Possible Divorce Frag Build

Current State:

In process of tearing down all tanks and putting things in tanks in the house.

One tank down and one to go.

 

[Crabby48]

Look at that once again hard work pays off. Gorgs are happy after storing everything up. What substrate do you use?

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Look at that once again hard work pays off. Gorgs are happy after storing everything up. What substrate do you use?

Coal slag lol. Completely inert and 5 icp tests later, no issues.

 

[sfin52]

Who that was a change

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Not fish related, but still interesting.

Tree fell due to storms, tree was huge, so couldn’t get home. It was blocking my road at my nearest neighbors house (2 miles down the road).

Well, Stephen is always prepared. I keep a hatchet, small shovel and a small pickaxe in all my vehicles.

Stephen decided “hey, let’s clear a lane and ditch with only the hatchet and 2 strong boys to pull the crap out the way.

Did that and then went and got big momma case and the chainsaw.

Road now cleared and neighbor who is on vacay can still get in their driveway when they get back.

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

m.youtube.com

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Later today the tank polishing will begin. I figured I better post a pic now of the before, as if you know me, I tend to forget pre-pics and just get right to doing something until done.

Below is one side of the tank. I messed up a a while back after lights out and used my magfloat for the Mangrove tank and scuffed the crap out of the acrylic. there were also some scratches, from other things lol.

So the tank needs a good clean up. I will do this using vinyl backed aircraft grade sandpaper. I will start at 600 grit and see if that is enough to remove the scratches. If I have to go to 300 or so, I will. Hoping 600 is a good starting point.

I will then continue to step all the way to 12000 grit if needed. From past experience, 5000 may be enough for the tank to look clear when full of water. But, that is still half-reared way to do it. If I am going to do it, I may as well get it as clear as I can. It will not be 100%, as I cannot polish it with water in it, but when the time comes to move it, I can polish it then.

In the pic below, none of the haze is algae, even though it may look like it. It is reflections from the rocks, nems, etc. This is all due to a magfloat for glass, the metal scraper for glass and the scratches are from sand getting in the mighty mag here and there.

Wish me luck and I may have Popeye arms after this lol.

 

[dantimdad]

I am having to do my buddy's 250 bowfront and we can only get it enough to where it'll look ok when full.

It's the hardest acrylic I have ever seen.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

I am having to do my buddy's 250 bowfront and we can only get it enough to where it'll look ok when full.

It's the hardest acrylic I have ever seen.

what sand paper are you using? If it is paper backed, it will never work on older acrylic. Like this tank, the crap is super hard.

Also, for some real fun, if you have an air compressor handy, you can use an air sander. Just route the exhaust port out of the tank using some hose. It will make quick work of it. I have done this before using a cheap Harbor Freight air sander lol. It is trash afterwards, but worth it for larger tanks.

Also, make sure you have a seriously strong magnet if doing it that way. Might Mag is the way to go for that. I have one for a 1.5-2" acrylic tank that I will use to hold the sand paper. There is no way I could do it with my 3/4-1" mighty mag.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

I forgot, be sure that each step in sand paper is used in a different direction than the previous. You also need to feather the sanding as you go.

For example, you are using 600 grit. Go left to right with it for the width of the paper. Then move up the tank and keep going left to right, but only move up half the width of the sand paper.

When you get to 800 grit, go up and down for a small area and then move up so that the previous area is half covered by the sand paper. Keep sanding up and down as well.

Then you move to 1000 and go left to right again with same for the feathering.

Doing this will allow for the sand paper to "cut" into the acrylic with the least amount of force/effort.

 

[Sean Clark]

So something like this with the exhaust hose out of the water?

6 in. Self-Vacuuming Orbital Palm Air Sander

Amazing deals on this 6In Self-Vacuuming Palm Air Sander at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

 

[Eagle_Steve]

So something like this with the exhaust hose out of the water?

6 in. Self-Vacuuming Orbital Palm Air Sander

Amazing deals on this 6In Self-Vacuuming Palm Air Sander at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

Yup. Just have to order 6" round aircraft grade sand paper sheets. I prefer them, as they last longer. They are vinyl backed and not paper backed. (they still have the felt glued to them so the sander disc can grip them)

There was someone a bit ago on here that did it in their build thread. Let me see if I can find it. I remember it, as it proved I was not the only crazy one lol.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Here it is. Seems not many people use the phrase "air sander" lol.

Monster Build - Our 400 Gallon In Wall Natural Sun-Lit Reef

This is my dream tank!

www.reef2reef.com

 

[dantimdad]

I’ve done one before. Just trying to avoid sanding.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

So something like this with the exhaust hose out of the water?

6 in. Self-Vacuuming Orbital Palm Air Sander

Amazing deals on this 6In Self-Vacuuming Palm Air Sander at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

Just realized that is a self vacuuming one. You do not want that one. You would use a normal one and then attatch a hose to the exhaust port on the side of the body, just above the sanding disc.

The vacuuming one would suck out water. I guess you could use it and route the hose to a filter sock in the sump, but seems like it might get a bit cumbersome when you move around.

One like this is what I am referring to, as you can thread a plastic threaded to barb hose adaptor into the exhaust port and then put a hose on the barb.

Harbor Freight Tools – Quality Tools at Discount Prices Since 1977

Harbor Freight buys their top quality tools from the same factories that supply our competitors. We cut out the middleman and pass the savings to you!

www.harborfreight.com

 

[Sean Clark]

Just realized that is a self vacuuming one. You do not want that one. You would use a normal one and then attatch a hose to the exhaust port on the side of the body, just above the sanding disc.

The vacuuming one would suck out water. I guess you could use it and route the hose to a filter sock in the sump, but seems like it might get a bit cumbersome when you move around.

One like this is what I am referring to, as you can thread a plastic threaded to barb hose adaptor into the exhaust port and then put a hose on the barb.

Harbor Freight Tools – Quality Tools at Discount Prices Since 1977

Harbor Freight buys their top quality tools from the same factories that supply our competitors. We cut out the middleman and pass the savings to you!

www.harborfreight.com

Thanks, I'll get the one you linked to. I have a 4 foot tank that is in embarrassingly poor shape due to my negligence with a magfloat.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Thanks, I'll get the one you linked to. I have a 4 foot tank that is in embarrassingly poor shape due to my negligence with a magfloat.

Pics? Age of tank? (as in not how long setup, but actual age)

You may be suprised if the tank is not 25 years old like mine, how easy it is to do with a mighty mag and some sandpaper.

Edit: Or a bow front, as the heat from bending the front makes the acrylic even harder.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Just realized that is a self vacuuming one. You do not want that one. You would use a normal one and then attatch a hose to the exhaust port on the side of the body, just above the sanding disc.

The vacuuming one would suck out water. I guess you could use it and route the hose to a filter sock in the sump, but seems like it might get a bit cumbersome when you move around.

One like this is what I am referring to, as you can thread a plastic threaded to barb hose adaptor into the exhaust port and then put a hose on the barb.

Harbor Freight Tools – Quality Tools at Discount Prices Since 1977

Harbor Freight buys their top quality tools from the same factories that supply our competitors. We cut out the middleman and pass the savings to you!

www.harborfreight.com

Man I looking at that, wondering how you're not going to just be blasting water out the hose with the self vacuuming...

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Man I looking at that, wondering how you're not going to just be blasting water out the hose with the self vacuuming...

Yup. Glad I went back and glanced at it again. That would have made a massive mess, real quick lol.

 

[Sean Clark]

Pics? Age of tank? (as in not how long setup, but actual age)

You may be suprised if the tank is not 25 years old like mine, how easy it is to do with a mighty mag and some sandpaper.

Edit: Or a bow front, as the heat from bending the front makes the acrylic even harder.

Here is where the majority of the scratches are. The tank is 3/8". I got the tank as a used freshwater and drilled it. I have no idea the brand or how old it is. If I had to guess I would say that it is 15+ years old. I have had it for about 8 years and never tried to refinish it yet.
Please don't call the Tang Police lol

 

[PeterC99]

@Eagle_Steve - Did you lose power due to the storm?

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Here is where the majority of the scratches are. The tank is 3/8". I got the tank as a used freshwater and drilled it. I have no idea the brand or how old it is. If I had to guess I would say that it is 15+ years old. I have had it for about 8 years and never tried to refinish it yet.
Please don't call the Tang Police lol

I would try a float rated for 1" (even a mag float is fine. just remove the crap on the inside tank side and glue some softer velcro to the float) and then start with 600 grit to see if the scratches go away. If not, move to 300 and that will get them for sure. Just better to start with 600, so you do not need to have extra work if the 600 wil do the job. You can then step up to 1000 once you have a consistent "haze" from the 600.

Also, you will never hear me report anyone to the tang police lol.

This is just half of the gang in the 180 lol. The Mingi was moved to the Nem tank a while back, as its age was catching up to it. It has since passed, but went peacefully.

My trick to aggression and my argument for multiple tangs in a tank is food. I have caulerpa prolifera growing behind the rock structure. I also keep nori in the tank at all times. Tangs only roam in the wild for food. They decimate an area, move on and keep doing that. If you can provide a steady supply that is all over the place, then it seems to work. At least for me. Most fish in this pic are at least 10 years or more old. There are a few young ones, but even they could care less about others.