For Sale Bud's Purge (Cancer)

Bud · Jan 29, 2024

SKIP TO THE LISTINGS LINKS: For Sale - Bud's Purge (Cancer)

Hey all I haven't really posted about this publicly on social media (purposely) but I did post this on my R2R Algae Scrubber status thread back in November:

Time for an update.

Disclaimer: I haven't posted anything about the following on any social media and I would prefer to keep it that way. I'm not even going to share this thread/post on my business Facebook page. If anyone has any questions or anything, feel free to post in this thread, PM me here or on FB Messenger, text, email, etc...just not publicly on Facebook

First, I want to thank all my existing customers for their enthusiasm and support. Second, I want to thank all of my potential customers for being so patient & willing to wait for the Rev 5 or even a discounted Rev 4.

The TL;DR version: I'm still in business but I have surgery in a month to remove a recently diagnosed cancer in my throat (tonsil), 6-7 week recovery, and 50/50 on radiation. Plus I probably also have thyroid cancer. This all follows a generally really bad year or so. As a result, I've had to focus on my family, my health, and my engineering consulting business (my primary income). It's entirely possible that Turbo's Aquatics as a whole stays on the back burner for 6 months or longer.

Now the way longer version.

Rev 5 development has had roadblocks for the past few years. Most of the Covid related issues like production shutdowns and expensive & long shipping timeframes have passed, but those and other setbacks (too numerous to both going into in detail) just kept pushing the timeline back further and further.

In January, Arkema/Trinseo (the manufacturer of the Plexiglas brand line of products, which a lot of tank & sump builders use) decided to shut down their plants in North America without warning. This threw a wrench in my plans to roll out a new line of sumps and keep making my ATOs. That forced me to re-evaluate my use of my workshop space and I decided I needed to scale back. That was March, and I only found someone to sublease out my space this month - during that time I was just bleeding cash.

Turbo's Aquatics (including the former CWT Aquatics) have never been my 100% full time all-the-time gig. My primary source of income has always been engineering. Up until mid-2018, that was my full-time day job. After mid-2018, I was running my own show as a "lone eagle" (along with a few part-time retired guys); this was because of a failed merger/acquisition.

Towards the middle of this year, a major engineering project that had been stagnating for over a year took off, and I had to strap in for the ride. That took up 100% of my time for several months (and still going).

Meanwhile, I was preparing for a tonsillectomy after finding a swollen tonsil in mid-July & being told it was tonsillitis or an abscess. Right about the time that it seemed like I was catching up on everything (end of August) my ENT diagnosed that tonsil issue as cancer.

September was pretty rough. 2 biopsies, a PET scan, 2 CTs, an ultrasound, 3 different oncologists, and an emotional roller coaster.

But the good news is that it was caught early enough to be removed surgically, odd on chemo are very low, odds on follow-up radiation 50/50. Also, the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics (1.5 hours away from me) has the best head & neck cancer treatment center in the US. Hopefully, is has not spread to lymph nodes but they're going to take out 2-3 dozen and check (a few lit up on PET scan)

I was originally scheduled for 2 surgeries in Nov/Dec, but something opened up in late October for both at once. Then I got Covid (and was fully symptomatic). That meant 4 weeks minimum before I can go under, so it got pushed back to mid-December.

Meanwhile, my thyroid biopsy (for a nodule) came back "not not cancer". Thryoid biopsies are weird in that if you don't have cancer, it tells you that. However if it's anything else, it might be benign, it might be malignant...dunno!! "So let's just take it out". Further gene testing in process but at minimum I'm expecting to need 1/2 of it removed.

As things sit today, I'm focusing on getting all my engineering projects squared away so that everything can stay afloat during recovery. The recovery is basically 2 weeks of the worst throat pain you can imagine and then 4-5 weeks until "full recovery" which means eating solid food. Then, who knows if I'll need PT for anything post-surgery. Then, radiation (dependent on tumor & lymph node pathology). Then, thyroid.

As for Turbo's Aquatics:

Rev 5: On hold. I'm not even going to think about moving it forward again until I have a handle on recovery and any other surgeries or treatments

Rev 4 discounted units: On hold. I have parts, I can make more. The holdup is that I still need to finalize my LED boards, but once that is done, I just have to sit down and assemble. I may have physical limitation due the neck dissection. So we'll see.

Next Generation Sumps and ATOs: On hold. My shop space lease will be up at the end of March, so if I can't find another smaller space for my laser cutter and other production equipment, these might get pushed off even further. I did finally find a source for clear & black 1/4" acrylic but I am actually still waiting for my supplier to get that material in stock. It has been 9 months since I have been able to find black 1/4" cast acrylic at a decent price and of acceptable quality. For all of you wondering why my ATOs have been out of stock for so long, that's why.

Customer Service Requests & Issues: I'm going to try my best to get these all taken care of by mid-December. But honestly I don't know if I'll get to everything.

That's it for now
Click to expand...

To catch everyone here up, I had (rather invasive) throat surgery on 12/12, then some molars pulled a few weeks ago in prep for combined chemo-radiation (which started last week).

I have someone leasing out my workshop space through the end of the lease period but I have resigned to the fact that I really need to purge out everything I can and focus on my engineering company and my health, and this needs to happen really fast because the side effects of treatment are going to peak out right around the time my lease is done.

So I'm going to be posting a LOT of stuff that I have accumulated over the years. Some of this I have no idea what it's worth or if it is even good anymore, so many things will be free or "donation accepted".

I few of the items I will be posting:

75G glass tank with black silicone (pretty much new)
40 Breeder
RSR 170 full setup w/white stand and extras
Various stock tanks

CWT Aquatics last-grab products:
50g Rev B sump (last one) GONE
Two (2) 25g Rev A sumps with bubbles in the seams
One (1) 5g ATO with no defects (just the old version prior to adding the LSS port)

Scrap Acrylic: all you want, I'm tossing a whole bunch of this eventually. Some is old (paper gets dried up, etc) but my garbage is someone's treasure

Boxes: If you need big boxes I have big boxes. Literally hundreds. I will sell them cheap GONE

Bulkheads: 1" and 1.5" slip x slip (hundreds of each)

Buckets: I have a bunch of white Lowe's 5G buckets and lids, gently used.

100G Vertical Stock Tank: one I listed a while back never sold

Dual RODI: I have a couple of these that I will post

Dual GFO/Carbon reactor: I think I have 3 of these

Various junk picked up over the years from prizes and such: lots and lots of this stuff.

Coming soon. When I can...this week is pretty busy

Maureen · Jan 29, 2024

Sorry to hear this Bud. Hoping all goes well for you.

Easy E · Jan 30, 2024

Best wishes for healing and recovery.

Would you have enough scrap acrylic to build a small sump approximately 20"L x 15"W x 18"H?

AdamLawrence · Jan 30, 2024

Best wishes and hope you have a speedy recovery.

Sent from my SM-S908U1 via App

D007 · Jan 31, 2024

Sorry to hear that news Bud. Hope the treatment and recovery goes well and your back too it shortly after

Netfish and Chill · Jan 31, 2024

Hope all goes well Bud!

Dave Amelon · Feb 2, 2024

Sorry to hear that, I hope all goes well for you.

Bud · Feb 2, 2024

Easy E said: ↑

Best wishes for healing and recovery.

Would you have enough scrap acrylic to build a small sump approximately 20"L x 15"W x 18"H?
Click to expand...

Possibly but not 100% sure

Easy E · Feb 24, 2024

Bud said: ↑

Possibly but not 100% sure
Click to expand...

Sorry Bud, for some reason I didn't get a notification that you had replied. I would probably take the scrap acrylic off your hands if it's still available.

Bud · Feb 26, 2024

Easy E said: ↑

Sorry Bud, for some reason I didn't get a notification that you had replied. I would probably take the scrap acrylic off your hands if it's still available.
Click to expand...

No big deal, nothing is gone yet. The acrylic scrap that I have may not be worth it, mostly long narrow pieces that I've been hanging on to for years, so the paper is all dried up. There are tricks to getting old paper off but it's just another step. I mean I'm gonna toss it otherwise so have at it, but just don't want you to waste a trip

I'm going to be listing stuff here pretty soon.

Easy E · Feb 26, 2024

Bud said: ↑

No big deal, nothing is gone yet. The acrylic scrap that I have may not be worth it, mostly long narrow pieces that I've been hanging on to for years, so the paper is all dried up. There are tricks to getting old paper off but it's just another step. I mean I'm gonna toss it otherwise so have at it, but just don't want you to waste a trip

I'm going to be listing stuff here pretty soon.
Click to expand...

I would need some pieces that are at least 18" wide. Otherwise, you're right, it's probably not worth the trip.

Bud · Feb 26, 2024

Easy E said: ↑

I would need some pieces that are at least 18" wide. Otherwise, you're right, it's probably not worth the trip.
Click to expand...

Sent you a message

Chlora · Mar 1, 2024

So sorry to hear this! Cancer sucks (I went through it) I pray everything goes well for you. If you have a chance check into RSO for help with the cancer. I have recently heard some great things about it helping and even getting rid of cancer. If my cancer ever comes back I will be doing this with my treatment.

Bud · Apr 3, 2024

Individual and Group Listing Threads:

For Sale - 60 gallon stock tank $30 OBO

For Sale - Lots of Bulkheads

For Sale - 40 Breeder $30 OBO

For Sale - Reef Octopus NW-150 Skimmer (no pump) $100 OBO

For Sale - IceCap 250W MH Ballasts - $50 OBO

For Sale - RSR 170 Full Setup - $935 OBO

For Sale - Kessil H80 Tuna Flora

For Sale - Various Dosing Equipment

For Sale - Various Equipment

For Sale - Various Dosing Supplies & Filtration Media

Freshwater stuff:

For Sale - Various Freshwater Items

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