Above the Tavern with Parka!
- Thread starter Parka
- Start date
I got myself two more helpers too, ALL FIVE of us are Identical Twins, the Albanians, Vigor & Gusto, and my new Czech Twins, Grit & Gumption! The five of us really get each other, Major Team WORK!
The NYC of Plywood Aquariums Shan't Be Denied!
DUMMIES! Listen up, I have horrible news...
My two Identical Czech Cousins, Grit & Gumption, they were dining at their favorite 'Czech Style' restaurant last night, Grit ordered Paprikash and Gumption got the Goulash, the name of the establishment is, 'CZECH PLEASE!', any gall dang way, ICE rolled in and raided the place, they took Grit & Gumption, a few other patrons and some of the staff too! Took 'em to Idaho!
What is going on in 'Murica'? Gall Dang it all to Hades and back!
GOOD AFTERNOON! DUMMIES! The Albanians, Vigor & Gusto, they're hiding underneath the Akron...
My two Identical Czech Cousins, Grit & Gumption, they were dining at their favorite 'Czech Style' restaurant last night, Grit ordered Paprikash and Gumption got the Goulash, the name of the establishment is, 'CZECH PLEASE!', any gall dang way, ICE rolled in and raided the place, they took Grit & Gumption, a few other patrons and some of the staff too! Took 'em to Idaho!
What is going on in 'Murica'? Gall Dang it all to Hades and back!
GOOD AFTERNOON! DUMMIES! The Albanians, Vigor & Gusto, they're hiding underneath the Akron...
Parka
, Self Reporting with Outside Dimensions of the Yet To Be Built, The Fantastic NYC of Plywood Aquariums!216" Long
52" Tall
39" Front to Back (Depth)
Inside Dimensions, 17' 9" Long.... 4' 1" Tall... 3' 2.5" Depth
I have ALL the materials needed. Including 3 gallons of Pond Shield, going with Black this time.
To be built with Confidence and Precision and at a very fast pace. Three windows across the front.
I hope to begin the build before June 1, 2025. It took me 5 weeks to build The Posh Cleveland, including the hoods and cabinet finished stand, so expect a similar paced project to Complete the City Series of Plywood Aquariums, NYC!
I just want to mention, the length of 18 feet is not set in stone, it could be 3 to six inches shorter, TBD!
I have been thinking of different ideas for heavy duty extra large undergravel filter plates for the Chicago and the yet-to-be built NYC and I think I have a winning idea... The plastic shelves from those free standing shelf units. A five shelf unit, 36" x 24" can be had for about $90, and if I can find them on sale for less, that is very cost effective and PVC for lift tubes are very inexpensive. Here's a pic in my basement. A side note, any rifles spotted in my basement pics, those are ALL air rifles, I don't own any firearms.
Interesting idea. Can't really see from the pics what size the openings in the shelf plates are. If too large, so that the gravel might slip through, you could put some plastic mesh on top of the plates. I used this stuff to keep my hydroponic media from getting through the eggcrate I used in my sump. It is in the sewing craft area, with needlepoint stuff and rug weaving stuff. It lays nice and flat. Mesh comes in two sizes, one about 1/8th inch and the other about 3/16th, I think this pic is the smaller opening. I used the larger one.
Oh yeah, the holes are too big as is, I think I will use a heavy duty window screen, it is polyester coated in vinyl and pretty inexpensive too. I looked online at that embroidery fabric but it would take a bunch of pieces to cover one plate at 36" x 24"
I went ahead and ordered two of the 5 tier shelf units from Home Depot today and it was delivered today! Plus I get 10% off for being a military veteran, so with tax it was a buck seventy for TEN JUMBO Undergravel Filter Plates, only $16 per plate minus tax.
I was going to wait and hope for a sale price but then with all that tariff stuff going on, it is very possible that the price of goods made in China will increase very soon.
I got pics. These things will need very little modifying to be ready for service! Each five pack of Bottom Plates, er, um, shelf units, came with 8 lift tubes, 1.5" lift tubes! These things are gonna be perfect, and with the Czech Style airlift collar, these things will move a whole bunch of water, very exciting!
Aren't they Beautiful? And BIG!
Each five pack also includes 8 complimentary 1.5" airlift tubes! Notice the lift tube mounting socket in each corner, very convenient!
The modifications will be so simple, I hit a DIY Home Run with this idea, very exciting!
I fixed my bike too. It has two chains, the long primary chain from the crank (pedals) to the motor and a much shorter second chain from the motor to the axle.
Both chains are standard bicycle chains and I already broke two of the secondary chains and so I found out that some small motorcycle chains have the same length per link and so I bought one and sure enough it worked! I really don't think this one will break by the force of that electric motor.
Good Evening, Monsters!
Pretty amazing really! It is like those shelves were made for your purpose. If you need to use standard PVC, I hope your luck holds out and they either mate with the shelf support "tubes", or transition easily. You're right, it would take a bunch of those embroidery mesh sheets to cover that monster tank bottom.
Earlier I mentioned that the five tier shelf unit, (DIY UG Filter Plates) came with 8 support tubes (lift tubes) but I was mistaken, they have 16 tubes per unit! I won't need any PVC except short pieces for the collars that make the air pressure chambers, 2" is long enough. And I will be using PVC elbows at the top. These tubes are 1.5" ID and thin walled and they also have tapered or reduced ends so the tubes can be fit together and cut to any length that is needed. 1 1/4 pvc elbows will be a good but slightly loose fit, easy enough to make a tight fit with a little work. The OD of 1 1/4" sched 40 is 1.66"
As for the next build, the NYC, I like to build the rough stand first and then build the tank right on top of the stand, that's my standard MO, no different this time. What will be different is that I will build 2 separate stands this time and then when the tank is far enough along in the build I can tie the stands together with a face frame and finish it off with drawers and doors.
The stand(s) will only be 18" tall ten times as sturdy, Good Evening!
