CADlights 39g Pro build thread

Sweet setup Tom! A bit too complex for me. Id like to just sit something small on the sump and only have to refill it a couple times a week. Better than topping off what Im guessing is everyday or every other day. The tank isnt set up yet so Im not sure how much Ill be topping off. I am using glass tops for now, until next summer comes and Ill make a screen top or something, so that will help me for now too.
 
Here is what the inside looks like right now. My overflow tubing is quite bent from the angle it has to go to make that front chamber. Will this hinder flow going into my sump, or will it straighten out?
IMG_20101008_132826.jpg
 
chiller on the right, 5 gallon ATO reservior on the left

wicker is cheap! I guess you'd have to like wicker though-LOL!

046.jpg

047.jpg

45days011.jpg
 
i like your setup, tivo - i am going to go with wicker for my ATO reservoir, but i haven't decided on the electronics side.

question for you: where do you put your ballast? i'm worried about it getting hot around all that wicker.
 
mylifeismyown66 said:
Here is what the inside looks like right now. My overflow tubing is quite bent from the angle it has to go to make that front chamber. Will this hinder flow going into my sump, or will it straighten out?
IMG_20101008_132826.jpg
Click to expand...


put a hair dryer on it for a couple of minutes the pinch it till it cools and it should kink out.
 
timdanger said:
i like your setup, tivo - i am going to go with wicker for my ATO reservoir, but i haven't decided on the electronics side.

question for you: where do you put your ballast? i'm worried about it getting hot around all that wicker.
Click to expand...

ballast is on the right in a smaller wicker basket on top of the chiller.

I have it spaced on foam above the chiller so it doesn't get too hot. The back of the wicker basket is wide open for ventilation and only hides 1/2 the ballast.

works great! If I have a spill from an earthquake then thats a different story. I will be mounting my lumatek ballast off the wall behind the chiller and cover it with-you guessed it! Wicker-LOL!

049.jpg
 
The basket is much bigger than the ballast and only covers half. The mag ballasts are ventilated by internal fans and the wicker I chose is very porous. My cabinet fan also blows right over it and pushes heat away from the tank. No issues to date and it's been 17 months. The basket is essentially only a face cover for the ballast for asthetics.
 
So I put water in the tank today, and I cannot get the darn return where it goes down into the glass to stop leaking. I got some teflon and wrapped it up so its just a very very slow drip down into the sump. Will this be a problem, or is it something I really need to get sealed properly?
 
mylifeismyown66 said:
So I put water in the tank today, and I cannot get the darn return where it goes down into the glass to stop leaking. I got some teflon and wrapped it up so its just a very very slow drip down into the sump. Will this be a problem, or is it something I really need to get sealed properly?
Click to expand...

I'd work on getting it to stop leaking. In my experience little leaks turn into big leaks. did you try putting the rubber gasket on the opposite side of the tank that you currently have it? I can't remember if they go on the inside or outside - i think it is the inside.

Tivo - I would imagine that if you have an earthquake big enough to cause water to spill out of the tank you have more things to worry about than the ballast getting wet :)
 
marinetankdiver said:
I'd work on getting it to stop leaking. In my experience little leaks turn into big leaks. did you try putting the rubber gasket on the opposite side of the tank that you currently have it? I can't remember if they go on the inside or outside - i think it is the inside.
Click to expand...

I had the rubber gasket on both sides and for some reason no matter what I did could not tighten it very much and it leaked a lot. I then put teflon on the threads with both gaskets and same thing, wouldnt tighten. So I took off the rubber gasket on the bottom and left it on the side in the overflow and now it appears to only leak a little bit.
 
mylifeismyown66 said:
Someone here as a small 2g or so ATO sitting on their sump. I was going to do that, but there is so little space in there! Was wondering if anyone had any suggestions. I was just going to gravity feed something small sitting on the sump with an esshops float valve.
Like others here Id like to hear more suggestions on where to mount a controller/power strips. My AC Jr. should be in today and I want to mount it safely. I am having 2 fans installed in the stand, so Im not sure if that makes it safe to mount the power stuff in the stand?
Click to expand...

I also had a two gallon tub on top of my sump but found that I was filling it daily during the winter. Went to a five gallon jug on the outside and I could at least go about 5 days without replacement during the summer.

Here is what I used to have:

picture.php


while it kept everything inside the cabinet it was more work than it was worth.

i can't find the pictures of what I have now so I'll take some more, but it is essentially the same thing as Tivo's, but with a different hiding container.
 
mylifeismyown66 said:
I had the rubber gasket on both sides and for some reason no matter what I did could not tighten it very much and it leaked a lot. I then put teflon on the threads with both gaskets and same thing, wouldnt tighten. So I took off the rubber gasket on the bottom and left it on the side in the overflow and now it appears to only leak a little bit.
Click to expand...

The leak will probably stop once you get salt and minerals in there. Though if it is more than just a drip every minute or so I'd still work on it. Whatever you do don't tighten the nut too tight or you run the risk of cracking the glass, so you are probably better off with a very slow drip.

I'm sure others will offer you suggestions on how to actually stop the drip though.
 
I had the same problem and used silicone grease on the gasket to get a nice seal on the inside of the overflowbox. It's non toxic and haven't had a drip since setting it up.
 
The tank has been set up for a good.....7 hours or so. I just have water in the overflow and the tank as Im waiting for the sand to settle before I really fill it up and run it through the sump. There is probably a half inch of water in the 1st section of the sump from the dripping.
 
It may take of itself as you add more water to the tank. But I agree with small leaks can turn into big leaks. You might want to try loosening bulkhead and move it a little to see if the works. The silicone grease was suggested to me by someone else on here and it has been perfect. Home depot sells it. You def want to fix it now.
 
One gasket on the inside of the overflow. No gasket underneath.

I know it's late in the game but the easiest and safest way to check for leaks in the overflow is to only fill the overflow first. Just shut off the return and siphon out the overflow box and switch the gasket to only one on the inside. Then you should be fine. Also make sure that the gasket is not pushed up against the edges of the overflow when you tighten it. Some have reported that their hole cuts were a bit close to the edges. If it is, then what you can do is to take a razor blade and slightly trim the gasket where it's touching the edge. Then hand tighten it snugly (no tools!!).

Tivo
 
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