Chad's Simultaneous 225 SPS & 180 FOWLR Office Build

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13151932#post13151932 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by thechad21


I'm a wholesaler and manufacturer of specialty ceiling tools and fasteners. Basically we make and sell some of the items a contracter might use to install a drop ceiling, the type of ceiling with square tiles you threw pencils at in high school.


Click to expand...

As far as being able to do all this in my office, for one I get a lot of my stuff used, takes some patience but it can pay off in the end.

That and being the boss's son doesn't hurt :D
 
I'm so indecisive lol. I went back to raised. I've had a picture in my mind of what I wanted for a while now. Who cares if it doesn't match, at least the stain will be pretty close. Sorry mom! lol
 
Dirty container..
<a href="http://s60.photobucket.com/albums/h39/thechad21_2006/?action=view&current=FishTankBuild020.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h39/thechad21_2006/FishTankBuild020.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Clean container..
<a href="http://s60.photobucket.com/albums/h39/thechad21_2006/?action=view&current=FishTankBuild021.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h39/thechad21_2006/FishTankBuild021.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>


That was less than fun.. I'm 6'2" and my arms still didn't reach the bottom corners, not to mention the bleach fumes. I had to improvise a bit with a piece of 2x2. Should've taken a pic of the inside. The thing was filthy. I'll probably rinse it out a few more times to get the bleach out completely. That's all for now, going home.
 
Looking great... I like your office set up. I'm a drummer too, I wonder what the fish will do when you hit the bass drum or snare :)

If you're still debating, here's one move vote for raised. My stand has raised panels. At first I wasn't digging it, but really like the look now.

Also, let me know if you need any info when you get closer to getting a webcam and setting it up.

Best, Itay.
 
UPS showed up today..
<a href="http://s60.photobucket.com/albums/h39/thechad21_2006/?action=view&current=FishTankBuild022.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h39/thechad21_2006/FishTankBuild022.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s60.photobucket.com/albums/h39/thechad21_2006/?action=view&current=FishTankBuild023.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h39/thechad21_2006/FishTankBuild023.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s60.photobucket.com/albums/h39/thechad21_2006/?action=view&current=FishTankBuild024.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h39/thechad21_2006/FishTankBuild024.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

I'll be heading over to Lowes after work to pick up some hole saws. Hopefully I can get the saltwater mixing/storage container up and running by tonight.
 
I ordered the fans for the canopy this morning. I'll post pictures when they arrive. I'm going with two 120mm SilenX computer fans on each side. They'll be connected to a 4-way controller so I can set the desired speed/noise level. I also ordered two black mesh screens to cover them.
 
I brought my Boxer to help out, he got pretty upset when he realized I wasn't going to play with him, punched me a few times while I was dry fitting the PVC.
<a href="http://s60.photobucket.com/albums/h39/thechad21_2006/?action=view&current=FishTankBuild028.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h39/thechad21_2006/FishTankBuild028.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

He was pretty bored at this point. Almost done with the dry fit.
<a href="http://s60.photobucket.com/albums/h39/thechad21_2006/?action=view&current=FishTankBuild035.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h39/thechad21_2006/FishTankBuild035.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Shabam! I love clear cement. Turned out pretty well if I do say so myself. I'll test for leaks tomorrow. As you can see all I'll need to do when I'm ready for a water change is close the top valve and open the middle one. I'll be hooking up a hose to the middle valve that will span the distance to all three tanks.
<a href="http://s60.photobucket.com/albums/h39/thechad21_2006/?action=view&current=FishTankBuild037.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h39/thechad21_2006/FishTankBuild037.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
 
Tested for leaks this morning, there was a leak on the outlet of the pump. I'd heard of Dart pumps cracking from using too much white teflon tape and overtightening. So I used the tape sparingly and didn't tighten too much. I went to a local plumbing shop and picked up some pipe joint compound for metal and plastic. I doubled up on the teflon tape and then covered it with the compound. Got that leak fixed then noticed there was a leak on the bottom bulkhead. When the container's full of water it changes shape a bit and messes with the seal. So I injected a bunch of silicone in between the bulkhead and the container. Here's where it'll sit, just below the window to my office. Hooked up the RO/DI float valve. Hopefully I'll come back tomorrow with a container full of water and none on the floor! We shall see..

<a href="http://s60.photobucket.com/albums/h39/thechad21_2006/?action=view&current=FishTankBuild038.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h39/thechad21_2006/FishTankBuild038.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
 
That unit looks great - good job - it will make things a breeze.

I had the same issue with my brand new Reeflo Dart. Plumbed it and noticed a crack in the injection molded plastic of the volute. It was like a hairline crack, but enough to let out a drop every few seconds.

I'm not sure whether it was an excess of teflon, over tightening or just a defective piece.

That was a set back, but got a new volute and re-plumbed.

Itay.
 
Thanks Italy! I used this build as kind of a trial run for the actual tank build. Made a few mistakes I won't be making again on the 225.
 
I have a question for you guys. I need to figure out which method I should use to keep my calcium levels up when I start adding SPS corals. The original plan was to purchase a calcium reactor. I'm going to buy two Precision Marine SR45 media reactors, they're the larger version. I'll be running GFO phosphate media in one and carbon in the other. I'd like to run these outside the sump. That should leave me just enough room for a calcium reactor and a CO2 canister. I won't need to buy the calcium reactor for a while but I wan't to plan for the space in the stand so there'll be room for one when I'm ready.

I started looking into kalkwasser reactors today. I'll have a 5 gallon enclosed RO/DI resevoir behind the stand, this will be fed via a float valve from my RO/DI filter in the bathroom. I'm going to purchase a Tunze Osmolator top off device and place the top off pump in the RO/DI resevoir. Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe I could connect the top off pump to a kalkwasser reactor. This would feed fresh water to the reactor which would then feed kalwasser solution to the tank. So my question is two fold.

1. Could I just put a small circulation pump in the 5 gallon container and add kalkwasser directly to the RO/DI resevoir? or would the kalk eventually mess with the float valve causing it to get stuck and flood my office?

2. Should I even mess with kalkwasser if I'm going the calcium reactor route? I know a lot of people use both but there's not a lot of room to spare under my tank. Just wanted to see what you guys thought. Do you prefer one method over the other? Or should I try to do both? I'd rather not spend the money buying two reactors. I'd also hate to clutter the stand with more equipment than I need. One reactor will fit perfectly, doing both would get pretty cramped.
 
Forgot to mention that if I do the calcium reactor only I can leave the media reactors outside the sump. If I get a kalk reactor in addition to the calcium reactor I'll need to put the media reactors in the last chamber of the sump. They'll fit but it won't leave much room for anything else.
 
Hey Chad,

You definitely do not want to have a calcium hydroxide in solution and moved around by a recirculation pump in the RO/DI.

I'm not the most experienced in the hobby, and will let those with much more knowledge than me give their advice and recommendations, but you definitely want the powder to settle and not float around.

I have my auto top off running to a fluidized reactor (its a freshwater aquarium sand filter) which feeds the tank RO/DI water which flows through the reactor, resulting in kalkwasser which then goes into the sump and into the system.

The whitish paste you would have if you stir is not something you want in your system. Every time I fill up the fluidized reactor I wait a few hours until the cloudiness in it decreases and finally the water at the top is completely clear.

My understanding is that RO/DI water is so pure and so clean that it soaks up all the calcium when if flows through the chamber of the reactor.

Here's what mine looks like - you can see that there's a float switch, in the sump, and a line coming in from my reservoir. The water goes through the reactor and becomes kalkwasser which goes into my system.

Carbon_Calc.jpg



I hope this is helpful, and those who know more should give you more info :)
 
Hmm.. Interesting. I thought that you needed to circulate the water in a kalk reactor to keep the white sludge in suspension. What's the pump for on this kalk reactor then? It says on their website that you need a seperate feed pump on a timer or a top off feed.



<a href="http://s60.photobucket.com/albums/h39/thechad21_2006/?action=view&current=KR618.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h39/thechad21_2006/KR618.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

"All Cell Cast acrylic construction

Side mount pump

Easy fill top for kalk replacment

Drain valve for testing and filling

Dependable Maxijet stir pump

Use with your top off system to replace evaporated aquarium water with kalkwasser

7x12 foot print, 22" tall

The world famous GEO kalkwasser reactor!
GEO kalk reactors are fabricated using only the finest cast acrylic materials and high quality fittings. Designed with the user in mind, we feel these are by far the easiest reactors on the market to install, operate and maintain. Easy fill fitting on the lid for adding kalkwasser as needed. You only need to remove the lid for cleaning the reactor.

Drain valve allows you to lower water level in the reactor when adding fresh kalkwasser. You simply remove water from the reactor into a container of kalkwasser, stir it into slurry and pour it back into the reactor through the easy fill opening.

The dependable Maxi Jet stir pump mixes the powder in the chamber; there is no chance of powder exiting the reactor, even if the dosing is pumping water through the reactor as the pump is mixing"



If I don't need to stir the kalk could I just get a third media reactor and use that instead? Like I said I'm already buying two of these for GFO and carbon.

<a href="http://s60.photobucket.com/albums/h39/thechad21_2006/?action=view&current=PrecisionMarineReverseFlowSubstrate.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h39/thechad21_2006/PrecisionMarineReverseFlowSubstrate.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
 
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