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plantguy

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Everything posted by plantguy

  1. For a clean crack, solvent will work best. https://www.amazon.com/Weld-Acrylic-Plastic-Cement-Applicator/dp/B0149IG548/ref=sr_1_2?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1520795741&sr=1-2&keywords=weldon+3 For more jagged breaks, a thicker type like 16 works well, but the repair is pretty ugly. https://www.amazon.com/IPS-Weld-Acrylic-Plastic-Cement/dp/B0149IFA9O
  2. Highly doubtful the concrete is flat and true enough, you'll most likely need to build something. During the building process, you will also need to flip the assembly as you go, eventually flipping the entire assembled tank a couple times for gluing, routering and finishing. For the tank itself, that size with top bracing you will need 1.25" material. Rimless, you're looking at 2" material. Drop the height down to 24, and you can use .944" material, which is cheaper, and easier to get locally.
  3. What are your final dimensions? Ive built about 150 acrylic tanks. Hardest part will be a surface to build on, unless you already have a 10'+ flat work surface to work with.
  4. Personally, I would return both lines to the sump, and run a separate pump, or manifold off the main pump to feed the refugium. Two reasons, the first is you will be able to tailor the flow in the refugium instead of being stuck at whatever comes through the drain. Second reason is every time I see a drain fed fuge, its full of detritus, they tend to become settling chambers.
  5. Anyone in the club have a AI wireless controller or Neptune AWM laying around? My wireless controller died, and of course its no longer available, and I was never smart enough to grab one of the AWMs before they stopped making them.
  6. Which model do you have? The 24" I usually run an Iwaki 40RX. Beckets love pressure, I would bet you aren't getting enough from spitting off the return pump. The pipe leading from the beckett chamber to the other pipe is done more as a muffler to quiet the venturi noise from the beckett.
  7. Gotta love an easy fix, even if it makes absolutely no sense.
  8. Try a different power cord to the power supply, I had a similar problem with a PC4 and some vertex lights. I switched the power cord from an extra computer I had, and it worked fine, and the vertex power cable worked fine to power the computer. Can't explain it, but it solved the problem.
  9. Yep, fishless cycling on the QT first. I also like to add some larger diameter PCV pipe for hides, and add a light on the same schedule they are on. I usually also run Prime every other day for the first 4 weeks to bind any ammonia that pops up while the biofilter matures.
  10. The stars have aligned, and Ill be able to make it, along with my Jr. Aquascaper.
  11. Its a newer product, but I know a few of the people involved, and its been going around the FW side of the hobby for a bit with good results. Mainly with feeding smaller fish/shrimp, and raising daphnia, moina and brineshrimp.
  12. Its mainly asphalt, large systems probably wouldn't see issues, but smaller tanks might. FlexSeal Tape MDS
  13. They will usually seal back up on their own with detritus, but to get them to seal up quicker, I have used Magic Lube II in the past. Its also what I use on o-rings, its non-toxic, and won't break down any plastics unlike some of the petroleum based lubes. Magic Lube II
  14. For hand polishing, Novus works best. For machine polishing (Buffer/Drill) the 3m polishing compounds work much quicker. The 3M headlight restoration/renewal kits work great, if you have deep scratches, and are under $20 for everything you'll need other than a drill. Just use lots of water with the sanding disks. Usually all I need to use from the kit is the 800 disks, and the Trizact foam pad prior to buffing to remove most scratches.
  15. Flukes usually are not visible without a microscope. More likely a parasitic copepod, but nearly impossible to tell from a video or picture. Running anything other than Hypo?
  16. the calibration will help for sure. If you have the control mounted, take it off, and hold it in your hands, it makes it a much easier process. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnpeIoLzjx4
  17. Did you go through the calibration sequence?
  18. Many have tried, few have succeeded long term. Operating costs are the main challenge like with any business, but even more than most businesses as your entire inventory can be wiped out overnight. Lots of planning, lots of redundancy, lots of no vacations and 4am time at the shop. Then you consider you competition doesnt have to pay for water, or power, or pumps, or lights, as they are doing their farming/collecting in the ocean... It's a tough road.
  19. Like I posted above, anything over 8' won't be as cheap or easy to find. most local places only stock 4x8 sheets. You would have to special order a 10' panel to get your 9' length.
  20. It would be very cost prohibitive, most sheets are 4x8. You would have to order an oversized sheet, a 48x120 runs about $650 plus shipping. A 48x96" would be about half that, and available locally.
  21. https://www.sunbeltrentals.com/equipment/detail/1225/0440098/stair-climber-1500lb/ It makes stairs soooo much easier.
  22. With very light scratches, I would polish first, and see how bad it actually looks. You would be amazed at what polishing compound will get out, and what water will hide once the tank is filled. Magic eraser pads without additives work great as well for removing scratches once water is in. I use primarily 3M Perfect-it compounds, mainly #1 and #2 with machine tools, fastest method, but also the most expensive. For polishing by hand, I use the 3M Lens and Hard Plastic Cleaner, or Novus2/3. They are a little more aggressive than the polishing compound, so it makes the hand polishing go a bit quicker. (Just don't use, or be very careful using either with machine tools, they build heat very quickly, and can damage the plastic.) Hand polishing is pretty easy and foolproof, just lots of elbow grease and time. With either method, you want to ensure the tank is as clean, and as free of calcium deposits as possible before starting, if not, you will just grind dirt and calcium deposits into the plastic.
  23. Geo used to make some really nice overflow tops that silenced a similar overflow for me, maybe Jeremy still has one laying around? If not, I can probably make some from memory.
  24. Bob Fenner is a great start, even though its been 8 years since the last update, and the original text is now 20 years old, "The Concientious Marine Aquarist" is a great read. It won't tell you exactly what lights to get, or additives to use, but will help you decide what you actually need from those lights and additives to help you make your own choices. For coral, Bornemans "Aquarium Corals", and Charlie Verons books are my usual go-to. You can see most of the fact-sheets from Charlies work at http://coral.aims.gov.au/info/factsheets.jsp
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