300 gallon tank, 96*48*15
- Thread starter mwood
- Start date
tomviolence
In Memoriam
mwood said:
Here is the skimmer. A real PITA to adjust, but I'm getting a gate valve to fix that.
What is all that stuff against the wall to the left?
overanalyzer
New member
tomviolence said:
I'd hazard a guess at his internal water pipe control center for all the hot and cold water in his house!
MARCUS - man how did the build go?? I am going to be looking for some skimmer build pointers!
mwood
Premium Member
The red and blue pipe to the left is my house water system. I have almost no copper.
As for tips for building a skimmer, I have a few. The intake and output you see in the pic were holes drilled and glued in place with two part epoxy. Donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t try this. The output pipe came loose and water was everywhere. I redid it with a couple 6*6*4 sanitary Tââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s. Then I used bushings to reduce them down to 1 Ã"šÃ‚½. Tips I would give are:
1. Glue everything up right. Donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t cut corners or cost.
2. Use precise valves for both air and water, like gate valves. You want precision control on both air and water, and ball valves donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t cut it.
3. Donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t under power the skimmer. Even a bad skimmer can do a little better with a good pump and a great skimmer can be crap with a weak pump.
4. Give the skimmer 12-24 hours if you are using glue on the skimmer or have your hands in the tank. I noticed that the skimmer wasnââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t doing much the first day. I was getting no head. Well, after a good 12 hours of running without my hands in the tank it really started to take off.
I'll post a new pic tonight.
Marcus
As for tips for building a skimmer, I have a few. The intake and output you see in the pic were holes drilled and glued in place with two part epoxy. Donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t try this. The output pipe came loose and water was everywhere. I redid it with a couple 6*6*4 sanitary Tââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s. Then I used bushings to reduce them down to 1 Ã"šÃ‚½. Tips I would give are:
1. Glue everything up right. Donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t cut corners or cost.
2. Use precise valves for both air and water, like gate valves. You want precision control on both air and water, and ball valves donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t cut it.
3. Donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t under power the skimmer. Even a bad skimmer can do a little better with a good pump and a great skimmer can be crap with a weak pump.
4. Give the skimmer 12-24 hours if you are using glue on the skimmer or have your hands in the tank. I noticed that the skimmer wasnââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t doing much the first day. I was getting no head. Well, after a good 12 hours of running without my hands in the tank it really started to take off.
I'll post a new pic tonight.
Marcus
mwood
Premium Member
I don't. I adjust it consevatively for now till I get a feal for where the adjustments should be based on the foam head that appears at the top of the skimmer and the skimmate output. If the skimmate is comming out too clear, I adjust it down. Right now the air is at the max input without repriming the pump.
I hope you don't mind me asking ... but roughly how much did they let this tank go for? When they moved into the new shop i was wondering what they were going to do with it after the lagoon was set up.
Anyways it is a much better looking tank in your hands. how did you end up placing your lights in the reflectors? I may have to steal your pendant design.
Anyways it is a much better looking tank in your hands. how did you end up placing your lights in the reflectors? I may have to steal your pendant design.
mwood
Premium Member
Sent you a pm on the price. The lights are pine, coated on the outside with spar varnish, coated on the inside with high temp paint, with 1000 degree insulation, then the reflector screwed in. This is risky at best. You may choose to make yours bigger and put more space between the bulbs and the wood.
Herbert T. Kornfeld
In Memoriam
so mwood...how's the overflow problem going?
tigerarmy40
New member
i love that the fish dont have to be right on top of eachother! they can be seperate of all the others if they feel...its lookin good man keep the pics comin!
mwood
Premium Member
Iââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢ll try to hit both positives and negatives from as objective point of view as I can.
Positives
- Cheep to set up, I have around $2000 in it.
- No heat issues, Iââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢m actually nervous the 800w heater wonââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t keep up this winter.
- Plenty of room for corals.
- A wide range of conditions. I can find variations of high and low light as well as high and low flow.
- Easy to work in. I can get in and out of the tank quick without worrying about wet shirt sleeves.
- Corals are doing great. I havenââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t had the best success with some corals in the past. I took on some free not lookinââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢ so good corals from a friend. They are doing very well now.
- Good blend of light. The Iwasaki XM 20k blend comes out white. I donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t know if the corals do any better because of it though.
- Intermittent water flow. Between the OM 4way and the CSD, water movement is always changing.
- 3-5 gallons of skimmate a week.
- A large area to keep a fish that donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t normally get along. I have pair of tomato clowns and a maroon clown that donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t mind each other.
- CSD is adjustable. The plumbing in the CSD is threaded to the bulkhead. That gives some adjustment.
Negatives
- Nervous about a blowout on the closed loop. Such an event would result in a loss of all water in the tank.
- Nervous about light pendants. I used reflectors, 1000 degree insulation, and 1200 degree paint, but itââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s still halides in pine boxes. If I leave for a day or two, I may turn off the 400w halides while Iââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢m gone.
- Have had to tinker with the CSD to keep it consistant.
- Ran out of funds for corals. Most of the corals you see arenââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t as colorfull as the expensive ones as I ran low on funds. Welcome to the club, right?
- Wish the tank was a little taller. The best view is sitting down or from above, but the light overflow into the room makes the sitting and looking difficult. I may have a way to work with this. I give an update later.
- Canââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t have powerheads. I wish I could add some tunzes or a tunze wave box, but donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t want a cord hanging over the top of the tank.
- Should have drilled the return. I wish I drilled another hole in the bottom for the return.
- Flow out of OM 4way is hard and linier. I may add flairs to the outputs to spread out the flow.
- Donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t really like the crushed coral substraight, but I donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t want sand storms.
Things left to do.
- Add breakers and wiring dedicated to the tank.
- Finish the room to look like the rainforest.
- Add clams and other pretty corals.
- Add a small sting ray?
- Find a way to create a weekly storm in the tank. This would require a dramatic increase in flow for a couple hours.
- Maybe update lighting. I might get away from the Iwasakiââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s and have 10kââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s and 15kââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s.
Positives
- Cheep to set up, I have around $2000 in it.
- No heat issues, Iââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢m actually nervous the 800w heater wonââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t keep up this winter.
- Plenty of room for corals.
- A wide range of conditions. I can find variations of high and low light as well as high and low flow.
- Easy to work in. I can get in and out of the tank quick without worrying about wet shirt sleeves.
- Corals are doing great. I havenââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t had the best success with some corals in the past. I took on some free not lookinââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢ so good corals from a friend. They are doing very well now.
- Good blend of light. The Iwasaki XM 20k blend comes out white. I donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t know if the corals do any better because of it though.
- Intermittent water flow. Between the OM 4way and the CSD, water movement is always changing.
- 3-5 gallons of skimmate a week.
- A large area to keep a fish that donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t normally get along. I have pair of tomato clowns and a maroon clown that donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t mind each other.
- CSD is adjustable. The plumbing in the CSD is threaded to the bulkhead. That gives some adjustment.
Negatives
- Nervous about a blowout on the closed loop. Such an event would result in a loss of all water in the tank.
- Nervous about light pendants. I used reflectors, 1000 degree insulation, and 1200 degree paint, but itââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s still halides in pine boxes. If I leave for a day or two, I may turn off the 400w halides while Iââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢m gone.
- Have had to tinker with the CSD to keep it consistant.
- Ran out of funds for corals. Most of the corals you see arenââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t as colorfull as the expensive ones as I ran low on funds. Welcome to the club, right?
- Wish the tank was a little taller. The best view is sitting down or from above, but the light overflow into the room makes the sitting and looking difficult. I may have a way to work with this. I give an update later.
- Canââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t have powerheads. I wish I could add some tunzes or a tunze wave box, but donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t want a cord hanging over the top of the tank.
- Should have drilled the return. I wish I drilled another hole in the bottom for the return.
- Flow out of OM 4way is hard and linier. I may add flairs to the outputs to spread out the flow.
- Donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t really like the crushed coral substraight, but I donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t want sand storms.
Things left to do.
- Add breakers and wiring dedicated to the tank.
- Finish the room to look like the rainforest.
- Add clams and other pretty corals.
- Add a small sting ray?
- Find a way to create a weekly storm in the tank. This would require a dramatic increase in flow for a couple hours.
- Maybe update lighting. I might get away from the Iwasakiââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s and have 10kââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s and 15kââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s.
Herbert T. Kornfeld
In Memoriam
Try a 'collar' to help with light. I have an open top with pendants as well, and so I ended up making a 'rim' for the tank that goes around all the edges and just sits on the tank. Its made of 3/4" ply that has been stained & sealed, and is 7" tall. No more fish jumping out, and no more glare.
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