400 gallon project - Page 87

Jason McK · #**861** 12-17-2009, 05:47 AM

Looks Great!!!!!

muck · #**862** 12-17-2009, 02:51 PM

Fantastic room to spend all your time in.
If I had a room like that in my house I don't think i would ever go out.

Tom R · #**863** 12-17-2009, 03:34 PM

Hi Brad

Great work the new TV looks fantastic.

Once you get that new Lazy Boy theatre seating your unwanted REEF friends may just come over for an hour and stay a week.

Oh and what can I say about your Atlantic Blue it is fantastic.

Tom R

christyf5 · #**864** 12-17-2009, 04:04 PM

Looks fantastic and man, Ripple is one awesome looking fish!

Lance · #**865** 12-17-2009, 09:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by christyf5

Looks fantastic and man, Ripple is one awesome looking fish!

ditto

lastlight · #**866** 12-17-2009, 09:03 PM

There's nothing about that room that *doesn't* make me want to come hang out. I clean up really nice and barely make a mess man.

muck · #**867** 12-17-2009, 09:07 PM

Always wanted an Atlantic Blue...great photo of Ripple!!

banditpowdercoat · #**868** 12-17-2009, 10:50 PM

87 pages and almost 200,000 view's!!!!!

I bow before the thread master

untamed · #**869** 12-23-2009, 05:26 AM

One of the things that I get asked about a LOT is how bad a problem scratches are on the acrylic tank...and would I do acrylic again...etc. etc.

At almost three years running now, the tank is pretty badly scratched. It's the tangs. Their spines just leave marks. There are also a fair number of urchin chew marks, but those are mostly around the edges where the coraline grows.

Mostly, the scratches are only visible to me. While the tank is filled, it takes a pretty bad scratch to be noticeable. Unfortunately, algae tends to get into them and the magnet doesn't remove the algae from the scratches. It requires that I get my arm in there and rub in order to remove the small algae spots that cling inside the scratches.

So....I decided to polish the entire aquarium. As this is the first time I've attempted this, I was pretty nervous. First, I hand spot-rubbed the worst of the scratches using 2400 grit paper. This is pretty upsetting to look at...

Then I began to polish the entire panel working my way through 3200, 3600, 4000, 6000, 8000 grits using the Mag cleaner. With each change in grit, you change the direction of the rub from sideways to up/down. Rubbing up/down is extremely difficult. Each pad takes about 30 minutes to cover the entire panel a few times. The final grit (12000) is so smooth that you can no longer use the mag cleaner and you have to do it by hand.

The result..? At least 95% of the visible scratches are completely gone. Some of my original 2400 polish is still visible in some areas and I've learned that you have to be consistent with the pressure you apply. As I rubbed the 2400 by hand, and the rest using the magnets..the difference shows. Three years from now, I'll do a better job! All done...

Sorry for the generally poor pictures here. These are taken through the side panel, at an angle, showing the backside of the front panel. That is a terrible way to take pictures, but the only way to show the effects of the sanding.

Snappy · #**870** 12-23-2009, 06:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by untamed

Xmas came a bit early to my house. I bought a new TV and so I had to renovate much of the basement. I think the room is much improved as I can now sit and enjoy the TV and the aquarium at the same time. Next up..new seating!

....and a nice picture of Ripple, who is feeling blue because he can't see the TV as well as before.

Very nice!!!