Jason Bell
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- Joined
- Apr 3, 2019
- Location
- l2r4t1
The extra thick BRS glue and accelerant. Have gone through plenty of the glue, that's for sure.
Moving Up To 220
- Thread starter Jason Bell
- Start date
Matt1997
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- Joined
- Sep 18, 2017
- Location
- Barrie/Sudbury
You reinforce with any cement product?
Jason Bell
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- Apr 3, 2019
- Location
- l2r4t1
No, I thought about it as I saw one that was wet mortar with sand over it, gave a really smooth look. After seeing how long this takes, that is not for me. I can grab any part of it and swing it around, no movement at all. That said I have used plenty of glue.
Matt1997
Active Member
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2017
- Location
- Barrie/Sudbury
Give an estimate on how much? Any acrylic rods?
Jason Bell
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- Apr 3, 2019
- Location
- l2r4t1
For the 2 structures so far, 1 and 3/4 10oz bottles along with 2 spray bottles of quick set. No rods needed. Just plenty of hammer and chisel work.
Matt1997
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- Joined
- Sep 18, 2017
- Location
- Barrie/Sudbury
Thanks. How long did you let them sit for?
Jason Bell
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- Apr 3, 2019
- Location
- l2r4t1
During assembly I would spray both areas of contact with quick set, add glue, hold together, little glue around the seam then spray quick set again. Was solid in seconds.
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2012
- Location
- Rocky Mountains BC
Don't know how I missed this... excellent looking build. That frame is nice work.
Jason Bell
Active Member
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- Apr 3, 2019
- Location
- l2r4t1
Thank you Salty, it is taking much longer than I expected, but finally things are starting to come together. Work has been extremely busy, so that has added a kink in the system.
Here are a couple more stands I just did for friends.
The double frag tank setup all 2*2 HSS and the stand for my buddy's 240 3*3*188 HSS. That was heavy, he wanted 42" tall, was a pain to get down the stairs. Working on 2 more for him now.
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2012
- Location
- Rocky Mountains BC
The welds are excellent, I know you're not doing up titanium headers there, but I see the welds are good after the grind...I'm a sucker for an epic bead.
Very good to hear you're busy. I've started to see the for-lease signs popping up as the economy goes from slow to dead. Take that work when you can get it. Of course, nobody does fabrication anymore, knowing how to build/fix things is a dying breed, so you may be busy as long as you want to be
Very good to hear you're busy. I've started to see the for-lease signs popping up as the economy goes from slow to dead. Take that work when you can get it. Of course, nobody does fabrication anymore, knowing how to build/fix things is a dying breed, so you may be busy as long as you want to be
Jason Bell
Active Member
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2019
- Location
- l2r4t1
In all honesty my shop has not stopped since the start of this last March. We primarily do residential and commercial steel and rebar, but fabricate anything. The bad part is steel prices through the roof, yet everyone is still building houses, hell we just built a huge formed canopy to be used as a gazebo.
Jason Bell
Active Member
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2019
- Location
- l2r4t1
I'm terrible with wood, much prefer steel. I like the design of yours, good lay out to skin it.
Hey i like yours, you are going to have a ton of access to your sump and thats great.
What i would of planned for though would of been plywood on top if the stand then foam then the tank and that 3 inches wrapped in aluminum. Keep the steel look. I'm sure that with your shop you could of come up with a 3 inch strip of metal or aluminum to hide the board and the foam yet keep the rawness of the steel stand.
You see i had to close mine in because it backs onto our bedroom. It cuts down on the noise and the light.
We have a 2 bedroom unit with 2 teenagers so we have converted the dining room into iur bedroom and then having an open concept, the tank gives us some privacy while the front is viewed in the living room.
I know it all sounds constrained but it works for us. My basement has 2ft thick walls built out of stone in this 100 plus year building and it can't be finished down there making for a very cold rec room. It works for us.
What i would of planned for though would of been plywood on top if the stand then foam then the tank and that 3 inches wrapped in aluminum. Keep the steel look. I'm sure that with your shop you could of come up with a 3 inch strip of metal or aluminum to hide the board and the foam yet keep the rawness of the steel stand.
You see i had to close mine in because it backs onto our bedroom. It cuts down on the noise and the light.
We have a 2 bedroom unit with 2 teenagers so we have converted the dining room into iur bedroom and then having an open concept, the tank gives us some privacy while the front is viewed in the living room.
I know it all sounds constrained but it works for us. My basement has 2ft thick walls built out of stone in this 100 plus year building and it can't be finished down there making for a very cold rec room. It works for us.
I went back and read that you will be putting foam and a skin on the tank. Sorry,
When i planned out the rock work. The plan was to build structure and cement it all together but as you say putting it together takes time and to have a vision.
My vision wasn't working besides i love the look of my rock or quality rock in the tank.
Ive since made 3 islands that will fill in once the Coral starts to be added, i have one piece of rock that is a shelf piece planned fir SPS and trying to work that into the scape has been trying.
I will definitley be following your progress but i wish i had the coin to go with better equipment.
This tank is very basic, lots of rock an ATS, mega water movement, not MP60 but it still moves,
You don't see the amount of rock in the sump. No biopellets, very controlled feeding.
I'm still going very slowly with the Coral and fish. I'm not filling it up with just anything, I'm being selective. Its a process and i am enjoying it immensely.
I'm retired so this is my focus.
Enjoy and following along.
When i planned out the rock work. The plan was to build structure and cement it all together but as you say putting it together takes time and to have a vision.
My vision wasn't working besides i love the look of my rock or quality rock in the tank.
Ive since made 3 islands that will fill in once the Coral starts to be added, i have one piece of rock that is a shelf piece planned fir SPS and trying to work that into the scape has been trying.
I will definitley be following your progress but i wish i had the coin to go with better equipment.
This tank is very basic, lots of rock an ATS, mega water movement, not MP60 but it still moves,
You don't see the amount of rock in the sump. No biopellets, very controlled feeding.
I'm still going very slowly with the Coral and fish. I'm not filling it up with just anything, I'm being selective. Its a process and i am enjoying it immensely.
I'm retired so this is my focus.
Enjoy and following along.
Jason Bell
Active Member
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2019
- Location
- l2r4t1
With my tank being rimed, no plywood or foam should be used, that is for a flat bottom tank. Only support needed is the actual rim. The bottom glass is recessed due to the rim and does not make contact with the surface, have this same design on my current 120g.
The entire stand will be covered, I have something special in the works....
On a good note the balance of plumbing will arrive Monday, so goal this weekend is rock work completed, 3 of the lights hung from the bar as I am using 2 now then take stock of the overwhelming number of packages to ensure I have everything.
Electrician is coming Tuesday to install my circuit and GFI outlets then finally I can get some water in this tank. I still have a few more items to obtain, but none of them will stop me from getting it started up.
The entire stand will be covered, I have something special in the works....
On a good note the balance of plumbing will arrive Monday, so goal this weekend is rock work completed, 3 of the lights hung from the bar as I am using 2 now then take stock of the overwhelming number of packages to ensure I have everything.
Electrician is coming Tuesday to install my circuit and GFI outlets then finally I can get some water in this tank. I still have a few more items to obtain, but none of them will stop me from getting it started up.
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2012
- Location
- Rocky Mountains BC
Well if I had a metal shop, it sure wouldn't have been made out of wood lol!
I have 3 leaks in my ghost overflow, and it will be brutal to move the tank. I should have checked the work of the wizard that glued the parts together, considering the tank had to be rebuilt 4 times.... They are very small leaks, but after a year I'm starting to get some serious salt creep in the back (and would have to drain the tank to a few inches to move it), so what I'm saying is, really look at the seams in the plumbing (I'm sure you will, just voicing my own regrets here). Not sure if you'll have good access after it's running, but man, it's SO annoying.
Really looking forward to the build, I did some of the math in my head, you have a fair investment in equipment sitting there ready to go
I have 3 leaks in my ghost overflow, and it will be brutal to move the tank. I should have checked the work of the wizard that glued the parts together, considering the tank had to be rebuilt 4 times.... They are very small leaks, but after a year I'm starting to get some serious salt creep in the back (and would have to drain the tank to a few inches to move it), so what I'm saying is, really look at the seams in the plumbing (I'm sure you will, just voicing my own regrets here). Not sure if you'll have good access after it's running, but man, it's SO annoying.
Really looking forward to the build, I did some of the math in my head, you have a fair investment in equipment sitting there ready to go
Jason Bell
Active Member
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2019
- Location
- l2r4t1
For the ghost overflow I am going to make sure everything is clean both sides, I have the down pipes that are 1" threaded to the outlet, will tape those for sure, then it increases to 1.5" to the sump, returns the usual 1" with a 1" to 3/4" loc-line.
You are correct, there is a couple dollars in equipment and a few more in mistakes. For now I will run the 5 Hydra 52 units on the ceiling mounted bar, in the near future new lights will be a must, I really like the Orphek Atlantik V4 but I don't believe I have the height I would need, next thought was the Aquatic Life T5/LED combo with ATI Blueplus and Radion.
Speaking of which, how are you liking your Radion units? I believe you had DIY LED units and swapped a couple for the EcoTech.
You are correct, there is a couple dollars in equipment and a few more in mistakes. For now I will run the 5 Hydra 52 units on the ceiling mounted bar, in the near future new lights will be a must, I really like the Orphek Atlantik V4 but I don't believe I have the height I would need, next thought was the Aquatic Life T5/LED combo with ATI Blueplus and Radion.
Speaking of which, how are you liking your Radion units? I believe you had DIY LED units and swapped a couple for the EcoTech.
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2012
- Location
- Rocky Mountains BC
I'm not thrilled with the radions at all. I got the "blue" version, but they are waaaaay too white for my liking. I revamped the remaining ~80 LEDs with new bulbs when I did it, and I really cranked up the UV potential, but I can't run them more than ~2 hours a day or I bleach the corals almost white. Normally that would be fine, but the light light corals only look good under royal blues, and the radions never really get to "just blue", at least not as far as I found when I programmed them. So if I had just the radions, I'd have a pretty boring looking tank. At ~4pm I kill the radions and run T5s and just the leds, and the corals look fantastic. The more water changes, the better the colour, but the growth also gets out of control. I have a millie colony the size of a basketball already...anyway, I think if I was to do it again, and $ was no concern, I'd run 2-3 radions from 10am-2pm, and then run 120 royal blues with just a few UVs (I think I found 370nm units) until midnight. If we move and I do set up another tank, that will be the way I would go, but to use the radions as my only light source...no, not a chance. Thing is, I also want completely different colours than normal. The Orange passion I got from bigshow was a hairy dark orange bit when I got it. Very nice looking, but I wanted to see what I could do with it. In my tank it is mild PE, the coral is bright yellow with extremely blue tips. Just a totally different (but awesome) look. Maybe just me, but I honestly don't care what my tank looks like, as long as the corals are interesting. I'm so far past the whole fishtank as a centerpiece, I honestly would likely be fine with a shallow reef down-from-the-top tank, just filled with damsels or something for bio load. sorry, really went off on a tangent there.