Building a refugium

[kimoy]

did you take any step by step picture? this is interesting because i have the same problem. we have same setup i think. tagging along

 

[tbittner]

Hi Kimoy,

I'll take pictures as I go. I'm taking it VERY slow and checking, double checking, and triple checking everything as I go. The "weld" on the one end piece is amazing. Weld-on is some fantastic stuff!!!

 

[Kirblit]

How many baffles are you putting in? I ask because the order of assembly matters if you are building triple baffle bubble trap. Best to put bottom on last in this case, otherwise it's hard to get a good seam on the center baffle (I learned that the hard way).

 

[tbittner]

I'm only planning on two. My main intent is to use this as a strictly refugium. I have a Remora Pro hanging on the tank (insert plug for a fantastic skimmer) and I didn't have any plan of moving it down to the sump/refug. #1, because I have it setup to drain into a gallon jug so I can be away for a while and not worry about it overflowing and not have to turn it off. #2, because with the sump/refug being 16" high, I don't think I would have much room to take out the cup for cleaning.

My ammonia and nitrites are both zero but my nitrates tend to run around 20. I read that the plants in the refuge have reduced the nitrates to zero in cases like that.

The two baffles will separate the sand/mud for the refug from the downflow of water from the overflow box and the other baffle gives a clean spot for the return pump. The first compartment should absorb the current and rush of the water coming down. I'm cutting teeth into the baffles to "try" to keep critters from leaving the refug area.

Does that sound like it will work? Any concerns or suggestions? (hopefully you can visualize that because I don't have any pictures yet)

 

[tbittner]

Ok, first piece of advice. Unless you have ALL of the right tools (planner, router, table saw, etc) get someone ELSE to cut the pieces out for you. I spent what felt like FOREVER getting the pieces to all be the exact same size and all the edges squared. Not easy with an orbital and belt sander.

 

[Frankie]

I need pictures please. I like to build my tanks and refugiums and stuff. But i have a hard time seeing what your up to without pictures.

 

[tbittner]

Here is the stand without anything in it.




These three show how I glued the baffles into place.




Here is the other end piece being glued into place. I had already glued the one end piece into place before I put the bottom into the stand.

 

[Frankie]

Hey that looks great! Good work. How will you get the back panel in there? Thats a full tank of reef above isn't it? So you cannot just pull the stand away from the wall. I am sure you have a plan though.
I read that you plan on rotating the tank as you build it.
Yes the Weldon is awesome stuff! After the first day of gluing and its fully cured you can go back over your joints and build up a weld to help strengthen it.
Thanks for the pictures it helped a lot.

 

[tbittner]

I have enough room behind the stand to slide it in and it "gives" just enough to make it through the back opening. Same for the front.

My goal was to have a very large refugium area and it is 23 1/4 X 18 1/2 X 12 1/2. Refugium will hold 23g minus the layer of live sand and miracle mud I'll put in it. I'm thinking about 1 1/2 inches of sand and 3 inches of mud.

 

[tbittner]

Ok, sorry but I forgot to take a picture of it, but the back panel is now glued into place. What I did was force the refug all the way to the front of the stand. I cut four 1" boards that I could slide in between the inside of the back braces of the stand and the back panel for the refug and then I rotated them 90 degrees and they "locked" into place and put a fair amount of even pressure against the back panel pushing it into the baffles and end pieces. This worked because the refug couldn't go any further towards the front of the stand because I already had it slid as far forward as it would go.

Then I put more wood catacornered from the end pieces onto the top of the back panel and loaded a bunch of weights on those boards to push the back panel down onto the bottom piece.

End result, VERY nice, tight seal/weld all the way around.

I'll take a picture of my idea for an additional brace for the back and front panels tomorrow. I have a bunch of stuff stacked in the refug now holding a bunch of smaller pieces into place.

 

[tbittner]

Oh yeah, I'll use the same process for welding on the front panel and I'll put it into place tomorrow morning after my braces have the night to mostly set. I'll take a picture of it also so you can see what I'm talking about.

 

[sasquatch]

I think youve taken on a pretty difficult task and done a great job! Satisfaction comes in many forms, when are you starting to build a skimmer lol. Steve

 

[tbittner]

I've been sitting here thinking (i usually get into trouble when I do that ) but the braces I put in were not only for giving the back and front panels more support but to also give an extra layer of sealant.

BUT, what if I heated up a piece of acrylic and bent it into a perfect 90 angle and welded that into each corner, including the bottom seal? Not sure I could get it all the way into the corner formed by the front/back and the baffles/end pieces though.

hmmmmmmmm.....

 

[tbittner]

Thanks Steve! Yeah, my wife was looking at me cockeyed this evening wondering when I'm going to put back all the stuff that I moved out of the way so I could reach behind the stand to put the boards into place to put pressure on the back panel so it would weld on tight to the baffle/end pieces.

Tomorrow evening I'm going to build the drip box though. That WILL be a piece of cake though. Shew, finally something EASY!

 

[tbittner]

Ok, here is how I glued on the front panel.





Yes, those are unopened rolls of paper towls, crunched down and shoved in between the refug and the front of the stand. My theory is that the paper towls will want to expand and even if the edges of the front panel and the side panel melt together, the paper towls will keep pushing. The boards (my wife doesn't care for this one) are jambed up against the coffee table and are applying pressure against the front panel against each of the baffles. Bags of live sand and a 20 pound weight in the middle are applying downward pressure on the front panel towards the bottom.

 

[tbittner]

Ok, did a small water test today and it had a very small *drip* *drip* *drip* from one of the bottom seams. :smck: I drained it out, dryed it out, and ran another bead of Weld-on #4 and it's sealing/drying now. I did order some Weld-on #16 to run along every seam just to fill everything in. After I do that, I'll run another water test.

I also made the first version of the drip box today and I wanted to try my hand at heating/folding the acrylic. Wasn't pretty but it did work.

I think I figured out how to heat/fold the acrylic to make perfectly square edges now though so I'm going to try it again tomorrow on some scrap pieces.

I also got one of my side braces/light holders put together. I still need to cut the notches and cut out the braces/connectors for the light(s).

Over all, I'm really happy with everything and I'm confident that it will withstand the pressure of up to 50g of water.

 

[AdvanceAquatics]

Wow very nice....Great job

 

[sasquatch]

The weld on should hold the box together, you can always run a bead of silicon around the inside to waterproof it, if your not picking at it , it will stay on

 

[tbittner]

Thanks!

I didn't think silicon would stick to acrylic. In other words, I didn't think it would create a water proof seal because it doesn't adhere to the acrylic, the pressure would pull/push it away.

Anyway, I'll wait until the #16 comes. I need a break anyway.

 

[sasquatch]

your right about it not sticking, but only in a strength way, on the inside with pressure on it, it will never leak, unless you peel it away