250 gallon build thread

[2farNorth]

The rubber can be on the out side of the tank, as long as it's between the flange, which is the flat part that the big nut screws up against...and the glass.

Oh, ya, looking good by the way!!

[michealprater]

Dang! wish I would have known that. If the silicone does not work, I will clean it up and try that.

[2farNorth]

Originally posted by michealprater

Sorry, the flange is the part that is sitting down against the tank in this shot........

[michealprater]

Got it. We will see how the silicone seals. It seals aquarium corners, so I do not see why it wouldnt work on the bulkhead.

[logiktest]

Progress! Woohoo!

2farNorth is right, keep that gasket against the flange! Also, don't forget to use hangers for the rest of the PVC.

Everything is looking great. Hope to see more updates/pictures soon!

[michealprater]

I will be putting hangers on the PVC, just havent got to it yet. Maybe sometime this week.

[michealprater]

I will be putting hangers on the PVC, just havent got to it yet. Maybe sometime this week.

[michealprater]

Oops, double post, Mods, can you fix?

[michealprater]

One other thing to add. That Dart pump is so quiet you cannot hear it run. It is awesome!

[michealprater]

Well the silicone job did not work. It has a tiny little seap. Nothing like the steady flow I had before. Still it is unacceptable. I am going to remove it tomorrow, clean the silicone and try to install it one last time with the gasket on the flange side. If it leaks then, I will assume the bulkhead is defective and get a new one.

I did find one other leaks. One of the bulkheads in one of the overflows has a steady leak. Figures.... that is the ONLY plumbing that I did not replaces with new. I will pull it, clean it, reinstall and replace if needed.

Where do all of you get your schedule 80 bulkheads? Looking for a good deal as always!

[DOTZ]

Very nice tank! I wish I had room for a tank that big and the wifes ok.LOL

Were did you get the black silicone from? It probably says in here but that's just a lot of reading LOL. How long till you plan to have water in it? Can't wait to see more pics.

[michealprater]

I got it at Petco.

I will have saltwater in it as soon as the leaks are fixed. It is full of freshwater now.

I HATE plumbing, and apparently plumbing hates me. Very frustrating.

[michealprater]

Ok, the big sump bulkhead is watertight now. Only one small leak to worry about now, on the overflow. Got it running with freshwater going to see how it holds up overnight.

[maxxII]

Mike,
I typed this up once before and the computer hiccupped...

I follow a couple of guidelines when messing with plumbing:

1...Dry fit everything. Realize that pieces wont fit as well dry as they will when lubricated by solvent/glue. You can measure how deep plumbing will seat in a fitting by using a narrow ruler. IIRC, 1 inch plumbing will seat 0.5 inch deep in a fitting.

2...Use a permanent marker and draw two reference lines on each end of a fitting and on the two pieces that finto either end.

3..coat the inside of the fitting liberally with solvent/glue, twist the fitting/piece at least 45 degrees to ensure the glue makes a good seal. This is where the reference lines come into play. IMO/IME more glue is better than less, but you can use too much glue which can cause weakness inside the pvc.

4...If you get a leaky fitting, as a last resort, I have coated the outside of the leaky fitting with glue and sealed it. This was a drain fitting, not a pressurized return fitting. I would not try this with any pressurized fitting.

5...Use oversized unions and ballvalves. A 1 inch union reduces down to 0.75 inches inside. A 1.25 inch union reduces down to 1 inch internally. Using a 1.25 inch union and 1.25 to 1 inch reducing bushings will cause less back pressure.

6...Buy extra fittings and pipe. You will end up needing it, and buying it the first time will save you trips to HD or Lowe's.

Nick

[michealprater]

Thanks Maxx! I am prolly going to glue the bulkhead on the overflow, if it doesnt work, I will get a new bulk head.

All the glued fittings held great!

[nixon125]

Wow, things seem to be going quite smoothly. I can't wait to see some salt water in that tank (and not on the floor). Any idea of what type of livestock will be housed?

[michealprater]

Nick, I will be housing tangs, angels, and a mixed reef of coral. Possibly and RBTA/clown combo down the road. I also am a fan of several reef safe shrimp.

Well, I have lots of updates so I will try not to forget anything, and I have a few new photos to share with you guys.

All the major leaks are gone, I have one tiny little dribbler, but is so little, I really think a little salt creep will take care of it.

I got the fuge/frag tank back in place.

I reinstalled the stairs/platform and got a coat of sealer on it.

I got the hanger straps done on all the plumbing.

I bought the clear tubing to install the skimmer. I bought 1" od 3/4" id clear plastic tubing. Now the issue is how to use it. The "in" barbed fitting for the skimmer is 3/4", so no issues there, however the barbed fitting that screws to the mag 36 is 1". The former owner had it installed this way. His tubing was too short for my application. I have no clue how he got the 3/4" tubing to stretch over the 1" barbed fitting? Any ideas? I even tried heating the tube up some with a torch. No luck.

I got my mobile lighting figured out. I do not have a fixture, but because the tank sits high, and I will be working from a platform, I needed a way to completely move the lights out of the way. I brought home two pcs of channel from work, with some end caps and hangers that roll inside the channel railing. This will allow me to just roll the fixture out of the way. I plan on having a couple of normal incandecents above the tank lighting, so I can still see to work in the tank. I am excited about this and cant wait to post pics of my progress. As far as lighting I will be going with 250 watt hqi metal halide ballasts. 4 of them. Future state will include some type of lumen reflectors from coral view. I plan on supplementing actinic with t5 or vho, have not made up my mind. Knowing me, it will be what ever is the best deal. As far as lighting the frag tank. I think I will just get one of the 4 x 54w t5 fixtures from hellolights. They are only like 150 shipped.

I had some lettering laying around, so I named and labeled my skimmer. See the pic below.

I have new filters for my ro/di unit on order. I also had a old Rainsoft RO unit, lying around, I am going to run both of them inline together for a 7 stage system. I also ordered enough line to reach the tank for the long saltwater fill.

A buddy at work told me I could have his old PH pinpoint and TDS meter, as he is out of the hobby now, I thought that was very generous and I will put them to good use. BTW, if anyone else has any other equipment lying around that you are not using and you think my be helpful, I would be glad to take it. If you are keeping up with this build, you know my budget is tight, so every little bit help.

I also got a Great White magnet cleaner on ebay last night of 81 bucks, could not believe it what a deal!

I am bidding on refractometer right now, hopefully I get that.

Well, I think that is about it, so.... without further ado, here are the updated pics.







Thanks for looking.

[michealprater]

Sorry, did not see that the second pic is kinda blurry, but you get the point.

[maxxII]

Originally posted by michealprater
Thanks Maxx! I am prolly going to glue the bulkhead on the overflow, if it doesnt work, I will get a new bulk head.

All the glued fittings held great!

Nick, I will be housing tangs, angels, and a mixed reef of coral. Possibly and RBTA/clown combo down the road. I also am a fan of several reef safe shrimp.

Well, I have lots of updates so I will try not to forget anything, and I have a few new photos to share with you guys.

All the major leaks are gone, I have one tiny little dribbler, but is so little, I really think a little salt creep will take care of it.

I got the fuge/frag tank back in place.

I reinstalled the stairs/platform and got a coat of sealer on it.

I got the hanger straps done on all the plumbing.

I bought the clear tubing to install the skimmer. I bought 1" od 3/4" id clear plastic tubing. Now the issue is how to use it. The "in" barbed fitting for the skimmer is 3/4", so no issues there, however the barbed fitting that screws to the mag 36 is 1". The former owner had it installed this way. His tubing was too short for my application. I have no clue how he got the 3/4" tubing to stretch over the 1" barbed fitting? Any ideas? I even tried heating the tube up some with a torch. No luck.

I got my mobile lighting figured out. I do not have a fixture, but because the tank sits high, and I will be working from a platform, I needed a way to completely move the lights out of the way. I brought home two pcs of channel from work, with some end caps and hangers that roll inside the channel railing. This will allow me to just roll the fixture out of the way. I plan on having a couple of normal incandecents above the tank lighting, so I can still see to work in the tank. I am excited about this and cant wait to post pics of my progress. As far as lighting I will be going with 250 watt hqi metal halide ballasts. 4 of them. Future state will include some type of lumen reflectors from coral view. I plan on supplementing actinic with t5 or vho, have not made up my mind. Knowing me, it will be what ever is the best deal. As far as lighting the frag tank. I think I will just get one of the 4 x 54w t5 fixtures from hellolights. They are only like 150 shipped.

I had some lettering laying around, so I named and labeled my skimmer. See the pic below.

I have new filters for my ro/di unit on order. I also had a old Rainsoft RO unit, lying around, I am going to run both of them inline together for a 7 stage system. I also ordered enough line to reach the tank for the long saltwater fill.

A buddy at work told me I could have his old PH pinpoint and TDS meter, as he is out of the hobby now, I thought that was very generous and I will put them to good use. BTW, if anyone else has any other equipment lying around that you are not using and you think my be helpful, I would be glad to take it. If you are keeping up with this build, you know my budget is tight, so every little bit help.

I also got a Great White magnet cleaner on ebay last night of 81 bucks, could not believe it what a deal!

I am bidding on refractometer right now, hopefully I get that.

Well, I think that is about it, so.... without further ado, here are the updated pics.


Thanks for looking.

Couple of thoughts...

I try to avoid making any plumbing "permanent", IE glueing it to something not removable, like an overflow.

I've been in this hobby since 1986, I spent 4 years in the Marine Corps infantry, and now I'm a police officer...the point of all that is that I pretty much plan for things to go wrong and try to figure out ways to prevent them from doing so or coming up with rapid solutions that are as uncomplicated as possible.

If your bulkhead cracks, can you get to it quickly? If you can, and you can replace quickly, will you have to re-do some/all/any of your plumbing to make it work? Will you have the time to allow the new plumbing to cure before running water through it? I dont know if improperly cured/under cured (not enough time curing) pvc solvent gives off any toxic fumes or can transfer anything toxic to the water running past it, but I dont intend to find out either.

As far as your buddies pinpoint meter...usually the probes need to be replaced after 18 months or drying out....so keep that in mind.

Glad to see the progress being made. This is going to be a sweet set up!

Nick

[maxxII]

Also forgot to add....

you can use a double ended nipple/barb for the transition from the Mag pump, (1 inch) to the skimmer, (0.75 inch). The make reducing nipples in Sched 80, Lowes carries them. Might also consider buying black tubing. Clear tubing lets lit in, and allows algae to grow inside the tubing, clogging it.

Nick

[michealprater]

If your bulkhead cracks, can you get to it quickly? If you can, and you can replace quickly, will you have to re-do some/all/any of your plumbing to make it work? Will you have the time to allow the new plumbing to cure before running water through it? I dont know if improperly cured/under cured (not enough time curing) pvc solvent gives off any toxic fumes or can transfer anything toxic to the water running past it, but I dont intend to find out either.[/B]

I was able to fix all the plumbing using no glue. All the bulkheads can be easily changed, and fairly quickly.

What do you think about the skimmer situation?

[michealprater]

I see you answered already. Great idea! Thanks!

[michealprater]

I purchased a small chain wrench. Awesome for putting a little more tighten on that hard to reach fitting. Used it to fix all the leaks!

[maxxII]

Dont over tighten.....I've seen bulkheads and worse yet glass crack due to too much pressue while tightening. How old is this tank?

Nick

[michealprater]

Tank isnt that old. All the acrylic is 1/2 and 3/4. I did not torque anything down, just another 1/4 or 1/2 turn to reseat some seals.