Full setup - power update - pictures (basement sump)

[RokleM]

One of the things I really didn't like when I was trying to plan my setup is the extreme lack of pictures and ideas I could get from others. A very simple example is, try to look for pictures of 100 gallon Rubbermaid poly sumps. A very common thing, yet VERY hard to find. Personally, I'd love to see a huge thread posted that has all of our setups at the top of the forum. Hence, I have always enjoyed posting pictures to give other people ideas.

I've kind of said to heck with other people's ideas with my setup, and done some different things I've come up with. Partially inspired by pictures, partially not understanding why people would do it the way they have. Right or wrong, this is how mine is currently. My tank has been live for about four months at this point. I started out with a small sump under the tank, and quickly decided a basement setup would be much better.

I recently finished most of the work downstairs, specifically the electric. I'll add basic descriptions as I go through. There is still a ton of cleanup to do, but you get the idea. Everything is connected to three GCFI protected circuits/outlets.

Note, I'll talk about UPS protection, although this is just one means. I also have the 2000W Honda generator in case (which takes me a matter of about 10 seconds to hook my critical systems up to, which you'll understand later).

Tank shot (58 Oceanic RR, 76 pounds or so of Phishy live rock, misc cleanup crew, 2 Goby, 2 Clown, 1 Royal Gramma, 1 Sixline)

Under the tank power

Left to right: moonlight control, T5 lighting on in-wall timer control connected to UPS backup, two Seio powerheads with toggle switches on UPS backup (kind of covered the two switches on the left, sorry)

MISC non-UPS devices (fans, heater, etc) plugged into room GCFI

Holes going to the basement (luckily directly below), left to right: drain, input, power/network cables

 

[RokleM]

Basement (downstairs, to the "left" wall of the tank), includes, QT, hospital, RO/DI, salt mix, SUMP, equipment, etc

Timers for the QT tank (not UPS)

I have four LaCrosse sensors in the house watching humidity and temp, one is downstairs. PH meter of course.

Left side as you look at the sump stand. American DJ power strip (non UPS) managing most of the QT/hostpital/monitoring equipment.

Right side as you look at the sump stand. Manages all non critical functions (non UPS), including a powerhead in the sump, pumps and heaters for the upper shelves, etc. Also to the left of that is another timer for the sump lighting. Geo skimer churning away, generating a fowl smell that makes pig farmers faint.

 

[RokleM]

Four box for powerheads and heaters in the second shelf, which is the RO/DI salt mixing container. The top shelf is only RO/DI, so I only have one small powerhead in there just to keep the surface from getting funky (no four-box needed, direct plug into the DJ strip).

Back wall of the sump. One line is for incoming from the tank (also branches off to the GEO prior), one is re-directing partial flow from the monster sequence sump pump. Carbon and phosban filtration.

Left side is heavy flow from excess circulation from the sump pump. Middle is Chaeto in a container on top of eggcrate. Left is some "dead" rock that will surely be live soon.

These are three four-outlet boxes going into three different UPS's. I have all critical services balanced over them including tank PH's, sump pump, a heater, one powerhead for the skimmer, etc. The boxes you saw upstairs go downstairs via yellow cable and literally have a 3 prong yellow plug on them (easy to move/change instead of hard wiring it in).

Three UPS's

 

[RokleM]

My server rack the UPS's are on. This is a little to the "right" of the tank upstairs. Funny.... The wall is about 8' wide, and right next to my sump setup. Note the next picture. Eventually I will get kicked out of the tank room (currently has my tank and computers/desks) when it's turned into a dining room. What ever could I put downstairs in this 8' space????

8' space for expansion once the server rack is removed along with my server rack desk or to be desk eventually (who has a big tank for sale?)

Took me two minutes just to get this sucker posted with the image restrictions RC has heh.

 

[asnatlas]

Very nice looking setup

 

[AcroSteve]

You sure you have enough capacity on those switches/hubs. :lol:

 

[hollback]

Looking good! When you say that your Seio's are on toggle switches does that mean thay switch on and off? I know people were running into problems with them locking up if they were being turned on and off like a wavemaker. Rio said that these pumps are made to be constantly on and wouldn't be replaced when they locked up if they were used in wavemaker fashion.

Also I don't think that carbon should be ran in a fluidized bed reactor. I think it was discovered that a reactor causes the carbon to disolve and get dispersed into your system. I think Rob has more info on this subject.

My only other concern would be your power/DJ strips placement. I'd try to keep everything off your stand and away from anywhere that might get wet. Having power outlets below water containers seems like potential disaster. Trust me I know from experience.

It looks like a well thought out system. Especially since you're dealing with some space issues. Nice job!

 

[porky]

Very nice set up Eric! Very clean and professional looking
Jason, I use the TLF PhosBan reactor for my carbon, and like it. In theory, at least, it should be more effective than a bag.
It is my understanding, and someone correct me if I am wrong, that running a Fluidized Bed Filter can accumulate detritus and burn out pumps from the back pressure. And that any kind of media is best not used in these.
Fluidized Reactors are an entirely different device, I think it's okay to run carbon, rowaphos etc. in those.

 

[ohioreef]

Very nice!! I wish I had a basement to put all my "behind the scenes" equipment.

 

[cward]

I like it. It looks like it was well thought out.

 

[RokleM]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6907172#post6907172 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by AcroSteve
You sure you have enough capacity on those switches/hubs. :lol:

That's just a small portion of my lab that remains I got rid of the rest.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6907778#post6907778 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hollback
Looking good! When you say that your Seio's are on toggle switches does that mean thay switch on and off? I know people were running into problems with them locking up if they were being turned on and off like a wavemaker. Rio said that these pumps are made to be constantly on and wouldn't be replaced when they locked up if they were used in wavemaker fashion.

Correct, these are just to turn them on and off (like during a water change or targeted feeding). They are not on a wavemaker. I have four of them that get turned on and off at least 3-4 times a week, and none of them have locked up during the 4-5 months I've been running them. I hvae heard of the issue, so even though I've been lucky thus far, I always make sure they start fully.

On the carbon, I do see your point Jason, however this is a pretty common setup now from what I've read. You're right, if I blast 600 GPH through it, they would tumble very fiercely and cause them to crumble or wear. However, I have just enough flow to cause no motion inside the container. That is enough to pretty much fill the 1/2" tube about 3/4. I don't know what that would be in GPH, but it's enough to get a good enough flow that it's getting the job done.

I also have had some concerns with the power and water, but I've done the precautions I can with GCFI. I spent a lot of time trying to figure this one out. The issue is the stacked system, and cable lengths. If I moved the strips well away from the rack, just about everything would require an extension cord, which would in turn be right back to the same issue (the ability for water to enter near a metal contact).

 

[marinelife]

Very nice but why all the computers

 

[RokleM]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6909291#post6909291 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by marinelife
Very nice but why all the computers

Occupation: Network/Security Engineer

 

[marinelife]

yeah but that is still alot of them

 

[asnatlas]

LOL, I get asked this all the time... I only have like 2 laptops and 1.2..3...9 PC... With computers when you want to "upgrade" its cheaper to buy/build a new one... I don't like to sell my old PCs because you get nothing for them... At one point not to long ago I would have all 9 PC running for different things... Since I am going to be needing a little more power for other things (cough, 600gal, cough) I have decided to turn a few off... On my server rack I still have the two dual proc servers and my main quad Xeon server up and running along with my main PC...

 

[hllywd]

What do you run with the UPSs, what are they, and how long is your backup time?

 

[RokleM]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6909675#post6909675 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by asnatlas
LOL, I get asked this all the time... I only have like 2 laptops and 1.2..3...9 PC... With computers when you want to "upgrade" its cheaper to buy/build a new one... I don't like to sell my old PCs because you get nothing for them... At one point not to long ago I would have all 9 PC running for different things... Since I am going to be needing a little more power for other things (cough, 600gal, cough) I have decided to turn a few off... On my server rack I still have the two dual proc servers and my main quad Xeon server up and running along with my main PC...

Agreed. I have donated the majority of my old stuff over the years, but it's time to do another purge. I have another half dozen-dozen machines sitting in another section in the basement not hooked up.

 

[RokleM]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6910252#post6910252 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hllywd
What do you run with the UPSs, what are they, and how long is your backup time?

Running a test for you as we speak

 

[RokleM]

The results. This is with running everything at 100% (all devices were on, heaters were on and engaged the entire time, etc).

UPS1 - 70+ min runtime
Main Tank T5's - 156Watt rating / 160Watt actual usage
2x Seio 820's - 36Watt rating / 36Watt actual usage

UPS2 - 70+ min runtime
150 Watt Jager Heater - 150Watt rating / 144 actual usage
GX 4100 (1 of 2 pump on GEO) - 70Watt rating / 30 actual usage

UPS3 - 70+ min runtime
Sequence Tarpon Uno (16' head) 50-225Watt rating / 202 actual usage

This is only the second full test I've run, so there is a lot of tweaking and modifications to do. For example, all my T5 lighting isn't needed during an outage, it's actually only needed during multiple day outages.

You could also likely state that if the T5's were off, and the heater was off, both of those UPS's would probably run for about 4-5 hours. The sump pump however is a beast, and there isn't a ton I can do there other than get a bigger UPS. It will be the first to get a charge on the generator during a long outage.