Large Tank Filtration
- Thread starter pacu mom
- Start date
Unfortunately, we went big. It was too big for a DIY project. 95% of the work was done by my husband and his son. Only the electrical and plumbing was hired out, with occasional help from other people. Because we tore down the old garage to make room for the fish room, we had to build a new garage.
Since we were building, we decided to have a new master bedroom. We won't move into it until after the fish are moved.
Tiling was a nightmare. We tiled over new uneven cement to old sagging wood floors. It was an awful experience with my husband on his knees grinding cement and leveling cement to get a level surface. The wood floor was 1/2" to 1 1/2" lower than the cement floor. Here's the floor before leveling cement was used.
We had three final extensions on our building permit, but finally got checked off. The floor turned out really nice.
Two years ago, we came up with the idea of a background. We ran into obstacles with my original idea of painting sheets of polyurea (the stuff the low profile rocky backgrounds are made with. I actually had the polyurea sheets made three times by two different vendors before we had to abandon the idea. I have hand surgery in April. If I can't get the backgrounds ready for the artist, I will have to hire some one to finish what we started.
Just a lot of epoxy to apply, and a lot of grinding and sanding and adding of more epoxy. And now I have to deal with the warping. Will have to crack the epoxy foam where it is warped and clamp it down to add the repair epoxy. Here are the five sheets for the back of the tank before epoxy (Polygem) was slapped on them.
We have had to deal with major health issues/crises on both sides of the family, including the loss of a family member. I am learning to be a caregiver. I find that my time is not my own. Today is my "off" day, and I should be in the garage working on the project. But I have to do my parents' taxes. When it comes to priorities, I guess the fish get the short end of the stick. Yes it is extremely frustrating to have spent so much time, energy and money and not be finished. Priorities....priorities....
Since we were building, we decided to have a new master bedroom. We won't move into it until after the fish are moved.
Tiling was a nightmare. We tiled over new uneven cement to old sagging wood floors. It was an awful experience with my husband on his knees grinding cement and leveling cement to get a level surface. The wood floor was 1/2" to 1 1/2" lower than the cement floor. Here's the floor before leveling cement was used.
We had three final extensions on our building permit, but finally got checked off. The floor turned out really nice.
Two years ago, we came up with the idea of a background. We ran into obstacles with my original idea of painting sheets of polyurea (the stuff the low profile rocky backgrounds are made with. I actually had the polyurea sheets made three times by two different vendors before we had to abandon the idea. I have hand surgery in April. If I can't get the backgrounds ready for the artist, I will have to hire some one to finish what we started.
Just a lot of epoxy to apply, and a lot of grinding and sanding and adding of more epoxy. And now I have to deal with the warping. Will have to crack the epoxy foam where it is warped and clamp it down to add the repair epoxy. Here are the five sheets for the back of the tank before epoxy (Polygem) was slapped on them.
We have had to deal with major health issues/crises on both sides of the family, including the loss of a family member. I am learning to be a caregiver. I find that my time is not my own. Today is my "off" day, and I should be in the garage working on the project. But I have to do my parents' taxes. When it comes to priorities, I guess the fish get the short end of the stick. Yes it is extremely frustrating to have spent so much time, energy and money and not be finished. Priorities....priorities....
I feel for you pacu mom! My grandma became ill around the time i wanted to put together a mini dream tank and with illness came tons of expected and unexpected dr appointments and having to be with her almost 24/7 near the last couple of months. But she passed in the beginning of january, so now starting up my mini project again has become part of the healing process because she loved the fish as well.
I wish you the best of luck with everything and cant wait to see the finished product of this!
Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
I wish you the best of luck with everything and cant wait to see the finished product of this!
Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
Had surgery today. Out of commission for several weeks.
Worked long hours trying to get the epoxy done, but ran out of time. So close but yet do far from being done. Here are the four side panels ready for the artist.
The five back panels needed minor repair modification. Won't be able to do any sanding for at least two weeks.
I hired someone to help me sand the pipes when I started a year and a half ago. He hit them ridiculously hard with the sander and sanded to the foam on every pipe he touched. I have repaired his damages but still need to sand ten out of eleven pipes. Same guy that painted blue paint on my white walls and white paint in my blue walls. He was hired to paint white baseboard and door trims. Lesson learned. Firewood stacking is his forte. I really can't hire anyone for the part. Used up ten gallons of Polygem and had to buy two more gallons to complete the epoxy phase.
Worked long hours trying to get the epoxy done, but ran out of time. So close but yet do far from being done. Here are the four side panels ready for the artist.
The five back panels needed minor repair modification. Won't be able to do any sanding for at least two weeks.
I hired someone to help me sand the pipes when I started a year and a half ago. He hit them ridiculously hard with the sander and sanded to the foam on every pipe he touched. I have repaired his damages but still need to sand ten out of eleven pipes. Same guy that painted blue paint on my white walls and white paint in my blue walls. He was hired to paint white baseboard and door trims. Lesson learned. Firewood stacking is his forte. I really can't hire anyone for the part. Used up ten gallons of Polygem and had to buy two more gallons to complete the epoxy phase.
That surgery looks similar to the 2 that I had. Last 2 joints I had replaced were my pinky fingers. Now I have permanent hardware in all my fingers. What was yours if you don't mind me asking?
1 1/2 yrs ago I fell the last 12 ft hiking to a waterfall. My fall was stopped by a larger boulder. I had my arms out to try to protect my head. When I managed to sit up I was appalled by what I saw.
Had to hike up the trail back to the car and then drive an hour to the nearest ER. Missed 4 1/2 months of work, and when I returned to work, I would not make a fist and therefore could not grasp my instruments. I could no longer do extractions. A year ago I went to a hand specialist who thought I would need tendon reconstruction--possibly two surgeries with months of rehab between. I had burned all my time off, so decided to have repair surgery after I retired. Family issues prevented me from having surgery last Sept. In the meantime, I discovered I could move the last digit a little. Very fortunate--I just had scar tissue removed today which should allow for better movement of the finger.
Your surgeries were much more complex than mine. Ortho surgeons don't particularly like to work on pinky fingers. I made the mistake of going to the only ortho guy in my little town. If I had gone out of town and seen my current surgeon, I might have had a functional hand by the time I returned to work. Live and learn.
Had to hike up the trail back to the car and then drive an hour to the nearest ER. Missed 4 1/2 months of work, and when I returned to work, I would not make a fist and therefore could not grasp my instruments. I could no longer do extractions. A year ago I went to a hand specialist who thought I would need tendon reconstruction--possibly two surgeries with months of rehab between. I had burned all my time off, so decided to have repair surgery after I retired. Family issues prevented me from having surgery last Sept. In the meantime, I discovered I could move the last digit a little. Very fortunate--I just had scar tissue removed today which should allow for better movement of the finger.
Your surgeries were much more complex than mine. Ortho surgeons don't particularly like to work on pinky fingers. I made the mistake of going to the only ortho guy in my little town. If I had gone out of town and seen my current surgeon, I might have had a functional hand by the time I returned to work. Live and learn.
Thanks Alex. 13 hrs later, three fingers are still very numb. Hopefully I've passed over the major post-surgical pain threshold by now, so that any discomfort can be managed with Ibuprofen and Tyelenol. Would like not to take the heavy duty pain meds.
Well if it makes you feel any better I'm only 28. Had my 1st joint replacement at 22. I was the perfect storm of bad genetics. Speaking of pinky surgeries the Dr that did mine retired directly after my surgery because he screwed mine up so bad. I did both hands at the same time (per his advise). It was supposed to be a 2 finger splint on each hand and when I woke up both arms were casted up to my elbow. Supposed to miss 2 weeks of work, wound up missing 6 weeks. Had major atrophy in my left hand. Did a year of PT before my insurance refused to renew the prescription. You should have seen the sports injuries and major surgery patients in therapy and I was screaming like a child while the poor lady worked on my pinkies. Good times. I wish you a speedy recovery pacu mom!
