90Gallon reef, part Deux

[Capt_Cully]

Did the gate valve make things easier and quieter?

 

[belgian_waffleman]

The gate valve really helps with the fine tuning. just like Beananimal and Herbie have suggested. I couldn't do this with a regular ball valve.

I'm going to get some more gate valves, for the return pump outlet and for the skimmer mod.
Having multiple turns to go form open to close is really nice.

 

[Capt_Cully]

Thanks Cully and Jon, good info on the vibration issue.

Cully,
My fans draw only 0.11 amps lets say the bigger ones draw 0.2A, which I'm sure they don't. A 1000mA 12VDC adapter will do the job. McmasterCarr has a cheap one (compared to Radio shack at least)
1000mA/12VDC 70235K69
I would look around the house first at the old adapters before buying one.

Nico

The one you listed is DC center negative, no idea what that means.

I found one from some portable DVD players. It says:

input:100-240V-5060/Hz 0.3A
output: +9V 800mA
DC center positive

am I on the right track? or should I just order one like you've described..... Not very proficient with electronics..:hmm5:

 

[Capt_Cully]

I seem to have side tracked and hi-jacked. Sorry. Procede with build. I'll take my questions to PM's if I need further help. Sorry again...

 

[block head]

sweet jebus ! i feel your pain with noisy plumbing. i'm fighting w a stock 90/corner overflow. can't wait to spend more cash at lowes . i'll gladly steal any ideas you come up with.

 

[solRNY]

nice progress, keep the details coming

 

[reefboarder]

Nico, Did you mod the corner flow into two over flows and plumb the return to the other side of the tank? I would like to be able to get more flow from the sump but my current overflow just cant handle it. Your previous setup was awesome and I cant wait to see this one going.

 

[belgian_waffleman]

Yes, I changed the corner overflow so that there are 2 drainsin the overflow and the return on the opposite side. However, having 2 drains doesn't mean more flow.
The limiting factor on these drains is the design of the slots in the corner overflow, I have read about people that widen the slot to allow more flow but I didn't do that that. The reason for my change is purely to make it silent

Thanks for the complements. I need to put up some pictures with the new layout, i will do that one of these days...

Nico

 

[belgian_waffleman]

September update

September update

Henry inspired me to take some pictures and provide an update to my rebuild.
This is what the aquascape now looks like:

I was battling a hair type algea for months until I started keeping up with the mangesium levels in the tank. I was at about 1100 to 1200. Now I'm keeping it at 1400.

Here are some macros:

The SPS's are starting to grow and attaching to the rocks, after about 5 months.

Nico

 

[Henry Colf]

Looks sweet Nico!!! Love the way it's laid out, nice and open. What's the acro in the first maco shot? Love the bi-color hammer!!!!

 

[teamdulski]

Looks great.

 

[solRNY]

looking very nice, and the bi-color hammer rocks! how big of a frag did you start out with and how long to grow into that size?

 

[belgian_waffleman]

Thanks for the complements.

It was my intention to have rocks only in the bottom half of the tank. Allowing for swimming room for the fishes and allow the sps's to grow really big.

That Hammer coral has been with me for 10 years and has been fragged many times. The last time it was fragged was a few years ago. Sometimes I pop off a small polyp and let grow out.

The first macro is a green slimer.

 

[Charley Diesing]

Any updates?

 

[belgian_waffleman]

Last spring I sold all my sps's to prepare for the move. Still today, I have stuff spread out in 2 tanks in the basement and is in survival mode.

Soon I will restart, maybe with a basement sump. I will start a new thread when I'm ready.

Waffleman