A New and Revised Barracks System, The Rob Panero method++ my changes.

[Sherol]

Get this stuff..

http://www.tapplastics.com/shop/product.php?pid=130&

i got the big can because of price [ and I will be making a few barracks]and also the applicator containers and needles. This stuff is awsome! It wicks into the crack between the 2 surfaces and makes a great seal. I also orgered the cutter and weldon from here. The first barrack I did did not need any additional seal.. the bonding between the pieces was enough. The second one was cut off square and I had a gap on the end the weldon sealed.. also used that for the bulkhead too.

[bettafan]

Ha Ha, thats funny I just ordered that stuff and came here and saw your post. LOL :gjob:
I only got the small one ,but I got some weldon 16 as well as some applicators. and a couple funnels.
What a cutter you say,, Hmmm gonna check that out.!!

[bettafan]

Got my first set of acryclic today, put it sorta in a glueing postion but it looks like I need to use clamps and stuff. tape just doesn't hold it right. I just oredered glues so it'll be a week before it gets here. :(

[Sherol]

cutter: http://www.tapplastics.com/shop/product.php?pid=10&

you cut with that little point. Would be a pita on the thicker pieces.. but thinner it works fine.

I'm finding on the second one I did not make the gaps big enough so don't have quite the flow the first one has. Next one.. [I hope I get it right so don't have too many 'varieties'] I will have the taller divider set up off the bottom more.. like .25. Still need the two close enough together to keep fish out. Where is an engineer when you need one.. lol. I think more space under the first one will allow more water through, then it will come up with more force in the narrower section. If I'm wrong in my thinking.. someone let me know.. :gone:

I taped my outside all together over some beanies. Do you have Robs origional directions? His pics are good.. but I changed the order of doing things. I glued the sides to each other and did not glue to the base to allow some wiggle room. Then I put in 3 dividers to pull in the sides.. then I glued the sides to the base. I still needed clamps to get a good seal.. but was better than having the sides glued to the base then trying to suck them in. Then I did the rest of the dividers.

[bettafan]

sure i save all my flares, 42-1, but mine is 8ft long and six inches deep. I did use beannies to tape it but ya I can see there needs to be something to hold them in place, i need to pick up a couple light weight clamps at lowes. lol several not a couple, but ya I'm doing sorta the same thing, I am using a few spacers then I'll glue the sides , how well can you stop and start the glueing process, do you have time to stop and restart. and how fast does it setup, I don't want the dividers getting stuck in the wrong spot. I'm sure I can figure it out , but still since yor ahead,, I'm going to use 1/4" gaps on the bottom of the divider and setting my 2 in divider 3/32 away because Im going to use it for putting in my blinder cards, :) I ordered that cutter, but the hardware guy there great, I ordered the stuff yesterday, he called and said its done, lol I asked how come so fast, he said he put the whole crew on it , becvause there kinda slow lately, and he is givning me a cut on cost of plastic and no charge for cutting, I guess this is a plug for ace hardware. they are being real helpful. :)

[Sherol]

>>how well can you stop and start the glueing process, do you have time to stop and restart. and how fast does it setup

It will take a few minutes to get the hang of it. Squeeze the air out of the container [only fill ithalfway with glue] then as you bring the needle to the joint, let off a bit and that creates a vacumm to prevent drips. Put the point to the joint then gently squeeze. You will see the glue wick into and ahead of where you are applying.. it is the coolest stuff! Stuff only takes about 10 minutes to set up. I did mine in stages.. outside and let it sit over night. Then glued to bottom and put in dividers the next night. Sealed from the outside then too. Let it sit overnight again then take into the garage to fill with water and check for leaks. Can get leaks around the dividers too. Somewhere along the way you have to drill your hole for the out put. We got a special bit and I poured water over it while it was drilled. We put several pieced of masking tape over both sides where we wanted the hole.. and clamped it to a board. It is best done not glued into the barracks.

>>I don't want the dividers getting stuck in the wrong spot. I'm sure I can figure it out ,

I took a sharpie and made little marks on both sides of the bottom and also the top of both sides so I could line up where dividers went. I made marks where I wanted the taller dividers to go. Then I used scrap plexi as a spacer for the small one that go along the bottom. Be carefull if you use pkexi for spacers that you do not get it down where it will come in contact with the glue. I did all the little ones after the bigger ones were in and I glued from both sides. The smaller ones you will only be able to glue from one side..

>>2 in divider 3/32 away because Im going to use it for putting in my blinder cards,

?? what blinder cards??

I have an Ace here in town.. will see how their prices compared to Lowe's. If I ever get the hang of these things I will suggest the LFS buy one for their bettas so they can display them better and keep them cleaner too.

Have fun!

[bettafan]

so they can't see each other. if betta see each other all the time they slow down, don't flare and are useless to show. they don't deport well. they get used to the othe guys.

:lol: Now your thinkin,, sell the one that you don't like to the lfs for slightly above cost. he'll love ya for it, and you will be ridding yourself of the one that didin't work as well as the others. (evil laugh) :nopity:

Sherol, did yo peel both sides of the plastic before glueing it. and if not did it stick at all at the seams and make a mess you had to clean up./??

[Sherol]

first one we peeled back a little for the seams on the outside.. left it on the centers of the outside. Everything else we peeled. Second one we peeled everything as I had a handel on the glue and was not afraid of drips. If you do get a drip.. wiping makes a bigger mess.

>>so they can't see each other. if betta see each other all the time they slow down, don't flare and are useless to show. they don't deport well. they get used to the othe guys.

Don't have a way to deal with this yet. Have thought about making them wider and painting the back half or so of the dividers so only the front portion is where they can see each other. Anything solid touching the bottom affects flow. I have a set of dividers where they are too far apart [the first one I did.. lol] and the fish get under and up into the next cell.. and what a mess of fish and fins. I slid a piece of smaller plexi in there to close off the gap and and with it touching bottom you can see the water takes a bit longer to flow between those two cells. Need a way to divide without touching the bottom. Or.. maybe that cross stitch mesh attached to the bottom so water flows. That stuff on it's own is bouyant and floats. Just tried that to close that gap and have it floating on the top. Still thinking that one through too.

[bettafan]

I only plan on flowing across twice a day, so I can pull the dividers out that I put in , yes they are plexi with non toxic paint. don't care if it slows the water cause I will remove them twice daily for the water change. I'll peel it. I figured the glue would stick to the plastic wrap or something, probly will. I"lll remove it. :)

[Sherol]

If I add dividers I can continue to use the wider spacing and pull them when I do water changes thereby getting the better flow. The fish get exercise flaring.. new water really fires them up and I get a quick water change with better flow. If you make the dividers taller than the barracks they would be easy to grab and pull. Only thing is the pexi gets expensive. Wonder if there is something cheaper that would work as well..

Pulled my first one yesterday to clean.. and cut my hands all up. The edges are very sharp and as I was flipping the thing around I sliced off more skin than I care to admit. Also looking for a very small bristle bruch to clean between the dividers. Oh.. and when you end up the thing to dump.. beware of water 4' above you pouring out as well.