extinguishfire
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Hey hey hey.
A Great Way to ruin a perfect wall; My 400 Gallon Project
- Thread starter SERVO
- Start date
SERVO
New member
So I have been filling the tank up slowly with the RO 60 GPD. How frustrating. I think about 2/3 of my connections have leaks. This damn closed loop is kicking my butt. It has been 90% of my problems.
Last night, once the water got above the drain the stupid treaded nipple into the bulkhead at the bottom of the tank started leaking. I dread pulling it out and losing the 200 gallons thru the bottom:eek1: :eek2:
While I am at it, I may tee off the left side of the closed loop hose to add a valve for easy water changes right into the utility sink! Should have thought of that sooner! Ohh well.
Today, I have the wonderful task of fixing that and filling the rest up. I am getting starboard on monday. Melev is helping me cut it. (ladies beware, the man is handy with a saw!) (actually, that came out wrong, it makes you sound like a psychopath
) I will pick up some of my rock this week, while next Saturday morning, I am getting some big pieces of Kalini rock!!!!.
I'll post pics as they come. Hopefully, I don't have a picture of a wet floor!
Last night, once the water got above the drain the stupid treaded nipple into the bulkhead at the bottom of the tank started leaking. I dread pulling it out and losing the 200 gallons thru the bottom:eek1: :eek2:
While I am at it, I may tee off the left side of the closed loop hose to add a valve for easy water changes right into the utility sink! Should have thought of that sooner! Ohh well.
Today, I have the wonderful task of fixing that and filling the rest up. I am getting starboard on monday. Melev is helping me cut it. (ladies beware, the man is handy with a saw!) (actually, that came out wrong, it makes you sound like a psychopath
) I will pick up some of my rock this week, while next Saturday morning, I am getting some big pieces of Kalini rock!!!!.I'll post pics as they come. Hopefully, I don't have a picture of a wet floor!
melev
Well-known member
I can't believe you are dealing with so many leaks. Any chance you can get the person that installed it to come back and fix the drips?
Bottom of the tank bulkheads are one thing I simply won't do. I know why people do it, but I don't trust them enough. And now is a perfect example. You don't happen to have a 200g resevoir to hold that water, do you?
It would be nice if you could lower a box around it, and seal it the the glass with some type of putty. Then drain out the water in the box itself (it would look like an elevator shaft with an open top), and focus on that bulkhead.
Bottom of the tank bulkheads are one thing I simply won't do. I know why people do it, but I don't trust them enough. And now is a perfect example. You don't happen to have a 200g resevoir to hold that water, do you?
It would be nice if you could lower a box around it, and seal it the the glass with some type of putty. Then drain out the water in the box itself (it would look like an elevator shaft with an open top), and focus on that bulkhead.
ReeferMonkey
Premium Member
Hey Ryan,
Since you're going to cut at Marc's, could you go ahead and cut me a 29" x 11" piece of Starboard? It looks like the 20L is a go
How're your frags doing? The pistol shrimp didn't make it but everything else is doing great, getting good polyp extension. I got two nice pieces of the purple millepora and a good size piece of the pink millepora. Once they're big enough to frag they've got your name all over them!
Since you're going to cut at Marc's, could you go ahead and cut me a 29" x 11" piece of Starboard? It looks like the 20L is a go
How're your frags doing? The pistol shrimp didn't make it but everything else is doing great, getting good polyp extension. I got two nice pieces of the purple millepora and a good size piece of the pink millepora. Once they're big enough to frag they've got your name all over them!
SERVO
New member
Problem solved. There was no tefflon tape on the top of the treadded nipple rolleye1: ) this probably was where the water was comming from. The ultimate test will be when I pressurize the system and turn the pump on! The nipple came out fine. With four hands we were able to secure the threading of the ball valve, while I took a locking wrench to get a grip of the side of the nipple and used the torque thru the wrench. The bulkhead at the bottom really didn't turn out to be a problem (although it was a big worry!!!)
So here is my method of water changes made easy!!!
<img src="http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a12/ryanreeves/P8070254.jpg" alt="Image hosted by Photobucket.com">
Obviously, I will hook up a hose to it when I need to use it. I am contemplating on drilling a bulk head into the side of the utility sink or just using a hose that is removable. Hmm I may just go for the hose!
rolleye1: ) this probably was where the water was comming from. The ultimate test will be when I pressurize the system and turn the pump on! The nipple came out fine. With four hands we were able to secure the threading of the ball valve, while I took a locking wrench to get a grip of the side of the nipple and used the torque thru the wrench. The bulkhead at the bottom really didn't turn out to be a problem (although it was a big worry!!!)So here is my method of water changes made easy!!!
<img src="http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a12/ryanreeves/P8070254.jpg" alt="Image hosted by Photobucket.com">
Obviously, I will hook up a hose to it when I need to use it. I am contemplating on drilling a bulk head into the side of the utility sink or just using a hose that is removable. Hmm I may just go for the hose!
dgasmd
New member
This may be a suggestion 200g of RO/DI too late, but I would just dump the water now and fill it up with tap water first. Do it as many times as you need to fix all the leaks and wwhen you think you are all done leave it filled with tap water. Run allt he equipment at full force for about 2-3 days. I can about guarantee you will find another leak or something else. Drain it, fix it, and the fill it up with RO/DI.
As a side note, you should have a different strategy now with such a large system. One thing to address is the need to make larger volumes of water in a moment of need. Your current unit is definately undersized, so I would suggest you get a booster pump. It will almost double your output by itself. Imagine having an emergency and needing to make 100g in a pinch. Your current unit will take you more than 2 days! Is that something you are willing to live with?
As a side note, you should have a different strategy now with such a large system. One thing to address is the need to make larger volumes of water in a moment of need. Your current unit is definately undersized, so I would suggest you get a booster pump. It will almost double your output by itself. Imagine having an emergency and needing to make 100g in a pinch. Your current unit will take you more than 2 days! Is that something you are willing to live with?
dgasmd
New member
Marc:
I think I paid $120 for my pump, but can't for the ife of me remember where now. They get on ebay from time to time. Also, a 100 gpd membrane is only $50 and it is the only thing different you would need. Coupled with the booster pump I get about 170 gpd at 95 PSI and a ratio of 1:3 product to waste. If you want to double that, simply get a second 100 gpd membrane and T it in place.
Actually, I briefly looked this up. This is where I get all my RO/DI products. Great price and awesome customer service. They have the same pump I use there, although I got it from a different place originally.
Link
There may be cheaper places in the web. Just do a seach.
I think I paid $120 for my pump, but can't for the ife of me remember where now. They get on ebay from time to time. Also, a 100 gpd membrane is only $50 and it is the only thing different you would need. Coupled with the booster pump I get about 170 gpd at 95 PSI and a ratio of 1:3 product to waste. If you want to double that, simply get a second 100 gpd membrane and T it in place.
Actually, I briefly looked this up. This is where I get all my RO/DI products. Great price and awesome customer service. They have the same pump I use there, although I got it from a different place originally.
Link
There may be cheaper places in the web. Just do a seach.
dgasmd
New member
You can get an adjustable flow restrictor and place it proximal to the membranes and t after it, that way you use a single one for both membranes. This is the idea thing to use anyway as you can maximize the efficiency of the unti by dialing in the ratio of waste to poduct. The prefilters would be used up relative to the total water made. So, if you make 100g of product water they would be used just as much as if you had a single membrane and made 100g.
SERVO
New member
Thanks for the input on the adjustable flow restrictor and pump. I was thinking about having a 100 gallon water reservoir. I may invest in the pump et al. I wish I had the hindsight prior to buying the 80 dollar membrane
.
Well we have the starboard cut and floating thanks to Melev and bouyancy. Now I get to confront my demons (lol). I need to go get some of my rock and start placing it into the tank.
More pictures with rock to come this weekend.
.Well we have the starboard cut and floating thanks to Melev and bouyancy. Now I get to confront my demons (lol). I need to go get some of my rock and start placing it into the tank.
More pictures with rock to come this weekend.
SERVO
New member
I measured the inside of the tank about 4-5 times to make absolutely sure that once they were cut, they would all fit. Now the overflow boxes are not completely square (they are somewhat rounded and angulated) so They still have yet to be trialed against the bottom of the tank. They float nice and even on the surface of the water
.
I need to put some rock on the top of them to weight them down.
Thanks again for all the cutting!!!
.I need to put some rock on the top of them to weight them down.
Thanks again for all the cutting!!!
ReeferMonkey
Premium Member
Hmm, didn't realize Starboard was buoyant....
Hey Ryan, you did get Seaboard/Starboard/UV-resistant board right? Not just regular cutting board?
Hey Ryan, you did get Seaboard/Starboard/UV-resistant board right? Not just regular cutting board?
SERVO
New member
Man, oh man. Everyday is a new experience with this project.
So I finally get all of the leaks fixed (I hope!!! *crosses fingers*) and decide to try to start the main pump. The force was soo great that it popped the overflow tube off and started shooting water up into the air like a gyser. Uhhgggg. I'm standing in the room with it raining on me trying to find the plug to the pump. I wish I could have taken a picture of that to post. That would have looked funny.
So now I can't seem to get the pump to pull water up into the tank, the water to return to the sump and the cycle to continue. Somewhere along the line, the cycle always breaks and the pump runs dry. I thought I would be clever and place a elbow into the output to the pump to allow for approximately 2 more inches of water to suck out of. The pump continues to suck air and run dry. I'm going to fill the sump over what it should be and kick on the pump. Is the problem the durso's. So what do you think, should I drill a bigger hole in the top of the durso's? That will not affect the speed of flow into them will it? That should only affect the noise and not the suction right? I think I may need to throttle back the pump because the volume of the outflow portion of my sump may be too small!!!:eek1: :eek1: If that is the case, evaporation is going to friggin KILL me.
I want to get some rock in this soon, but that is begining to seem like the least of my worries.
So I finally get all of the leaks fixed (I hope!!! *crosses fingers*) and decide to try to start the main pump. The force was soo great that it popped the overflow tube off and started shooting water up into the air like a gyser. Uhhgggg. I'm standing in the room with it raining on me trying to find the plug to the pump. I wish I could have taken a picture of that to post. That would have looked funny.
So now I can't seem to get the pump to pull water up into the tank, the water to return to the sump and the cycle to continue. Somewhere along the line, the cycle always breaks and the pump runs dry. I thought I would be clever and place a elbow into the output to the pump to allow for approximately 2 more inches of water to suck out of. The pump continues to suck air and run dry. I'm going to fill the sump over what it should be and kick on the pump. Is the problem the durso's. So what do you think, should I drill a bigger hole in the top of the durso's? That will not affect the speed of flow into them will it? That should only affect the noise and not the suction right? I think I may need to throttle back the pump because the volume of the outflow portion of my sump may be too small!!!:eek1: :eek1: If that is the case, evaporation is going to friggin KILL me.
I want to get some rock in this soon, but that is begining to seem like the least of my worries.
melev
Well-known member
Yes, the sump isn't holding enough water to get things started. You need to fill it up more. All the Durso compartments will hold 5 or more gallons each.
So you need to add more water, and lock down whatever blew out of the tank so it can never do that again! and get things running. When everything is running correctly, turn off the system.
Now wait a couple of minutes.
Once everything has settled and the tank stops draining any water, look at your sump. If there is still room in it for more water, add some now. Add it to the brim if you like.
Now restart your return pump. Whatever the water level ends up being, that is the HIGH WATER MARK and you need to mark it with a line. Now you know the absolute most you can top off at any time. If you add more, it WILL overflow.
So you need to add more water, and lock down whatever blew out of the tank so it can never do that again! and get things running. When everything is running correctly, turn off the system.
Now wait a couple of minutes.
Once everything has settled and the tank stops draining any water, look at your sump. If there is still room in it for more water, add some now. Add it to the brim if you like.
Now restart your return pump. Whatever the water level ends up being, that is the HIGH WATER MARK and you need to mark it with a line. Now you know the absolute most you can top off at any time. If you add more, it WILL overflow.
SERVO
New member
Well this stupid POS Hammerhead is NOISY. It sounds as if I have a semi locked in my garage. I may end up selling it and downsizing. The dart is super quiet, but this hammerhead oscillates thru the stand. The stand resonates and amplifies it. Not to mention that these Dursos are also NOISY (yah, I know thats an oxymoron) between the sucking and the constant barrage of water. It seems like I have too much flow running thru the tank. I have to throttle back on the pump about 1/4 of the way for the water to keep up in the sump.
This whole project is frustrating the hell out of me. NOTHING has been easy. My 180 was like a plug and play set up.
This has been a nightmare because of multiple, compounding reasons.
ME =
This whole project is frustrating the hell out of me. NOTHING has been easy. My 180 was like a plug and play set up.
This has been a nightmare because of multiple, compounding reasons.
ME =
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