400g Envision Reef Build

[garrettm85]

Kilmca,

Nice to follow another great local tank! We definately are lucky here in Oregon.

Keep us updated over at PNWMAS aswell. I have been following your posts there also and things are looking nice!

Let me know if you want to come check out my system sometime. I would be more than happy to do some trading or just chat reef.


Garrett

 

[Untamed12]

Untamed12,

I was considering an 8ft x 4ft x 2ft 480 gallon tank but the 400g plan was the design that won. I think i'll be trying the herbie drains if they get rid of bubbles. I've heard to go with gate valves rather than ball valves, right? Ball valves aren't really reliable, so I've heard. [/B]

Mine is 72" x 48" x 26".

Yes, the Herbie completely eliminates air from going down the drains. That is why they are silent. It is also why you can make the drain exit below water line in the sump and there will be no splashing noise and less salt creep.

It is not that Gate valves are more reliable...it is that they are more adjustable. You need that adjustability to fine tune the water level above the Herbie drain in the overflow box.

 

[SaraB]

Great looking tank! I too have an Envision's tank and hopefully some plumbing gets done tonight! (90x30x26)

 

[mpoletti]

Is that the PM422 or 622? Do you think it will keep up with your demands?

Beautiful tank and set up? I really like the distance the tangs can swim back and forth.

 

[GSMguy]

if someone were to start an envision club i think the tanks would all be amazing.
Kilmca did you just stab that milli frag with a thumbtack? will the metal inside the frag corrode and cause problems?

Nice skimmer, is that with the dart gold motor?

 

[kilmca]

Durso/Herbie drains!

Durso/Herbie drains!

I had two ball valves sitting around so i just added them to my dursos and i completely got rid of the bubble problem I had. It didn't reduce the overflow noise at all but there was not much to begin with. So i guess i have a durso/herbie split system.

 

[kilmca]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13761189#post13761189 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by garrettm85
Kilmca,

Nice to follow another great local tank! We definately are lucky here in Oregon.

Keep us updated over at PNWMAS aswell. I have been following your posts there also and things are looking nice!

Let me know if you want to come check out my system sometime. I would be more than happy to do some trading or just chat reef.


Garrett

I posted a similar update on PNWMAS this weekend. I haven't been spending much time on either site but if I spend anytime on one it's usually PNWMAS.

I would like to see your tank. I sometime get down to Salem and i'll be sure to let you know when i do.

 

[kilmca]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13762246#post13762246 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mpoletti
Is that the PM422 or 622? Do you think it will keep up with your demands?

Beautiful tank and set up? I really like the distance the tangs can swim back and forth.

That is a PM422. I got it off of craigslist and used it on the previous 200 galllon setup. So far it's keeping up with this tank but i don't have much demand. I've been checking my calcium every other day and it's staying right at 400.

The whole reason for going with a 10' long tank was for the Tangs. I can't wait till they get larger.

 

[kilmca]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13762253#post13762253 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by GSMguy
if someone were to start an envision club i think the tanks would all be amazing.
Kilmca did you just stab that milli frag with a thumbtack? will the metal inside the frag corrode and cause problems?

Nice skimmer, is that with the dart gold motor?

No i got that milli frag already attached to the plastic golf tee so no metal. I just haven't used any epoxy and permantly placed the frag yet.

That is the dart gold motor, it's a great motor and it runs really cool compared to the dart return pump which is a ao smith motor.

 

[Untamed12]

Can you post a picture of your overflow box, the drains and the valves? You should completely remove the durso and standpipe on the drain above the valve. You can leave the durso on the emergency pipe, but no water should be going down that pipe anyway.

The only sound you should hear should be the sound of the water falling into the overflow box and you can reduce this by dialing the valve back to raise the water line so that the water doesn't fall very far.

Ball valves work...but gate valves work better as you can more accurately adjust them.

 

[kilmca]

I just added a ball valve to the end of the pipe going into the sump and adjusted the ball valve so very few bubbles were entering the sump. There is no water flowing through the backup dursos. It's been running like this for over a month and now problems. I don't see a problem in the future since I still have the full capacity of the back up dursos in each overflow.

It would have been nice to use a gate valve but since i had the 2 ball valves sitting around i thought i would use those. It did take a little time to get them adjusted. I reduced the amount of bubbles going into the sump enough that they do not make it to the return pump.

I don't have any pictures here at work but I could take some tonight.

 

[rob1991]

the clown tang is awsome! how long have u had him?

 

[kilmca]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13766227#post13766227 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rob1991
the clown tang is awsome! how long have u had him?

Thanks

Clown, Blue and Sailfin Tang were all added at the same time in mid january of 2007. I also added the pair of Lyretail Anthias and Potters angel at that time too. The other fish have been added slowly since then.

 

[xXReefXx]

nice tank!!

 

[kilmca]

Updated Pictures

Updated Pictures

Finally made some more progress on the tank and trim work around the tank. No special additions to mention. I had to shut down the calcium reactor because my ALK got too high. I was getting ready to leave for 10 days during xmas time and didn't have time to play with it. I was able to get about 100 gallons of water changed in a week before I left to lower the ALK. I have been doing a 25 gallon water change every 5 days since i've been back to get everything back to normal. Some corals didn't like the high ALK, others could care less or so it appeared. More pics at the following link.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/16991411@N05/

 

[InsaneClownFish]

Looks great! Boy does that guy James build some nice tanks.

 

[Untamed12]

From those of us in the Envision club...yes, he does build nice stuff.

Time to mount some small SPS frags in there! Don't bother with big colonies, you'll have those in no time.

 

[SaraB]

I love the look of that tank!

James does build fantastic tanks! I'm hoping to move some fish over into my new 268G Envision tank this weekend.

 

[Jhardain]

Very nice tank!! Look forward to seeing the progress of it.

 

[kilmca]

Updated Pictures

Updated Pictures

Thought I would share some updated pictures. First one is FTS, second one is with moonlights on. The moonlights are just (2) 9 watt actinic PC bulbs from a retrofit kit i had laying around. Other pics are of some fish. You can always check out more pictures here.