Custom In-Wall 150 Project

[asnatlas]

Re: Pics of the survivors

Re: Pics of the survivors

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6936684#post6936684 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by conda
The green star polyps started opening already. They usually take a while to fully open.

I have heard stories about the GSP taking over tanks... Maybe move it away from the rock work ?? Even then I think with it just being in the tank it will able to spread pretty easily...

 

[conda]

The GSP had never left the rock yet, and it has been a year. I will watch it though.

 

[cherbub]

hehe I know about that!

I am subscribed shall I say lol

 

[Airman]

I had the hydroid jellys in my tank also. They disappear and then you will miss them. They will cover everything. I read an article about them by Dr. Ron saying they are good.

 

[Paverdude]

WOW just finished reading all 20! pages, what a great job gives me tank envy

 

[conda]

Suggestions Needed

Suggestions Needed

My wife wants me to get some corals for the new tank. How about offering me some suggestions on which ones to start with. I have the finger leather and GSPs from my old tank, what are some cool colorfull ones I can add?

BTW, did anyone look at the Scooter Video? What do you think? My wife and son loved it. :lol:

 

[cerreta]

Conda, a bubble coral is easy to care for and will expand to cover a lot of space. If you get lucky, yoiu can find a green tinted bubble coral, which are more beautiful than the standard white.

Mushroom rocks are also a must, they grow very well and mushrooms are easy to frag. You can buy a nice big rock, and pluck a few off and transplant them on other rocks on the tank.

Zoos are another prolific and pretty coral found in various colors and styles.
This is where the fun starts.

Cheers,
Scott

 

[conda]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6943271#post6943271 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cerreta
Conda, a bubble coral is easy to care for and will expand to cover a lot of space. If you get lucky, yoiu can find a green tinted bubble coral, which are more beautiful than the standard white.

Mushroom rocks are also a must, they grow very well and mushrooms are easy to frag. You can buy a nice big rock, and pluck a few off and transplant them on other rocks on the tank.

Zoos are another prolific and pretty coral found in various colors and styles.
This is where the fun starts.

Cheers,
Scott

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm going to research them now.

How about suppliments? Would I need to purchase anything to add to the tank on a consistant basis? I only ever added calcium and did routine water changes on my 55--but I never had many corals.

Oh, and what about algae for the fuge? Marc told me what to put in there but I forget what he said.

Thanks

 

[mille239]

I suggest Chaetomorpha for fuge algae.. very easy to grow, harvest, and you do not need to worry about it crashing, unlike Caulerpa. Another popular algae is Gracilaria (sp?) which many tangs also like to feed upon. there are others, but those two are the easiest to grow, and are low risk.

 

[Airman]

I saw your LMB video. He is quick.

 

[agarza]

I also saw the LMB video, that is afunny and fast little guy.

 

[melev]

Just for fun, try removing the seaswirl and have the water return to the tank without it. See if you still have microbubbles.

You recently added a checkvalve. Perhaps there is a pinhole leak that is sucking in air.

I'd really like to help you get the microbubble issue behind you finally. Did you get the part installed to separate the Dursos this weekend?

 

[cerreta]

For supplements, I have used lots of different things and many at once. They are a pain. I like the ease of use of the Salifert All-in-One and their Iodine. I also add their PH/dkh on occasion when needed. These products have done well in my tank, whici mostly softies with a few hard corals.
Cheers

 

[conda]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6945278#post6945278 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
Just for fun, try removing the seaswirl and have the water return to the tank without it. See if you still have microbubbles.

You recently added a checkvalve. Perhaps there is a pinhole leak that is sucking in air.

I'd really like to help you get the microbubble issue behind you finally. Did you get the part installed to separate the Dursos this weekend?

A divider was put in this weekend along with a sponge filter over the return pump intake and some sponges in the bubble trap. This seems to have helped, but I cannot yet tell if things are better. The microbubbles are being created by the water falling into the sump.

I did not add the check valve yet.

 

[Airman]

Have you tried to slow down the water entering the sump? You can add an adapter to the pvc pipe entering your sump. If you have an 1 inch going into the sump add a two inch adapter I think a T-fitting is best to slow down the water. The velocity slows as the area increases.

 

[conda]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6949777#post6949777 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Airman
Have you tried to slow down the water entering the sump? You can add an adapter to the pvc pipe entering your sump. If you have an 1 inch going into the sump add a two inch adapter I think a T-fitting is best to slow down the water. The velocity slows as the area increases.

I'm dropping two 1.5" drains into the sump at about 1000 GPH when I have it running full force.

I can dial the pump back if needed, but I think the problem is with where the water enters the bubble tower. It seems to create its own protein skimmer in that area. The bubbles enter big, boil for a while and create smaller microbubbles that get forced out the bottom. The bigger bubbles foam over the top. I will take a picture tonight when I get home.

I do think the microbubbles are better since I added the foam blocks to the pump and baffels. But they are still there and the water still looks cloudy.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6944138#post6944138 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Airman
I saw your LMB video. He is quick.

Regarding Scooter. Since I moved him to the new tank, he is always out and moving around. When I had him in the 55, he rarely came out. So I think he is happy.

 

[cerreta]

Conda, let's see a pic of the sump too? The problem may be it's design. I have micro bubbles floating all through my sump, but none ends up in the main tank, due to design. I desgned this particular sump as a high flow single pump system.

However, it does have limitations. It seems to be related to the return line size though, not the sump design. My return pump is a AMp master 3000 and pushes about 1500gph. The dishcarge pipes are 1.5" until passing through UV then reduced to 1.25" pipe. Then it climbs up to the ruturn loop, which is reduced to 3/4". The water exits three 3/4" locline.

I have a gate valve positioned just before the loop. When returning the water with the valve completely open I get microbubbles. I have experimented with this in the past and changed the loop out for just a straight 1" elbow. With the valve open, no bubbles. So I concluded that the source of bubbles was created by high velocity turbulance originating within the retun lines reduced diameter.

I found two solutions to this problem. One, is to increase return line size. The other is to tweak the gate valve down until the bubbles stop. I have a very fine limit to this. If I open the gate valve even 1/4 turn, the microbubbles return. It is that sensative. My return flow is still around 1500gph, which has met my needs.

You can take a peek at my gallery to see a schematic of the sump-a-fuge I built. It was also a 30gallon long, which I believe is the same size sump you have.

Try to experiment with your flow return and see if this solves the problem. BTW, if you have a CLC then you can throttle way back on the return velocity with no problem. New literature is suggesting a 2-4 turnover ratio. So for your 180, 600gpm return should suffice. Let your CLC do the circulation work.
Good luck, let me know how this turns out.

 

[melev]

Paul, if you have room, why don't you try to insert a 1.5" Tee into the bubble tower. Have you drainline pour into the side of the Tee. The top of the Tee would act like a vent, the bottom would let the water pour out. If you still have room, you could put a small piece of PVC pointing up to contain any bubbles that are trying to overflow the Tee.

 

[conda]

Scott,

There are alot of pics of the sump and plumbing in previous pages of this thread. The sump is Melev's Model F version.

I will try cutting back the flow as much as I can. There is a ball valve that sends the water back to the return section of the sump--I should have it returning to the skimmer section and may change it soon.

Marc,

You think that would help? What would that do for it? I'm asking because I have no clue. I can try that tonight--there should be room for it.

 

[melev]

You stated that the bubble tower is acting like a skimmer, bubbling over. I was thinking that the Tee and riser (assuming you can make that fit) would contain the bubbles and allow water to drain.

The excess water shouldn't be diverted to that return section, as it isn't really all that large. I'd put it in the skimmer section, as far away from the bubble trap as possible.