700 gallon tank, or how i spent my daughters inheritance

[Reefski's]

i am still thinking about the refusium and skimmer placement in the system. i want as much raw water to go to the large refugium as possible but like the idea of a slower flow through the refugium.

i wonder why not have the skimmer just before the tank return so that as much nutrient export can be in refugium organisms that will go to feed the tank all that good microfauna.

<a href="http://s93.photobucket.com/albums/l58/reefski/?action=view&current=DSC06369.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l58/reefski/DSC06369.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

this is going to be my sump and grow out tank. i may have four of these bins instead of two. the glass tank is 66x48x18

i could use help with the flow through the sumps. the glass tank has only one 1 1/4" hole in the middle for return to the sump. it will have a separate pump to it from the sump and in tank pumps for most of the circulation within.

we were going to get a mermaid photo of my daughter in the tank before she left for Guatemala for 6 months but never did. probably too late now. she won't be back until the tank has fish and corals in it.

Carl

 

[crazzy]

Is that just a 3/4" plywood with 1" foam holding the Glass tank over the plastic Bins??
Thanx for sharing, congratulations on your setup!

 

[jnarowe]

That looks scary Carl.

 

[Reefski's]

yes it is only 3/4" plywood and foam. i took this picture at the store that i bought it from. they were moving into smaller quarters and didn't need this setup anymore. it worked for them full of water for years so i am not worried.

 

[mouscacha]

Was thinking the same thing! Really like that grow out tank though.

 

[Fireworm]

I would like to have your sump tank for my reef. That is an awesome size tank. It should make a wonderful grow out tank for you. This is starting to make my nano look realllly small. LOL

 

[FFrankie]

Most glass tanks are corner pressure point. That looks fine to me. It ain't going anywhere.
I really like the bin's. could you post a full picture of them? Did i miss this in the thread somewhere? Also where you got them.

 

[Reefski's]

i don't have any other pictures right now. they are from a store moving to a smaller location. $75 each plus $250 for the glass tank. needs a little plumbing work for my setup.

Carl

 

[crazzy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12308405#post12308405 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Reefski's
yes it is only 3/4" plywood and foam. i took this picture at the store that i bought it from. they were moving into smaller quarters and didn't need this setup anymore. it worked for them full of water for years so i am not worried.

Is that piece of plywood smooth both sides with no bracing underneath the outside edges??
Thanx

{Nice score on the prices!!}

 

[jnarowe]

nice bargain. :thumbsup:

 

[keekalmatter]

if you were still trying to figure out how to plumb it, i would say run one overflow directly to it and run the other one through the skimmer, then you would have both. Or do the same thing but on the return lines.

I dont know if this will work with how your setting it up, or even if it would work at all since ive never done it. Just sounds like it would work to me, maybe someelse has dont this before and has some input

 

[karm40]

Dave B, 02manyfish, you know, the guy we aren't allowed to talk about, didn't he have a few bins plumbed together in his backyard?

 

[Reefski's]

yes, he still does. i think his tank is 450 gallons and system volume 1700 total so several bins.

i have 5 2" overflows in the tank so can route them to various places as desired.

 

[Reefski's]

skimmer/ refusium considerations-

i do plan to have two return pumps for redundancy in case one fails the system still runs.

if i have the skimmer first, do i put the output of the skimmer back into the same container it draws from or dump it back in just before the return? a consideration is in running the pump dry if there is a pump failure on part of the system and the skimmer pump runs dry. or i turn the return pumps off for feeding and the skimmer tank, (it will be in a separate 75 gallon tank) runs dry.

do skimmers remove a lot of particulates such as pods as well as DOC's.

kind of another topic but are skimmers really needed if you have other mechanisms for export- refusium, macroalgae, growth of corals, fish fed from the bottom of the food chain up? aren't we removing the food sources for the microrganisms that feed the rest of our tanks? if we let those micofauna/refusium, dsb critters multiply to a high level and give them substrate enough do we really need a skimmer? i plan to have as much or more water volume and substrate in the sump area as the display tank.

my 260 gallon tank has a DSB and attached 55 gallon with DSB. mostly skimmerless for the past two years. the sand bed is full of fan worms, small bristle worms, spagetti worms, mysis shrimps, pods, lots of sponges, et al.

i feed twice a day 15-20 grams of food plus a 10x10 sheet of Nori.

i have a spiffy new skimmer for the new tank that i will plumb into the system but i may just be a skimmerless heretic.

i do want to run ozone on the tank and a skimmer is a good way to do that. i have an Aqua C EV-400 that i can use for that and have a small skimmer.

i have this skimmer hooked to the new tank with the ozone now. it is not producing much. of course i am not feeding much either. just a few grams per day of Brine Shrimp Direct's 5-50 micron food.

it is plumbed into the sump return which is as much to keep my autotop off working right on the sump as for the skimming.

there are hundreds of mysis in the tank now.

Carl

 

[jnarowe]

Lot of heavy stuff in that last post dude!

There are successful skimmerless tanks all over the World. I wouldn't choose that method myself, but primarily because I am a relative noob.

Yes, IMO, a good skimmer can pull out all sorts of stuff you want to "keep" in the system, but when your system matures, it should be able to stay with the skimmer and produce enough. When I set up my system, I was skimmerless for a couple of months+ and this allowed the fauna to take root and get up enough mass.

There are so many ways to do this that answering your questions is quite difficult. You will get opinions pro & con, but what it really comes down to is what your personal philosophy is for reef keeping.

I would not re-skim water though. I have mine fed by gravity from the overflow and flowing into my outbound sump. But I also have heavy mechanical filtration on the outbound side.

 

[Crypsis]

Amazing set up. I stayed up till 3 am a few nights ago a read the whole thing. Are you still planning on setting up a surge system? I have seen a couple that have used pneumatic valves to create bubble free dumps. They do sound expensive though. Can't wait to see this thing in action

 

[Reefski's]

pnuematic valve sounds like something that could fail one day. the Carlson surge tanks have been in ser vice at the Waikiki Aqaurium trouble free in continuous operation for many years now.

i am not sure about the surge. still thinking about it. i have a 75 gallon tank or a 55 gallon drum that i could use. it would be cool but the salt creep and noise might be too much.

the room the tank is in is also the TV watching room so it must be quiet. if i have something in the closet above the tank it will probably just be a refugium.

Carl

 

[chris wright]

I have a 50 gallon tank (rough estimate), and the skimmer was never any good, so I removed it. I have a DSB, which is a few years old now, a little macro algae grown in the tank. I have no sump or refugium, and rely on water changes. My set up is very simple.

Although I'm skimmerless, I would not recommend it. I can see on the surface, the oils and other rubbish that builds up, so when I do a water change I have to be very particular to clean the crud out. Yes a skimmer can remove the good stuff out of your water, but the good stuff can turn bad. Excess food, such as those bottled foods will get skimmed out, so they don't pollute your system, but more importantly, it will remove DOC's that the macro algae won't take up.

I think there's to many benefits to worry about the con's of a good skimmer. When I set up my next tank, I'm getting a decent skimmer, considering I want to ensure the long term good water quality. Like Jonathon said, it can be done, But IMO it's more a pain in the butt.

Here's a link to RHF write up on skimming

Skimming

These are great threads to check out as well on refugiums and macro algae

Refugiums and macro algae

RDSB v Chaetomorph

 

[rrcg50]

just finished readin the thread and all i have to say is wow. if you are following anthonys philosophy then you want a good skimmer with a refugium and a dsb. that being said i run all three on a smaller scale than you and am having very good success. good luck. i will be anxiously waiting for more pics

 

[Crypsis]

You might have already seen this thread, its on an 850g install in the St. Jude children's hospital, if not I highly recommend it. The surge system is supposed to be silent and bubble free. It utilizes a pneumatic valve that closes before any air is introduced into the drain line and keeps the drain line full of water. You could use an electric valve which I believe might be cheaper but not as reliable. From what I gather, though expensive, the pneumatic valves are very reliable.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1196137&perpage=25&pagenumber=9