40 Gallon Custom, looking for feedback...

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6252981#post6252981 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Esper
ahhhhh, so that's why they call it a float valve instead of a float switch. i get it now! lol...

thanks for the help...and i forgot to say before, i like the tank's inhabitants as much as the equipment! its coming along nicely!
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Exactly! The switch is for running an electric top off, which to me means that it's guaranteed to fail. :) I prefer the gravity fed/mechanical method. Thanks again for the compliment, I plan to add a pearly jaw fish either tonight or tomorrow (if the LFS got them in). I'll post some pics once I get it and it has time to settle in. :)
 
hahaha! that whole "guaranteed to fail" thing is why i was so fascinated by yours.

omg i need to get out of this hobby, i was fascinated looking at a float valve!

(p.s.-- good luck with the jawfish...they are beautiful, but not really suited to my barebottom tank...i'l live vicariously through yours!)
 
To take a page out of Mr. Calfo's book, I've set up my sump with an overflow that heads straight to a drain. If my FW topoff valve gets stuck on, it'll just overfill the sump and hopefully the FW will be what heads straight out the drain (the FW enters the sump right next to the overflow).
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6253195#post6253195 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by "Umm, fish?"
To take a page out of Mr. Calfo's book, I've set up my sump with an overflow that heads straight to a drain. If my FW topoff valve gets stuck on, it'll just overfill the sump and hopefully the FW will be what heads straight out the drain (the FW enters the sump right next to the overflow).
Click to expand...
Nope, that won't happen. If your ATO keeps pumping fresh water into your system, it will mix with the saltwater right as it enters the system, lowering the SG of that particular area. That area will then get pumped through your sump, into your return pump, and into the display, lowering the salinity in the display. The longer your ATO pumps fresh water into the sump, the lower the salinity/SG becomes in your entire system.

-Scott
 
Good thing my reservior is only 2.5 gallons... I can dump the entire thing in my sump and not overflow it. Although the higher the water level the more pressure is put on the valve to close... I think it's pretty safe especially since the pressure on the top off line is nothing. :)
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6253097#post6253097 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by calvin415
Exactly! The switch is for running an electric top off, which to me means that it's guaranteed to fail. :) I prefer the gravity fed/mechanical method.
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Okay, so I had a really long post typed up and then my computer crashed. These work computers really suck (and if anyone from my IT department is reading this, I'm sure you'll agree :)). Anyhow, I'm going to now paraphrase what I typed...

I can hook up multiple float switches in series which requires that ALL switches (2, 3, 7, 29, etc...) fail before my ATO pumps too much fresh water into my system.

Gravity does NOT fail, therefore, gravity fed systems have a higher likelyhood of adding too much fresh water.

Basically, I agree that a float switch is more likely to fail, but it is much harder to add redundancy to a float valve system as opposed to a float switch system.

I guess another way to say it is, if (when) a float switch system fails, the system will be under-topped-off (must be manually to topped-off). If a gravity-fed float valve system fails, it will empty your water resivour, lowering the SG/salinity of the entire system.

Just my 2Ã"šÃ‚¢.

-Scott
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6253381#post6253381 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by calvin415
Good thing my reservior is only 2.5 gallons... I can dump the entire thing in my sump and not overflow it. Although the higher the water level the more pressure is put on the valve to close... I think it's pretty safe especially since the pressure on the top off line is nothing. :)
Click to expand...
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6253381#post6253381 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by calvin415
Good thing my reservior is only 2.5 gallons... I can dump the entire thing in my sump and not overflow it. Although the higher the water level the more pressure is put on the valve to close... I think it's pretty safe especially since the pressure on the top off line is nothing. :)
Click to expand...
I agree... I don't think you're in much (or any) danger. I guess I'm picturing my setup... I currently have just a 2 or 3 gallon tank of fresh water, but if I need to go on vacation for a week, I could just put a 20-gallon tank on the ground and drop the "intake" of my ATO into that. If that were to fail and dump 20-gallons into my system, I'd be in BIG trouble (well, my fish would, I would just have to clean up a bunch of spilled water).

-Scott
 
Originally posted by calvin415
Good thing my reservior is only 2.5 gallons... I can dump the entire thing in my sump and not overflow it. Although the higher the water level the more pressure is put on the valve to close... I think it's pretty safe especially since the pressure on the top off line is nothing. [/B]
Click to expand...

(See Above)

Yea, I know, but I had typed such a long post (prior to you posting that) and once my computer came back up, I had to type it.

-Scott
 
Well, I got a pearly jaw fish Friday night, and a yellow watchman goby today. I hope to add another pearly when the LFS gets another one in... So far he's hiding in a cave he built under my rocks hopefully he'll relax and start to use some of the shells I've got for him. Kind of sucks not seeing him... :(

I'll get some pics, once/if the pearly comes out, in the mean time here's the YWG (he's pretty small, about 1.5" long)...

DSCN1621.jpg


DSCN1622.jpg


DSCN1627.jpg
 
Do you have any problems between the watchman goby and the jawfish? I'm kind of torn between the two at the moment and I was worried that they might be close enough to the same niche that they might fight.
 
Thanks Steven!

So far everything is getting along fine fish, the jawfish is quite scared still, but we'll see what happens when everyone gets settled in. I still want to add one more jawfish so hopefully there won't be any issues... Very strange though, he still hasn't touched the shells I put in there for it. Maybe when there is competion for the shells they'll be used. ???

I'll take some more pics tonight, I added my two blue tort frags late last night but don't think I need both of them. Hopefully I can trade one for some other frag or frags...
 
Here's some different shots of the main Tort frag...

DSCN1638.jpg


DSCN1639.jpg


DSCN1647.jpg


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And here is a full shot, I couldn't get them all in focus but you can see the frag I'm looking to trade in the back...

DSCN1649.jpg
 
Okay here some more equipment! Got a dosing pump and now my Ca levels should be rock solid! B-Ionic dosed through out the day with 7.5 ml/day minimum. That should be just right to start. :)

DSCN1656.jpg


DSCN1655.jpg
 
Alright, got another Pearly Jawfish so now I have a pair, and added 4 more frags... Yellow Mille, Yellow Table Acro, Purple Mille, and a Pink Birdsnest, I can't wait to see them grow out! Still trying to figure out where I want to put them, but they are in the tank for now. ;) Thanks Russ!
 
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