Stressful bulkhead.

[tyler1503]

So a bit of a background story first. As some of you may know, I have recently bought a 120. After a few modifications to the plumbing and sump, I freed up a homemade bulkhead. Great news, I can use it when I plumb in a fuge! I won't have to drive for 5 hours and spend a lot of money to buy a brand new overpriced one!
Then I planned the fuge idea. It seems great on paper!
I go to the hardware store, buy some plumbing pieces like a T and a valve, as well as a few hose clamps. While I'm there I ask if they have a reducer fitting for my 1 inch DIY bulkhead to 19mm flexible hose. I didn't bring the fitting to make sure it was 1 inch in size so they can't really help too much.
The next trip to the hardware store I remember to take my bulkhead! Yay! But they don't have a reducer to fit it. ****.
I have a brain wave! I decide that if the guy who built this bulkhead can make one, so can I! After all it's only a few pieces of plastic and an O ring. How hard can that be right?
So the next trip to the hardware store, they don't have the pieces I need to make my own. I'm feeling pretty frustrated by now.
After 3 trips to the hardware store I decide to try the plumbing place just down the road from the hardware store. They have the reducer! It was a last minute thought going to the plumbing place, so yep, you guessed it, I don't have the bulkhead with me to fit a reducer onto. The guy sells me a part I convinced myself would fit. It didn't fit.
I went back to the plumbing place. They don't have any of the right size in stock and won't be getting any for weeks. Sigh. They do however have a reducer and adapter that fits perfectly! The guy tells me it will work. He seems pretty confident! Now this plumbing place doesn't sell the flexible vinyl hose I need. Just my luck.
So I go back to the hardware store to get some hose and a few more hose clamps. Turns out the guy at the plumbing place was a bit too confident and the fitting he sold me was 1mm too big. 1MM!!!! Can you even imagine that!???! Even the thickest hose they have at the hardware store is too small to heat it to fit over the reducer.
So by this time, I'm more stressed than a adult naso tang in a 10gal.
I think I'm done with hardware stores and the like for a few months right now.
I try the LFS (and no, they don't stock bulkheads, hence having to drive for 5 hours to the nearest LFS that does sell them. They also don't sell the plumbing parts I needed) to see if they have some hose that might work. They don't.
So now I'm right back to square one. This time around I'm not in a good mood and I have extra plumbing parts I don't need laying around.
What am I gona do next?!

 

[zach_discus]

Haha plumbing fun. Food for thought though, if a bulkhead, that gives piece of mind is too pricey. Is the reef hobby right for you ;) LOL

 

[tyler1503]

Haha plumbing fun. Food for thought though, if a bulkhead, that gives piece of mind is too pricey. Is the reef hobby right for you ;) LOL

Haha fun......that's one way of putting it! :)
Hmmm, in 3 and a half years my nanos never have me half this much trouble, so maybe you have a point and keeping larger tanks isn't the right hobby for me lol.
For me, it's a 10hr round car trip to the LFS and the bulkhead is $50. So 6 meals, a tank and a half of fuel and the bulkhead plus whatever my girlfriend wants to do in the city works out the be one very expensive piece of plastic lol.

 

[rayn]

Don't look at is a expensive plastic, look at it as a way to get your girl involved. Take her shopping, lunch, then engage her in the tank area when you go to the LFS.

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

Could you order it online and save yourself the pain? I know Marine Depot carries some plumbing parts.

 

[tyler1503]

Don't look at is a expensive plastic, look at it as a way to get your girl involved. Take her shopping, lunch, then engage her in the tank area when you go to the LFS.

I'm trying to get her involved. She's starting to like the fish :) I just need to get her interested in coral too!

Could you order it online and save yourself the pain? I know Marine Depot carries some plumbing parts.

I'm an aussie so american companies probably won't ship here. There are no plastic ones on eBay either, only metal ones. I think I've figured out a way to get it done, I just need to go back to the plumbing place and remember to take it with me! Lol.

 

[AquariGod]

so by this time, i'm more stressed than a adult naso tang in a 10gal.

lmf*o

 

[stunreefer Verified Sponsor]

I'm an aussie so american companies probably won't ship here.

Honestly I think you would be surprised how many companies would ship you dry goods. Heck, I'll ship you bulkheads if you want! Seriously, PM me... freight might equal a trip to the city with your GF though ;)

There are no plastic ones on eBay either, only metal ones.

Lots of plastic bulkhead choices on eBay.


I have a some great friends in the industry in Aussie as well, and could link you guys up if you want. At the least they'll tell you how to get a bulkhead shipped post for <$50.

 

[tyler1503]

Honestly I think you would be surprised how many companies would ship you dry goods. Heck, I'll ship you bulkheads if you want! Seriously, PM me... freight might equal a trip to the city with your GF though ;)
Lots of plastic bulkhead choices on eBay.
I have a some great friends in the industry in Aussie as well, and could link you guys up if you want. At the least they'll tell you how to get a bulkhead shipped post for <$50.

Thanks for the offer :) It's very much appreciated! But I got it sorted out after convincing the guy at the plumbing place to let me out the back and look through all the fittings they had and found the right one. I tested it and it's watertight and fits perfectly! I'll keep that in mind for next time though ;)
I couldn't find a seller on amazon prepared to ship bulkheads to Australia so I figured it wasn't something most companies would do for any dry goods. I'll look into that a bit more though as there's a lot of stuff on amazon that I don't have access to in aus that I would love to own.
I found a couple of plastic ones on eBay eventually after sorting through the rest, but the cost of the fitting plus shipping was like $150. I could almost buy my entire fish list for the 120 for that much lol. I guess the Aussie eBay store is very different to the US store.
That's awesome, who in aus do you know if you don't mind me asking? I know quite a few of the blokes along the south east coast.

 

[stunreefer Verified Sponsor]

I honestly believe the more reputable dry good vendors would sell to you if they can - they can add it to their "Hey we sold to Aussies!" list. With that said shipping costs may kill price points, unless you're ordering a fair amount. A local acrylic manufacturer just shipped a pallet of his skimmer and biopellet reactors to a store in Aus. and was super excited to do so.

That's awesome, who in aus do you know if you don't mind me asking? I know quite a few of the blokes along the south east coast.

I know the owners of Salty Pets Pty. Ltd. and Ultra Coral Australia Pty. Ltd. (they're NE coast). I'll be in your neighborhood next year to dive with them :D Of course by neighborhood I mean continent ;) I'll be bouncing between Mackay and Brisbane mostly, I believe.

 

[tyler1503]

I honestly believe the more reputable dry good vendors would sell to you if they can - they can add it to their "Hey we sold to Aussies!" list. With that said shipping costs may kill price points, unless you're ordering a fair amount. A local acrylic manufacturer just shipped a pallet of his skimmer and biopellet reactors to a store in Aus. and was super excited to do so.

I know the owners of Salty Pets Pty. Ltd. and Ultra Coral Australia Pty. Ltd. (they're NE coast). I'll be in your neighborhood next year to dive with them :D Of course by neighborhood I mean continent ;) I'll be bouncing between Mackay and Brisbane mostly, I believe.

They possibly would. I haven't looked into specific companies, just eBay and amazon. I'll have to dig a little deeper. But I do think your right and shipping will defeat the purpose unless I buy in bulk.
Sounds like a lot of fun :) If you ever get down to Sydney go a little further south into kiama and check out south coast aquariums. Nice little store with a great variety! Healthiest livestock on the south coast too.
I've never been to brissy, but it's supposed to be too much fun. Heading up that way next year so hopefully I'll get in to see a few LFS along the way.
Also, If you can, see the ribbon reefs just outside cairns. Quite a bit further north of brissy, but definitely worth it. I saw it a few years ago and was awestruck. Definitely a highlight of the Great Barrier Reef.