300 gal reef re-do

Whew I just got caught back up on your progress. I like the skimmer. Looking good.

Man that is a lot of water. Your scaring me about having all that water in my house. I think I am going to make sure all my pc's in my office are off the floor.

Man your tank looked sweet when you took it down. I cant wait too see this time around..
 
Yeah I am finally getting there. I had to make the wife happy and setup a spare bedroom for our new commer. I got this 12mm laminate floor with beveled edges that I am also going to use in the entire house. When done it should look sweet. Since I am stuck away i will work on that little project for you.

DId you build a kalk reactor yet or just working on the skimmer? Whats next for your plans?
 
Skimmer 1st, then my next order of acrylic will be enough to cover kalk, Ca, carbon and phos reactors. That damn acrylic tube is so expensive for the good cell cast 1/4" stuff.
 
Why don't you save some money and footprint and build a multi-media-reactor like mine?

sump%20reactor%20021207.jpg
 
I guess if your gona go square, why not make it a square affair. Johnathan what do you use for KALK? Do you have any other pics of your reactor. I will check your site but don't think you had any of the build.
 
I ended up buying a Barr stirrer just because I didn't have the time to build it myself, and it is made exactly the way I would have done it, but with a better hatch.

You can see more pics of the multi-media reactor and the kalk stirrer on my Equipment Page as well as some shots of the reactor in progress. I am open to PMs regarding how the reactor was built and how it runs. I envision smaller versions of this reactor taking the place of a sump/ floss/ carbon, CA, and GFO for under-tank installations. It is a very marketable product.

HTH.
 
I like the Barr stirrer also. Thats how I came across their skimmer that I'm duplicating. I'm going to be using that design also. They use a Hanna magnetic stirrer which I was going to get at Aquatic-eco for $80. I just have to get the tube since I have nylon bolts, o-rings and flat stock left over.

Jonathan- I will PM you about the multi-media reactor after I finish the skimmer. That might be pretty cool rather than 4 separate chambers.
 
Just a couple of issues to point out with stirrers:

1. Can't stand the pump kind. This is a maintanance issue as well as an overdosing issue.

2. Magnetic bar Stirrers are good and typically do not have an air gap, but they can only take so much kalk powder or they will get sticky/mushy, and the bar won't turn. I had issues with mine like that, and also OD issues due to how much it clouds the chamber. I have had to set mine to go on twice/day, and turn off the top-off during and for the following hour after the stir.

3. The Deltec stirrer is very nice in that it is a rod based stirrer. It stirs slowly and consistently, and should not OD the tank because of that. So, you are able to run top-off water continuously. The downside is the air gap at the top. As I get more experience with stirrers, I am more in favor of the Deltec design. I am NOT a DeltecBot, but I have seen them in use and inspected the way that they run. I feel that this is probably the best design, even with the air gap.
 
I finished my skimmer today. Thought I'd post a buch of pics I took along the way.

I started by cutting all my tubes down to size
100_1558.jpg


Tubes are cut down and flat pieces are cut out
100_1563.jpg


I laid out all cuts, rabbits and holes
100_1560.jpg
 
The circles and holes were all cut by using my drill press like a milling machine. I put a 1/4" cutter in the drill press, drilled a small hole in the center of the acrylic so it could pivot, nailed it to a board and rotated it into the cutter.
100_1564.jpg


The flat pieces were all edge jointed
100_1559.jpg


Starting to glue up the base
100_1566.jpg


Edges were rounded over slightly
100_1568.jpg


This is the interior baffle that will direct the bubbles up the center chamber into the main chamber
100_1569.jpg


Glueing the baffle in place
100_1570.jpg


Baffle with center tube installed
100_1571.jpg


Attaching the injector tubes with a support that I incorporated into the main body flange
 
WOWWW.. :thumbsup: :eek1:


your carpentry skills and tools make that thing look awsome. Excellent job. That thing is bad a$%^&^.

I think I am going to try and finds a decent drill press. Beside a drill press and router anything else you think would help. Beside being a craftsman like your self.
 
A dremel is handy for getting into spots. Like the PVC fittings the becketts go into were ground out with the dremel. A jointer is handy for cleaning up the edges of flat acrylic to be glued. A sled for the table saw so you can spin the cylinders to cut them. You can also use a circle cutting jig for the router instead of the drill press. Jasper makes a good one.

The size is just over 4' tall. The body is 8" diameter the injection tubes are 2.5" and the box is 12x14x12. Input is 1" pvc and outflow is 2" pvc.

I have to check but I think I have to wait a couple of days before I can put water in it. I'm new at this acrylic stuff. This is actually the first thing I've built out of it.
 
beautiful work. the jointer is what makes it all come together, and the next time I do an acrylic project, I am going to get one. :D
 
Back
Top