IvanTheTerrible
Fish Nerd
I've been making some slow progress lately. Actually, I've been working on the tank quite a bit, I just don't have a whole lot to show for it. I decided to work on cable management a little. I bought some wire raceway from Amazon. I got the 2" x 2"size and installed it above the tank and in the sump area. That size worked out nice, not too big and bulky but still has plenty of room. It really cleans things up and gives a finished look to everything.
That big black wire in the picture is bugging me, so I guess I'll have to install one more piece in that corner. Overall, it's not a bad product and worked well. The caps don't fit quite as well (a little loose) as the better known brands, but it was a whole lot cheaper. Above the tank, I had to leave enough of a gap to get the eggcrate out. The SeaSwirls get in the way, so you have to tilt the eggcrate up to get it out. With the gap shown, it isn't too bad and the covers come off without too much struggle.
I've been struggling with what to do with my Apex, Vectra controllers, etc. There are some really slick looking set-ups out there, and I thought about trying to build something really nice. In the end, practicality won out. I've had the hose come off of the skimmer pump twice. This turns the pump into a geyser which shoots up and hits the top of the stand and sprays water EVERYWHERE. Rather than risk damage to my electrical components, I decided to build a small door out of 3/4" plywood and mounted it on the end of the sump. All of the electrical components are mounted to the backside of it except the Apex display and Vectra controller. I mounted those on the front of the door, since I will need access to those. If Ecotech and Neptune ever resolve their issues and make the Vectras Apex compatible, I might move the pump controller to the other side of the door. I'm not too worried about that, I don't think they'll resolve their differences anytime soon.
I also hooked up the ATO and added the 10 gallon storage container. I've been topping off the tank manually. It really doesn't take any time. The flexible hose I have on my mixing station is great and makes it a quick and easy job. But, it's still one more thing I had to do everyday.
I've also been working on my Apex programming. I picked up an ALD module and a couple of sensors from a fellow reefer, so I went ahead and added some warnings for those. Since I was disconnecting the Apex to move it, I decided it would be a good time to update firmware. Not having the ability to update over wifi is a bit of a pain. It's great that they fixed it in the new version, but that doesn't help me. Since my modem and router is on the complete opposite end of the house, I had to disconnect them and bring them to the basement where I could connect to the Apex. Of course, my family came home in the middle of this operation. They were less than impressed with the lack of wifi, but fortunately none of my blood was spilled.
I got my replacement skimmer lid in the mail today, so now my skimmer is whole again. I've been running it for a few hours every other day or so. With nothing in the tank, there really isn't much to skim but I have been able to get about 3/4" of skimmate in the collection cup. Some day the tank will be cycled and I'll be able to run the skimmer 24/7. Waiting for a tank to finish cycling is worse than watching paint dry.
- Ivan
That big black wire in the picture is bugging me, so I guess I'll have to install one more piece in that corner. Overall, it's not a bad product and worked well. The caps don't fit quite as well (a little loose) as the better known brands, but it was a whole lot cheaper. Above the tank, I had to leave enough of a gap to get the eggcrate out. The SeaSwirls get in the way, so you have to tilt the eggcrate up to get it out. With the gap shown, it isn't too bad and the covers come off without too much struggle.
I've been struggling with what to do with my Apex, Vectra controllers, etc. There are some really slick looking set-ups out there, and I thought about trying to build something really nice. In the end, practicality won out. I've had the hose come off of the skimmer pump twice. This turns the pump into a geyser which shoots up and hits the top of the stand and sprays water EVERYWHERE. Rather than risk damage to my electrical components, I decided to build a small door out of 3/4" plywood and mounted it on the end of the sump. All of the electrical components are mounted to the backside of it except the Apex display and Vectra controller. I mounted those on the front of the door, since I will need access to those. If Ecotech and Neptune ever resolve their issues and make the Vectras Apex compatible, I might move the pump controller to the other side of the door. I'm not too worried about that, I don't think they'll resolve their differences anytime soon.
I also hooked up the ATO and added the 10 gallon storage container. I've been topping off the tank manually. It really doesn't take any time. The flexible hose I have on my mixing station is great and makes it a quick and easy job. But, it's still one more thing I had to do everyday.
I've also been working on my Apex programming. I picked up an ALD module and a couple of sensors from a fellow reefer, so I went ahead and added some warnings for those. Since I was disconnecting the Apex to move it, I decided it would be a good time to update firmware. Not having the ability to update over wifi is a bit of a pain. It's great that they fixed it in the new version, but that doesn't help me. Since my modem and router is on the complete opposite end of the house, I had to disconnect them and bring them to the basement where I could connect to the Apex. Of course, my family came home in the middle of this operation. They were less than impressed with the lack of wifi, but fortunately none of my blood was spilled.
I got my replacement skimmer lid in the mail today, so now my skimmer is whole again. I've been running it for a few hours every other day or so. With nothing in the tank, there really isn't much to skim but I have been able to get about 3/4" of skimmate in the collection cup. Some day the tank will be cycled and I'll be able to run the skimmer 24/7. Waiting for a tank to finish cycling is worse than watching paint dry.
- Ivan
