Geeks never finishing reef build 40 gal Breeder

geekengineer · Mar 11, 2019

Goodair said:
take a pic of the seam between the tank and stand

you mean a picture of the gap? It might be a bit hard because I have a trim piece in the way but it's very hard to see much of any gap actually. I can try tomorrow to see if I can get anything. I was looking at different epoxies as well.

geekengineer · Mar 11, 2019

Well I have this plant ID stick that I was using which is probably 1/32" thick. If I use that there are some small gaps around two corners and across the front and back part way. If I use the slightest pressure on the corners it sets down on the corners solid. If I use two of the plant sticks which is probably about the thickness of a credit card it acts like it is touching other than in a few areas across parts of the front and back. I took pictures but its really hard to see a lot of anything. I don't know if this is really much to worry about or not it seems like this should be close enough.

geekengineer · Mar 11, 2019

You know I got this 40B tank used from a person who was local and I just noticed there are a number of places that the frame on it is cracked or cracking.

I thinking I'm going to have to get a new tank.

I hope the $1 sale doesn't finish soon. I wish I would have though about checking for that before I got it. I could have cracked it when I drilled it but I wouldn't think that would have caused it to crack. Could it have?

Goodair · Mar 11, 2019

the plastic frame is cracked? or is it just scratches?

geekengineer · Mar 11, 2019

cracked in two bottom corners and two upper corners.

EDIT: the two upper corners are not complete cracks but starting to crack.

geekengineer · Mar 11, 2019

So I went to dinner with the Mrs. and we got a new tank at petco. I just worried about the whole drilling part again.. ;Nailbiting

geekengineer · Mar 11, 2019

I maybe get some foam to set the tank down on when I am drilling too.. Just in case that is what did it.

EDIT I added the pictures of the cracks.

geekengineer · Mar 12, 2019

OK this is weird but some good news. I just got the tank downstairs so I could check out if it was going to fit differently to the top of the stand. The weird thing is it fit a lot better than the old one. I was able to put in some shims underneath the plywood (not between the tank and the top) on the back corner which was still not touching quite right and that fixed it! Now all the corners and edges are touching. Yay!!! ;Joyful;Joyful;Joyful I wonder if there was something off with that old tank?

This is the video that I found that showed how to shim underneath the plywood. Of course next time I need to do this step first.

lol

Goodair · Mar 12, 2019

geekengineer said:
OK this is weird but some good news. I just got the tank downstairs so I could check out if it was going to fit differently to the top of the stand. The weird thing is it fit a lot better than the old one. I was able to put in some shims underneath the plywood (not between the tank and the top) on the back corner which was still not touching quite right and that fixed it! Now all the corners and edges are touching. Yay!!! ;Joyful;Joyful;Joyful I wonder if there was something off with that old tank?

This is the video that I found that showed how to shim underneath the plywood. Of course next time I need to do this step first. lol

That's Great news man! Maybe the cracked plastic did screw up the balance a bit.

geekengineer · Mar 12, 2019

OK so I drilled the new hole for the overflow on the new tank. I didn't quite get one chunk out of the inside of the hole and I ended up honing it off with the drill bit by hand. I was worried if I use the drill it end up a mess or worse. Anyways, the finished hole was a lot better than my first one. I decided to just to over the back return pipes and not drill more holes as I don't feel like pushing my luck anymore. I found a place where I can buy some black PVC 90s that I can use to make return with.

Goodair · Mar 12, 2019

I like the returns going over the frame instead of drilled into the tank. Using black pvc, it doesn't look ugly at all and gives you nice control on where you want your return to flow to. Plus its easy to set up exactly where you want the siphon to break if your pumps are off.
With locline tubing, you can adjust the nozzle and position them whatever way works best for your tank, arrange your rockscape, return nozzle and wave maskers in a way where are no dead spots in the tank.

Lingwendil · Mar 13, 2019

geekengineer said:
OK so I drilled the new hole for the overflow on the new tank. I didn't quite get one chunk out of the inside of the hole and I ended up honing it off with the drill bit by hand. I was worried if I use the drill it end up a mess or worse. Anyways, the finished hole was a lot better than my first one. I decided to just to over the back return pipes and not drill more holes as I don't feel like pushing my luck anymore. I found a place where I can buy some black PVC 90s that I can use to make return with.

Awesome dude! Drilling sure is fun, huh?

For the other tank- I think it is safe to run still, but wouldn't as a display- save it for a sump or sell it. I personally wouldn't have an issue running it on a yoga mat to help it sit evenly, but If you find someone who doesn't mind it could be useful to the right guy.

geekengineer · Mar 13, 2019

Well I don't know about the whole drilling thing but at least its done.

Anyways I been a bit tired tonight so I didn't get much done today.. lol Did a few things to put together my sump parts.

geekengineer · Mar 14, 2019

I should have shown the sump kit I bought. Hopefully it was a good choice I think it will be better than what I did with my old one.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/REFUGIUM-K...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

Goodair · Mar 14, 2019

looks good, what equiptment you plam on putting in it?

geekengineer · Mar 14, 2019

Hey thanks. Yeah I was going to put my skimmer in it and I have a pump for a media reactor that would go in the center area. Then hopefully I could put some cheto in there too eventually. If it works OK maybe a few refuge rocks in the center too. Then I was going to have two identical pumps for redundancy and extra flow in the return.

geekengineer · Mar 15, 2019

OK here is my sump with a crummy silicone job, but nobody going to see it.. right.. lol I still going to glue the sock part in later after the base part is set.

geekengineer · Mar 16, 2019

OK stand and tank finally upstairs near it resting place now with the help of the wife. I now need to start cleaning up some of the basement and getting a saltwater mixing station going.

Devaji · Mar 16, 2019

sure do love the 40br nice size tanks for sure there right in that sweet spot between nanos and reg. tank and the have a reat foot print to-boot.

geekengineer · Mar 17, 2019

Yeah I started out with a 29 gallon a few years ago, but was having some trouble with mega bacteria blooms. I think maybe I didn't have enough flow. I just look at this one and see how much nicer it will be size and layout wise as well. Hope it works out better this time.