• PVC and biofilter - glue?

  • Rebecca

Hello. Guys, I'm going to glue a long 2.8m bio-filter + algae scrubber on top of a PVC aquarium. I have three questions: 1) What to use to glue it so that the glue doesn't release anything harmful into the water later? 2) What to use to attach the acrylic glass to the PVC (on the front part, so I can see what's happening inside). 3) What is the ideal thickness of the coarse coral gravel (4-5 cm) for the dry filter (which will be an extension of the algae scrubber, with a total length of 2.55 meters)? I understand that it's better to calculate based on the organic load, but for now, it's all just on paper. The dimensions of the dry filter itself are: length 25cm, width 20cm, and the height needs to be determined. The aquarium is 300cm x 75cm x 62cm. There will be no sump under the aquarium and no external filters. The equipment includes a Wavebox, flow pumps, UV lamp, and a protein skimmer (which I'm considering using initially, but we'll see). I'm planning a mixed reef, more fish, and LPS. The protein skimmer will be an internal one, AquaC EV-240.

Michelle1505

Why not search the forum? Personally, I've written about it four times. - layout - Cosmofen CA12 - pouring - Cosmofen Plus - acrylic - Cosmofen PMMA In addition, there are many other options.

Samuel6138

May I ask a question in this case - regarding the gluing of acrylic with dichloroethane - my friend told me about this method of gluing - could you please tell me if this method is correct??? - Assemble the acrylic pieces you want using spacers and templates - that is, do all of this dry; - Then inject dichloroethane into all the joints with a syringe, and it will supposedly bond without visible seams; Will this tactic work?

Jasmine

It is possible, but a question arises on the horizon: do you need it? Dichloroethane is quite a poison...

Joseph8842

Dichloroethane + acrylic shavings, dissolve to a cream-like consistency, filter through gauze/bandage and draw into a syringe, cut the needle (not thin) by 2-3 cm and go ahead, although the method you described is unclear to me, I apply the adhesive to the edges being glued, and then pour more on top, here are some examples: BUT!!! dichloroethane is only for acrylic to acrylic, you cannot glue acrylic to PVC this way.

Kristen1161

Come on, just put a good fan aside, during the pouring you shouldn't stick your head inside and breathe heavily, and keep the windows wide open, that's all. Although, of course, it's not worth gluing in the apartment; I do it in the workshop - I quickly apply it and then rush out of the workshop until tomorrow.

Emily3506

So that's that... But it's not necessary, it's easier to use less toxic glues, as Zmiya wrote regarding the toxicity of dichloroethane, and I trust her experience, so I decided to warn you...

David3217

Don't forget that the sea is not fresh water, that's one. Second, how long it needs to be aired and soaked, that's two, and will it release any nastiness into the reef, that's three. It's scary because our mistakes cost us dearly.

Chris

Alek, you convinced me for the second time with the glass - silicone only smells like vinegar and not for long, and it doesn't require special skills or experience. Let the pros work with acrylic; they get everything even and done quickly. If they don't want to cut long, narrow strips for me, I'll say to cut them in pieces and I'll glue them with overlays.

Debra8438

Silicone also evaporates, and the thicker it is, the more it evaporates. Dichloroethane and branded adhesives evaporate even faster than thick silicone. However, it's up to you to decide; I won't argue.

Patrick4439

Yes, there's also this point - using silicate + silicone will be MULTIPLE times cheaper, if not more.

Angela6489

Buddy, can you roughly estimate how much a box made of 3-5 mm thick acrylic, one meter long and 10x10 cm wide, would cost if ordered from a professional acrylic supplier?

Ross

The 3 mm (available, I can make it in a day or two) will cost around 300. This is a box with an acrylic lid.

Tasha

I am not a sailor, but I have been working with acrylic and dichloroethane for a long time, I have glued about a dozen samples and various fish traps and parts for filters - no one has complained, though I warned everyone to let it air out (for a long time) and soak it in water with a few changes a couple of times. P.S. - again, I am not imposing.

Mitchell3177

Acrylic algae scrubber: filter (sump?) for the sea:

Helen

Oh, brother... the price is fine for me, but I barely have time for soaking and airing out - I need to get this started within 7 days - and Tolia scared me with the consequences of raw acrylic... damn...

Travis572

Yes, make it out of glass - the work will take an hour, not counting the trip to get the glass. If it's 4 mm, it will take a day to dry and another day for the others to air out.

Colin1418

I understand you perfectly. The threat in a freshwater aquarium also exists, but it is not as dangerous as in a marine one. Here, everything is different. Some chemical compounds can cause irreversible consequences when they come into contact with seawater, because the system is closed; the chelating chemicals that enter the water have nowhere to go, except to eventually be removed by the skimmer, but this process cannot be tracked or regulated. I am not imposing my opinion either. Let everyone decide for themselves. But I consider it my duty to warn.

Chad4168

I would make it out of glass, but I have a large size - it would be inconvenient to remove anything and it would turn out heavy. And regarding the dry filter, what is the minimum height to make?

Ricardo7341

So it will be heavy anyway, and this is also the point - to place this matter on the load-bearing parts of the aquarium itself and to glue them into the aquarium structure as a single unit.

James

Dichloroethane has been used for bonding since ancient times; all early acrylic aquariums for marine use were glued with this solvent. It is unclear what should leach from the seam into the water when the seam is made of the same material as the box. The evaporation process of dichloroethane coincides with the complete hardening of the seam; after that, everything is rinsed well, and we use it. Acetic acid, which is present in all normal aquarium silicones, is quite a poison. Yet, the seas thrive and are pleasing to the eye.

Lisa

I'm afraid it will turn out to be very heavy. For my size, it will be 120 liters of water alone, and if there's glass too... I'm afraid the supports won't hold. Someone once suggested putting a shelf above the aquarium... In general, I'll think about it. Yesterday, I tried to find information about a dry filter online, but I couldn't find any decent info.

Destiny

Yes, the assumptions about the "background" are clearly exaggerated. For curiosity, take a look at where dichloroethane is used as a solvent in industry—almost all consumer goods. If we follow the logic of the doctor, acetic acid from silicone "backgrounds" throughout the life of the aquarium. Have you read the article about cyanoacrylates? (When I first read it, I was afraid to pick up a tube of super glue.) And what do most of the forum members use to glue corals? In no way do I downplay the toxicity of pure dichloroethane—it is one of the most toxic substances readily available.

Justin

I agree... I would never connect a freshly glued device with dichloroethane to a reef aquarium, even with the strongest arguments from colleagues. This is my personal conclusion, please take it into account.