AquamanE
Active member
Love the 45's instead of 90's for return. Hopefully this decreases you head presssure. I should have done that :angryfire:
Yeah Rovster, i sometimes get too passionate, sorry, :crazy1::headwallblue:
Bandomo's ReefBox: A New Journey...
- Thread starter Bandomo
- Start date
Love the 45's instead of 90's for return. Hopefully this decreases you head presssure. I should have done that :angryfire:
Yeah Rovster, i sometimes get too passionate, sorry, :crazy1::headwallblue:
Eddie, great observation! That was exactly the reasoning behind the 45's. If I choose to run a manifold down the road, the 45's will help me accomplish this and still allow me to keep my current return pump.
Obviously, since I'm running a Herbie Style Overflow, there's no need for me to utilize 45's on the emergency/overflow.
Obviously, since I'm running a Herbie Style Overflow, there's no need for me to utilize 45's on the emergency/overflow.
SUMP...
Thankfully, this really has been the only aspect of the entire build that hasn't gone quite as planned. The original design seemed fine on paper, but unfortunately just didn't pan out in reality. The original goal was to have the OverFlow and Emergency drain empty out into the first compartment, which will then fill and overflow into the next compartment housing the dual filter socks. Sounds simple right.....
First major issue...
My return pump was to strong and the overflow compartment was to narrow. This caused the first compartment to act more like a raceway rather then a compartment where water would simply empty out and quietly overflow past the first baffle and into the second compartment containing the filter socks. Instead water would exit the first compartment like a wild river making tons of noise and splashing everywhere! Unfortunately replacing my return pump wasn't an option.
Second major issue...
The overflow compartment was built to tall. Since I'm now running a Herbie Style Overflow, ALL the air trapped inside the PVC pipe is pushed out ALL at once. Everytime the return pump was turned off and on, the air trapped in the PVC pipe, along with the strong return pump and the compartment being to tall and narrow, would cause the initial water output to gurgle and splash over the sides of the sump
Third major issue...
The last compartment which housed the return pump was built to small, resulting in constant fresh water top-off. I thought the dimensions seemed fined on paper, but apparently I was wrong...
Thankfully after a few minor adjustments, everything is now A'oKay!
Initial Plan...
Adjustments In Progress...
Leak Test...
Conclusion...
Thankfully, this really has been the only aspect of the entire build that hasn't gone quite as planned. The original design seemed fine on paper, but unfortunately just didn't pan out in reality. The original goal was to have the OverFlow and Emergency drain empty out into the first compartment, which will then fill and overflow into the next compartment housing the dual filter socks. Sounds simple right.....
First major issue...
My return pump was to strong and the overflow compartment was to narrow. This caused the first compartment to act more like a raceway rather then a compartment where water would simply empty out and quietly overflow past the first baffle and into the second compartment containing the filter socks. Instead water would exit the first compartment like a wild river making tons of noise and splashing everywhere! Unfortunately replacing my return pump wasn't an option.
Second major issue...
The overflow compartment was built to tall. Since I'm now running a Herbie Style Overflow, ALL the air trapped inside the PVC pipe is pushed out ALL at once. Everytime the return pump was turned off and on, the air trapped in the PVC pipe, along with the strong return pump and the compartment being to tall and narrow, would cause the initial water output to gurgle and splash over the sides of the sump
Third major issue...
The last compartment which housed the return pump was built to small, resulting in constant fresh water top-off. I thought the dimensions seemed fined on paper, but apparently I was wrong...
Thankfully after a few minor adjustments, everything is now A'oKay!
Initial Plan...
Adjustments In Progress...
Leak Test...
Conclusion...
It was built by Exotic Aquarium on Bird Rd. Very reasonable and consistent in price. I did place the order during MACNA, so the silicone work wasn't as nice as I was expecting. I'm sure Bob was bombarded with work. Since I had to redo some baffles, I took the time to clean and redo the silicone work as well.
Thanks Eddie, I considered that. I'm sure once I add a biopellet and/or media reactor, the flow will be spot on.
Lilmatty5dimes
New member
Awesome build so far. Can't wait ti see it in its resting place.
blackthunda77
New member
Very Nice. Tagging along.
Thanks! It's exciting to finally see it come together.
Thanks John. Haven't posted, but I've been following along on your new tank. Can't wait to see it up and running.
AQUASCAPE...
Similar to my previous tank, I'm going for a minimalistic aquascape. Even before it became trendy, I've always been a huge fan of lagoons with plenty of open sand and patches of reefs scattered throughout. Looking back, one of my fondest memories was my first SCUBA trip to Molasses Reef down in the Florida Keys. I'll never forget watching the sun shine upon the sand as I swam from one atoll to the next. Maybe old memories is the reason why I always prefered a minimalistic aquasape.
Plus, after all these years in the hobby, I still get a kick watching sand sifting starfish effortlessly glide over the sandbed as they scout for that perfect spot to bury in.
Now, in addition to being visually pleasing, minimalistic aquascapes benefit the home aquarium in many other ways. For starters, having to buy less amount of live rock saves you MONEY! Also and perhaps equally important, introducing less live rock into a system greatly reduces the odds of introducing unwanted pests/hitchhikers. In my case, this part wasn’t too much of a concern as I started with MarcoRocks. Next, having fewer amounts of rocks makes it much easier to maintain and actually syphon the sandbed. Lastly, there are two beneficial byproducts of having a minimalistic aquascape. One is less real estate forces the hobbyist to become much more selective in the corals that he/she decides to purchase. And two, not only do you have more open swimming space for the fish and unobstructed water flow for the corals, you now have plenty of space for corals to mature and grow into nice big colonies.
For reference, here's a pic of my previous tank with a minimalistic aquascape...
To start with, I ordered 100 pounds of MarcoRock...
And then I finally put these books to good use
Similar to my previous tank, I'm going for a minimalistic aquascape. Even before it became trendy, I've always been a huge fan of lagoons with plenty of open sand and patches of reefs scattered throughout. Looking back, one of my fondest memories was my first SCUBA trip to Molasses Reef down in the Florida Keys. I'll never forget watching the sun shine upon the sand as I swam from one atoll to the next. Maybe old memories is the reason why I always prefered a minimalistic aquasape.
Plus, after all these years in the hobby, I still get a kick watching sand sifting starfish effortlessly glide over the sandbed as they scout for that perfect spot to bury in.
Now, in addition to being visually pleasing, minimalistic aquascapes benefit the home aquarium in many other ways. For starters, having to buy less amount of live rock saves you MONEY! Also and perhaps equally important, introducing less live rock into a system greatly reduces the odds of introducing unwanted pests/hitchhikers. In my case, this part wasn’t too much of a concern as I started with MarcoRocks. Next, having fewer amounts of rocks makes it much easier to maintain and actually syphon the sandbed. Lastly, there are two beneficial byproducts of having a minimalistic aquascape. One is less real estate forces the hobbyist to become much more selective in the corals that he/she decides to purchase. And two, not only do you have more open swimming space for the fish and unobstructed water flow for the corals, you now have plenty of space for corals to mature and grow into nice big colonies.
For reference, here's a pic of my previous tank with a minimalistic aquascape...
To start with, I ordered 100 pounds of MarcoRock...
And then I finally put these books to good use
rovster
New member
Your missing Rich Dad Poor Dad, and Cash Flow Quadrant, LOL! Scape looks good. Should be epic!
On a side note, any advice on keeping zoas with SPS? Yours look amazing in that last pic, and those UC I got from you were looking amazing as well. Most of my zoas look like crap. Small, shriveled skirts, etc. Some stay closed for months, but don't die. Its like they want to live but can't. Any tips appreciated.
On a side note, any advice on keeping zoas with SPS? Yours look amazing in that last pic, and those UC I got from you were looking amazing as well. Most of my zoas look like crap. Small, shriveled skirts, etc. Some stay closed for months, but don't die. Its like they want to live but can't. Any tips appreciated.
blackthunda77
New member
Good start on the aquascaping. Interesting technique. I should be starting on my structures soon as well. I think im going to be using the PVC frame method this time. Looking to go minimalist again as well. I love the look of a nice big sand bed.
some of my inspirations...
and
some of my inspirations...
and
Ha, Rich Dad Poor Dad is sitting on the bookshelf. If I had more rocks, it too would have been used
Regarding Zoa's...
For starters, I'm not convinced that zoa's do better under the "dirty water" theory. Check out Victor's display tank at WWC or one of JF videos on his website. In both systems, they have a balanced tank of SPS, Chalices, and Zoa's.
Here's my theory...
I'm no expert and this is solely based on observation and past experiences.
Prior to introducing SPS, my zoa's were doing fantastic. I've been running LED's for quite some time and I've always had good success. With that said, in my honest opinion LED's (no matter the brand) require much more dedication. Acclimation, observation, and finding that sweet spot is absolutely imperative and much more difficult. I find that this really isn't the case with MH and T5. Such with all corals, you still have to acclimate, but after that you're good to go. The reason for this, is controllability. Which leads me to my next point.
Once I added SPS, I gradually increased the flow and intensity. Even thou the spectrum was the same, and all that had changed was the intensity, some of my zoa's became smaller, shriveled and looked like crap as you mentioned above. To resurrect and remedy the problem, I found myself starting from the beginning...acclimate, observe, and ultimately find that sweet spot. Water quality always stayed the same. After time and trial and error, I was finally able to succeed. After the light/flow change, some zoa's continued to do fine, and others didn't. My UC was one of those.
So to summarize, I don't believe it's an issue of keeping Zoa's and SPS together, but more about finding that sweet spot for the zoa's to coexist in the same tank. I'm not sure if you're currently running LED's, but I do know that you have your Radions on standby, therefore the info above might help once you start adding corals.
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Continuing the theme of making this system run on "cruise control", I decided to take the plunge and implement an automatic water change system. Shout-out to DRThompson and Eddie for making this possible! I'm sure it'll be well worth the money spent once I set it up. True Story, before making the purchase, I called Eddie to inquire about the pump and hear his thoughts. Eddie said, Dude right now I'm sitting in the patio smoking a cigar while that "thingamajiggy" is doing my water change! Needless to say I started laughing and purchased the pump that evening. Since I live in a small studio and the pump is relatively loud, I opted for the 100gpd version to help make the water changes quicker.
Here's the link...
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2349824
Here's the link...
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2349824
rovster
New member
Ha, Rich Dad Poor Dad is sitting on the bookshelf. If I had more rocks, it too would have been used
Regarding Zoa's...
For starters, I'm not convinced that zoa's do better under the "dirty water" theory. Check out Victor's display tank at WWC or one of JF videos on his website. In both systems, they have a balanced tank of SPS, Chalices, and Zoa's.
Here's my theory...
I'm no expert and this is solely based on observation and past experiences.
Prior to introducing SPS, my zoa's were doing fantastic. I've been running LED's for quite some time and I've always had good success. With that said, in my honest opinion LED's (no matter the brand) require much more dedication. Acclimation, observation, and finding that sweet spot is absolutely imperative and much more difficult. I find that this really isn't the case with MH and T5. Such with all corals, you still have to acclimate, but after that you're good to go. The reason for this, is controllability. Which leads me to my next point.
Once I added SPS, I gradually increased the flow and intensity. Even thou the spectrum was the same, and all that had changed was the intensity, some of my zoa's became smaller, shriveled and looked like crap as you mentioned above. To resurrect and remedy the problem, I found myself starting from the beginning...acclimate, observe, and ultimately find that sweet spot. Water quality always stayed the same. After time and trial and error, I was finally able to succeed. After the light/flow change, some zoa's continued to do fine, and others didn't. My UC was one of those.
So to summarize, I don't believe it's an issue of keeping Zoa's and SPS together, but more about finding that sweet spot for the zoa's to coexist in the same tank. I'm not sure if you're currently running LED's, but I do know that you have your Radions on standby, therefore the info above might help once you start adding corals.
Makes sense. Yes, Radions are ready for the big tank. I had LEDs previously, and now am currently running a mix of LED and a 250 Radium halide. SPS seem happier, Zoas still small and unhappy, but none have died. Been like this for like a year, and gets no better, no worse. Before going to SPS, my zoas looked great, and was getting great growth. That colony of UC I got from you went to 40 polyps!
Kind of frustrating because I like zoas a lot. Sorry to derail your thread a bit. I will try and maybe reduce my lighting and flow for a week or 2 and see if I see a change then ramp up from there. Thanks for the advice!
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