30x30x30 acrylic

[Gowyn]

hello all.

Presently have a 60 gallon Starphire cube set up. Will be transferring over to a 30x30x30 acrylic cube I’ve just found.

Here are pics of present cube.

And the “new” cube

Found the acrylic one for a great price, little bit of buffing, build a new stand and I should be golden.

 

[Pntbll687]

Two questions...
1) I the front of that new cube bowed? Or maybe it is just the angle of the pictures?
2) Is it really 30 x 30 x 30? because it does not look to be cube at all. it appears to much taller than it is wide

 

[Captain Quint]

Welcome aboard Gowyn. Thanks for the pics right off the bat and really glad you joined us.

I was wondering the same as Pntbll687 as to whether the acrylic is bowed by choice of the builder or a cube just distorted from the angle of the pic or if that is the flex bow degree from water in it?

My second DIY acrylic started to bow and gave way at a seam which is why I asked. My first two DIY acrylics were nightmares. ugh. lol

 

[Gowyn]

Thanks all

Yes the tank has a slight radius to the front

Thing is HEAVY. 3/4 front, back and bottom. Top and sides are 5/8

Tank is actually 30.5 wide
29 deep and 31.5 high

 

[SPR1968]

The pictures and tanks are great and welcome to R2R as well!

 

[Pntbll687]

Thanks all

Yes the tank has a slight radius to the front

Thing is HEAVY. 3/4 front, back and bottom. Top and sides are 5/8

Tank is actually 30.5 wide
29 deep and 31.5 high

It must be the distortion from the radius on the front, but in those other picks the tank does not look very wide. But the pic you just posted it looks to be very much a cube

 

[Captain Quint]

Thanks all

Yes the tank has a slight radius to the front

Thing is HEAVY. 3/4 front, back and bottom. Top and sides are 5/8

Tank is actually 30.5 wide
29 deep and 31.5 high

Very nice indeed. Should buff out well. Are you gonna need the sandpaper and Novus products or are scratches minimal?

Please post pics if so. I think its fun to remove blemishes and polish acrylics back to pristine.

 

[Gowyn]

Back from my Mexico holiday.

Guess what I’m doing today?

Those aren’t scratches, grid lines I drew on

 

[Captain Quint]

Nice!

Welcome to R2R again after your trip.

You should post your pics in the threads for a build and pick up a snazzy Build Thread Contributor ribbon.

Can't wait to see some progress pics. What are your plans for this beauty?

 

[Gowyn]

OK so that went pretty good. I’d say I’ve removed 98% of the scratches. Looks good.

I’ve modified the existing 1.5” Durso. Shortened it so it will be full siphon and turned the 1” return line into an emergency drain.

I’ll run 1.25” up the back of the tank for the for the two 1” returns on the top.

Have a question and would appreciate some input. Trying to decide about the stand. I know stand height is subjective. As it stands right now tank and stand is 58.5” high, given that the tank is approximately 30”. I can either keep the existing stand or build a taller one. I was thinking 36” but that would put the top of the tank at almost 6’.

Thoughts?

 

[Captain Quint]

Personally, I like the current stand. It is sleek and streamlined.

Just curious if the skimmer would have enough room with no problems removing the collection cup.

The scratch removal and polish came out pristine in the pics! Is there some type of rubber mat atop the stand between the stand and tank?

 

[Gowyn]

Personally, I like the current stand. It is sleek and streamlined.

Just curious if the skimmer would have enough room with no problems removing the collection cup.

The scratch removal and polish came out pristine in the pics! Is there some type of rubber mat atop the stand between the stand and tank?

Thanks.

No rubber mat but a half inch white material. Not sure what it is. Some sort of soft plastic. Like coraplast but not hollow. Not as soft as rubber though

 

[Gowyn]

So after discussion with management, AKA the wife, I will be building a new stand.

She wants something similar to the one we already have.

I think I will split the difference and build it 30” tall. Ha just realized, I’m putting a 30” cube on top of a 30” cube stand. D’oh!

Oh well. It’ll be skinned in white acrylic with white acrylic skirt around the top to contain light spillage. I’ll be using my AP700 with a AquaticLife retro T5.

 

[dantimdad]

I really like that tank.

I would just put taller legs on it and skin it.

 

[Gowyn]

I really like that tank.

I would just put taller legs on it and skin it.

Had considered that too. Unfortunately the bolts on it are rusted and some are seized. Not really too much of a hinderance but it compounds the problem.

I enjoy recycling things but sometimes it’s just easier to start over. Already have someone wanting the stand.

Anyway once Christmas is over I’ll start on the stand. Will be flush with the side of the tank, open in the back and removeable skins on three sides.

Have all the other equipment ready to go barring some misc plumbing parts. Just waiting on Boxing Day sales for the retro T5 lights.

 

[Captain Quint]

@Gowyn looking forward to it.

 

[dantimdad]

Yes. I agree sometimes you just have to start over.

 

[Gowyn]

Quick update.

Just working on logistics, have to move live stock from existing tank out, move the new tank and stand to where the old tank is and plumb it.

As usual I’m going overboard....haha

Decided to put the sump directly below the tank in the basement! I like the idea of having lots of room and not having to crawl under a stand to make things fit. Because the sump will be in the basement I doubt my COR15 will be enough so I’m adding a COR20. Will have dual return pumps for redundancy. Nice thing about the COR20 unlike the COR15 it plugs directly into a 110v outlet so if the Apex ever went down I will still have circulation. Each pump will feed its own return but they will be Teed together for maintenance or failure. I will run a manifold off the COR20 too.

The sump will be a modified Under The Sea 48” sump. Under the Sea is a local Canadian brand, tanks are Starphire built in China[emoji19]

I will add a partition to the left compartment making it the Fuge. Water will come in both the left and right side of the sump (25 left/75% right) and returns will be in the centre

Anyway hope to do the move, transfers and plumbing early next week, sump will go in Thursday and hopefully tank up and running the following week.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Gowyn]

So got the old tank shutdown and moved out of the way. Transferred livestock into 32 Biocube and Fuge into a 14 Biocube.

Tank is sitting in new spot waiting for managements (wife) approval. Once attained I’ll hit the plumbing. Tomorrow’s project I hope

 

[Gowyn]

Sneak peak

Picked the sump up today