A nano tank to replace my 140g setup

[tgunn]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15497941#post15497941 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
It may just be taking longer to pressurize the system with that waste line crimped down like that.

0 TDS is a good thing.

Funny, I just swapped back the auto shutoff valve to the old one and now it shuts off properly. So I guess the new one is defective!

Thanks! So far so good; 0 TDS and good production.

Tyler

 

[melev]

It could be defective, or you installed it backward or even flipped (front to back). The plunger inside can only go one direction, so the front half has to be facing the right way. It's confusing.

 

[tgunn]

I figured it was time to post some update pics since it's been a few months.

Things have been VERY hectic around here, between work getting busy, trying to get my thesis proposal together, my wife being out of work, and coping with the side effects associated with the disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug treatment I started a couple months ago to help try and get my psoriatic arthritis under control.

Here's the FTS:

At the moment I seem to be getting the usual startup algae, although it's not growing as fast as it was in the start. So that's good. I admit I'm NOT good at keeping up with the 2-part dosing, so the corals have not really taken off like I would like.

However, the cerith snails I have in there have spawned and there are plenty of little baby cerith snails roaming around in the tank. So that's a nice thing.


This guy has showed a bit of encrusting on the epoxy mount:

The tricolor is slowly growing and keeping some nice color:

This one is still kinda doing nothing:

My purple digi is doing well enough; it's finally starting to grow now that it's kinda wedged in well enough that the hermit doesn't continually chuck it into the sand:

The green rics are doing nicely:

My biggest frag is growing up WAY too fast.

Later,
Tyler

 

[tgunn]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15500143#post15500143 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
It could be defective, or you installed it backward or even flipped (front to back). The plunger inside can only go one direction, so the front half has to be facing the right way. It's confusing.

I was careful to connect it the same way my old one was hooked up, but it's possible they built it a bit different too I guess. I'll have to give it another shot and if it doesn't work take it back.

Happily everything is working well again on the RO unit though, thanks for the hints and tricks Marc! Monday is "fill up the topoff bin" day and I thinking I'd have to go buy some RO water from the store. Phweeew!

This has all opened my eyes to the fact that RO/DI units are a little more complex than I thought. I had no idea the check-valve was even there, or what the restrictor even did. Good to know though! Maybe one day I'll buy some new canister cartridge mounts, and re-mount everything on a piece of plywood -- it's a pretty bit rats nest of tubes and canisters at the moment. Lol.

Thanks,
Tyler

 

[tgunn]

Update...

Update...

Well, apparently I've been HORRIBLY neglecting this thread!!!

I will have to take some new pics tonight and post them.

Things are going great in my Solana. The algae blooms have mostly subsided to a bit of stuff on the back. I'm still getting some diatoms on the sand bed, but otherwise not bad.

The colors of the corals have really started to pick up in the last few weeks and most are slowly starting to grow. I think this is a testament to me getting a lot more diligent at dosing my 2-part. I still need to get MORE diligent with the dosing and testing, but it's a start.

My lone little bicolor in the tank is sure busy with his digging; he's dug an interesting series of caves that allow him to submerge at the back of the tank and pop up in the middle by the rockwork.

My daughter keeps bugging me and saying, "Daddy, more fishies!". Lol. I think once the christmas season has passed I'll take her down to the LFS and get a clown and perhaps a cardinal to add to the mix. 3 Fish in the 34g should be fine.

I recently added a Koralia 3 to the tank, bringing the total to:
2 x Koralia 1 @ 400gph = 800gph
1 x Koralia 3 @ 800gph = 850gph
Return pump @ 390gph = 390gph
Total: 2040 GPH = Approx 60x turnover.

I'm hoping that the extra flow help clear the diatoms that are kicking around on the sand. The thing I really like about these Koralias is that they give such gentle, diffuse flow. There is almost no movement of sand in the tank with all this flow, and I don't need to worry about aiming the powerheads as they're gentle enough my corals are just fine.

Pics to come!

 

[tgunn]

Okay, some pics!

 

[tgunn]

 

[melev]

Thanks for the pictures. Lots of polyps out... is the tank brighter than the images imply?

 

[tgunn]

Thanks for the pictures. Lots of polyps out... is the tank brighter than the images imply?

I underexposed the raw images a bit in Photoshop because I thought they looked better. My Mac seems to have nicer gamma than the default settings on PCs. Here are work they appear a bit dark.
The FTS is a little bit more representative of the brightness. It's definitely pretty bright. I HAVE raised the halide a touch from the water level compared to when I first set up the tank.

I'm actually surprised the corals down low (tricolor and other green blob) are coloring up so nicely considering the light down there is definitely much dimmer than at the top where the purple digi is.

Tyler

 

[tgunn]

RO/DI Ooops!

RO/DI Ooops!

The city recently brought a new fresh water treatment plant online. Previously our water was sourced from a lake with the addition of chlorine and floride being the only thing done to it before it hits the taps. The new plant removes the dissolved algae and odours that were pretty standard for our water, and also ozonates the water for extra purification. All in all the tap water has went from being yucky, to very drinkable.

As a side effect, some silt or debris in the pipes must've gotten stirred up because the drain valve on my RO/DI (a small gate valve) got plugged completely, resulting in 120TDS water for the past few days. I changed the filters and cleaned out the valve and I'm back to 0-1 TDS post RO, and clearly 0 TDS post DI. I suspect the bad water for a few days may explain why I've seen a resurgence in the diatoms on my sandbed, where they were getting better previously. Oh well. Time to do a water change I guess!

I noticed a few aptasia showing up in my tank. Since the rock I'm using was bleached for over a week prior to use, I suspect it must've come in on the tiny rock I put in with some rics. Sheesh; all that effort to be aptasia free and I still got some!

TYler

 

[melev]

Congrats on the cleaner water. That's always good to hear.

I'm glad you were able to fix the problem with your RO system. What's the gate valve look like on the waste line? Do you mean check valve?

 

[tgunn]

Congrats on the cleaner water. That's always good to hear.

I'm glad you were able to fix the problem with your RO system. What's the gate valve look like on the waste line? Do you mean check valve?

Lots of people here complained that the city spent $300 million on the treatment plant, but i was just happy to see my tax dollars going into something REALLY noticeable for once.

The gate valve on the waste line replaces the typical flow restrictor. My original restrictor broke. The right size replacement for my 75gpd membrane is not available locally and anywhere in the US wants a fortune to ship these silly little things. So I'm just using a little tiny PVC gate-valve I had laying around; something like this:

I hooked it up and dialed in a 2:1 waste ratio and all is well.

 

[robot2222]

i have been enjoying your thread here.really like your choice of the solana .i will be tagging along .im here in phx,az rooting for the coyotes they used to be the winnipeg jets . keep up the good work.

 

[tgunn]

Glad you are enjoying my thread. So fAr
I am very happy with my solana but I do miss my old 140g tank and the ability to have tangs.
Lol I hope the former jets are treating you guys well; they were not exactly awe inspiring in Winnipeg. Lol

 

[cherubfish pair]

Why not the typical flow restrictor?

 

[tgunn]

Why not the typical flow restrictor?

When I had to fix it I couldn't find one locally, and any place that would ship the $6 part from the US wants at least $20-25 USD for shipping a $6 part. So I improvised.

 

[browning_boy20]

Beautiful tank but I have a question. Do you have a problem with the water temp being to high due to the HQI? And also where do you have your heater installed in this unit, I am guessing in the back somewhere.

 

[browning_boy20]

Bump

 

[justshoe]

Very nice setup. I keep thinking of a nice solana or jbj setup in my future.

 

[tgunn]

Beautiful tank but I have a question. Do you have a problem with the water temp being to high due to the HQI? And also where do you have your heater installed in this unit, I am guessing in the back somewhere.

Thanks!

No problems at all with the HQI making the tank run hot. My heater is set for 80F, and my temps hover around 80-81F. Especially now that its winter, the heater does have to run often to keep the tank up to temperature. In the summer when it's warmer inside the house I occasionally run a small clip on fan directed at the water's surface. That's enough to cool down the tank enough that the heater kicks in. So I normally just leave it and the temps get up to at most 82F.

There is a small space for a heater in the back compartment beside the skimmer. I've got my heater tucked in there. I positioned the heater probe so that it takes its temperature from the overflow water; this prevents and potential cycling from them being so close together.

I'm using a 250w heater, but only because I had one kicking around. Otherwise I'd likely stick with a much smaller one.

Tyler