1500 gal fbg tank, new setup for my monsters!!

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Today i hooked up the 2nd pump w/ filter and the UV as well. T off the UV with its own feed line and returns to the tank at Its pace. Not much left to do. Need to drill the drain for the auto water swap and hang the led light. Attach the netting for the lid and move over the fish. Tested the water. No nitrite but 0.25 ammonia which i expected. pH and temp are acceptable. The army is doing good as well. The rosei pop is starting to dwindle so he is settled in. Message_1533244516415.jpg Message_1533244476305.jpg
 
Added the netting ti keep the fish in and the drain for the drip system. Ammonia and nitrite are at 0, nitrate below 10 ppm. All thats left is to add the lighting and the fish in a few days and tge remaining water from their tank. The payara ia doing great and has put on some size too. received_313474479222003.jpeg
 
It has been 24 hrs and all are doing well. A few of the fish ate last nite too which is a great sign. I turned on the drip system today as well. Hopefully all stays well!!!
 
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That GATF is rediculous! Gratz bro! Take some window shots
 
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That GATF is rediculous! Gratz bro! Take some window shots
Thanks bro i def will once the sun goes down and no glare. Appreciate that! Btw i measured him yesterday a lil over 20" i was off as well. Fish look smaller in the water then out of it. I did it quick as can be not to stress him mad i did not take a pic of it. I couldn't believe how big he got!
 
Great job both building and reporting, Phil!

What's the diameter and the height?

I thought fish would be more distorted by the rounded window but it doesn't look too bad.

What do you think of the lexan window? Is it as strong as acrylic? Does it scratch as easy? And why did Dolphin use lexan and not acrylic?

I think you will find you will need to heat the tank a lot more than a few days out of the year plus likely cover it up and insulate it for the winter.

How did you fasten the netting to the lip? I don't see the spring clamps.

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https://www.acplasticsinc.com/informationcenter/r/what-is-lexan

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What is Lexan?
Kitchenware. Bulletproof glass. Headlamps. DVDs. Lexan serves as an essential material for the creation of countless modern products and components, so much so that you’ve probably used an item made withLexan today without even knowing it. But how, you may ask, can the same material be tough enough to stop a bullet and yet flexible enough to help create something as delicate as a DVD? The answer lies in Lexan’s unique chemical makeup and in a development process that led to it becoming one of our world’s most valued and widely-used plastics.

Lexan Basics
First off, it’s important to note that Lexan is a brand name and not the name of the material itself; the term “Lexan” has simply become synonymous with said material in the same way that Band-Aid has for bandages. That branding was formulated in 1960 by General Electric (GE), the company responsible for pioneering American development and production of the material. Bayer, meanwhile, has been creating the material under the name of Merlon (later Makrolon) since 1958; both companies discovered their version of the plastic within a week of each other and agreed to cross-license its manufacture so as to allow further development on both sides of the Atlantic.

None of that, however, gets into what Lexan actually is. Lexan is a polycarbonate resin thermoplastic. In a nutshell, what that means is that it’s a solid substance that can deform in extreme heat (typically 147 degrees Celsius, or 297 degrees Fahrenheit) and whose molecules are comprised of repeating subunits. Lexan is but one of a family of thermoplastics whose main claim to fame is in its ability to undergo significant deformation without cracking of breaking. What’s more, when fully formed, the polycarbonate sheet boasts an impact strength 250 times greater than that of glass and 30 times greater than that of acrylic (a similar thermoplastic). This strength and flexibility has madeLexan sheet an indispensable material for a wide variety of manufacturers, as very few materials can claim Lexan’s transformative ability along with its outstanding heat and impact resistance.

Benefits and Uses
Those resistances, however, are but two of the attributes that have made Lexan such a popular and celebrated material. The polycarbonate's remarkable features include…

  • High level of impact resistance (250 times the impact resistance of glass)
  • Low rigidity and can be bought in flexible grades
  • Can handle temperatures up to 240 degrees Fahrenheit before deforming
  • Highly resistant to acids and other chemicals such as gasoline
  • Can be drilled without worry of cracking
  • Can be cold formed or bent without heating
  • Low level of flammability
That is not to say, however, that Lexan is a perfect material. There are a few tradeoffs that manufacturers are forced to accept for this level of flexibility and all-around strength, tradeoffs that include…

  • Easier to scratch than glass and some other thermoplastics
  • More expensive than glass and some other thermoplastics
  • Poor clarity, cannot be polished to restore clarity
  • Can be yellowed over time by UV rays
  • Low level of resistance to abrasive cleaners and surfaces
  • Can be dented easily
Generally speaking, these attributes make Lexan polycarbonate an excellent material for applications where you’re not as concerned about aesthetics as you are about creating an extremely resistant protective surface. That’s why it’s now found in products such as those listed above and as a major component in the following items.

  • Window well covers
  • Automobile windows and windshields
  • Reusable drinking bottles
  • Computers and phone cases
  • Transparent visors for football and hockey helmets
  • Molds for urethane and silicone casting
  • Machinery guards
  • LED light pipes and diffusers
  • Bullet-resistant “glass”
Working With Lexan
The unmatched flexibility of Lexan stretches beyond its ability to be easily deformed and reformed; the material also has the ability to be created in a variety of forms tailored to fit specific manufacturing needs. The selection of polycarbonate sheets available at A&C Plastics (sold under the brand name Makrolon) are evidence enough of that.

For common uses, A&C recommends our Clear GP Sheet, an industry-leading product perfect for protecting against high-impact incidents common to manufacturing environments and against the breakage and vandalism that plagues institutions of all stripes. If your final product will likely experience prolonged exposure to the sun, you may instead be interested in our Clear SL or our Clear SL2 sheet; both boast the same incredible flexibility and strength of common Lexan while also offering UV resistance to lengthen service life and protect against color shifting (the SL offers that resistance on one side of the sheet, while the SL2 offers it on both).

Color, however, may be exactly what you want from your Lexan. If that’s the case, our colored polycarbonate sheets may be just what you need to maintain your product’s aesthetic or to ensure that it doesn’t stick out in a colorful environment. Remarkably, Lexan is so flexible that it can even be created as mirrored polycarbonate sheeting. Whereas other applications for Lexan trend more industrial or institutional, this version can be found everywhere from retail signs to boutique mirrors to dentistry tools. If you need a reflected image on a nearly unbreakable surface, there may be no material more suited to the task than Lexan.

Conclusion
Lexan’s wide range of capabilities make it nothing less than a modern marvel, a material with infinite applications that enjoys prominent usage around the world. That said, it should be noted that not all Lexan is created equal; if you’re interested in adding this remarkable material to your manufacturing processes, it’s of the utmost importance that you choose a distributor with a track record of delivering a quality product at a cost you can afford. A&C has done just that for over forty years, and we look forward to working with you in fulfilling all your company’s plastic needs. If you have any further questions regarding Lexan or Lexan distributors, please feel free to get in touch with one of our knowledgeable customer service representatives.
 
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Hey bud. The dim are 8 ft diam with 4ft tall walls. Yes it can scratch like acrylic. Not sure why but they did. Its not very thick may be .25" but being circular it needs to be able to bow for the shape. Correct it dosent distort the fish when viewing then thru the window. As far as heating goes i am already looking into options. I have a guy that is going to biuld me a heat pump basically rev an ac condenser for heating the tank during colder days. I looked into using inline applications as well as drop in styles with titanium probes. I believe the heat pump style will do the best job and be the most efficient as far as cost is concerned when running 24/7. I'm in the planning stages at the moment to figure out the best option but I believe the heat pump would be the best and if I can have this guy build it for me it will save me at least half the cost of buying a brand new heat pump. As far as the netting goes I attached it with small clear clips that I glued around the perimeter of the outside wall and basically flipped over them to hold it in place.
 
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