Gabriel's NEW 300 Gallon Envision Tank ((PICS INTENSE))

[Bebo77]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6712125#post6712125 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Konadog
Thanks Gabriel.
I have to ask why you have valves on the drain lines. I understand the ones to create back pressure and direct flow, but the first ones? Isn't the drain connected to an overflow box, that would be empty when the pumps are shut down?

i put ball valves(BV) on the drains because i want to regulate/stop flow to everything. My sump's BV is turn to the 2 o'clock position.. this gives it a nice slow flow. this way i am also able to work on 1 part of a drain without having to shut the whole drain down.
Lets say i want to do some work on the deltec, i turnoff the 3rd BV to the deltec and can work on it, the flow will just progress through the T and out the other BV.

I also did this for water changes. I have a built in water change area that is fillled by overflow from the fuge. When i do a water change i close the fuge BV and pump the water out of the water change area with a mag pump i have sitting in there(along with a small 150 watt heater). I fill with RODi water add salt and use the other BV attached to the mag(pic below) to mix the water. When mixed and heated to tanks tamp i open the BV to the sump and presto a 25 gallon water change.

i do all this and the barr skimmer still has its own BV fed from the main drain.. the barr never has to go offline with a water change.

 

[jeffbrig]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6711994#post6711994 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Bebo77

here is the left 1 1/2" drain going into the Deltec and a 1" T split
to take off the backpressure fro the Deltec.. The Deltec's input is 1"

Gabriel,
It looks like you're running the skimmer feed line wide open. What sort of flow rate are you pushing through it? I have my ER plumbed similarly from the overflow drain, but I use a gate valve on the input to control the flow rate. I'm targeting 300-400gph through the skimmer, and the valve is actually closed quite a bit to achieve that.

 

[Bebo77]

Jeff its funny that you ask that. When i first set up the tank i ran the ball valve at 3oclock ran it there for a week and slowly opened the ball valve to where it is now, fully open. I called Doug at Deltec and told him that i was running my ball valves fully open and the skimmer was performing great.. lol he was amazed it should be overflowing like fountain but instead is working like a charm.

that said i have never measured what my 1.5" is actually moving. Ill run a test for you this weekend and ill find out.

i have the foam head at the top of the neck. perfect. ill post a pic in a few for you...

 

[jeffbrig]

I think you should be able to balance the input and exit valves for any flow rate, I'm just uncertain what rate is truly optimal - high turnover vs. contact time. ER's guidance is to run 1-1.5X the system volume through the skimmer each hour, that's where I came up with my rough 300-400gph number. It seems to work well, but who knows what is truly best.

I run my skimmer pretty high too. Right now the top of the frothy bubble/water mix (not a dry foam) is within 1" of the top of the skimmer's neck. That puts about 1/2" of skimmate in the cup each day. I'm still playing with the level a bit since I redid my plumbing a few weeks ago.

 

[Bebo77]

It says that i should be running 610 gph throught the skimmer, i cant imagine that i am pushing a much higher gph ratio.
I do have the 1.5" drain reduced to 1" at the Deltec, thats what on the skimmer.

 

[jeffbrig]

I should probably mention that my skimmer feed is split off a drain line carrying near 2000gph.

 

[gfk]

have you thought about buying some smaller rock to fill it in just a LITTLE more. i love the openess, but it MIGHT look cooler with some more rock.... youve already spent a fortune im sure so i cant blame you for not wanting to

 

[Bebo77]

i plan on filling all that open space with coral.. give me a month, ill have this this all fragged over!

 

[Bebo77]

I am getting some yellow growth on my live rock... anyone know what this is? is it good or bad?

 

[Konadog]

Gabriel, I remember seeing large yellow patches on my rock when I took my 100 down. It was usually in low light areas and I assumed it was some type of sponge. Not sure now.

 

[Bebo77]

I have only been running the T5's; 8 54 watt bulbs. I also have been using purple up over the past few days. Should i be running the MH as well? i have no coral and figured that i would be wasting power lighting up the tank so much just for the fish.

 

[cmondo]

I am not too sure on this one, I really can't tell by the picture, but it may be some kind of corraline die off. From being exposed to the air for a while?

 

[Konadog]

Gabriel, just running the T5's is just fine for now. IMO you would just be wasting power, but the electrical company doesn't mind!

 

[asnatlas]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6726309#post6726309 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Bebo77
I have only been running the T5's; 8 54 watt bulbs. I also have been using purple up over the past few days. Should i be running the MH as well? i have no coral and figured that i would be wasting power lighting up the tank so much just for the fish.

Bebo77, are you running those T5's on IceCaps ?? If so you are over driving them to about 80w each... So intead of the 432w you think you are getting you are really putting out 640w... What bulbs are you running ?? I am going to have 8x T5's over 600gal and I went with 4x 11K and 4x Blue Plus...

 

[Bebo77]

i have them in this...http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=12105&N=2004+113175


i have 2 daylight bulbs (1 in each fixture)
and 6 of these (3 in each fixture)http://www.reefgeek.com/products/categories/lighting/104041.html

 

[i2ik]

Gabriel, do you have any air getting in your skimmer with the way you did your skimmer intake. Sorry i havent read all the thread, so maybe you mention it somewhere...

I have mine plumbed also from the overflow and i am getting big bubbles. The way i did mine was 1.5 reduce to 1" but i am having 4 way out from the overflow each with a valve so i can control the flow going into the skimmer... i jsut got the air bubbles which i dunno if you are having the same problem.

Thanks

 

[Bebo77]

i do have it bubbles but they are small, not tiny but small. Maybe a 1/4" in diameter.. they aid in reducing my total gph through the deltec.. i dont mind though.. it enables me to have those ball valves that feed the skimmer wide open. I only have 1 T on the drain to remove back pressure from the reducer on the Deltec.

 

[jeffbrig]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6732085#post6732085 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by i2ik
Gabriel, do you have any air getting in your skimmer with the way you did your skimmer intake. Sorry i havent read all the thread, so maybe you mention it somewhere...

I have mine plumbed also from the overflow and i am getting big bubbles. The way i did mine was 1.5 reduce to 1" but i am having 4 way out from the overflow each with a valve so i can control the flow going into the skimmer... i jsut got the air bubbles which i dunno if you are having the same problem.

Thanks

I don't have any bubbles in my skimmer feed line. I run one drain that's carrying 100% water, and I restrict this drain (note the valves in my plumbing pic above) just enough that the other drain's durso gets a small amount of water. My skimmer is fed off of the pipe that's carrying 100% water, so there are no problems with bubbles.

 

[Bebo77]

Jeff a post at 5:56 am... what time do you get up?

 

[i2ik]

Thanks Jeff, i guess my design for my skimmer feeding was not proprely done then... i will try reducing my tubing so maybe its going to be better