375 g Reef/ 600 g System stuffed in my office

[edandsandy]

Bax, I'm glad to hear you are getting thing in order.
Its been a long time in the planning and it sounds like you have everything lined up..
How's that saw- zaw doing btw? :lol:

 

[Bax]

Bax, I'm glad to hear you are getting thing in order.
Its been a long time in the planning and it sounds like you have everything lined up..
How's that saw- zaw doing btw? :lol:

Why thank you Sandy! I used my sawzall just last night to "modify" some existing structure that was in the way of reefing progress... It's gone now!

Still some supports to add to the enclosure before I dare to hoist the two 32g Brute cans up there to hold my RODI make & SW mixing water, but soon! I was out today and will be all day tomorrow too, maybe Friday I can do it. Then I'll move the chiller and redo the entire plumbing network and turn my attention to actually seting up some tanks to look at in the office!!! :fish2:

 

[Bax]

Better access to the system has allowed me to actually do some much needed maintenance. My skimmer was really ugly! NO! I mean REALLY UGLY!!! I was hoping to see a issue when I finally did some testing, to my delight and surprise, my nitrite/nitrates are good < 5, Alk - good dkh of 9-9.5, Ca - OK ~ 420 could be a little higher, pH - solid at 8.0-8.3, my ORP was low at 280 and PO4 high at 0.1 (Hanna) the highest it's been in a couple of years between here and the last tank.

Good news, is that I see no major imbalances. But obviousy the lack of maintenance is taking its toll and the corals that demand the cleanest water are showing the wear and tear. Time to get back to basics.

So, I cleaned the skimmer and decrusted the becketts, changed filter socks and placed in some fresh carbon, cranked up the O3 (set on low for 12 hours a day), and did a 10% water change. All over the course of a week. I did not want to do too much too soon as .... First off , that has never worked out well for me... And, secondly, I needed to travel this past weekend to Virginia to see family and did want to have any bad reactions while I was gone.

This week I'll change more water, add GFO to the mix, maybe turn up the O3 for a while, swap the socks and GAC... And, from the look of it, clean the skimmer again as it is down right nasty again already. A sure sign that the dirty skimmer was a big negative issue. As was lack of sock swaps and water canges due to the confining nature of my tempurature control measures. The big pink and blue wall was effective, but a real PITA!

About the socks. I am really pleased with the additional mechanical filtration they provide, and believe they are worth the effort. But, they are a lot of effort. So, I'll be stealling one of Jonathan's many good ideas and building an acrylic media rack for my drain section that will hold mats of filter fabric, ranging from coarse to fine in layers. The pads will be easier to swap. They can be bought in bulk rolls, so by reefing standards, that = dirt cheap! And no washing! Besides the act of the swap, there's no maintenance!

I've always used the bulk rolls of coarse media to cut filter pads to stick at convenient spots in the system, rinsing or changing them often. but with this at the main drain of the main sump, it should be over all more effective and simpler... At least, that's the plan!

 

[TampaReefer79]

Looking good man! Love the dimensions...I JUST started a thread with the same tank last night - "My 375 gallon money pit". I like seeing what you're doing since we have the same tank. Mine is a peninsula so the rockwork is a little tricky. I can't wait to see some more progress!

 

[Bax]

TampaReefer79

Huh!?! A Giants fan all the way down in Tampa. Cool!

Everything is in holding tanks at the moment, the filtration components are in place and just about as they will be for the 375, but I do hope to get the 375 in place and filled before the summer. If I can't I'll probably trade down to a deep dims 250 or 300, but I really want to use the 30" h & w dims of this tank, at 8' it's a whole lota tank to look at! It will let me choose a few corals and to really allow them to sprawl as they will, as well as keep the angels and tangs I long for.

... One day ... One day

 

[Bax]

After enjoying auto pilot for quite some time while my system was under winter wraps, I've been having some issues. Not that I did not expect there to be after all, lack of maintanance always leads to issues eventually ... right?

So, I framed out most of the enclosure. It goes slowly as I cut a board here and tack it in there, it's a process. In getting the frame up and covered, I now have much better access to do much needed maintinance. Upon getting a good look at the system, there was some minor algea starting up. My PO4 was up to 0.1 but other then that, my params seemed OK.

So, I cleaned the skimmer and started doing WCs to bring down the PO4. Oddly, things got worse, quickly. More small water changes, like 5 g a day. My SPS were loosing color and even STSning!

I start really digging into the set up to look for something that's gone out of wack while it was all coverd up. Nothing jumped out at first then I found this.

This was the digi thermometer on my SW mix tank. While moving stuff around to set up the enclosure, it ended up in the SW mix tank!

My water changes were poisoning my system! I've all but lost my beautiful torts, both of them! :furious:

I scrubbed he SW mix barrel and started changing water and things look better already.

I also note this, peeling paint from my old 120 canopy placed into service over the 90.

It must have started peeling in the cold of the shop from temp swings as I do not recall it being in this shape, or I'd have done somthing about it. Anyone know if this is really bad for SPS? I am hoping most of it is removed in the socks on the drains.

And, no, the 375 is not set up yet. But, I did frame out the stand for the 100g! :hammer:

All pocket hole and glued joints

It'll get a skinning and couple of coats of paint and then I'll set up the 75 and 100! SOON!!! :celeb1:

 

[NexDog]

Good stuff. Chop chop, old boy.

 

[Bax]

Something tells me you'd a really demanding boss!

 

[NexDog]

I prefer to think I bring out the best in people when they are challenged.

 

[Bax]

Oh! I m definitly challenged!

 

[erics3000]

No more about going to smaller tank. If you can afford the maintenance of a 300 the 375 is worth it. I cant give you any advice about corals but I really regret not getting a 36 wide tank squeezed in instead of the 30. It really affects aquascape. I don't have a lot of corals and it bothers me. I am sure in a year it will bother me more.

Bla bla bla It doesn't fit through the door...make it fit............
:thumbsup:

 

[erics3000]

Oh yeah ..Nice stand. I like the pocket screws...

 

[Bax]

Thanks Eric!

The ONLY thing that will make me give up 8' of 30" depth I have in the 375, is 36" of depth, nothing else will do!

Pocket screws are the way to go, I can't imagine building a stand without them. Sealed thw frame with Kilz today.

 

[Bax]

Skinned the back and bottom of the 100g stand. Need some more primer sealer for that and then then a coat of grey paint and I'll move it in to the office and start pluming the 100 & 75. Still wrestling with the canopy design. I want both to match for uniformity, incorporate ventilation, and obviously ... house appropriate lighting for each tank. I've got some ideas!

While I would not say I am totally out of the woods, as corals are still in the stabilizing & recovery phase, but things are looking up!

I've continued hard skimming, water changes and swaping GAC every couple of three days as well as adding Brightwells ELEMENTAL Reef Builder to assure that the SPS have what they need in the system while I try to remove the nasties introduce by the digital thermometer incident.

 

[Bax]

Eye candy has been slim on this thread during the winter hibernation, and made worse by my recent troubles with rusted electrical teabags (aka digital thermometer disaster), kilz flakes (from the old canopy), Alk instability (another long post for another day) and subsequently algae. PO4 had wiggled it's way up to as high as 0.09-0.12 on my Hanna meter. I've been cleaning & servicing the skimmer regularly, cleaned the Kalk RX and recharged it, swapped GAC, finally put GFO on line and swapped filter socks. Glanced at the Ca Rx but needed to order media. After adding GFO, the PO4 is back to 0.02 .... better! I have to think much of the raise in PO4 was due to the SPS carnage. While doing all this maintenance and working to balance my Alk and params, I noticed my Ca Rx pump had seized up. Ugh! It's never ending some times :sad2: So I cleaned it put back together and now the o-ring leaks! REALLY!?!?!?! :fun2:

Anyway, after loosing a few colonies that had been with me a while, things are beginning to to really look up in the SPS tank. I was able to frag most everything so there are few total losses. My baby blue tipped stag was nearly 18" across, it's gone, but I have a 7" frag that iis holding on nicely. Frags are definitely doing better than the large colonies, but the colonies that remain seem to be coming around.

Color and PE today, from a frag of ORA tort, the colony is gone, but I hve about 8-10 frags of varying size. All these pics are untouched by PS under 12k Reeflux only.

This gemmifera is like a cat! It was an original SPS colony waaaaay back in my 75 g reef circa 2004-2005. My first Alk crash along with a bout with AEFWs took a toll and I was down to a few Qtips sized frags. Nearly lost it, but here it is today, giving growth color and PE.

Here's an insurance frag of blue prostrata, looking OK! The colony as most of my colonies is still a bit flat on color, but PE is on the rise across the tank so maybe that's a sign of recovery.

I had to break up this microlads after the move and nearly lost all the frags. It's not great yet, but since the digital tea bag incident, I haven't seen any PE till today!

This gommezi, from a local LFS purchased just before the winter was really pale and sad looking, it has really colored back up and look at the PE!

This frag, an unknown acro from the same LFS as the gomz, recently purchased as a "comparative" was a bit dull when I brought it home. I wanted to have a new piece to compare, so I bought a brown out. It is just soaking up light, changing color, and at times, has just crazy PE! Any thoughts as to what it might be?

I still have a ways to go to be really happy, but i am pleased. I am thinking that expanding the system a tank every couple of few weeks will be a good thing to get me over the hump. This expansoin should help by adding fresh SW and putting all the SPS in better suited positions. Space is at a premium as I am set up now. Starting with the 75 which will house all the SPS frag. The 100 g will house all the SPS colonies will probably be last to go on line as the colonies are in the 90 which is staying in place to become the fuge. I decided to add a 40 g B which will house all the zoas and LPS. I was considering another 75 for this 3rd display, but I have so few non SPS that this will allow me to use a more efficient lighting option for the non sticks in a 36" T-5 fixture I have. :bounce3:

 

[erics3000]

Looking good.At least you have the frags. Last year my son droped pliers and pennies in my sump. I didn't notice until I got back from a 3 week trip. When i start with getting corals I am going to give a little frag of everything I get to my brother for back up.

What do you plan on running in the fuge? DSB , maco, rock ??? I am taking my macro out of my fuge to put in a bin in my sump. Everytime I clean my Macro detritus would drop all over my rocks in my fuge. I am trying to keep my fuge clean, it gets dirty after time. You use socks so that is plus. I am only going to let my skimmer water enter my fuge now. May bee you can use teh same light for macro and your lps??

Did you ever make your catch can for your skimmer? I need to do that too. Do you have any pics??

 

[Bax]

Hey Eric

Yes, I consider myself lucky and hope I don't make any more mistakes.

Here's an old pic of the holding set up.

I've built an enclosure that parallels the stairs. The 75 you see to the right, will come down to make room in the enclosure for equipment. The 90, under the landing, will become the lighted fuge with some LR and marco and maybe a section with a sand bed and sea grass. Under the 90 is a 100 g sump the drain section is were I have the socks. The skimmer now drains to the center section of the sump, that section manages all bubbles from the skimmer, so I never set up a sock for the discharge. And, the drain socks seem to be doing the trick as I have very little detritus in the sump after nearly nine months running this configuration.

Under the stairs, is a 150 g Rubbermaid tub. Currently, there's 750 pounds plus of LR in there. Some of the rock will go into the displays in the office. The 150 will be tied into the sump as a cryptic fuge. The lighted fuge and an RSDB will feed the cryptic fuge. The RSDB will be a series of three, five gallon buckets filled with Southdown.

 

[erics3000]

sounds like fun..

do you have any pics of the skimmer collection tub or can

 

[Bax]

Eric

My "high tech" skimmer collection tub is a 2 gallon bucket that sits at the same level as the base of the MRC skimmer. In the bucket is a piece of 1" PVC with a T on the bottom. The 1" is just a bit taller than the bucket and stands vertically. A length of silcone tube connects to the skimmer cup drain, and is simply stuck into the top of the PVC so the end is at the height in the bucket that I want the skimmate to fill up to. When skimmate rises to the end of the tube, it shuts down the foam head on the skimmer. Works like a charm! At least on my becket skimmer. I'd show you a pic, but it's just that simple and rather butt ugly!

Now that I can actually reach my skimmer, I set the skimmer so it nearly fills the two gallon bucket daily, and I replace that with SW when I dump it. It's just part of my water change routine.

For the socks, I made these :hammer:

It is 4" PVC pipe stuck in a toilet flange. I used well screen, but I'm a driller so I toss out miles of this stuff a year, drilling hole sat the bottom of solid pipe works just fine.

A "knock out" toilet ring ($3.50-7 at HD) makes a great stable base for a high flow sump. The cheaper one requires making little feat out of 1/2" or so to compensate for the knock out ring. High rollers can pop the extra $3.50 for a flat bottom. I'm too cheap! :lolspin:

It's plug and play, just stick the pipe into the flange and it'll hold a sock anywhere in your sump or system.

Filtering water is my thing. I have every size of 4" sock from 1-100 microns, but even in bulk they're nearly $5 a pop. So I've been using 4" drain sleeve from HD. You find it by the black corrogated drain pipe, a 100' roll is like $25 and you can cut socks to length zip tie the bottom and you have a sock for about $0.50! Admitedly, these are larger in pore opening than a 100 micron sock, but still catch a ton of junk! And, this way i don't feel the urge to clean them as it does not pain me to toss out a sock every week or two.

... simpler maintinance is a good thing! :fish1:

 

[Bax]

The 100 g stand is painted, and I've laid out a plan to skin it still need to paint some trim pieces before that happens.

I just cut out an existing overflow box from the acrylic 100g tank as it just didn't work? This tank must be antcient as the design is lacking modern touches of any kind. But at 3/4" acrylic it's a bullet proof tank for my purposes! Eventually this will be my frag grow out tank, but for now it'll house all my SPS colonies.

Haven't done any thing of any importance on the enclosure as it's been stable temp-wise so it's not as critical as getting some fish and corals to a location where I can see'em from my desk! :bigeyes:

To that end:

As you enter the office you'll see the 75 & 100 like this

The 100 stand has been sealed with Kilz. I used a grey enamel where ever flakes could get to the QT that will sit in this lower opening. I am really bugged that the mildew resistant flakes are shedding into the 90 from my old canopy. Granted, that seal job is about four years old, but I just thought the Kilz would last ... well, forever

Here's what I'll see from my desk

I had intended to use this 40g Breeder as the QT under the hundred. But, I am not really Qting any large fish any time soon ... so, how about a 20L for a QT and we'll size the 40 g B up for a stand to match the 100? It'll go right at the door before the 75 as you walk in! .... I know, it's a sickness :fun4:

The 40 will go right below my 80's vintage John G. Shedd Aquarium poster!

Here's the unworkable overflow cut out. Just have to grind off some slag left behind and flame polish, then I can clean it, plumb it & start water testing.

On another front. I am scheming a water change program that will be automated to change 1-2 gallons of SW a day using matching synchronized commercial grade dosing pumps.