everything terminates In this junction box behind my cabinet. There’s two dedicated circuits here for the tank. I’ll also add pass-thru plugs here for The pumps to plug into the Hydros XP8.
Lights are on!
OP
OP
kenchilada
Palytoxin Abuser
Then got to work on water.
Put in the uniseal and plumbed the tank to the wall. Then hooked up the plumbing up top connecting the float valve to the RODI pipe.
Hard to see but there is water filling up the tank in the last picture. Watching for leaks today,
Put in the uniseal and plumbed the tank to the wall. Then hooked up the plumbing up top connecting the float valve to the RODI pipe.
Hard to see but there is water filling up the tank in the last picture. Watching for leaks today,
OP
OP
kenchilada
Palytoxin Abuser
Water level reached first plug and no leaks. Two more to go.
OP
OP
kenchilada
Palytoxin Abuser
Left tank half full overnight, no leaks from uniseal. Filling the rest of the way today.
OP
OP
kenchilada
Palytoxin Abuser
Day 32.
A leak started in the uniseal on the freshwater tank. Maybe 1 drop a second but its still something I have to fix. I’m going to drain the tank into the salt tanks and try a new uniseal first. If that doesn’t work I’ll try a bulkhead.
But anyways, I got to work on the saltwater tanks today.
I decided to make a simple frame to lash the tanks to the wall and prevent them from bulging out at the sides too much. The tanks are only 1/8” thick.
Pocket holes for the frame parts.
Then I built the frame on the floor and screwed it to the back wall.
Then I set the tanks in place. I had to move a light fixture up 1/4”. Oops.
I cut holes and installed the access hatches in each tank. I think I’ll have to remove these and enlarge the holes a little. They are a bit too tight and the lids are hard to screw on.
Now for some creative plumbing…
Installed uniseals for the RODI inputs. The valve in the front will be to fill up buckets and containers with RODI.
Water flowing! Very glad to see it since this is gravity-fed. Now I’ll wait and watch for leaks.
Ready to go! The 1/4” line will go to my ATO Stenner pump.
I am exhausted but this is really the home stretch now.
A leak started in the uniseal on the freshwater tank.
Maybe 1 drop a second but its still something I have to fix. I’m going to drain the tank into the salt tanks and try a new uniseal first. If that doesn’t work I’ll try a bulkhead.But anyways, I got to work on the saltwater tanks today.
I decided to make a simple frame to lash the tanks to the wall and prevent them from bulging out at the sides too much. The tanks are only 1/8” thick.
Pocket holes for the frame parts.
Then I built the frame on the floor and screwed it to the back wall.
Then I set the tanks in place. I had to move a light fixture up 1/4”. Oops.
I cut holes and installed the access hatches in each tank. I think I’ll have to remove these and enlarge the holes a little. They are a bit too tight and the lids are hard to screw on.
Now for some creative plumbing…
Installed uniseals for the RODI inputs. The valve in the front will be to fill up buckets and containers with RODI.
Water flowing! Very glad to see it since this is gravity-fed. Now I’ll wait and watch for leaks.
Ready to go! The 1/4” line will go to my ATO Stenner pump.
I am exhausted but this is really the home stretch now.
I have never had good luck with uniseals, they always seem to leak. Even if it's not right away, they all eventually end up leaking.
Schedule 80 bulkheads have a thick enough gasket to "smoosh" into not flat surfaces.
Schedule 80 bulkheads have a thick enough gasket to "smoosh" into not flat surfaces.
OP
OP
kenchilada
Palytoxin Abuser
Man... you do not want to hear this. They acclimated well, were doing great, schooling and eating fine, and on the third day I started noticing large red blotches, internally, affecting more than half of their body. I thought it was uronema but it never developed into open sores, so I figure it was bacterial. I was not able to catch any of them for treatment. Lost one of them quickly and then five more over the following two weeks. I have one left that looks perfectly healthy and shows no signs of infection. None of my other fish (including the existing anthias) were affected. My guess is they were susceptible to this bacteria that was in my tank and were stressed from shipping. I'm still feeling the guilt pretty heavily. This hobby is brutal sometimes! I need to re-think how I add pre-quarantined fish to my tank to prevent something like this.
Similar threads
