Fish Story Aquarium and Rescue, Naples, FL; two 4500 gal 13'x13'x4.5'
- Thread starter thebiggerthebetter
- Start date
Appreciate it, guys. Thank you.
No, tropical storm Herman just got us wet, is all.
Yea, Moe, those who know you know your near clinical fixation on large black catfish.
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Update Sept 10, 2016
Two videos. SJCAM5000X.
Brachyplatystoma filamentosum, ~20", from Wesley Wong of Rare Fish, Los Angeles, CA; wild caught by Wes' fisherman in Suriname. Got it 3 months ago at ~16". Feeds well on large whole marine fish but is slow to take the feed, taking from 5 to 30 seconds; pump must not be off or it wouldn't take the feed. Not skittish in a stark contrast to the false piraiba B. capapretum. Has been alone in its 240 gal. Getting tight though...
Update on the 20K gal koi tank. The 45' window (five 9' acrylic sheets) is positioned. What remains is posts, liner, wet-dry filter, floor tiles, enclosure walls (shade cloth + tarp).
No, tropical storm Herman just got us wet, is all.
Yea, Moe, those who know you know your near clinical fixation on large black catfish.
**************************************************************
Update Sept 10, 2016
Two videos. SJCAM5000X.
Brachyplatystoma filamentosum, ~20", from Wesley Wong of Rare Fish, Los Angeles, CA; wild caught by Wes' fisherman in Suriname. Got it 3 months ago at ~16". Feeds well on large whole marine fish but is slow to take the feed, taking from 5 to 30 seconds; pump must not be off or it wouldn't take the feed. Not skittish in a stark contrast to the false piraiba B. capapretum. Has been alone in its 240 gal. Getting tight though...
Update on the 20K gal koi tank. The 45' window (five 9' acrylic sheets) is positioned. What remains is posts, liner, wet-dry filter, floor tiles, enclosure walls (shade cloth + tarp).
The fila is looking nice, love the trailers on it. Nice growth rate from it at the size. Surprised you don't have it in a bigger tank yet with your rule of thumb for tank size lol. And the koi tank is gonna look great when it's finished!
Thanks.
Yeah, piraiba's been stuck in the 240 gal acclimation tank because I don't believe it'd compete successfully in a 4500 gal. Ain't got anything in between in terms of gallonage.
vincentwugwg
What do you think Vince? Can it compete? I've described above how slowly and hesitatntly it feeds... in my hands anyway... I can't imagine it'd have a chance with the 4500 gal gang. But your two are in with lots of well-feeding tank mates. I know you had said they get a piece or two of fish per feeding. Has this been continuing? Improved? Worsened?
Yeah, piraiba's been stuck in the 240 gal acclimation tank because I don't believe it'd compete successfully in a 4500 gal. Ain't got anything in between in terms of gallonage.
vincentwugwg
What do you think Vince? Can it compete? I've described above how slowly and hesitatntly it feeds... in my hands anyway... I can't imagine it'd have a chance with the 4500 gal gang. But your two are in with lots of well-feeding tank mates. I know you had said they get a piece or two of fish per feeding. Has this been continuing? Improved? Worsened?
Holy koi tank!!! so jealous haha... anxious to see that come together. Did you glue all the span of acrylic together or running them independent.
The plan is to glue the 9' sheets together front and back as well as to posts made out of layers of acrylic but will see how that goes when I start gluing.
If I don't get what I want, I may go with more traditional liner or rather liner joint tape + a 6" acrylic strip bolted to the 9' sheets and the wooden posts (the tape would be glued on the inside to seam the sheets together) and wooden posts on the outside.
In any case, I must reinforce the window as the 9'x3.5' acrylic sheets are only 3/4" thick with a water column planned of 30"-36".
In many ways, as you can see, I am winging it from scratch and on a shoestring...
If I don't get what I want, I may go with more traditional liner or rather liner joint tape + a 6" acrylic strip bolted to the 9' sheets and the wooden posts (the tape would be glued on the inside to seam the sheets together) and wooden posts on the outside.
In any case, I must reinforce the window as the 9'x3.5' acrylic sheets are only 3/4" thick with a water column planned of 30"-36".
In many ways, as you can see, I am winging it from scratch and on a shoestring...
Sounds like a plan...and i understand. I been flyin by the seat of my pants over here aswell for many yrs now on builds/repairs. Im def. excited to see this one go down for ya. Weld-on #40 alone should butt join those sheets/windows together no prob. I dont think ull need any bolts. overkill would be glueng strips of acrylic over ur butt joined seams inside and out although the #40 alone should hold with some outside posts to prevent that wall of glass pushin forward.
wednesday13
Much appreciate your advice and expertise, especially on acrylic. Your posts like this are invaluable to me, so I bow to you sincerely - http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/weld-on-40-and-42.544585/page-3I plan to laminate 2' wide 0.5" acrylic sheets to the joints front and back, which will shorten the 0.75" acrylic span from 9' to 7'. The next thought is to glue 7' long x 6" x 0.5" acrylic strips to the bottom and top on the inside each newly formed 7' section. First because I need a flat surface on the bottom to fasten the liner to (will fasten on the inside of the windows); second, on the top to mitigate bowing. Plus, to mitigate bowing, I may double up the strips at the top inside (which will bring the total thickness over the top 6" to 1.75") and finish off the top with an acrylic strip maybe 3"-6" wide x 0.5" laying flat on the top to make a lip for more rigidity.
There'll be no cross top braces.
The last thought is about the posts - instead of wood, I wonder if I can make them transparent or at least less obtrusive than a wooden 6"x6". The 2' wide laminated sheets of 0.5" are 7' long, so I am toying with an idea of
-- laminating three layers of these on the outside to give me a 2'x7'x1.5" post,
-- then I'll laminate two 1'x6'x0.5" (offsetting 1' from the top)
-- then 5'x9"x1.25" (offsetting by 2' from the top)
-- then 3.5'x6"x0.75" (again offsetting 2' from the top) last layer
-- and embedding everything below the visibility line into concrete.
Is this understandable? I'll be stepping down the height and the width of the laminated layers of the posts going towards outside of course - the bottom portion will be 4.5" thick acrylic.
Such is my naive thinking at the moment.
If I find I suck at welding acrylic with Weld on 40 or what not (never done it), I can go back to wooden 6"x6".
