Paul’s 240 gallon upgrade!

[TaylorPilot]

Update: 08/28/19

Had a small list of things to do on the agenda. As previously discussed, PMUPs have been replaced so ATO and RO/DI making station is back in automatic mode. The Saltwater holding/mixing tank has been defunked with a pressure washer and I’ve switched salt mixes from Red Sea blue bucket to Tropic Marin Pro Reef salt. I’ve got a few bags of the Live Aquaria salt mix and I’ll mix the two of them until I run out and see from there.

There were a few more items that needed to be done so I’ll start with the next one on my list.



So, here’s the work in progress. Last Monday, I started working on the new lay out (see the quotes portion of this post) using 1/4” acrylic as glass was a little too expensive to justify. I used an acrylic bit and a router to cut the shapes I need and used weld on 16 to glue them together. Here’s what we came up with.

While it cured, I emptied the sump and dragged it out onto the driveway forgetting how heavy these 125g tanks were!

Busted out the old pressure washer, cleaned it and removed the old glass baffles along with the silicone. Also removed the plastic bracing to accommodate the placement of the skimmer.

Here it is with the new baffles mocked up and dry fitted. Masking tape for those pretty silicone lines and everything!

Once this was done I needed to modify my EMS overflow a bit. Sorry @TaylorPilot ! The water level was just slightly too high. Now, if you guys remember I had an issue where the tank builder screwed up the holes and paid for a custom box from Taylor, which I absolutely LOVE! Having said this, I have a unique box that was somewhat experimental on my end. The water level came up right to the bottom of the glass cross braces causing two issues. Algae to grow in the bottom of the braces blocking the light, surface movement was limited to the left and right sections of the tank.

I drained the tank and put my router to work after removing the inside box. Here’s what we did and it’s not flawless. Water level is still inside the black rim and I get water surface movement across the entire tank!

After the silicone set for 72 hours, I started to fill which also served as a massive 140 gallon water change.

And a video of the lay out
Drain section filled with main drain, flows into a 7” filter sock and into a reactor / back up heater section (still to go) which flows into a skimmer section and into the return section.

The secondary drain feeds the fuge on the back Side of the sump which spills directly into the skimmer section. The plan is to fill it with chaeto, which is currently in there, live rock and a sand bed of calcium reactor media. Anywhere, Here’s a video!


There’s more. Stay tuned!

LOL! Have to respect the level of DIY. The overflow looks pretty straight. How did you setup the router? Did you use a table? I have some experience doing that. I use a 2 flute straight cutter that is 3" long. Put a large fence and can shave the top of the boxes down an 1/8" at a time (not brave enough to cut more than that at once). It works really well and makes things perfectly straight.

 

[Dubs83]

Awesome update Paul!!

You took a router to your overflow weir!!!?!?!!!?! WHAAAAAAATT!!

You have a hand held or a table router? I have a palm router and have been considering a table for my electrical panel acrylic work. freehanding wood has been messy even with guides and I’d hate to ruin a piece of acrylic with a misstep. I really wanted my panel to have some nice radius edge corners, but decent jig/guides cost 4-5x the acrylic cost. So I might just round them off with a dremel

“A sand bed of calcium reactor media.” Say wut?

Thanks mate, there’s more! Lol

Yea i did! I used a hand held with a Bosch carbide double flute acrylic bit.
Bosch 85611M 1/4 In. Solid Carbide Double Flute Acrylic Router Bit

I used a few scrap pieces of acrylic I had from the baffle build as practice. No real corners so didn’t have to worry about perfectly rounding it. Used a slow speed on the router with a straight edge as a guide and it was effortless.

As far as calcium reactor media in the fuge- I watched a video on @melev YouTube channel about his new sump, and maybe he can chime in about this, but I could have sworn I heard him say that it helps in stabilizing pH. Plus it’s calcium carbonate which I’m assuming can only help a system.

 

[Dubs83]

LOL! Have to respect the level of DIY. The overflow looks pretty straight. How did you setup the router? Did you use a table? I have some experience doing that. I use a 2 flute straight cutter that is 3" long. Put a large fence and can shave the top of the boxes down an 1/8" at a time (not brave enough to cut more than that at once). It works really well and makes things perfectly straight.

Thanks man! I used a hand held router with a straight edge as a guide. Selected the slowest speed and went to town with a 1/4” solid carbide double flute acrylic bit from Bosch. The item number is 85611M. It truly was like cutting butter with a hot knife. No melting at all just shavings thrown out by the bit.

 

[User]

Thanks man! I used a hand held router with a straight edge as a guide. Selected the slowest speed and went to town with a 1/4” solid carbide double flute acrylic bit from Bosch. The item number is 85611M. It truly was like cutting butter with a hot knife. No melting at all just shavings thrown out by the bit.

LOl, I bought the same one in 2017 and just haven’t mustered up the stones to use it yet...

 

[User]

LOL! Have to respect the level of DIY. The overflow looks pretty straight. How did you setup the router? Did you use a table? I have some experience doing that. I use a 2 flute straight cutter that is 3" long. Put a large fence and can shave the top of the boxes down an 1/8" at a time (not brave enough to cut more than that at once). It works really well and makes things perfectly straight.

Thanks mate, there’s more! Lol

Yea i did! I used a hand held with a Bosch carbide double flute acrylic bit.
Bosch 85611M 1/4 In. Solid Carbide Double Flute Acrylic Router Bit

I used a few scrap pieces of acrylic I had from the baffle build as practice. No real corners so didn’t have to worry about perfectly rounding it. Used a slow speed on the router with a straight edge as a guide and it was effortless.

As far as calcium reactor media in the fuge- I watched a video on @melev YouTube channel about his new sump, and maybe he can chime in about this, but I could have sworn I heard him say that it helps in stabilizing pH. Plus it’s calcium carbonate which I’m assuming can only help a system.

Question for the acrylic fabbers: what do you use to cut your panels to approximate size before running the router to finish the edge? Score and snap for 1/8th thickness, or jigsaw for thicker stuff?

If I can just get over the first hump, I’ve got a few projects I’d like to do in acrylic .

 

[Dubs83]

Question for the acrylic fabbers: what do you use to cut your panels to approximate size before running the router to finish the edge? Score and snap for 1/8th thickness, or jigsaw for thicker stuff?

If I can just get over the first hump, I’ve got a few projects I’d like to do in acrylic .

I’m by no means a fabricator but I’ve had luck with a pretty clean cut using a Bosch T102BF jig saw blade. It was “clean enough” to bond with weld-on 16 but if I wanted to use weld-on 4, I’d need to use a hand held router with the bit we discussed earlier. I have a cheap router table and can usually get a cleaner edge using a level as a straight edge and guide. I’m sure there are smarter people than i to recommend the correct way of working with acrylic @TaylorPilot being one of them.

 

[TaylorPilot]

Question for the acrylic fabbers: what do you use to cut your panels to approximate size before running the router to finish the edge? Score and snap for 1/8th thickness, or jigsaw for thicker stuff?

If I can just get over the first hump, I’ve got a few projects I’d like to do in acrylic .

What are you trying to make? With a box, the top and bottom are over sized, so you just have to rough cut them to make sure they are bigger than the box you are making. They are later flush cut when the entire thing is assembled. The front and back need to be parallel on the top and bottom, and the sides don't matter as much as they are flush cut off later. The ends of the box are the ones that matter, because they are glued on all 4 sides. They don't have to be perfectly square (although it is nice when they are), but they do need to be the same. I like to use a straight edge and a circular saw with a plastic blade on them. The secret I have seen other people use when making the boxes without a CNC is to get some double sided tape. Stick the two end pieces to each other so that you cut them both at the same time. Measure off one side and mark it. Clamp the straight edge and the two pieces that are double sided taped together to the table. Run the saw over them, and you will get a pretty good edge. Use a right angle and mark off one of the adjacent sides. Clamp that and cut it. From there you have your two good edges. Setup your router table with the acrylic between the fence and the bit. Start with one of the freshly cut edges against the fence and run it through, taking off just a little of the side opposite that you just cut with the saw. Run your fence in a tiny bit so you will take off a little on the next pass. Now flip it so the edge you just used as the guide against the fence is now be trimmed by the bit. Repeat the process for the other two sides. Reset the fence so that only a little bit is removed for the next pass. Start with the side you cut with the circular saw against the fence, cutting the other side, then move the fence in a little and cut the opposite side. Then you should have 4 sides that are parallel to the opposite side and pretty close to square, but more importantly identical. Mark them so you know which sides match, then tap them on the table or pry them apart. The height of the sides need to match the height of the front and back panels perfectly, so you need to cut those at the same time you do the ends. Because the front and rear panels ends don't need to be perfect, you just need one of the long sides to be straight. When you run them through the router the same time you do the end panels, they will become parallel and will match the height identically. Once you have everything trimmed out. Start with the front panel laying on the table. Jig and weld on the sides. Flip it and weld on the back. Then the top, and finally the bottom. The let it sit and cure really well. Then flush cut the whole thing and declare victory....That might seem confusing...let me know if it doesn't make sense, or you have any more questions.

 

[TaylorPilot]

Here is what my table setup looks like (although with a different bit).

 

[Victoria M]

Sporting these bad boys today!

Every time I see the guitars I smile.

 

[User]

What are you trying to make? With a box, the top and bottom are over sized, so you just have to rough cut them to make sure they are bigger than the box you are making. They are later flush cut when the entire thing is assembled. The front and back need to be parallel on the top and bottom, and the sides don't matter as much as they are flush cut off later. The ends of the box are the ones that matter, because they are glued on all 4 sides. They don't have to be perfectly square (although it is nice when they are), but they do need to be the same. I like to use a straight edge and a circular saw with a plastic blade on them. The secret I have seen other people use when making the boxes without a CNC is to get some double sided tape. Stick the two end pieces to each other so that you cut them both at the same time. Measure off one side and mark it. Clamp the straight edge and the two pieces that are double sided taped together to the table. Run the saw over them, and you will get a pretty good edge. Use a right angle and mark off one of the adjacent sides. Clamp that and cut it. From there you have your two good edges. Setup your router table with the acrylic between the fence and the bit. Start with one of the freshly cut edges against the fence and run it through, taking off just a little of the side opposite that you just cut with the saw. Run your fence in a tiny bit so you will take off a little on the next pass. Now flip it so the edge you just used as the guide against the fence is now be trimmed by the bit. Repeat the process for the other two sides. Reset the fence so that only a little bit is removed for the next pass. Start with the side you cut with the circular saw against the fence, cutting the other side, then move the fence in a little and cut the opposite side. Then you should have 4 sides that are parallel to the opposite side and pretty close to square, but more importantly identical. Mark them so you know which sides match, then tap them on the table or pry them apart. The height of the sides need to match the height of the front and back panels perfectly, so you need to cut those at the same time you do the ends. Because the front and rear panels ends don't need to be perfect, you just need one of the long sides to be straight. When you run them through the router the same time you do the end panels, they will become parallel and will match the height identically. Once you have everything trimmed out. Start with the front panel laying on the table. Jig and weld on the sides. Flip it and weld on the back. Then the top, and finally the bottom. The let it sit and cure really well. Then flush cut the whole thing and declare victory....That might seem confusing...let me know if it doesn't make sense, or you have any more questions.

Thank you so much for this post- amazing detail! I feel like youre divulging trade secrets or something.

 

[TaylorPilot]

Thank you so much for this post- amazing detail! I feel like youre divulging trade secrets or something.

Nah, not so much. Almost all professionals doing acrylic work do all their work on the computer, put the sheet in the machine and hit the green button. Although there is a little bit more to it than that....

 

[Dubs83]

Thanks @TaylorPilot for contributing! Great info.

 

[Dubs83]

A quick weekend update. Mostly house keeping stuff. Spent some time cleaning up all the VorTechs and changing some mounting positions. Spent 45 minutes staring down the side of the aquarium lol but who can blame me!

Yes! Those two pieces of Stylo are almost dead... but I’m seeing some new growth and have committed myself to bring them back to life!

Anyway! I’ll be drilling the 40b today and installing an overflow on it. Hoping to eventually use it as a frag tank but as of now it’ll serve solely to increase water volume.

Will do some clean up in the fishroom including new RO filters and cleaning up the RO lines.

I may also run out to my LFS as I’ve been debating taking on some QT torture and getting this swallowtail angelfish a girlfriend!

 

[User]

Your water is soooo clear! What you doing to get that? I forget the details of what you do for mechanical filtration. I know you have a huge UV too, don’t remember if you hooked it up though

 

[Dubs83]

Your water is soooo clear! What you doing to get that? I forget the details of what you do for mechanical filtration. I know you have a huge UV too, don’t remember if you hooked it up though

Thanks!

Mechanic filtration is a 7” 100 micron sock and skimmer. That’s all. UV sterilizer is currently off line but I do plan on bringing it back online along with Carbon later today or tomorrow.

 

[User]

Ok, that seals it. Ordered parts for my double ended horizontal filter tube and will be working on that next week.

 

[Dubs83]

Not much in terms of visible progress but got my MP40s and MP10s back in the tank after a good cleaning. The RO/DI and AWC lines have been cleaned up a bit.

I know it still looks a bit messy but I have a complex situation with the degassing process before making DI water so it’ll always be a bit of a nest. Anyhow, I’ll get some water tests and start bringing everything back in check.

 

[Dubs83]

@Victoria M

Here’s an update on our carpet surfer! He’s doing super great and came right up to the camera after dinner to say hello for ya!

I really need to get him a girlfriend

 

[Victoria M]

I LOVE THAT HE CAME UP TO CHECK OUT WHAT YOU WERE DOING!

 

[User]

Paul- you see this WiFi connection fix?

No internet connection after powercut

Hi all Classic apex. Hardwired to my router. No fusion connection issues ever. I have my return pump on outlet 4 set to fallback on. Powercut for 3 hours this morning. Finally comes back on, but I can’t access fusion. Heartbeat says lost connection. Fine But my internet and everything is...

www.reef2reef.com

I put up the thread after my power cut, and have been tagging Neptune people every 12 hours for the past 5 days in 4-5 threads in order to prompt a fix

Someone went to their booth af MACNA and got a fix from them.

Don’t know why they couldn’t have responded in your earlier thread, or mine, or the other 4 but whatever.

Basically set dchp to off and have controller ask for a high io number eg ***.**.*.255

I’m going to try later today.