Build Thread: TKERacer619's 600gal SPS Tank

[tkeracer619]

I did a 90% water change on the qt and added CP in preparation for some new fish. Probably going to pick the first one up tomorrow after work! I had planned to get a few Copperbands and a trio of Pyramid Butterflies but I slept on them too long and the store sold them. I did however find a copperband that has a crazy appetite for frozen so I don't think I want to pass up that opportunity.

Last evening I threw a set of 1 micron bags on the 600gal. This evening they had done their job!

The 600 only has trace amounts of ammonia tonight, I'll probably dose 5ml instead of the normal 10ml tomorrow night now that I'm starting to move more LR over to the display. I cleaned the skimmer cup, it was surprisingly bad. Also, I think the glass could probably use a careful cleaning, it has a layer of dust on it. I'll use a dobie pad to prevent scratches.

 

[ca1ore]

Love the minimalist aquascape ......

 

[tkeracer619]

Love the minimalist aquascape ......

Thanks! It took several hours (a year as of tomorrow) and many tries but I think the seafloor scape went well! The pistol shrimp and goby that will be housed in this species tank is sure to be pleased !:beer:

 

[ca1ore]

Serious Q - how much sand do you figure went in there? Trying to work out how much more I will need in going from 265 to 400.

 

[tkeracer619]

My best guess is 600lbs give or take 50lbs. I had a 50gal Rubbermaid full to the brim. Finer sand so I went with the higher weight of 90lbs a cubic foot.

 

[tkeracer619]

I woke up this morning with a plan. Get the swamp cooler runnin and do some spring cleaning. For the first time in 4 years the darn thing fired right up and by the time it was in the high 80s outside it was pumping out 69 degrees of joy! It was looking to be a good day. After knocking out some cleaning I had some extra time to put into the setup!

I took the newly polished QT outside for a good washing with the hose and some vinegar. Once back inside and dry I headed off to one of the local fish stores, Elite Reef. I picked up a couple bulkheads and some Loc-Line to install the returns in the QT. I also picked up a Copperband and a Coral Beauty. The Copperband has some Lympho on his tail but aggressively eats frozen food. He doesn't shy away from people either so I pulled the trigger on him and his tank mate. I'm not worried about the Lympho, it'll go away with the better water parameters. The coral beauty has great coloration as well.

They both couldn't care less that they were just in bags and are in a bucket getting acclimated! They're not shy at all

I added a couple PVC pipes and will add some fake plants at some point. Once put in the tank they were out and about exploring their new home. The QT is dosed at 40mg/gal of CP. I fed them some mysis a few minutes ago and the gobbled it up :bounce1:

I used some PVC and diffuser to make a little stand for the Pond Matrix. This tank didn't come with any of the giblets that go in the back.

Just like the other QT this one also has dual Eheim Compact 1000 through their own 1/2" Loc-Line.

Once it was all setup I put it in place and started to fill.

I added some gravel, the Pond Matrix, ammonia, and a bottle of Bio-Spira. Hoping this one cycles as quick as the last one!

Also, the skimmer is still rockin!

 

[tkeracer619]

Nothing Crazy to report but I have made some progress.

600gal is readily processing ammonia. The water is clear but the glass needs a decent cleaning. It has a lot of fines on it making the tank look cloudy.

The new QT is cycled and processing 2ppm a day of ammonia. A supplier in California is conditioning some fish for me that hopefully will be ready to ship early next week. I'll do a 90% water change 3 days prior to their arrival. I'm hoping to get these fish (butterflies and a dwarf angel) next week so that they can all be out of QT and ready to toss in the 600 by the 1st week in July. I'll put all of my fish in at night from various tanks at once to hopefully avoid crazy dominance battles. There will be 4 tanks of fish converging into one.

I put two VivaGrow 48" LED lights (Finnex Copy) on the quarantine tanks. I had hoped to avoid timers by using the built in stuff but they are way too bright. Instead, I just set them at a low intensity and put them on a timer. They seem to work well.

My coral/invert QT frag rack was too crowded so I made a bigger one with larger spacing on the CNC at work.

Since I used the BTA prop tank return pumps on the QTs I ordered 4 replacements. I also ordered 6x 50w LifeGard preset heaters and the acrylic pieces to build the filter compartments. I doubt I'll get them up this week, I really need to focus on ATO for everything before I end up in the loony bin.

Also, we got hit by that $1 billion hail storm in Colorado last week. My Jeep got hammered to the tune of $12,000 :headwally:

 

[BigBlueTang]

Build Thread: TKERacer619's 600gal SPS Tank

I love it!!! Especially like how Mark's "not much to report" is double anyone else's major build thread updates..
:lmao:
Keep working man! It's coming together!
Oof about the Jeep... I like that car.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[tkeracer619]

I love it!!! Especially like how Mark's "not much to report" is double anyone else's major build thread updates..
:lmao:
Keep working man! It's coming together!
Oof about the Jeep... I like that car.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

:lol: I doubt that... Lots of progress is being made by people around here. I wish I could pay more attention to the awesome threads but at the moment i'm just overloaded...

Thanks, I like that Jeep too... trying to hang onto it but it's extensive damage. Luckily I have a good body shop that can make it look new again as long as the insurance company and the bank don't screw me. I'd rather another SRT8 from the same body (the new new ones don't have a rear lift on the glass which makes doing stuff like this build thread impossible) but I'm not sure I want to extend the payments lol.

BTW: I still haven't wired the room to the panel but once that is done I'll be doing a wire tuck so you won't be seeing wires hanging all over.

 

[christiantt]

I love it!!! Especially like how Mark's "not much to report" is double anyone else's major build thread updates..
:lmao:

I thought the same - "not so much"
The QT's are looking really good!! I like the simple and stille classy look:thumbsup:

 

[tkeracer619]

I thought the same - "not so much"
The QT's are looking really good!! I like the simple and stille classy look:thumbsup:

Thanks! I appreciate it

 

[tkeracer619]

Prepping for the Next Group of Fish.

Prepping for the Next Group of Fish.

Did a 100% water change this evening on the 2nd QT. It was well over 50 nitrates due to dosing it with high levels of ammonia since I started the cycle. It's processing about 2ppm a day. I also dosed 40mg/gal of Chloroquine Phosphate. The next round of fish come in on Wed.

The fish in the 1st QT are doing great. The Copperband has gone from dozens of Lympho spots to 3 total. Both him and the Coral Beauty are very active and eating like champs. I'm feeding them 2 to 3 times a day now if I can. They were hiding from all the commotion in that last pic but I assure you... they are still hungry and not the slightest bit skittish :lol:

I've been manually topping off the 600gal so I could keep tabs on it but am now comfortable enough to get it running an ATO. I've long since lost the proper mount for these AutoTopOff.com float switches so I made a ghetto brackett for now. I'll still manually top the tank off for the next couple days to monitor the system to make sure nothing is funky.

Also, I banged my hand pretty hard at work today... hoping I didn't break it again :headwally:

 

[BigBlueTang]

Also, I banged my hand pretty hard at work today... hoping I didn't break it again :headwally:

Mark!!!! Dude!!! Be careful!!!
Good update though..
But be careful!!!

 

[dave.m]

Word of warning on those ATO switches: through disastrous experience I've learned they need to be taken out and cleaned regularly - once a month would be a good idea. Also, they are only intended to last about two years. Due to this experience I would not use them in saltwater but freshwater only to ensure they last longer.

Dave.M

 

[tkeracer619]

That's interesting dave, you're the first person I have heard say that about these switches. I've been using these switches since I got in the hobby. The ones on my display are at least 8 years old. I soak them in vinegar a couple times a year. That said I've never had them fail and have installed a bunch of them, probably two dozen sets. Afaik none of them have failed. I've personally never even had the emergency float come into play.

I have always used the low voltage option so that may be where we differ. I did just replace the relay in this set because I got it wet. Were you using them at 120v?

the 600gal measured out at .033ppm po4 and 50 nitrates. I'll swap rock and fish once the fish in QT are cleared.

 

[dave.m]

I honestly can't remember, now. It was a few years ago on a system that was already set up. I just took over the contract. It was the owner at ATO who told me they should be replaced every two years or so. I just got out of the sensor method altogether instead, opting instead for a stand-alone top-off reservoir and RO/DI set on timers.

Dave.M

 

[tkeracer619]

Strange that they would say that. Chicago Sensors makes the switches that ATO.com uses and CS states that if properly setup the sensor should cycle "millions" of times.

If it only lasted a million cycles and not millions with 200 cycles a day your looking at a 13 year life. The relays ATO.com uses have a low amp draw as well as built in flyback diodes. They are both within the requirements specd by chicago sensors.

Obviously you had a bad experience and that is all it takes to ruin a good tank. You certainly want to simplify things and reduce failure points. I use a masterflex peristaltic pump as the feed pump for ATO. Since it pumps water so slow it would take a week to cause a problem if it were to stick on. On average the pump is currently running 50-60% of the time, once I add the 4x4 flat it will be running close to 75% of the time. I also use your method on certain tanks but since I use kalkwasser on my main tank I think the slow flow of the masterflex can really save your butt if you have a float switch failure.

Properly used, float switches can deliver millions of o
n/off cycles, for years of dependable operation. Failures are normally due to overloading, frequently caused by spiking voltage. Before designing a circuit which uses a float switch, be sure to read our Technical Page on Spiking Voltage & Float Switches.

 

[dave.m]

The peristaltic pump is definitely a good way to go. I wish you continued success.

Dave.M

 

[michalinho]

Wow very nice and clean!

 

[tkeracer619]

Thanks!

As of now it's the quiet before the storm. Work is going to kick my butt this month but I am anticipating the next major steps are going to be aquascaping and livestock transfer beginning early july .