(First Reef Tank Ever) **** 600gal Display **** 1300gal System
- Thread starter JohnL
- Start date
94ls-sie47
New member
SOME DAY i shall have some setup just as crazy as this 1...
nice work..
nice work..
quiksilver
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11766161#post11766161 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cbui2
Tom, the 3 90s is above the main display water line for siphon break. i dont even know what i am doing with all those equipment i have.
Harley i was high for few weeks, thats when i needed a break.
The way you have those "anti-siphon" 90s will never work the way you have them. The water will siphon up past the water line in your tank and over those 90s no problem.
In order to have proper "anti-siphon" make the exact thing with the 3 90's you have, but inside the tank. Then drill 2 anti-siphon holes under neath the 90's above the water line in your tank.
Great thought, but right now those "anti-siphons" on your 1st return, 2nd fuge return, and chiller return are just restricting your flow. Just a heads up.
Bart I love your setup so much. I keep oogling. Lemme try and look at your other plumbing and help.
Last edited:
cbui2
Premium Member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11770480#post11770480 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tbone28
Answer to the 90-degree bends is SIMPLE!!
Bart needed an excuse to sniff some more of that glue
no problem, due to pvc cememt part of my brain suffered from any sense of humor long time ago
cbui2
Premium Member
yeah J, in the beginning of the build when the entire display was setup for a month with out any livestock all was check to ensure no flooding, power failure to each pump, back pressure, overflow and etc. even if i cut the power off completely to the entire system i have enough sump water volume to cover it. there are so many different things i can do to better to this system if i had known a little more before building it, besides 3 months of reading and lil reef knowledge 
jnarowe
New member
You're doing just fine IMO. Don't get discouraged. If you have the funds to maintain the system, then get back at it. I had to drain my system and did so without removing the livestock to effect a repair. If I can do it, so can you.
Do you have a mentor? This is key in my situation and I think that if you don't, that would be a good step. Find an accomplished reefer close enough that you can meet in person on occassion. And of course, watch out for posers. Make sure you visit their system and make an educated determination as to their value as a mentor.
I have one of the best as mine, and you should have one too. Don't be intimidated by your own actions and don't get discouraged by mistakes. Until about 15 years ago, no one thought corals could be kept in the common home aquarium.
Do some tank tours. I had to buy some equipment blind because no one in my area had decent systems. For instance, I had to buy the AquaController basically sight unseen, and was surprised that at the price point, it could only handle one tank. Since then Curt has developed add-ons so it's not really an issue any more.
Had I seen more systems before I built mine (other than online) I might have made a few different choices, but on the whole I did very well. Everything works and the tweaks I have had to do have been relatively minor. One such interesting issue is kalk stirrers.
I had done a lot of reading about them and had come to the conclusion that a magnetic bar stirrer was the best design. Simply put, it is a closed environment so there is no air pocket at the top like in the Deltec unit. But after having used a good quality magnetic stirrer and seeing the Deltec one operating in person, I feel I made the wrong decision.
The Deltec has an air pocket at the top, but apparently that really isn't as big of a problem as stated in so many articles and posts I have read. But the big benefit is that the Deltec constantly stirs at an extremely slow rate and therefore provides excellent disolution while maintaining an absolutely clear effluent.
So, mine stirs fine, but must get up to speed to break the kalk mud, and at that speed clouds the chamber, or at least the bottom half, which in turn could inject kalk fines into my system. So the short of it (NOT!) is that I have to have my doser on a timer so that it doesn't dose during or for the hour after a stir cycle.
Lesson learned, but had I discussed this in more detail with a QUALIFIED mentor, I would have purchased the Deltec instead.
Do you have a mentor? This is key in my situation and I think that if you don't, that would be a good step. Find an accomplished reefer close enough that you can meet in person on occassion. And of course, watch out for posers. Make sure you visit their system and make an educated determination as to their value as a mentor.
I have one of the best as mine, and you should have one too. Don't be intimidated by your own actions and don't get discouraged by mistakes. Until about 15 years ago, no one thought corals could be kept in the common home aquarium.
Do some tank tours. I had to buy some equipment blind because no one in my area had decent systems. For instance, I had to buy the AquaController basically sight unseen, and was surprised that at the price point, it could only handle one tank. Since then Curt has developed add-ons so it's not really an issue any more.
Had I seen more systems before I built mine (other than online) I might have made a few different choices, but on the whole I did very well. Everything works and the tweaks I have had to do have been relatively minor. One such interesting issue is kalk stirrers.
I had done a lot of reading about them and had come to the conclusion that a magnetic bar stirrer was the best design. Simply put, it is a closed environment so there is no air pocket at the top like in the Deltec unit. But after having used a good quality magnetic stirrer and seeing the Deltec one operating in person, I feel I made the wrong decision.
The Deltec has an air pocket at the top, but apparently that really isn't as big of a problem as stated in so many articles and posts I have read. But the big benefit is that the Deltec constantly stirs at an extremely slow rate and therefore provides excellent disolution while maintaining an absolutely clear effluent.
So, mine stirs fine, but must get up to speed to break the kalk mud, and at that speed clouds the chamber, or at least the bottom half, which in turn could inject kalk fines into my system. So the short of it (NOT!) is that I have to have my doser on a timer so that it doesn't dose during or for the hour after a stir cycle.
Lesson learned, but had I discussed this in more detail with a QUALIFIED mentor, I would have purchased the Deltec instead.
cbui2
Premium Member
thanks, im not discouraged at all. draining the system was probably the best thing i did.
your my mentor for now , there are a lot of reefers here, but i don't know any of them. im all alone for now
some mistakes were made but benjamins and lil reefkeeping skills solve the problems
as of now, no controllers will be installed. still trying to keep it as simple as possible, but little late for that now.
currently dosing randy's two part for now. just didn't want to fool with deltec calcium reactor and kalk stirrer as i am happy with my water parameters being stable for 4 months now. they are still sitting in the closet.
salinity 1.025 - 1.026
nitrate 0
phosphate 0
mag 1325 - 1375
temp 79-80
ph 8.3 - 8.4
alk 9 - 10
calcium 420 - 440
your my mentor for now
, there are a lot of reefers here, but i don't know any of them. im all alone for now some mistakes were made but benjamins and lil reefkeeping skills solve the problems
as of now, no controllers will be installed. still trying to keep it as simple as possible, but little late for that now.
currently dosing randy's two part for now. just didn't want to fool with deltec calcium reactor and kalk stirrer as i am happy with my water parameters being stable for 4 months now. they are still sitting in the closet.
salinity 1.025 - 1.026
nitrate 0
phosphate 0
mag 1325 - 1375
temp 79-80
ph 8.3 - 8.4
alk 9 - 10
calcium 420 - 440
ycnibrc
STAG HORN DOMINATE REEF
hey Bart fire up the Cal reactor and set it at CO2=80 bpm
effluent drip 240 drop per minute. Since right now you don't have any corals in the tank so don't worry about killing anything. But atleast get your main tank ready fro those frags. Keep testing the ALk and Cal every other day and see if it's stable.
Your goal is CAL 400 or above ALK 9 or above,MAG 1300.
I run my Cal at 450 and ALk is at 10 to 11 and MAG at 1350. For a large system like your's you have to utilize the CAL reactor since you already bought it.
monitor your PH if it's drop down below 7.9 in the day time fire up your kalk reactor for top off.
effluent drip 240 drop per minute. Since right now you don't have any corals in the tank so don't worry about killing anything. But atleast get your main tank ready fro those frags. Keep testing the ALk and Cal every other day and see if it's stable.
Your goal is CAL 400 or above ALK 9 or above,MAG 1300.
I run my Cal at 450 and ALk is at 10 to 11 and MAG at 1350. For a large system like your's you have to utilize the CAL reactor since you already bought it.
monitor your PH if it's drop down below 7.9 in the day time fire up your kalk reactor for top off.
Anthony, the deltec Ca reactor tuning is a little diff then your Ca reactor. Bart, make sure you go into the deltec link and upload the user manual and installation instruction on Deltec Ca reactor. Don't listen to some schmuck who has no clue about that type of Ca Reactor . J/k Anthony peace
If you need any help, PM me.....
. J/k Anthony peace If you need any help, PM me.....
cbui2
Premium Member
Anthony, i have been collecting corals and fish for quite some time now, all those lights wasn't installed to light up my living room . don't be to hard on him Sensei, as he was trying to show me the way. Jar*Head is not only the deltec guru, tunze technical support, but chinese super wave motion developer too :lol: . yes i have read the deltec manuals plenty of time along with the kalk stirrer too.
here's what i been currently dosing to achieve water parameters with LM3
1. 8oz daily randy's 2 part (1250g w/5gal RO)
2. 20oz daily (6lbs epsom salt w/5gal RO)
3. 15oz daily (12 teaspoon seachem reef builder w/5gal RO)
4. 150gal water change every 3 weeks for now
the main reason why i didn't setup calcium reactor and kalk yet b/c i been able to manage my water parameters consistently with simple methods, and by changing to the reactor will require more work that i am not capable of not just yet. not only that i have to keep monitoring ph level since it will drop or raise according to everyone's thread i have been searching through. plus with the corals i have didn't want to take a chance. if the display was empty i would have done this, but since i was moving so fast in the beginning i didn't bother with it.
. don't be to hard on him Sensei, as he was trying to show me the way. Jar*Head is not only the deltec guru, tunze technical support, but chinese super wave motion developer too :lol: . yes i have read the deltec manuals plenty of time along with the kalk stirrer too. here's what i been currently dosing to achieve water parameters with LM3
1. 8oz daily randy's 2 part (1250g w/5gal RO)
2. 20oz daily (6lbs epsom salt w/5gal RO)
3. 15oz daily (12 teaspoon seachem reef builder w/5gal RO)
4. 150gal water change every 3 weeks for now
the main reason why i didn't setup calcium reactor and kalk yet b/c i been able to manage my water parameters consistently with simple methods, and by changing to the reactor will require more work that i am not capable of not just yet. not only that i have to keep monitoring ph level since it will drop or raise according to everyone's thread i have been searching through. plus with the corals i have didn't want to take a chance. if the display was empty i would have done this, but since i was moving so fast in the beginning i didn't bother with it.
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