75 Gal Up and Running!

[acidlittle]

Here are a few pictures of my new-ish 75gal that me and my dad have basically just finished setting up. There are a few things we will have to tweek but you get the jist of it. If anybody sees any potential problems and/or solutions. Or just any kind of advice feel free, I need all the help I can get!

This is the "down-pipe" coming from the overflow!

This is the Homemade PVC overflow that my dad and I concocted...

here is the inlet side of the sump

and the return pump side of the sump

Full tank shot

Thanks for looking!
Josh

 

[jvonthun]

I really like your overflow. I thought about doing the exact same thing, but I ended up getting a tank with an overflow built into already. I don't think you will have any problem with it other than maybe the occasional livestock going through it into your sump.

 

[Atticus]

Cool Ideas!!!

You might want to raise the intake portion about 1-2 inches and cut slots into the coupling you are using. That will allow the intake to skim the top of the water, where all the protien sits. If you do not surface skim your skimmer will not work at its best, you will not get good tank respiration (carbon dioxide and oxygen exchange), and most of all your lights will not penetrate as well. This will also help keep your fish from sump surfing. Netting over the top may be a good idea to make sure nothing get into the intake.

 

[acidlittle]

Yeah we are going to get some sort of netting to go over top of the overflow. So atticus what your saying is (because all is glued into place so raising it really isn't an option) but what if I cut a few vertical slots to grab the grub off the top it should work better?

I guess that picture also doesn't show that on the back of the overflow there is about a 1.5" long slot cut into it to allow more water to come through. That might work for surface skimming, I'll have to get a picture of that tomorrow morning and post it so you can see if it'll get the job done.

Also, would anybody recommend me some skimmers that would work on this tank. I have an ETSS but don't really like it too much, can't get it to skim properly, was wondering if there is an insump skimmer that wouldn't need too much plumbing as I do not have a ton of space to work with. Once again thanks for the comments and help!
Josh

 

[acidlittle]

You can actually kinda see from the light refraction in the first picture the slot we cut. If you look inside the tank on the first picture, and you look at the top of the overflow you can see the light around the rim, and then it drops ever so slightly, that is the slot we have cut.

Eh, I'll just tak another picture tomorrow, moved all the rock around so now it's all dusty again.

Hopefully that will be enough rock to cycle the tank in about a week and a half, so that I can move my current fish and GSP into that tank before I have to move my entire 29 gal. Then I will try and cook the rock I have in my 29gal.

Anybody know how hard it is to pull mushrooms off a rock? Also some little green centered zoa's? I've never fraged stuff but I want to try and pull off a few of these polyps so that I don't kill them all when I cook the rock. Thanks again all!

 

[bgreenlee]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7772958#post7772958 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Atticus
Cool Ideas!!!

You might want to raise the intake portion about 1-2 inches and cut slots into the coupling you are using. That will allow the intake to skim the top of the water, where all the protien sits. If you do not surface skim your skimmer will not work at its best, you will not get good tank respiration (carbon dioxide and oxygen exchange), and most of all your lights will not penetrate as well. This will also help keep your fish from sump surfing. Netting over the top may be a good idea to make sure nothing get into the intake.

Doesnt the current setup skim from the top over more surface area then it would if you cut slots in it?

 

[jvonthun]

I am going to have to respectfully disagree with Atticus on this one, I think your current overflow will skim a much thinner layer off the top (wich is what you want) than if you were to raise it and cut slots into it. If you already have a slot cut into it I would consider covering it up with something so that you are skimming all your water from the surface.

 

[vid151]

what does this SOUND like?
I am just wondering if it gurgles or if it is large enough to let all the air out and is fairly quiet?

 

[phishcrazee]

Eh, don't try and pull off your mushrooms and zoas........ they'll just slime up and you probably won't get them off. You need a nice sharp exacto knife or razor blade. Lift up the skirt/edge of the coral and see where it's attached and try and slice it off as close to the rock as possible. Put the mushrooms on some rubble/a rock face up with some netting/bridal veil over it to keep it from blowing away and secure it with a rubber band. You may be able to glue the zoas to some rock, depends what it looks like after you get them off and how many polyps you have.................

 

[acidlittle]

I would say that it is kinda noisy, we are still trying to work out that part. I think it will skim off plenty of the surface, as it skimmed most of the powder from me adding the sand to it.

My dad, who has barely any saltwater experience wants me to have two plexiglass tops to cover the top of the tank, I think this is a bad idea, won't that hurt the amount of light getting into the tank, not to mention the tank is steady at 85 degrees with no heater on it in the basement of the house. He thinks it will help combat the evap, but the pro's aren't worth the cons in my book.
Also can you use water from a dehumidifier as top off???

Josh

 

[phishcrazee]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7776238#post7776238 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by acidlittle
I would say that it is kinda noisy, we are still trying to work out that part. I think it will skim off plenty of the surface, as it skimmed most of the powder from me adding the sand to it.

My dad, who has barely any saltwater experience wants me to have two plexiglass tops to cover the top of the tank, I think this is a bad idea, won't that hurt the amount of light getting into the tank, not to mention the tank is steady at 85 degrees with no heater on it in the basement of the house. He thinks it will help combat the evap, but the pro's aren't worth the cons in my book.
Also can you use water from a dehumidifier as top off???

Josh

Ok, your dad is nuts, no offense Your tank is already too hot, so why would you want to trap even more heat? Don't put any plexiglass on the top, as you want evaporation and water movement for good tank respiration. Yeah, adding more water everyday is a pain, but that's why there are auto top-offs. Give your dad THAT project, have him make an auto top-off for you

Who knows what's in the water from your dehumidifier? It's water that's been pulled from the air, so I imagine it has dust, mold spores, maybe some salt if it's near your tank........... I don't think I would want to throw all that in my tank

 

[tibbs2]

I think dehumidifiers have copper in them, don't they? Not a good idea to use that water.

If you cover the tank top use as thin a material as you can. And if you do cover it that will trap more heat and you will probably need to put a fan(s) over your sump which will then increase your evaporation in the sump.

I would get your temp down to 80-82. I don't run my air much and my tank gets up to 85,86 sometimes. It doesn't seem to bother the fish but some of your corals may suffer. My heliopora doesn't like it when the temp is up over 81-82 and began to decay when it stayed in the mid 80s for a period of time.

If you are having a noise issue try putting a PVC gate valve on the top of your durso to adjust the amount of air introduced into your system. You can use a ball valve but you can't adjust them as precisely. Also make sure to screen the top of your overflow. If a big turbo snail gets in that pipe you're going to have some flooding.

Chris

 

[acidlittle]

Thanks guys, all these ideas are great, now I just have to tell my dad to suck it up and let me have the top open. Maybe I'll see if he wants to build a canopy for it.

I should go fiddle with the tank, and get some more pictures for ya'll.

Thanks!

 

[acidlittle]

Here is a better view of the overflow...

It appears to be doing a good job skimming the surface, but is still noisy. Any suggestions to make it a little less noisy?

Josh

 

[jvonthun]

Time will quiet it down some. Once it's got a good layer of slime and algea on it it will likely be much quieter.

You could also cap the top of that T on the back and then drill a small (start with a 1/8") hole in it. Check to see if it drains okay and is quieter. If it acts like a toilet and flushes every thirty seconds or so drill another hole. Repeat until you have it working the way you want it to.

Make sure that the end that dumps into your sump is submerged, but not submerged more than an inch or two.

 

[phishcrazee]

You could take some of the filter foam stuff and cut it into a circle to fit inside the intake. Then you preven small tank inhabitants from getting sucked in And you lessen the flushing toilet noise Just make sure to clean it out regularly so you continue to have good flow to your sump.