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My new 90 gallon tank build

post #1 of 26
11/13/11 at 1:49pm
Thread Starter 

OK Ive been working on this new tank stand and hood for about a month now.Just wanting to know what everyonr thinks.its my first attempt at building a stand and hood. I feel pretty good about it.tank 2.jpg

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post #2 of 26
11/13/11 at 1:58pm

Very Nice! I see a really cool tank coming along!

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post #3 of 26
11/13/11 at 2:29pm

Beautiful! Now set it up and put some fish in it. :D

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post #4 of 26
11/13/11 at 4:02pm
Thread Starter 

I am, working on the sump right now.Been having some trouble finding the right thickness lexan I need. Iquess I could use plexiglass but i remember someone telling me that lexan is better.

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post #5 of 26
11/14/11 at 10:01am

All you need is plain old sheet acrylic...not Lexan, not Plexiglass. Nothing in the sump is "structural" besides the walls, and the chances of impact damage are zero.  Sure, Lexan is better if you want to stop bullets, but it's an expense you don't need.

 

I've built a lot of sumps with acrylic baffles and have never used anything other than 1/4" acrylic.  In fact, we just built a new one for our 210 gal build.

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post #6 of 26
11/14/11 at 5:58pm

+1 Cast acrylic would be the plastic of choice for this application.  Lexan (polycarbonate) is more flexible which gives it it's strength in terms of impact resistance would be the very reason it's frowned upon for use in a sump.

 

 

Edit:  Your stand and canopy look very nice BTW.


Edited by 2Quills - 11/14/11 at 6:09pm
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post #7 of 26
11/14/11 at 6:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by saxman View Post

All you need is plain old sheet acrylic...not Lexan, not Plexiglass. Nothing in the sump is "structural" besides the walls, and the chances of impact damage are zero.  Sure, Lexan is better if you want to stop bullets, but it's an expense you don't need.

 

I've built a lot of sumps with acrylic baffles and have never used anything other than 1/4" acrylic.  In fact, we just built a new one for our 210 gal build.


Listen to the man!

 

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post #8 of 26
12/28/11 at 12:13pm
Thread Starter 

Sorry Ive not updated in a while,but Ive had some illness in my family over the last few months and it has sort of put my build on hold. Things have calmed down a little now and im back at it. ive finished my sump and if i say so myself I did a pretty good job(I will post pictures later)works great and only had one leak I had to re-silicone ,so i feel pretty lucky.At the moment I am making my own  rock using Portland cement and oyster shells and rock salt.I am using the 3-2-1 formula. Has anyone else used this to make there own rock and if so how did it turn out, also how long did you have to cure it to get the PH down to a proper level.

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post #9 of 26
12/28/11 at 4:14pm

I tried making my own rock. I cured it for six months with daily water changes and then threw it away. Basically would have to tie nylon rope to it and throw it in a river and forget about it for a year before you can acid wash it the vinegar soak it and chlorox it and then soak it in more water for another month. Not worth the effort when you can get a box of base rock for cheap. Jmho. 

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post #10 of 26
12/29/11 at 4:56am
Thread Starter 

Well Im going to give it a try with this batch Ive made up. Seems that using Portland cement wouldnt take long to get the PH down since that is what they use to line swimming pools with.Ihave a pool and one of the things that you dont want is high PH. So I will see.

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post #11 of 26
12/29/11 at 6:25am

That's why they epoxy The cement and seal it off in pools. 

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post #12 of 26
12/29/11 at 4:26pm
Thread Starter 

Ok fair enough, but Ive done a little research and when cement drys it goes thru a chemical change and turns into calcium carbonate which is exactly what coral skeletons are made of.

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post #13 of 26
12/29/11 at 5:49pm

 

 

The presence of heavy metals in the clinker arises both from the natural raw materials and from the use of recycled by-products or alternative fuels. The high pH prevailing in the cement porewater (12.5 < pH < 13.5) limits the mobility of many heavy metals by decreasing their solubility and increasing their sorption onto the cement mineral phases. Nickel, zinc and lead are commonly found in cement in non-negligible concentrations. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cement

 

There's also this link on Gypsum - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gypsum, Gypsum is a common ingredient in Portland cement and commonly contains copper as well, depending on the source.

 

While burnt lime (calcium carbonate) is the main ingredient in Portland cement, it will still contain other elements (Nickel, Zinc, Copper, and lead) once it is cured. Cement does not "change into" calcium carbonate if it is primarily made of calcium carbonate and gypsum. Gypsum is what actually keeps the cement hardened together because it dissolves in water really easily... it's a hydrogeous sulfate... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfate_mineral once binded to calcium carbonate, it remains hardened and chemically bound.

 

I'm not trying to be mean at all!! I'm just trying to bring up some concerns and let you think deeply about it first. I don't care what you do... I just hope that you consider the information presented.

 

A box of dry base rock from like... Marco rocks goes for pretty cheap and I think they even have free delivery. A couple pieces of acrylic rods, zip ties and his special reef morter could give you any look and feel you would want. I'm not a spokesperson for the company - I'm just saying there are easier ways.

 

How are you curing your rock by the way? I think some people make cement frag plugs and put them in the back of their toilets... every time they flush, it's a water change! how bout that? lol

 

I'm curious if you could shoot me the link where you found that information?

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post #14 of 26
12/29/11 at 7:32pm

Sorry about your family. 

 

I really like the stand and canopy, you did a very nice job! It looks very professional!

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post #15 of 26
12/30/11 at 8:03am
Thread Starter 

Thankyou very much Sir

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post #16 of 26
12/30/11 at 8:09am
Thread Starter 

rock2.jpgrock.jpg                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

This is some of the rock Ive made so far.

 

http://www.saltwateraquarium101.com/building-a-concrete-saltwater-aquarium-structure/I used this link

This is for Type 1 white

Typical constituents of Portland cement
Cement chemists notation under CCN.
Cement CCN Mass %
Calcium oxide, CaO C 61-67%
Silicon oxide, SiO2 S 19-23%
Aluminum oxide, Al2O3 A 2.5-6%
Ferric oxide, Fe2O3 F 0-6%
Sulfate \bar{\mathsf{S}} 1.5-4.5%

 

Cement sets when mixed with water by way of a complex series of chemical reactions still only partly understood. The different constituents slowly crystallise and the interlocking of their crystals gives cement its strength. Carbon dioxide is slowly absorbed to convert the portlandite (Ca(OH)2) into insoluble calcium carbonate. After the initial setting, immersion in warm water will speed up setting. In Portland cement, gypsum is added as a compound preventing
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Edited by bowfish - 12/30/11 at 11:58am
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post #17 of 26
1/1/12 at 1:41pm
Thread Starter 


To answer your question on how Im curing my rock. Ive placed it in a rubber made tube in fresh water with a heater and a recirculating pump ,also I am injecting carbon dioxoide gas into the water with a bubble stone to quiken the conversion of the cement into calcium carbonate.
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 View Post

 

 

The presence of heavy metals in the clinker arises both from the natural raw materials and from the use of recycled by-products or alternative fuels. The high pH prevailing in the cement porewater (12.5 < pH < 13.5) limits the mobility of many heavy metals by decreasing their solubility and increasing their sorption onto the cement mineral phases. Nickel, zinc and lead are commonly found in cement in non-negligible concentrations. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cement

 

There's also this link on Gypsum - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gypsum, Gypsum is a common ingredient in Portland cement and commonly contains copper as well, depending on the source.

 

While burnt lime (calcium carbonate) is the main ingredient in Portland cement, it will still contain other elements (Nickel, Zinc, Copper, and lead) once it is cured. Cement does not "change into" calcium carbonate if it is primarily made of calcium carbonate and gypsum. Gypsum is what actually keeps the cement hardened together because it dissolves in water really easily... it's a hydrogeous sulfate... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfate_mineral once binded to calcium carbonate, it remains hardened and chemically bound.

 

I'm not trying to be mean at all!! I'm just trying to bring up some concerns and let you think deeply about it first. I don't care what you do... I just hope that you consider the information presented.

 

A box of dry base rock from like... Marco rocks goes for pretty cheap and I think they even have free delivery. A couple pieces of acrylic rods, zip ties and his special reef morter could give you any look and feel you would want. I'm not a spokesperson for the company - I'm just saying there are easier ways.

 

How are you curing your rock by the way? I think some people make cement frag plugs and put them in the back of their toilets... every time they flush, it's a water change! how bout that? lol

 

I'm curious if you could shoot me the link where you found that information?



 

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post #18 of 26
1/1/12 at 2:13pm

thumbsup.gif

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post #19 of 26
1/6/12 at 9:13am
Thread Starter 

pic4.jpg

 

Heres a picture of the rock Ive made.Looks almost as good as the real thing.

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post #20 of 26
1/6/12 at 11:50am

thumbsup.gif

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