RFBF's 90 Gallon Déjà vu All Over Again

[redfishbluefish]

I've decided to start a new build thread after experiencing a seam failure in my original 90 gallon tank. The build of that tank is here:

RFBF's Five Footer


I also thought it appropriate to include one of my favorite quotes from Yogi Berra in the new title of my build.

So this re-do began with ordering a new custom tank from Glass Cages, that was delivered on February 10. The new tank is the exact dimensions....60" x 18" x 21" high, but now with Euro Bracing and Low E Glass on the front panel. So here's my new baby just inside the front door of the house.

They also included a copy of the Birth Certificate. Born February 3, 2018.

Since I'm starting from scratch, I figure I have 1 1/2 to 2 months while the new rock is bleached and cured.

The first thing I started with today was the return lines coming up over the top of the tank. The original has four wye Loc-Lines coming up over the back of the tank.

With the new tank having Euro Bracing, I have to deal with that and the now dual cross bracing. I don't think two Loc-Lines in each section would fit nicely. Here's one holding it as close to the one brace as I can.

So now I'm thinking to go down to just two wye Loc-Lines in each of the two outer sections, centered in that section. To test, I did pull off two Loc-Lines and covered the pipes with my fingers.....no problem going down from four to two.

Off to HD for pipe and fittings.


The new build has begun!

 

[Homelander]

Exciting! Following along for the ride

 

[jsker]

Congratulations Paul on the new build.

 

[Monroereef]

Yay

 

[TheEngineer]

Following!

 

[redfishbluefish]

Rock Cooking in Bleach

So the rock is bathing away in bleach. I thought I had more rock, that's why I pulled out the 100 gallon stock tank. Only filled it about half way....with two gallons of bleach. It will steep for one week and then rinsed. I'm doing this outside and hope we don't get a hard freeze within the next week.

Return Line

Return Lines figured out.....two 3/4 Wye Loc-Lines with large fans. Since I'm going down to two Loc-Lines, I'll be using the larger 3/4 LocLines with the large fans.

To get over the Euro Bracing, 3/8 inches was cut off the elbow and the NPT fitting so that the combo came to the edge of the bracing. This horizontal pipe setup will be siliconed to a piece of half inch acrylic which itself will be siliconed to the plastic frame of the tank and the glass in the opening of the Euro Bracing. This acrylic piece will also block that otherwise 1/2 gap that would have been between this pipe and the glass edge in the overflow area. With my luck a fish would still fit through that gap and end up carpet surfing if I don't block it. Here is a mock up of a scrape piece of acrylic and the one side of the pipe arangement. You can see that extra elbow was cut down on the one side. I also used a rasp to flatten the NPT fitting so that it sits flush to the Euro Bracing.

Pipe lengths won't be cut and glued until the overflow is installed because the return line has to clear each of the drains while it comes up between the two 1 1/2 inch drains. You can see that here with the old tank....just missing the drains.

Glass-Holes Overflow

I've sent a request to Glass-Holes to supply the drawing/schematic of the back wall of the overflow so that I can locate hole locations for drilling. I want to have the tank drilled and ready to go to minimize transfer time. In the past I'd just use the box itself, but I'm not going to have that until I dismantle the old tank. I'd like to get the tank drill ASAP, so that it's done.

 

[Oberst Oswald]

Following

 

[TheEngineer]

Did you intentionally not include holes for the overflow and returns in the design? Were you waiting to figure out placement before locating them? Just curious.

 

[Juano908]

Following Paul, you know I’m a big fan of your new projects.

 

[redfishbluefish]

Did you intentionally not include holes for the overflow and returns in the design? Were you waiting to figure out placement before locating them? Just curious.

I wanted to place the overflow in just the right spot. Glass-Cages did offer to drill....but didn't pursue details and not sure if they had the Glass-Holes dimensional details. I also believe it was another 75 clams!

As far as returns, I don't like them drilled because of the volume of back-flow when the pumps are turned off. Now I could have simply used siphon breaks, but that's just one more thing that clogs. By going over the top, I eliminate these concerns.

On another note, in going through my fish shed....which has stuff that's 30+ years old (like under gravel filters)....I found my original first two holes....half inch glass. I don't know why I saved these. New tank is only 3/8" thick....piece of cake!

 

[TheEngineer]

$75!? Oh heck no. I’d do it myself too

 

[redfishbluefish]

$75!? Oh heck no. I’d do it myself too

For those who are curious, here's the breakdown of what I paid:

Base Price (60 x 18 x 21)...........$528
Low Iron Glass (front only)......$..92
Shipping....................................$125
TOTAL.......................................$745

 

[TheEngineer]

That’s not nearly as bad as I thought. Thanks for sharing

 

[mmw64]

I've decided to start a new build thread after experiencing a seam failure in my original 90 gallon tank. The build of that tank is here:

RFBF's Five Footer


I also thought it appropriate to include one of my favorite quotes from Yogi Berra in the new title of my build.

So this re-do began with ordering a new custom tank from Glass Cages, that was delivered on February 10. The new tank is the exact dimensions....60" x 18" x 21" high, but now with Euro Bracing and Low E Glass on the front panel. So here's my new baby just inside the front door of the house.

They also included a copy of the Birth Certificate. Born February 3, 2018.

Since I'm starting from scratch, I figure I have 1 1/2 to 2 months while the new rock is bleached and cured.

The first thing I started with today was the return lines coming up over the top of the tank. The original has four wye Loc-Lines coming up over the back of the tank.

With the new tank having Euro Bracing, I have to deal with that and the now dual cross bracing. I don't think two Loc-Lines in each section would fit nicely. Here's one holding it as close to the one brace as I can.

So now I'm thinking to go down to just two wye Loc-Lines in each of the two outer sections, centered in that section. To test, I did pull off two Loc-Lines and covered the pipes with my fingers.....no problem going down from four to two.

Off to HD for pipe and fittings.


The new build has begun!

following

 

[redfishbluefish]

Return plumbing is ready to go. Pipes were cut, plus two additional inches, and friction fitted together. Final cut and glue can't happen until overflow is installed....for custom fit.

Glass-Holes is the best! Got the drawing of the drain hole locations. Laying out the drill locations now.

 

[redfishbluefish]

Even though I've drilled my fair share of holes, it's always a bit of butterflies.....in my case a potential of a $745 DOH! I've never had a problem with any of the holes I've drilled, but there's always a first time. I like to use plumber's putty between the glass and template so that water stays in the template, and also like to support the glass below to minimize chip-out. What I do is put down duct tape on a piece of plywood and then clamp it to the underside of the glass. Here I am all ready to go.

Drilling was uneventful....took about 25 minutes. I think that bit is close to being ready for replacement. Hopefully I won't be doing this again. Here are the holes.....done!

Glad that's out of the way.

 

[TheEngineer]

And now you can breath again ...

 

[Monroereef]

Update please ...

 

[redfishbluefish]

A little distracted the past two days....a friend's father passed. However, working on the acrylic support for the return piping coming up over the top of the tank. The scrap piece of acrylic had a pretty good arc to it because the last ten years this eight foot piece of acrylic has been resting up against the back wall of my garage. Normally I'd put this piece of acrylic in my oven and straighten it out, but it's too long (40 inches) ......and the biggest issue is that I can't find my heat gun to do the job. So I've just tried to heat it up on an upside down cookie tray over an oven burner. You can see the arc of the blue acrylic and two aluminum straight edges being warmed.

Once warmed, it was clamped between the two warmed pieces of aluminum.

It didn't work....or I should say the center section is straightened, but the ends are still arced up. So tomorrow I'm going to excavate my basement in search of my heat gun.

Next is painting the back and side walls with black. I'm counting on the warm weather scheduled for next Tuesday/Wednesday to drag the tank out and paint it.

And the rock is coming out of the bleach bath on Sunday/Monday to be rinsed and dried.

 

[redfishbluefish]

Half a day wasted looking for my Heat Gun....garage, basement, sheds.....couldn't find it. :mad: With some choice words as I emerged from the basement to look at the Harbor Freight Flyer, to go purchase another, my wife went down into the basement and found the thing in about ten minutes. It was right in front of my face the whole time!!! I term this male pattern blindness.

The Heat Gun allowed me to straighten out the plexi so that it would lay flat on the tank. Once it was straight, I cut away some of the plexi so that the three fittings (one tee and two elbows) would fit into these recesses and allow both the pipe and fitting to have maximum contact with this support. Here you can see the notch where the one side of this tee fits. Both the tee and the pipe are contacting the plexi

This plexi support was then siliconed to the back side of the tank. Here it is with tape holding it until it cures.

I'm now going to get on the soapbox and pontificate about silicone and plastics.....I think in part because I'm aggitated from wasting half a day. I've bitten my lip in a number of posts when someone comments that 100% silicone does not stick to plastics...."Don't use acrylic baffles in a glass tank sump, it won't work." So I take this opportunity now to tell you that that statement is poppycock. These folks have never used a special 100% silicone that is specifically formulated to work with plastics. This stuff sticks like grim death.....I think better than GE Silicone I to glass on glass. Maybe the problem with them not having knowledge is that this silicone isn't found in the Paint Department (in HD), like all other silicones and caulks. This special stuff is found in the department that sells acrylic sheets. If you want or need to silicone plastics to whatever....glass or other plastics....buy this stuff....oh, and it's reef safe when cured:

I respectfully step down off the soapbox. I'm pouring myself a Scotch!