Custom tank building question.

[inachu]

Where do you buy your glass?
At a local store or online?

I am considering going to a local auto glass company.

I think custom glass from an auto shop should be cheaper yes?
The one near me services all kinds of glass for home and cars.

The main reason I want to go custom is:
A. the experience
B. safety

I would like to make sure the bottom glass is more than double the thickness of the side panes.

[poppin_fresh]

I think you may be surprised how much getting glass sheets to make a custom tank really costs, especially if you go Starphire. You will probably find that it is only slightly less than buying a custom tank.


Building your own tank can be a risky proposition if you dont know what you are doing. What makes you think that it will be safer? Just because you go with thicker glass doesn't mean it will be stronger, especially if you dont seal the seams right. I'm not saying dont do it, just be prepared. I think there is a book on aquarium building that gives you the calculations for glass thickness, etc.

[inachu]

I'm just paranoid about the bottom breaking. As a little kid I have heard the stories of tank giving way under weight and or some member of lobster family breaking glass with their claws.

[poppin_fresh]

I dont know how old you are, but adhesives and glass have come a long way in the last couple decades. Almost any modern tank over 20 gallons will have a tempered glass bottom that makes it WAY stronger than thickened regular glass. You can strike tempered glass with a hammer and it wont break...its really strong.

It is VERY rare to hear of a tank failure these days. Most of the time it can be linked to unlevel and or poor stand construction that stresses the seams which are the most likely failure point.

[inachu]

Tempered 1 inch thick glass seems about right to me.

[poppin_fresh]

1" thick for what size pane? How big is this tank going to be? Unless this tank is going to be 1000+ gallons, I doubt you would need anything close to that thickness.

[inachu]

I'm doing it just for sanity sake.

[lReef lKeeper]

wow, you are gonna spend a fortune on the tank !! 1" thick TEMPERED glass alone is gonna cost some serious money.

i think that you heard about a mantis or pistol shrimp breaking a glass tank, but as long as you stay away from them ... you should be fine with thinner glass. my 125 was tempered on the bottom, with over 200lbs of live rock, and i never had a problem, but i have never had a problem with any tank breaking on the bottom. they design tanks NOT to break. there is a lot of math content to figure out what size glass to use on waht size tank. i have to say that you would be wasting your money going that thick.

[bklynreef]

Do yourself a favor and save yourself alot of aggrivation and money. Buy a tank from a reputtable vendor and fiddle with the other things regarding your tank. If your homemade tank fails, someone could get hurt of worse. This is my 1st post here and just could hold myself back from this saftey issue. Leave tank building to the specialists and order it in confidence.

[CarmieJo]

Hello bklynreef and :welcome: to TR.

[rayme07]

Same as above.:mrgreen:

[boyesreef]

100% have it built. i dont think a big tank is a good thing to DIY, i think that a small tank would be fine, but that is a lot of water to hit the floor if it breaks. no offence, in just nervus about DIY that affects the lives of animals.
(P.S. this is my 100th post)

[CarmieJo]

I had a friend back in OH that built a huge tank in his basement back in the 80's. But, IIRC it only had glass on the front.

Happy 100 Nick!

[Reef Newb]

I build a 90 gallon tank with my dad when I was younger, IT was a lot of fun, but definately not easy. It was a freshwater tank so there were no holes drilled or overflows built. The tank had a small wood bracing for each seam going to the top. That tank lasted until I moved out and then started to leak, so I got about 6 years out of it. I would agree with everyone else just have it built atleast if some thing happens you have someone to blame, and also most custom tanks have warranties and insurance. If you build it and something happens then you just get to get mad at yourself and that is never too much fun.

[CrazyCohiba]

just out of curiosity, would Plexiglass by less dangerous?

[CarmieJo]

Hi CrazyCohiba,
I can't answer your question, I just wanted to say :welcome: to TR.

[rayme07]

CrazyCohiba welcome to Talkingreef the best place to find info about SW and reef tanks.:D
Raymond

[poppin_fresh]

Plexi less dangerous how? As in resisting a shock maybe, but even with it you should avoid shocks/blows to a tank. Honestly though, any tanks weakest points are the joints, not the panes. You can make a tank out of concrete panes, but if the joints that connect the concrete let go you STILL have a big problem.

[Mr. Tang]

I did some research into building my own tank and I was surprised on the cost of the glass. I was going to build a 4 x 2 x 2. I think it works out to be 120 gallons. The glass was spec for 1/2" thick with all the holes drilled. It was about a hundred bucks cheaper than buying a tank already made. But you still need to be the silicone and have a jig set up for the glass/silicone to dry. I'm big on DIY, but unless you have the space and experience, I would buy one already made.

[Amphibious]

just out of curiosity, would Plexiglass by less dangerous?

Hi CrazyCohiba, welcome to TR. Your just North of me about an hour.

Actually, Plexiglas and/or Acrylic (both the same material, different brand names) is stronger. Both glass and acrylic surfaces have to be prepared properly before gluing in order to achieve the strongest bond. Assuming both are ready for gluing, glass is bonded with silicone (a dissimilar material). Acrylic/Plexiglas is NOT GLUED but rather, bonded together with a solvent that melts the surfaces of the joint and they become one. It's Acrylic to Acrylic as opposed to glass glued by silicone. The joint becomes stronger than the sheet of material. You can read more about the property differences between glass and Acrylic here - Glass vs Acrylic (http://theculturedreef.com/advantage.htm).

I hope this answers your question.

Dick

[CrazyCohiba]

What a warm welcome from everyone, Thanks all.
and I have evne neighbors. thats great. the reason I was asking was I am a newbie but i havebeen doing much research, I have much more to learn. This site by the way is unbelievable. the info is infinite. Thanks. I currently have a 45 gallon. and I am using it to learn and test my trails and tribulations. I would love to build a Sump / refuge now to get some practice. Still don't have a skimmer. But the few coral and zoos I have seem to be very happy. Aside the annoying algea (red algea) I just can't get rid of it. I have tried numerous things but no luck yet.
Today I am going into Orlando to visit WOrld Wide Corals. There is a stylophora Pisstillata that I am dying to have. But I am a bit cautions about this red algea. WIll it harm it? if so please advise I can always wait on the Piece.
I have many questons to ask all of you. I hope I will not be a pain in the butt. my GF and I realy enjoy this new hobby and we would love to gather as much info as we can so we don't constantly make mistakes, and waist money. we are well aware that this is a long term hobby. therfore WE ARE prepaired.
Any way we are on our way to Orlando.
I Own an Italian restaurant here in Melbourne, So I inviteall members in this forum that live close by for a dinner on me. I mean that. Please come on in and introduce yourself. It would be my pleasure.
my site is www.abitino.com
Will reply to all in a few hours. Thanks again. it an honar being in your forum.

PS: Bob great job onthose Video podcasts.......

[CarmieJo]

Is the red algae slimy looking and siphons up fairly easy? If so it is probably cyanobacteria. Siphoning it as soon as it comes back, the associated water changes, lowering of nutrients, and increasing flow often helps to rid the tank of it.

Your restaurant looks great! You can bet the next time we come to FL we will come see you!

[rayme07]

I have to agree with carmie your restraunt looks great. If I ever go to florida I plan on comeing there and eating lobster :yum: the ones I saw getting held up i dont know if it was you holding them up or not but those were some big lobsters makes me hungry. Also love your saying "We got flavor" It looks like flavor thanks for sharing your restaurant.
Raymond:)

[CrazyCohiba]

Is the red algae slimy looking and siphons up fairly easy? If so it is probably cyanobacteria. Siphoning it as soon as it comes back, the associated water changes, lowering of nutrients, and increasing flow often helps to rid the tank of it.

Your restaurant looks great! You can bet the next time we come to FL we will come see you!

Thanks CarmieJo. We just added a powerhead today, 600 gph. We try to remove algae every chance we get either syphoning or picking it out. We do 10 percent water changes every week. Should we be doing more water, more often, different technique???
We added a powder for red slime. Supposedly supposed to help. Removed the charcoal while treating with red slime.

My question is, we have two hanging filters with cartridge and also biofilter mesh. I have recently learned that the biofilter is not such a great idea so we removed both biofilter mesh and the filter cartridges. We replaced the filter chambers with small peices of live rock. So now we have water flowing through the live rock only into the tank. Is this going to be beneficial or should I also replace the filter again without the biofilter mesh. Being that we still do not have a refuge.

[CrazyCohiba]

I have to agree with carmie your restraunt looks great. If I ever go to florida I plan on comeing there and eating lobster :yum: the ones I saw getting held up i dont know if it was you holding them up or not but those were some big lobsters makes me hungry. Also love your saying "We got flavor" It looks like flavor thanks for sharing your restaurant.
Raymond:)

Yes Rayme those are Florida lobsters. You can spear them only during season. Those in the picture, one was 6 and one was 8 pounds. If cooked properly florida lobster can be much more tasty than maine lobster. The meat is delicate tender is sweet. The tail on the 8 pounder weighed almost 3 pounds by itself and fed 5 people. along with 12 bottles of wine.

[CrazyCohiba]

Hi CrazyCohiba, welcome to TR. Your just North of me about an hour.

Actually, Plexiglas and/or Acrylic (both the same material, different brand names) is stronger. Both glass and acrylic surfaces have to be prepared properly before gluing in order to achieve the strongest bond. Assuming both are ready for gluing, glass is bonded with silicone (a dissimilar material). Acrylic/Plexiglas is NOT GLUED but rather, bonded together with a solvent that melts the surfaces of the joint and they become one. It's Acrylic to Acrylic as opposed to glass glued by silicone. The joint becomes stronger than the sheet of material. You can read more about the property differences between glass and Acrylic here - Glass vs Acrylic (http://theculturedreef.com/advantage.htm).

I hope this answers your question.

Dick


Hats off to you at the age of 70. I to have a beautiful woman that keeps me young. Im thankful that she is just as involved with this new hobby as I am. As I mentioned earlier, we visited world wide corals today in orlando. Came home with a few new pieces. I felt like I was at a brothel house.
1 purple haze
1 alien favia
1 brown purple tip montipora capricornus
1 mixed montipora red, green, and orange
1 green birds nest
1 pink birds nest
1 blue zoa
1 neon orange zoa
1 orange pavona
These were all frags.
We will definately enjoy adding these to our tank. Next project is working on a refugen and skimmer to support these litlle reef rascals.

Thank you all for suggestions and opinions.

[CarmieJo]

I think the LR in the HOB filter will be fine. I have an HOB that I use on my QT tank. I run it with the biowheel for fish and without for corals. If it was my tank I would do a 10% water change at least every other day until the algae is gone.

[CrazyCohiba]

I think the LR in the HOB filter will be fine. I have an HOB that I use on my QT tank. I run it with the biowheel for fish and without for corals. If it was my tank I would do a 10% water change at least every other day until the algae is gone.

Thank You CarmieJo, I will try that. I must say. I really need to purchase some test kits. all I have is a salinity tester. So I really don't know what my spikes in pH, Alk, NO3 and calcium are. Maybe that should be next inline before a refuge...

[bbl_nk]

CrazyCohiba, Defitely invest in the test equipment, its well worth the money. You can go a variety of routes with them and they can be pretty overwhelming if you look online. I think a decent entry point kit you might look into is something like the API Saltwater Test Kit Saltwater Master Test Kit - API (http://aquariumpharm.com/Products/Product.aspx?ProductID=68) and Reef Test Kit Reef Master Test Kit - API (http://aquariumpharm.com/Products/Product.aspx?ProductID=138)

Everyone has their own favorites so maybe they can add their input here. API is a descent brand, pretty simple to use and you can also order individual kits as well. Check around online and you can probably get a pretty good deal. I am in the process of moving over to API from Tetra. I got a Tetra kit for Christmas and not too happy with it. They don't have all the tests and found with their plastic vials, the reagents tend to cling to it.

[CrazyCohiba]

CrazyCohiba, Defitely invest in the test equipment, its well worth the money. You can go a variety of routes with them and they can be pretty overwhelming if you look online. I think a decent entry point kit you might look into is something like the API Saltwater Test Kit Saltwater Master Test Kit - API (http://aquariumpharm.com/Products/Product.aspx?ProductID=68) and Reef Test Kit Reef Master Test Kit - API (http://aquariumpharm.com/Products/Product.aspx?ProductID=138)

Everyone has their own favorites so maybe they can add their input here. API is a descent brand, pretty simple to use and you can also order individual kits as well. Check around online and you can probably get a pretty good deal. I am in the process of moving over to API from Tetra. I got a Tetra kit for Christmas and not too happy with it. They don't have all the tests and found with their plastic vials, the reagents tend to cling to it.

Thank You bbl_nk.
I did some research and found some good prices.......

[bbl_nk]

No problem! You'll definitely do better knowing your tank parameters, plus (knock on wood) if anything were to not go teh way you expect, it can help ID the root cause. Note most people will ask these since there are SOOOOO many variables out there and the params help sift through them.

[CarmieJo]

I like API, Salifert and Seachem kits.

[CrazyCohiba]

Hello everyone again. It seems with all the ideas I've obtained here the red algae is gone for now.
I have been keeping up with the water changes every other day for almost a week now.
I am trying to purchase a skimmer and found several and i like this one the best so far, but what do i know as a noobie. will you please guide me in the right direction?
does anyone know any info on this skimmer?
it is 6 years old and the owner claims it is in perfect condition.
http://i24.ebayimg.com/01/i/001/0c/92/a15c_1.JPG

LifeReef Skimmer VS2-24 with Pump (Used)

I am trying to purchase a good used one for now. I have seen some new ones on ebay for about 30.00 but it doesn't make sense to me why they are so cheap compared to the 250.00 I guess you get what you pay for.
that is why I am considering this used one over a cheap new one.

[Nazaroth]

Well you need to understand how skimmers work for starters. If you do then ignore my explanation :)

Skimmers operate on the fact that bubbles seem to attract anything they come in contact with. Without using big words and flashy science, the best way I have heard it explained is this. If you ever blew bubbles as a kid and you saw the pretty colors and the soap on them, in the same way all the dirt and gunk cling to the bubbles. So by injecting thousands upon thousands of microbubbles it clings to every possible piece of trash in the water and rises up to the top to explode in the cup and that is where it remains. So in this aspect as long as you get a device that has a long tube attached to a cup and a motor to pump the bubbles, all skimmers are the same. But only in principle.

Everything else, like you said, comes down to "you get what you pay for". When you buy a skimmer you do need to do your homework and see.. Does the product last? Does it skim well (produce bubbles at an accurate "ratio" to water)? Does the pump last long? Is it very hard to "tune" (ie get the right bubble "ratio")? What is the method of skimming? All of these things are problems that cheaper skimmers can have. I personally have a SeaClone 100 and it had been said that it was hard to tune and no one could get it right and the product is shoddy. Well I myself have messed with it and found it not that hard to use, so it really just depends on the personal experience as well.

Hope this helps...

[Nazaroth]

I found ya some good reviews/forums on that skimmer... Apparently they are individually made? Which can either be a serious plus or a bad thing.. But from what I gather they are big, work exceptionally well, are usually driven by powerful motors, can handle over 200 gallons, and overall should be a pretty good buy. Maybe a little overkill for your smaller tank, but buying equipment that you can one day upgrade with is never bad :)

http://www.3reef.com/forums/protein-skimmers/lifereef-vs2-24-a-32122.html

http://www.reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=8478&highlight=&sid=761b12bb5a25b733ff9420a8928a3276

[CrazyCohiba]

I found ya some good reviews/forums on that skimmer... Apparently they are individually made? Which can either be a serious plus or a bad thing.. But from what I gather they are big, work exceptionally well, are usually driven by powerful motors, can handle over 200 gallons, and overall should be a pretty good buy. Maybe a little overkill for your smaller tank, but buying equipment that you can one day upgrade with is never bad :)

LifeReef VS2-24 - 3reef Forums (http://www.3reef.com/forums/protein-skimmers/lifereef-vs2-24-a-32122.html)

Reefs.org Forums :: View topic - LIFEREEF SKIMMERS (http://www.reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=8478&highlight=&sid=761b12bb5a25b733ff9420a8928a3276)
Thank You Kindly.
Yes I think buying something a bit bigger will leave me room to expand without using more money.

[dand355]

I'm doing it just for sanity sake.

hey do more research your glass is to thick you not building a seaqaurium, buy a tank be safe it'll be cheaper in the long run ..