Addiction wins, 450 gallon system begins

[Hop]

OK, I was able to use the search function and get to fursphere's thread. The RC gods must be on my side tonight, I usually can't use the search funtion til about midnight here
fursphere's thread The pictures of the tank and overflow idea start on page 5,

 

[jnarowe]

So I see fursphere's overflow, and that is exactly what i am talking about. Look at fursphere's post on 11/11/2004 03:37 PM. The second picture shows it best. This is a great flow design to be sure, but how will you be able to maintain it? In fact, earlier in that thread, someone else talks about each tang having 30gph flow and making sure there is a margin because of coraline growth and other obstructions.

I love the way it looks, but imagine if you carved out the top plate for clearance and installed a removeable overflow comb like the one I gave you the link for. Same functional advantages, but way better for maintainance...turn your pumps off, pull it out, scrape it clean, back in and pumps back on. No hands in the tank etc. It's a small revision with a lot of function.

I never bothered with halides on my FW planted even though I have one. I use a Lunar Aqualight with twin 6700K compact florescent lamps on a slightly staggered cycle. For "off-the-shelf" I think it does a great job, and I like the moonlights to check out the crazy night action in my tank. Barr Report? Hell, I'm just wingin' it!--J

 

[kimoyo]

The amount of flow has a great deal to do with the effectiveness of the baffles. The bad thing is, once the sump is in place, it is not very practical to change the spacing if it does not work with the flow you have.

Better to be safe than sorry.

Personally, I am a little sorry that I did not research this before I built mine. Mine are about 2" apart and 16" tall. I still get many bubbles making the trip through them.

My gut feel is that baffles 1" apart and 16" wide will not handle much more than 1000 gph very well. With a small tank and pump, it should be fine.

The height is a factor as well. The taller the better.

Hi Hop,
I like the start!

If the flow of the sump is going from left to right then the width, front to back, is crucial. The wider this dimension is the better. The reason is because you want the water to flow over the baffle as low as possible so that the water-air interface is extremely close to the top the baffle. That way the bubbles will pop on the acrylic or float into the air.

Paul

 

[maxvan1]

I have the same drill...


But its looking good! That FW tank is onnly 50 gallons? looks alot bigger...

 

[GregM779]

I'm on this ride

 

[NexDog]

Me too.

 

[Hop]

I have the same drill...


But its looking good! That FW tank is onnly 50 gallons? looks alot bigger...

Naw it's a standard AGA 125. Right now it's being used as a live rock seeding tank. But it will go back to a FW planted around christmas.

jnarowe, Yeah it's a good idea, i just wonder how sturdy it would be with 1600-2000 GPH flowing over it. The way the tank is designed I should be able to access both side pretty easy to keep coraline down. Yeah it might mean some wet hands, but we'll see. I really never thought of it when I was placing the order. I was still having sticker shock It may be something to put on the back-burner for the next tank! (don't let my wife read that, she'll need a defribrilator).

 

[WarEagleNR88]

It may be something to put on the back-burner for the next tank! (don't let my wife read that, she'll need a defribrilator).

Your wife yells at you for spending money on this hobby? Wow I've never had that problem. (And yes,
EXTREMELY sarcastic on this subject, I am.)

Me = "But babe, the tank is so we can both enjoy it. You do enjoy it don't you?"

Wife = "Ha you wish, stop spending so much money on it!"

Another reason why those previous top 10 "tank is better than spouse" are so true.

 

[kimoyo]

As far as overflow, check out:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=588249

This a great overflow but...Now my question for you is, what happens when something like hair algae, dead fish, etc. gets stuck in the tangs of the overflow?[/B]

Hey, thats my thread...cool! I haven't updated it in a while even though I should. Hopefully I will be putting up a lot of new pictures in the next few days. I actually just put water in the tank today.

Paul

 

[Hop]

Your wife yells at you for spending money on this hobby? Wow I've never had that problem. (And yes,
EXTREMELY sarcastic on this subject, I am.)

Me = "But babe, the tank is so we can both enjoy it. You do enjoy it don't you?"

Wife = "Ha you wish, stop spending so much money on it!"

Another reason why those previous top 10 "tank is better than spouse" are so true.

LOL, You know she really is pretty supportive in this hobby. She's actually the one who has picked up the wood for the wetroom, the rubbermaid trash cans, the insulation for the wetroom and the door for the room. She has helped with the design and genuinly seems to have an interest, so I can't complain. She was the one who when we were designing this thing talked me into going as big as we could for right now so I wouldn't have to think about another tank for a decade or so

Spekaing of her input she has come up with some great ideas. in fact we are probably changing the stand/cabinet to a light hardwood with a white washed stain. Not sure yet, but we were thinking of making the room more of a beach cottage theme, but holding back on the tacky side. I dunno though.

 

[Hop]

Hey, thats my thread...cool! I haven't updated it in a while even though I should. Hopefully I should be putting up a lot of new pictures in the next few days. I actually just put water in the tank today.

Paul

Thats great to hear! Thats I great tank I was planning on reading the whole thread here shortly or in the AM.

 

[kimoyo]

Thanks secrest,

This whole process has been pretty exiting and I still don't have the tank here

Well all 447 lbs of base rock arrived today and it looks even better than in the pictures that Capt. Jer sent. Now I'm sitting here debating whether I should pile about 60 or so lbs of it in with the other rock I have in the 125 right now to give it a head start on the seeding process.... Hmmm any suggestions on that or should I just leave it in the boxes until this tank is up and begin seeding it all at once?

I like that you went with dead rock from reeferrocks. They have some good stuff, I got 100lbs from them a month ago. I like the idea of starting fresh with the rock. If I were you I would still do a semi-kinda cooking process. While you wait, put the rock in a tub and wash it because its very dusty. I went with black starboard so when I put the rocks in my tank the dust came out and was really visible, this was after washing them once.

Paul

 

[NexDog]

I also forgot to post above the plans for the inside of the tank. I prefer a tank that does not have the "Applecart" look and really like channels and places to take your eyes. I found myself really drawn into weatherson's tank and decided to go a similar route. So I fired off an e-mail to Capt. Jer and he put together a little package of base rock for me. The basic idea is what you see here, but he added about 20-30 lbs of smaller rocks to throw in. I also plan on about 50-70 lbs of live rock to seed what you see here!

Who is Capt. Jer ? Is there a website? That looks like great base rock and might get some too.

 

[Hop]

The link is http://www.reeferrocks.com/
I'm very impressed with his operation!

 

[jnarowe]

HOP

Good point about the flow rate. I haven't seen the removable comb yet so I can't really judge how sturdy it is.

WarEagleNR88

The one I hear is: "Honey, it's just a fish." And to think I just bought her a huge LCD TV!

kimoyo
Yeah, your tank is sweet. In fact, it has spawned another would-be reefer. I sent a close friend the link to TOTM, and we ended up in a conversation about reefs. He said he has been wanting to start one for a long time but the guys at the LFS's are all telling him different stuff and he couldn't figure out what to do. I then sent him the link to your tank thread, and he reved up like the Tazmanian Devil! I also told him to avoid the LFS unless it's an emergency...not a nice thing to write I know, but he had never been on RC...I can't wait to see an update Paul.

 

[Hop]

Whew, Ok I got the garage cleaned up and now I have tons of room for the future shipments. Nothing major is expected over the next few weeks other that 10 buckets of salt and a few knick-knacks, like the OM 4-way. My TDS meter finally came in and as expected it's time to change my RO/DI filters. I ordered enough from Melev to keep things going through the end of the year I think. I can't find any 100gpd replacement filters within driving distance here. Everything is 20 or 60 for some odd reason. I guess that's what I get for living in the sticks.

So I guess I'm kind of at a stopping point until things get rolling in the next month. My only real to do lists are going to be to get the electrical ran under the house and maybe I'll get my RO/DI hooked up into the wetroom and the rubbermaid trash cans plumbed and working.

Maybe I'l find something to do tonight so I don't have that sort of empty/nothing to do feeling going on

 

[jnarowe]

Yeah? Take some pictures!

 

[Hop]

I spent the day working a little on the wetroom. I did manage to get the hole punched through the wall and all the electrical wires are now in the crawls space. Hopefully an electrician friend can swing buy in the next few weeks and get the wetroom hardwired into the fuse panel. I also have to run one or two more circuits to the room where the tank is going to be. But after that I got the last bit of drywall done and mudded. Just a tad more sanding and then some more paint. Plus I have to cover the oopses that happened on the wall, trying to get the benches in.

Then I got the RO/DI and salt water mixing containers plumbed almost completely. I still have to hook up the RO/DI unit in the wetroom and then place a float valve/shut off system on the RO/DI container and run a RO line out to the sump with another float valve. I was planing on using a simple gravity type system for top off.

Please excuse the RO tubing in these shots, but as I mentioned the RO/DI is still in the house right now

A trial run with tap water was a success. RO water is stored in the top container, kept constant with a float valve kit. Then all I have to do is turn a couple valves and the RO/DI water flows into and fills the lower can for salt water mixing. After salt water is mixed and aged I can hook up a 1" hose at the lower section and empty it into the sump during water changes. I wanted to keep this part as simple as possible. so no fancy pumps here. During the test run it only took about 90 seconds to empty the can, so I think water changes will be pretty easy

I also began putting together the plumbing surrounding the refugium, but didn't take any pics of that. I'm trying to unwind a little before dinner... Have to work seven twelves this week

 

[jnarowe]

Looking good so far...7/12's...what are you, a doctor?

 

[Hop]

Looking good so far...7/12's...what are you, a doctor?

Man I would prefer the Doctor pay, but sadly no.