RFBF's Five Footer

Susan Edwards · Dec 26, 2017

Bummer. What a nightmare. So sorry!

redfishbluefish · Dec 26, 2017

Thank you Susan. I'm ready to do this right, and will totally replace the tank. I've just sent Glass Cages an email to see what a 60 x 18 x 21 tank will cost. Also open to other tank builders with reasonable costs. I'm aware of a local builder here in New Jersey.....Coast to Coast.....but have been told that they are costly.

TheEngineer · Dec 26, 2017

Ugh! I was really hoping it would last till you were ready to swap. I’d be worried about a catastrophic failure at this point. Can you put some water alarms near it so you know if it goes?

Sorry for your troubles

kschweer · Dec 26, 2017

Coast to coast makes amazing tanks but are definitely not cheap. Expect anything from around $20-$25 a gallon from them and a decent wait time.

Hoping the clamp helps until you can get a new tank!

redfishbluefish · Dec 26, 2017

I just bit the bullet and purchased a custom 60 x 18 x 21 from Glass Cages with Low E glass on the front panel for $745.....delivered to Bridgewater Home Depot parking lot on the 13th of January. Gives me time to prepare......and yes, that pipe clamp better hold until then!!!!

Lesson learned.....pick a common size tank from the get-go, and stay away from custom!

redfishbluefish · Dec 30, 2017

So the new tank was ordered and I began to think about all the things I need to do. As I pondered and planned, one item was to drill the new tank for the 1500 gph Glass-Holes overflow. Then, DOH! DOH! DOH! I was in such haste to order the tank, it slipped my mind that euro bracing would cover the overflow. I'm an idiot. So I immediately sent GlassCages an email, knowing full well that it most likely wouldn't be answered until after the New Year. The phone rang today (Saturday), around 2PM and it was the owner of GlassCages. He was calling wanting to know why I wasn't having an overflow installed. I explained the situation and they are now going to build the tank with bracing similar to their tanks with their glass wall overflow, with 13 inch spacing, that will easily fit the 12 1/4 inch Glass-Holes overflow, and allow access to the overflow from the top. I don't know what I would have done if this mistake of mine wasn't caught. Saved!

chefjpaul · Dec 30, 2017

Thats customer service. Nice save.

Flippers4pups · Dec 30, 2017

Nice catch on the overflow!

Fingers crossed your clamp holds!

redfishbluefish · Jan 1, 2018

Someone doesn't like me......first the DT springs a leak, then I almost goofed on the tank order, caught after the tank was actually ordered, and now I find out the new sump I picked up is not the size of the old sump. :mad:

When I first put in my sump I purchased a 40B....or thought it was a 40B....that's what I paid for. Had it for years. So since I have to pull out my sump when I do my DT change, I figured I'd also replace the sump with a new DIY sump. So I pick up another 40B. I start doing the layout lines and now realize my baffles would be very close to the top of this new sump???? This new sump is 2 inches shorter! New tank sitting in front of original sump:

So with the original sump having the same footprint but at 19 inches high, it appears to be a 50 gallon sump! Now I will not change the sump when I do the DT tank transfer....put it off until some other time.

TheEngineer · Jan 1, 2018

Ugh.... What a pain!

Susan Edwards · Jan 1, 2018

You probably could return it? At least you'll save some time and effort in all this. That or you can trim down the baffles.

redfishbluefish · Jan 7, 2018

No returns....the tank has been sitting in my garage for over a year. I'll use it somewhere.

The new tank was suppose to be delivered on the 13th of January, but because of bad weather, it's been pushed back to the 20th. I'm good with that because I'm still pulling together the bits and pieces I'll need.

jsker · Jan 7, 2018

This is the first time I have been here, and I am going to be back

Now back to the beginning to actually read the build

redfishbluefish · Jan 19, 2018

Update on tank delivery.....I was supposed to hear from Glass Cages during the week for planned delivery tomorrow, and haven't heard anything from them, so I call them. I'm guessing Tennessee was slammed with snow/ice, because they told me today was the first day this week they could get to work. They are buried in trying to contact everyone, and told be that most likely the delivery will be put off two more weeks, as they catch up to deliveries. They will contact me mid week, next week, to fill in details. I'm still fine with this because my mind is mush as I think of all the things I need to do and get together to do this switch of tanks.

The good news is that pipe clamp is a champ, and holding the tank together, without a drop of water coming out.

TheEngineer · Jan 19, 2018

You've got a great attitude about it

This is supposed to be fun, right? So why sweat the small stuff?

Flippers4pups · Jan 19, 2018

Anticipation of the new tank must be hard, but as with anything good, waiting will be worth it in the long run.

redfishbluefish · Jan 20, 2018

It's not so much anticipation as it is trepidation. So much to do, other than simply switching out the tanks....

Paint the back and side of new tank
Drill for the Glass-Holes overflow
Rebuild the sump
Re-level the stand
Rebuild return plumbing to go over eurobrace
rework drain pipes to fit
Rework canopy to fit

And while all that is being done, keep everything alive in multiple temporary tanks.

I'm also not looking forward to rebuilding the rock work to minimize coral death.

Just not as fun as the first go-around, when it wasn't a rush job.

I also think the other mental component is that after doing all this work, I'm simply back to where I was before the leak. Seems like a lot just to fix a leak.

Flippers4pups · Jan 20, 2018

redfishbluefish said:
It's not so much anticipation as it is trepidation. So much to do, other than simply switching out the tanks....

Paint the back and side of new tank
Drill for the Glass-Holes overflow
Rebuild the sump
Re-level the stand
Rebuild return plumbing to go over eurobrace
rework drain pipes to fit
Rework canopy to fit

And while all that is being done, keep everything alive in multiple temporary tanks.

I'm also not looking forward to rebuilding the rock work to minimize coral death.

Just not as fun as the first go-around, when it wasn't a rush job.

I truly get it. Back in 2011 when me and the wife lived in a apartment, the building we lived in caught fire and nearly got our unit. I had to move everything in hast into another unit in one day. Everything we owned! My tank came down in a flash and everything had to go into tubs till the move was done. It was hectic and very stressful, but everything survived.

I never want to ever go through anything remotely close to that ever again.

redfishbluefish · Jan 24, 2018

Just got the new delivery date for the new Glass Cages tank. Original date was Jan 13, which, because of weather was moved to the 2o. And additional bad weather down south now moved the delivery date to February 10th.