Seattle center-drilled 150

Nolan Shinn · Jan 19, 2019

Started to fill up the tank, and one of my 1.5” bulkheads started leaking. Drained the tank, and orderd a new set from BRS... it’s a bummer, but I’m happy to find out now rather than later.

mfinn · Jan 19, 2019

Nolan Shinn said:
Started to fill up the tank, and one of my 1.5” bulkheads started leaking. Drained the tank, and orderd a new set from BRS... it’s a bummer, but I’m happy to find out now rather than later.

Couldn't you just re-tighten the bulkhead?
When I instal bulkheads, I usually use a tiny bead of silicone to fill the space between the plastic and glass in the hole. Just enough to make the hole tighter.
The silicone isn't to be a first line against water passing through ( the wrong side of the bulkhead), just a aid.

mch1984 · Jan 19, 2019

I was wondering the same. What is causing the bulk heads to leak? Why are you having to replace them?

Nolan Shinn · Jan 19, 2019

mfinn said:
Couldn't you just re-tighten the bulkhead?
When I instal bulkheads, I usually use a tiny bead of silicone to fill the space between the plastic and glass in the hole. Just enough to make the hole tighter.
The silicone isn't to be a first line against water passing through ( the wrong side of the bulkhead), just a aid.

I tried tightening it more, but with no luck. There was only about 20 gallons in the DT when it started leaking, which in my mind would indicate a pretty serious leak once the tank is all the way full.

Since I don’t have an overflow box, replacing a leaky bulkhead down the road requires the entire tank to be completely drained...
once I get the bulkhead off I’ll see if I can determine why it was leaking.

mch1984 · Jan 19, 2019

You didn’t pull the same move I did? I plumbed an entire tank and filled up before realized I didn’t put the gaskets on my bulkheads lol. Dumbest move I’ve made yet in the hobby.

Nolan Shinn · Jan 19, 2019

mch1984 said:
I was wondering the same. What is causing the bulk heads to leak? Why are you having to replace them?

Here’s the facepalm moment: I used the same bulkheads that came with the tank...

So I’m assuming old rubber gaskets just didn’t seal properly. I’m not sure why else the bulkhead would leak with such little water in the tank (roughly 20 gallons). Not a crazy amount, about a drip/3 minutes.

I tried tightening the bulkhead to see if that would stop it, as well as loosening slightly to see if the gasket was just being constricted too much, but neither yielded better results.
I’m not sure what to do other than replace em?

The unfortunate think about this tank’s design is that watertight bulkheads are the only thing keeping my tank a tank, and not a large glass strainer haha

Nolan Shinn · Jan 19, 2019

mch1984 said:
You didn’t pull the same move I did? I plumbed an entire tank and filled up before realized I didn’t put the gaskets on my bulkheads lol. Dumbest move I’ve made yet in the hobby.

Oh bummer! Haha how full were you able to get it without gaskets?

Nolan Shinn · Jan 19, 2019

Here’s some photos from WWC for inspiration...

mch1984 · Jan 19, 2019

Nolan Shinn said:
Oh bummer! Haha how full were you able to get it without gaskets?

It's a 50 gallon lowboy frag tank. It has an esopps overflow and that's were I forgot my gaskets. So it was almost full because it wasn't until it started spilling over into the back box I realized.

Nolan Shinn · Jan 21, 2019

More WWC inspiration!

I was also trying out a new macro lens for my dslr. Let me know what y’all think! I’ve still gotta figure out color balance on the camera, cuz there’s a lot of Lightroom work into these to get em to look like they did in person...

Rozdab · Jan 21, 2019

Love the stand and also the tank.

Can’t wait to see this full of colony’s

Nolan Shinn · Jan 22, 2019

Picked up a couple new bulkheads from @BarrierReefAquariums on Saturday, and finally got the leaky ones (I just went ahead and replaced both 1.5”) out and the new ones in. Added some water from the sump and everything seems to be holding - knock on wood- ...

Before and after “texturing” the expanding foam to look like the dry rock. Doesn’t have as as much surface area as the rock, but visually it’s difficult to tell the difference once algae grows over the foam/rock.

I also started to set up my refugium in the sump. Eel proof, so Pona can hang out there while I decide what to do with her.

Now to make more RODI water...

mch1984 · Jan 22, 2019

Coming along, the centered drains made for a cool scape though. Looks good

Nolan Shinn · Jan 23, 2019

Slowly but surely...

The view from the couch...

mch1984 · Jan 23, 2019

getting closer and closer. You may have said this earlier and I missed it. What are you doing for lighting?

Nolan Shinn · Jan 23, 2019

mch1984 said:
getting closer and closer. You may have said this earlier and I missed it. What are you doing for lighting?

I’m just gonna start out with some old LEDs I got from @CrystalReefAquatics a few years back. Though I’m saving up for a T5 hybrid with kessil 360x.

I’ve never tried t5s before, but they sound nice, and I have no interest in programming lighting cycles, ect...