Plumbing a new tank, seek advice

[Gseclipse02]

Just remember if u buy it new and drill it u just voided ur warranty. To lots of people that is a huge deal

[rrasco]

I've done plenty of work with acrylic too, would help if I had a table saw or cnc router though. Just curious if there was a place to buy them or if they are all DIY. I like a good acrylic build.

Any success stories to the Maggie Mufflers? I'm going to do some research, but I've tried lots of methods that claim to be silencers. It's always disappointing to try something and it not live up to the expectations.

[Sherita]

rrasco, you can also get a nice cut on acrylic using a circular saw fitted with a laminate blade. Just add for the width of the bed on the saw (normally 1 1/2"), then clamp a straight edge to your work to get a nice straight line. I cut all of my big pieces this way, it's much easier than using my table saw or router table when working with anything that has any size at all to it. Once you get it cut, just clean up the edge if needed using a palm sander or sanding block fitted out with a fine grade sandpaper. I have built all of my sumps, reactors, light holders, fan holders and various other bits and pieces right here at home, without any specialty tools. Just take your time, measure twice and cut once, and be sure to add for the width of the saw bed (edge to blade).

[Mike]

Sending a PM.

[rrasco]

Thanks for the tips Sherita, I always prefer to try and use a fixed blade (i.e., one that isn't controlled by me) but I think I may give that a shot. I already have a circular saw, I just need a good blade for it now. One day I will have a CNC for precision machined pieces.

[rrasco]

I was thinking about a calfo that isn't quite coast to coast, but maybe 24-36" in the middle of the tank with a bean overflow. However, I was thinking, if the overflow plumbing is in the middle of a 6' tank, how would I adjust/maintain it if this tank was backed up against the wall? I could just as easily move the overflow to one side, but then how effective would that be...might as well make it coast to coast? To those of you with calfos, how are yours plumbed? I am also curious to see how tanks with a coast to coast run their return if the entire back of the tank is utilized as an overflow.