OldSchool 225 build with some new twists.

[OldSchool Reefer]

I think that the EPVC is far superior to wood and with the price of wood now it’s not much more expensive, $78 a 4X8 sheet at the Depot. You just don’t have to work it as hard as wood, spring clamps work fine I just had bar clamps handy. With the Weldon 2007 you have about 2 minutes work time to get it into position and it’s set in 5, so you aren’t waiting for wood glue to dry for hours.

 

[DH78]

Thanks for responding to the question. Looks like I'll likely do epvc.

 

[OldSchool Reefer]

Someone call the Tang police, I have 3 Tangs in a 25 gallon tank!
Yesterday I went to the LFS to check on my Red Sea Dose order….. well that’s a long story and I don’t wanna bash before I get my hands on it, but 3 weeks of next week is a little much! Anyway it was crazy in there! They had a new shipment of fish in and were trying to set up a new tank rack, people were taking fish from the drip acclimation buckets and fish that hadn’t made it out of the bags. I asked about a nice little Powder Brown and it was already sold:mad: I made some snide remark and all I heard was “ I have almost every Tang out there and I can’t even get them out of the bag and into a tank before they are sold” So I’m thinking OK smart *** do you have an Atlantic Blue? I was hooked! 3 Tangs in the bag and I’m headed home. The wife ( Fish ****) wasn’t happy with the Scopas Tang but was fine with the Blue and the Tomini and asked why I didn’t get a Gem Tang. She is going to have to pay for that fish! Today Everyone is happy and eating but the Larger Scopas is a bit of a pest to the smaller two!

The court is still out on the fate of the Scopas, but this guy is staying!

 

[OldSchool Reefer]

The center section of the Ecotech cabinet was definitely a challenge. At first I was a little perturbed that I didn’t just build it and then stuff the electronics in it because working on it in place was a bear when everything I needed to do was at least 24 inches away :mad: In the end it was worth it, I had to make some design changes to make room for some transformers and pass through grommets. Now I have more room for additional equipment and more airflow so it was worth it!

Time to clamp and glue it into place. It took some creative clamping because of space constraints but it’s solid.

All wrapped up and you would never know the amount of work that went into it.

Next on the list is building the overflow box for the mangrove tank and get it installed. ;Nailbiting

 

[OldSchool Reefer]

I love me a Blue Tang! His name is Sunny, he was eating well and was a little stressed being packed in a little tank with the other 3 stooges and wasn’t showing his true colors in there They are buddies now and they have a big tank to explore together!

 

[LBReefer]

What an amazing thread. I've been catching up through the day.

 

[OldSchool Reefer]

Glad you’re enjoying it! It has been challenging at times and made me exercise my brain as well as my body. The lockdown was terrible and this kept me off the couch watching Netflix all day! I actually lost weight since starting this project!

 

[OldSchool Reefer]

I don’t know if you can call it a ghost overflow because it’s so big but hopefully it will be silent! OldSchool teaching is overflow boxes = water on the floor;Nailbiting this is my first overflow box build and the first of anything that started with the plumbing of it you gotta start somewhere and making sure that there is enough room for the plumbing is a good place to start.

The basic dimensions are working out to be as planned but now the plans are reference only and “As Built Dimensions “ are what’s going to work! Of course I had drawings from weeks ago and they were close but why risk it?

I cut the back piece of acrylic to the plan and test fit for accuracy then mark and trim for fit!

We are in the ballpark so let’s play! All of the pieces have been cut and the bulkheads were massaged to fit. I hate when a bulkhead turns when you are trying to snugg it down just a little more so I planned for this!

Everything fits so It’s time to glue it all up.

Acrylic work is 10 X harder than EPVC! :mad: Clamp one side then the other glue and repeat what a PTA but it’s over now!

box finished so let’s see if it all works in the space?

A little bit of work to do but we’re real close to moving the last large component into place!

 

[OldSchool Reefer]

This overflow box is going to be basically in accessible once the mangrove tank and cabinetry is installed so I had better work the bugs out now! I have installed it on the tank in its current location up against the wall several times to trim the bulkhead so that there will be no problem adjusting and inserting pipes to tune the flow. I also made a top for the overflow box today to try and keep the salt creep and noise down, everything has been trimmed and tested and I’m about ready to move the tank into place.

 

[DH78]

Nice work on the overflow box. Must have saved a good amount having the skill to make it yourself.

 

[OldSchool Reefer]

Nice work on the overflow box. Must have saved a good amount having the skill to make it yourself.

With the exception of the bulkheads it’s all scraps. I never throw anything out. I have bins of PVC fittings and short sections of pipe, I even have a bucket of citric acid soaking some crusty parts for later use.

 

[DH78]

With the exception of the bulkheads it’s all scraps. I never throw anything out. I have bins of PVC fittings and short sections of pipe, I even have a bucket of citric acid soaking some crusty parts for later use.

Just like my Dad I'm really opposite of that. If I haven't needed it in 6 months to a year, it's getting sold, repurposed, or going in the trash. I just don't like to keep things and have bins of stuff. Although, if I need just one random sized screw, I can likely find it at my parent's place in the drawers of screws my Dad collects...

 

[OldSchool Reefer]

Just like my Dad I'm really opposite of that. If I haven't needed it in 6 months to a year, it's getting sold, repurposed, or going in the trash. I just don't like to keep things and have bins of stuff. Although, if I need just one random sized screw, I can likely find it at my parent's place in the drawers of screws my Dad collects...

That’s the OldSchool way!

 

[OldSchool Reefer]

Ok it was a full moon last night and I hadn’t hooked up the Lunar Sim to the Apex yet. My main problem was I didn’t have enough cord to reach the LSM and way to much in between the lights:mad: So I broke down and tore apart the Lunar lights cut out sections of wire added it to where I needed soldered it all up and plugged it in;Nailbiting

Now I have to make housings and mount them to the canopy and get back to work on the Apex board.

 

[OldSchool Reefer]

I finally got a new Dosing pump yesterday!

Oh no that ain’t it, that’s an OldSchool one I put to the curb last month! It’s amazing how far we have come to get here! Now I just have to figure it out where to put it!

 

[OldSchool Reefer]

Moving day always sucks! But that day is here!

Remove the rock, and drain the water simple right The rock in the back chambers has been there for 15 years and there is no telling how much Schmutz is back there! ;Nailbiting There is also the weight factor there is at least 80lbs of sand in there and I sprained my wrist the last time I moved it, so half of it will have to be removed then reinstalled once it’s in its final spot!

So I start pulling rock from the back sections and the first few look fantastic, covered in coralline and real clean! The next level of rock not so much and it needed a good blasting and some fine brush work. This was going to be messy and I only made 5 gallons of water for losses. I drag out the old faithful the OldSchool quick water polisher so I can reuse as much water as possible. I just love the combination of a MaxiJet 1200 and an AquaClear Quick Filter for clearing dirty water fast, and with some old 10 micron filter sock material it’s even better! Now I get to try to pack another 50lbs of rock into the sump.
This operation is going to take several move tank into position and take it back out, so Half of the sand goes in a 5 gallon bucket. Marking hole location is the first move.

Now time to take it out and drill the hole.;Nailbiting

After a quick vacuum job, Re install with bulkhead to check alignment and start plumbing. Once the supply side is done, then open the valve and let some water flow and test for leaks. Wish me luck!

 

[OldSchool Reefer]

Up late last night chasing prips :mad: I hate that thin White Teflon tape! Thank God for true Union Ball valves, I had to re tape that fitting 3 times. Whatever happened to that Pink tape? Well happily there were no drips this morning. The water has polished up nicely but that old Acrylic is going to need some serious love in the polish department.

One side of the plumbing finished now it’s time to tackle the hard side!

 

[OldSchool Reefer]

Two drain pipes easy right This was probably the most challenging plumbing project of this build. It ends well but the amount of time & parts was astounding!
build list;
1” nipple X 2
1” schedule 40 Union X 2
1” schedule 80 Union X 4
1” schedule 80 45° X 6
1” schedule 80 90° X 3
1” schedule 40 Street 90° X 1
1” schedule 80 gate valve X 1
1” PVC Pipe various lengths X 16 (36” total)
Time 10 hours
Every section of pipe started with a test piece of 1” thin wall pipe once it was the perfect length that section of plumbing was removed marked and measured before a piece of red pipe was cut and glued into place the section was reassembled and re installed for perfect fit then the fitting was marked for alignment it was then all removed again and that fitting was glued. Lather rinse repeat!

It’s flowing great the noise is virtually nonexistent and there wasn’t anything dripping so the day was a success!

 

[OldSchool Reefer]

Yesterday was a busy day but I squeezed in some needed Mangrove tank love. Polished out some scratches and a bunch of hazing from the old fuge that rarely if ever got so much as a coralline scrape! It’s not perfect and will get some more love but it’s 1000% better now! Had an appointment right next to a Big Box store so I thought I’d look for some Pink tape. The nipples on the overflow box were moist, not a drip yet but about to and if I was going to open that can of worms I wanted some thick tape so I only had to do it once! No pink tape but they had some Mega tape, says it’s 4 X as thick and so was the price! At least it’s gray and not as obvious!

It worked great, so I’m fine with the price! time to move some rock and do some Aquascapeing. There is still a ton of rubble and frag plugs in the sump but it’s going to be manageable now!

Today at lunch I stopped at the boat ramp down the block in hopes that I may pick up a few mangrove seed pods before I order some on line. Well I have had them soaking in RO all afternoon and I just now got them into place so keep your fingers crossed!

 

[Robertellis30]

Juvenile Atlantic blue tangs for sure one of my favorites!