DIY 16x15x16 Acrylic AIO 16 Gallon

[nrosdal]

Last weekend i decided that the wifes 5g hex was looking a little small for her clowns. So i picked up some acrylic and here is what happened (i thought i took more pictures along the way but all i really got is as i was putting last side and bottom on.

Side going on:

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d99/sheetmetal/20131110_174445_zpsb9b76567.jpg (http://s33.photobucket.com/user/sheetmetal/media/20131110_174445_zpsb9b76567.jpg.html)

bottom on:

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d99/sheetmetal/20131110_190456_zps597641bb.jpg (http://s33.photobucket.com/user/sheetmetal/media/20131110_190456_zps597641bb.jpg.html)

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d99/sheetmetal/20131110_190507_zpseb9fd5c5.jpg (http://s33.photobucket.com/user/sheetmetal/media/20131110_190507_zpseb9fd5c5.jpg.html)

Trimming off excess:

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d99/sheetmetal/20131111_123048_zpsff9ea5f8.jpg (http://s33.photobucket.com/user/sheetmetal/media/20131111_123048_zpsff9ea5f8.jpg.html)

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d99/sheetmetal/20131111_123057_zpsa54a8df5.jpg (http://s33.photobucket.com/user/sheetmetal/media/20131111_123057_zpsa54a8df5.jpg.html)

[nrosdal]

Water Testing:

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d99/sheetmetal/20131111_123712_zps2bf15612.jpg (http://s33.photobucket.com/user/sheetmetal/media/20131111_123712_zps2bf15612.jpg.html)

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d99/sheetmetal/20131111_123917_zps9110f6d9.jpg (http://s33.photobucket.com/user/sheetmetal/media/20131111_123917_zps9110f6d9.jpg.html)

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d99/sheetmetal/20131111_124443_zps5ad847e0.jpg (http://s33.photobucket.com/user/sheetmetal/media/20131111_124443_zps5ad847e0.jpg.html)

Polished up edges and built a base for it to sit on:

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d99/sheetmetal/20131111_185125_zps813478ad.jpg (http://s33.photobucket.com/user/sheetmetal/media/20131111_185125_zps813478ad.jpg.html)

Mounted gooseneck and par led light:

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d99/sheetmetal/20131111_192645_zpsea83af00.jpg (http://s33.photobucket.com/user/sheetmetal/media/20131111_192645_zpsea83af00.jpg.html)

Plumbed in a little eheim pump:

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d99/sheetmetal/20131111_193032_zpsdb6a5fe8.jpg (http://s33.photobucket.com/user/sheetmetal/media/20131111_193032_zpsdb6a5fe8.jpg.html)

Here it is now:

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d99/sheetmetal/20131114_112753_zps7364ccea.jpg (http://s33.photobucket.com/user/sheetmetal/media/20131114_112753_zps7364ccea.jpg.html)

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d99/sheetmetal/20131118_194217_zpsa6737a49.jpg (http://s33.photobucket.com/user/sheetmetal/media/20131118_194217_zpsa6737a49.jpg.html)

Still have to add a top to the back chamber to clean up the cords and help with evap.

[Ken]

Looks great job, love following your build, your wife would thank you for it and so will the clowns. Regards Ken

[gqlmao]

Wow that's some great craftsmanship. If I knew how to build tanks like that and of that quality my house would be full of them!:lol:

[byee]

Nick,

Very NICE!

Does the bearing on the router bit scratch the acrylic during the cleanup process?

[mseepman]

Gonna come see this bad boy sometime this week! Don't you appreciate how I invite myself over?

[nrosdal]

Thanks all for the kind words. I am quite happy with how it came out.

Nick,

Very NICE!

Does the bearing on the router bit scratch the acrylic during the cleanup process?


No, the bearing for the most part is stationary once against the material and even if it spins a bit i have not had any issues with scuffs on material as there is quite a bit of sanding and polishing after trimming anyway.

[nrosdal]

Gonna come see this bad boy sometime this week! Don't you appreciate how I invite myself over?

Look forward to it. I will do my best to create a dirty job that i need a hand with before you come.

[spit.fire]

Did you use Weldon or methylene chloride?

[nrosdal]

I had been using MC for quite a while but used weld on 3 for this and didn't notice much difference in consistency or bonding time/quality.

[byee]

Thanks all for the kind words. I am quite happy with how it came out.



No, the bearing for the most part is stationary once against the material and even if it spins a bit i have not had any issues with scuffs on material as there is quite a bit of sanding and polishing after trimming anyway.



Nick,

Do you run the router at the slowest speed to keep the router bit from getting too hot from melting the polycarbonate?

I've built a few things here and there for my setup but nothing that nice.

I typically run my polycarbonate through the table saw to get a finished edge therefore leaving my with 1 edge to glue with MC.

I'm going to have to try your approach.

Once again, you're an Artisan with polycarbonate!

[nrosdal]

Nick,

Do you run the router at the slowest speed to keep the router bit from getting too hot from melting the polycarbonate?

I've built a few things here and there for my setup but nothing that nice.

I typically run my polycarbonate through the table saw to get a finished edge therefore leaving my with 1 edge to glue with MC.

I'm going to have to try your approach.

Once again, you're an Artisan with polycarbonate!



I run router at normal speed as mine is just on/off. If you are using just a 2 flute bit it will not melt the acrylic usually. I run acrylic through table saw and leave an extra 1/4 to take off with router as edge is much better after routing. After that you can either bond it or hit it with 600/800 grit for a few strokes not to much as it is likely to round edge.

Hope this helps. I am just in the process of building a little container for the top off for this tank and will post it in here a bit later on when finished.

[nrosdal]

Here is my top up tank as it was created. It holds just under 5 Gallons.

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d99/sheetmetal/20131123_160050_zps5a9bc810.jpg (http://s33.photobucket.com/user/sheetmetal/media/20131123_160050_zps5a9bc810.jpg.html)

Polished up and made lid/tapped in John Guest fitting to hold airline tubing for water transfer:

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d99/sheetmetal/20131123_203459_zpsaf2a32ee.jpg (http://s33.photobucket.com/user/sheetmetal/media/20131123_203459_zpsaf2a32ee.jpg.html)

Got tubing and toms aqua lifter from J and L and installed and water tested box:

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d99/sheetmetal/20131124_120201_zpsc40e2050.jpg (http://s33.photobucket.com/user/sheetmetal/media/20131124_120201_zpsc40e2050.jpg.html)

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d99/sheetmetal/20131124_120223_zps67e26b37.jpg (http://s33.photobucket.com/user/sheetmetal/media/20131124_120223_zps67e26b37.jpg.html)


In place under a decorative stand my wife finds to be necessary:

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d99/sheetmetal/20131124_205102_zpsd29c44f9.jpg (http://s33.photobucket.com/user/sheetmetal/media/20131124_205102_zpsd29c44f9.jpg.html)

Made a cover plate for back chamber to clean up cords and help with evap. it also gave me a secure way to bring water line into aquarium without worry of it slipping out and making a mess:


http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d99/sheetmetal/20131124_205024_zps2010904b.jpg (http://s33.photobucket.com/user/sheetmetal/media/20131124_205024_zps2010904b.jpg.html)

And all complete (for now anyway):

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d99/sheetmetal/20131124_205141_zps88fc0913.jpg (http://s33.photobucket.com/user/sheetmetal/media/20131124_205141_zps88fc0913.jpg.html)

[The Guy]

:whoo:Great looking light Nick!

[nrosdal]

Thanks Laurie, I have actually started adding in a few sps frags and they seem to liking it. I will give them a bit of time to settle in and then post some pics.

The colt coral in not happy since the change, i am guessing it is getting way to much light. I am sure it will eventually adapt.

[byee]

What type of LED bulb do you have over your cube? Color spectrum?

[nrosdal]

one of these: http://www.reefsupplycanada.com/par-38-reef-light/

if you look at description it lists what LEDs are in it. It came out very close to a 14k mh with purple atinics as far as color. Quite happy with it.

[GoFish]

How's the cube doing these days?

[nrosdal]

It is coming along. The wife loves the softies and won't let me trim the colt coral back so i had to re-arrange some rock to allow it growing room. Also added a few shrooms in there and a purple rim monti that is starting to grow in. Due to wanting to keep it simple (my laziness) this tank will probably stay away from sps for the most part other then the easy going monti that is in there.

Here are a few pics of it as of now:

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d99/sheetmetal/20140303_220018_zps620477ef.jpg (http://s33.photobucket.com/user/sheetmetal/media/20140303_220018_zps620477ef.jpg.html)

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d99/sheetmetal/20140303_220031_zps22d38844.jpg (http://s33.photobucket.com/user/sheetmetal/media/20140303_220031_zps22d38844.jpg.html)

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d99/sheetmetal/20140303_195420_zps20c83d7a.jpg (http://s33.photobucket.com/user/sheetmetal/media/20140303_195420_zps20c83d7a.jpg.html)

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d99/sheetmetal/20140303_195415_zpsa2c997c6.jpg (http://s33.photobucket.com/user/sheetmetal/media/20140303_195415_zpsa2c997c6.jpg.html)

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d99/sheetmetal/20140303_210313_zps61a6fe1d.jpg (http://s33.photobucket.com/user/sheetmetal/media/20140303_210313_zps61a6fe1d.jpg.html)

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d99/sheetmetal/20140303_210246_zps70177131.jpg (http://s33.photobucket.com/user/sheetmetal/media/20140303_210246_zps70177131.jpg.html)

[byee]

Nick, what did you do to polish the edges of the acrylic?

Did you use cast or extruded acrylic?

I've been working on plans to build a sump out of 1/4" acrylic. Any suggestions on working with acrylic would be great full!

Thank you!