Best instructions/technique for large tank assembly

[karimwassef]

and here's the video since this has been a video heavy thread

[matthemmings]

Have you considered hiring a professional to build it onsite for you? In the grand scheme of things its not likely to be that expensive, relatively speaking.

Sent from my KFFOWI using Tapatalk

[karimwassef]

Yes. The quote was ~$40K

The glass costs $5K (since I'm removing the bottom glass). That's $35K that I'm willing to learn with. I can do this 6 times over and still be ahead. I respect the competency of the experts, but I'm DIY because I can't afford the experts.

[karimwassef]

By the way, in the grand scheme of things, I'm also looking at building the greenhouse that the tank goes into myself. I'm going to use contractors for the different parts of the build, but it looks like contracting the whole job out will be prohibitively expensive.

[karimwassef]

the UV curing doesn't look like it'll work with the gap method

The epoxy is strongest when the bond is thinnest, so 1/8" gap for silicone is in direct conflict with the UV cure.

[CrayolaViolence]

Where do you find suitable glass to build the aquarium?

[karimwassef]

I buy it from an aquarium builder. In my case, I like glasscages as a source.

[karimwassef]

I can't find a conclusive answer on the silicone gap injection vs. traditional "squeeze" method for glass tank construction.

Anyone have some experience with this? is 1/8" too big of a gap on 3/4" glass?

[karimwassef]

finally found a thread that talks about the seam thickness and it looks like 1/16" or 1.5mm is what's recommended:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...2302393&page=2

[Sanjay]

Hey Karim:

You going crazy again ??

sanjay.

[karimwassef]

Hey Sanjay. Nice to see you on the threads!!

Yes. Big scale! Four channel circulating current 1500gal peninsula dropoff with two cavern zones in a dedicated sunroom with underground titanium cooling, 300 gal above tank refugia/actuated surge and elevated return with a massive 300 gallon settling tank sump. Also has a 300gal terrestrial saltwater plants and ATS in a separate greenhouse loop.

we're moving further north in Dallas so that's the opportunity with a new construction

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...589632&page=11









I'm calling this plan B...

Mona turned down plan A which was converting a covered greenhouse pool into a swimmable reef!

I guess there's crazy and then there's crazy.

[karimwassef]

The crazy part is that it looks like I'll be building it all myself with a little help from my friends

If you're visiting, I can schedule the "tank raising" weekend when you're here.

[karimwassef]

But just for good measure, I'm extending the sunroom for another 30 ft more than needed... one day I'll put the pool in there and then over years, I'll wear her resolve down and connect the two.

It's not crazy to plan a decade ahead for the dream of a swimmable reef... is it?

[Sanjay]

Not for you. I have seen your crazy ideas for more than 20 years now.

[McPuff]

I'm really looking forward to seeing how you build this beast. I had considered doing this in my own basement but was a bit overwhelmed at the prospect. So I just ended up buying the largest tank that would fit down my stairs. :0)

$40k is amazingly expensive! Good call to try it yourself. From the look of it, the hardest part is going to be finding help to place the glass and get the silicone in place in a timely manner. You've already got experience building smaller tanks (that are still quite large!) so I'm sure you'll do a great job.

[karimwassef]

Thanks. Still calling for experienced volunteers though

[theatrus]

Tagging along on this journey

[jccaclimber]

Originally Posted by karimwassef

< snip >
I'm calling this plan B...

Mona turned down plan A which was converting a covered greenhouse pool into a swimmable reef!

I guess there's crazy and then there's crazy.

My wife is from the west side of Michigan right along the lake, so she needs to dip at least her toes in water every now and then. When moving to Dallas she asked me what I thought about getting a house with a pool in the back yard.

I replied that I've always wanted a Koi pond, and that one wouldn't leak as much.

She never asked about buying a house with a pool again, and somehow there were no more pools in the list of houses she brought up for consideration.

[karimwassef]

Originally Posted by jccaclimber

she never asked about buying a house with a pool again, and somehow there were no more pools in the list of houses she brought up for consideration.

lol!!

[karimwassef]

if you're curious about the rest of the design - check out the main thread too

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...589632&page=11

we're discussing wood vs. concrete supports right now

[karimwassef]

I found this recent video that's basically doing the same thing in terms of tank construction except it's all glass and steel vs. plywood and epoxy bottom for mine

[karimwassef]

Here's a classic build but with the tape method for clean seams

[Mike de Leon]

Did you end up building this?

[Fishkeeper01]

Originally Posted by karimwassef

So, here's what I like so far:

From Dramatic Aquatics:
1. I like the tape method for keeping things clean
2. I like the smaller 2nd glass plates on the bottom to keep the sides in place and add bracing.

From Joey's build:

3. I like the plywood bottom with pond armor epoxy.
4. I like the outside lip to keep the sides in place from the outside. Allows silicone to act as a sealant like a plywood tank window. I can see this working with item #2 from DA above to create a plywood groove for the side glass to fit into. This might be a good substitute to the metal frame bottom.

and here's what I'm worried about:

A. The professional assembly is fast. This means that the silicone doesn't have time to skin over. I won't be going fast, so I need a slow deliberate method.
B. My glass is large and thick and heavy. This will likely need at least 4 people to do safely.
C. I'll be buying the glass precut - if the panels are not perfectly square or slightly off in dimensions, it could seriously compromise the build.

Awesome inputs!