My 450 Build thread

[TheWolfman]

Hey guys I just picked up a 450 gallon acrylic aquarium, and was looking for some advise on a few things. I’m planning on buffing out the tank before I set it up. I ordered some Novis 1,2,and 3. The tank has a external overflow box. I’m planning on feeding the sump using a bean Animal. For the sump I’m was planing to use a 125 but overall height of the stand is a concern, so I’m starting to think that a 75 gallon would be better instead. I plan on shutting down my 220 and moving all the fish to a temporary tank then setting up the 450 in the same spot. I’ll update the thread as I go. JK47

 

[Lepisosteus]

If it’s badly scratched might want to consider starting with a wet sand

 

[Bichircollector]

Any idead of the brand if any of that beast. I am looking to upgrade from my 120 to sumthing acrylic.

 

[Backfromthedead]

Nice buy. Looks to be in decent shape.

Just one question: how much taller is your 125 than the 75? Should only be a matter of a couple inches...

Are you gonna diy the stand or do you already have one?

 

[TheWolfman]

If it’s badly scratched might want to consider starting with a wet sand

Thanks I was considering doing the wet sand just kinda hesitant to do it. I’m going to start with the bottom of the tank and see where I’m at. There’s definitely a few scratches that are probably deep, and would benefit from the wet sand. What’s the best method sanding by hand? I do have a palm sander just a tap nervous to bust it out.

Any idead of the brand if any of that beast. I am looking to upgrade from my 120 to sumthing acrylic.

Not sure of who the builder was, anything in this territory is a custom build. Take a look at fishtanksdirect to get a ballpark of new tank prices.

Nice buy. Looks to be in decent shape.

Just one question: how much taller is your 125 than the 75? Should only be a matter of a couple inches

Are you gonna diy the stand or do you already have one?

The 125 is 24” and the 75 is 21” and service space is going to be a premium down there. I’m trying to keep the aquarium a nice height so I don’t want to just make the stand taller just for space. I’m willing to get crafty with the stand build planning on using 2x4’s and making a side hatch to get the sump in and out. The plan was to try and match another stand that I built out of pallets that’s also in the room.

 

[twentyleagues]

Hand sand is best....but its a back breaker. You can use a sander but you need to do it on a very slow speed. I refinished a 300 that was pretty rough. I used 1000 1500 novus 1 and 2 it turned out well. I did burn a couple spots on the bottom starting out. I wasnt "allowed" to set it up after all that work. I got it for 200 and sold it for 1000 so I guess it turned out pretty good. Nothing like JK47 would do though.

 

[Backfromthedead]

Thanks I was considering doing the wet sand just kinda hesitant to do it. I’m going to start with the bottom of the tank and see where I’m at. There’s definitely a few scratches that are probably deep, and would benefit from the wet sand. What’s the best method sanding by hand? I do have a palm sander just a tap nervous to bust it out.



Not sure of who the builder was, anything in this territory is a custom build. Take a look at fishtanksdirect to get a ballpark of new tank prices.



The 125 is 24” and the 75 is 21” and service space is going to be a premium down there. I’m trying to keep the aquarium a nice height so I don’t want to just make the stand taller just for space. I’m willing to get crafty with the stand build planning on using 2x4’s and making a side hatch to get the sump in and out. The plan was to try and match another stand that I built out of pallets that’s also in the room.
View attachment 1387123

I was gonna say, is it possible to cut out the bottom of the stand in such a manner that the sump would effectively sit on the ground? That should give you a few inches of clearance.

 

[TheWolfman]

I was gonna say, is it possible to cut out the bottom of the stand in such a manner that the sump would effectively sit on the ground? That should give you a few inches of clearance.

That was one of my thoughts. I would need to make the opening of the side of he stand at lest 25’ to get the tank in, plus the 7”s of the top and bottom 2x4s and the 3/4 plywood would put the bottom of the tank at 33”s. I’m not sure if I want the tank that tall.

 

[Oughtsix]

It is an acrylic tank... isn't it?... The upper and lower white / black bands are deceiving.

That tank looks to be in excellent condition... at least in comparison to the used 180g acrylic tank I am working on. I would definitely not start with sanding. I would start with the finest grit that will get the job done... that would be the Novis #2. If that doesn't get the job done then fall back to the more aggressive Novis #3. If Novis #3 doesn't get the job done then and only then would I fall back to a fine grit sand paper. You will save your self a ton of work this way!!!!

My 180 was really badly scratched up and abused (but priced accordingly). After trying many different sanders I found a wet sander / polisher to be by far the easiest and most productive for me. When sanding I used a pretty good flow of water through the wet sander which washes away the dust and keeps the paper from clogging. When I switched to polishing I used just a tiny trickle of water which was enough to keep the Novis damp and kept it from heating up. The wet sander made the whole job a ton easier.

The Novis #1 has no grit and is really just a kind of wax to give the tank its final shine.


The wet polisher I used was similar to this one: https://www.amazon.com/Hardin-WP800...er&qid=1567699979&rnid=2941120011&s=hi&sr=1-8

It is kind of pricey but paid for itself! If you can accomplish what you need to with just the Novis polishes a wet sander would probably not be worth the investment.

 

[Hari Haran]

nice tank, i just did my 300, both wet sanding and polishing with novus, did wet sanding with palm sander with 800, 1000, 1500, 2000 and two step novus polishing.

for some deep scratches you might need to go 600 if you want to remove it.

try doing it in one spot like a 12 by 12, all the steps, sanding and polishing so you can get an idea on which steps work better, like in some case, you might need to use lower grit sand paper, in some cases you don't really need novus step 2 polishing if you do the 2000 grit.

should be fun, take it slow, have enough towels, use new towels if you are not sure if you had already used, all these to avoid new scratches.