jrpdriver's Three-o-Three build

[jrpdriver]

Thanks man

My current tank is 72x18x22 with 1/2 glass and 60g glass sump
it is lit by 12x39w T5's
I run a dual chamber calcium reactor with large grain argonite and some Zeo mag rock, I also have a third chamber full of fine grain argonite, I did this to try and get the effluet ph up even higher before it drips back in the tank

I dose kalk via my ATO and I drip magnesium a few times a week
I keep the calcium around 450, the alk around 8 dkh and the mag around 1600, I have tried a lot of combinations but acheived the best results with that combo.

For flow I have 3 Vortechs and a modded Tunze 6025, plus about 500gph from the return. I run the Vortech's on short pulse mode to create a wave in the tank which creates a nice surge in the water column.

I feed a lot and skim pretty wet and you can't tell from the pictures but there is 16 fish in the tank. I water change 15g weekley with Tropic Marin salt and I run a carbon reactor.

How's that MRC skimmer working?

 

[jrpdriver]

Well good news!!! The shipping company called and my tank is arriving tomorrow between 10am and 2pm, they must be owned by the cable company.

 

[erics3000]

Great info. thanks. I want to make a diy zeo reactor when i get a calcium reactor set up. Where do you buy your media from? I have also been thinking of some diy kalk for top off too. I already have a auto top off to install. What kind of reactor do you use?

You have some nice flow.

funny..It got real dirty the first week and pulled out 5 gallons. I haven't mounted it permanently but was playying with it and cleaned the neck. i went to HD to get some more christmas light and my sump was dry. well it was overflowing out the top and filled the 5 gal bucket up quick. So I guess Saturday i did a 100 gallon WC.. That is the good thing about the skimmer it keeps me up to date with my water changes. I think when I get some time I will put the water collection bucket in my sump. You never know.

Cool cant wait to see the pics? What type of substrate you using?

 

[jrpdriver]

Currently I have a MRC kalk reactor, an Octopus calcium reactor and the third chamber of the calcium reactor is MRC. I'm keeping everything for the new system except I will be replacing the Octopus with a MRC calcium reactor. I'm currently using some really large grain substrate from CaribSea but I'm hoping that my new tank is deep enough that I can go back to sugar fine without it getting blown around.

Bummer about the overflow but like you said, at least it keeps you up to date on water changes!

 

[erics3000]

thats right i really like your calcium reactor. I want to swap my sand slowly for the carib se sea floor largest grain possible. My fish seam to always move the sand around and it blow all over my tank.

 

[jrpdriver]

Well I finally have some real progress to post, just took my first break since 11:00am, thanks again for all your help Kirt!



Didn't have any body with free hand to take a picture of us carrying the tank but here it is after, it only took 4 people and it wasn't that bad, fit through the front door and everything!

Sitting around watching the paint dry...I had the baffles in the sump made black and I painted the back and sides of the sump so none of the light from the macro algae or frag section would get in the skimmer chamber

drilling a hole for the return pump connection

and finally bringing the sump in to join the tank!

 

[jrpdriver]

Next up was cutting the pipe

Connectin the bulk head and fittings for the return pump

Got the pump all hooked up

Ran the overflows

I ran one of the durso drains lower than the other so that a majority of the water will flow through the UV and the rest will flow through the secondary drain line. I will have both dumping into a filter sock.

 

[jrpdriver]

Got my probe holder section plumbed in, this will feed into a carbon reactor and then back into the skimmer section

and that's pretty much all for the day

ok, this photo was just too funny not to share, my wife told me to come here and look at this, I said "not now I'm busy with the tank" she said "get over here it is worth it" I grunted, stopped working and walked over to where she was...she was right it was worth it

 

[erics3000]

great work on the plumbing. HAHHAH cute pic of your dogs

 

[jrpdriver]

Thanks, I'm still going to clean it up a bit and I'm not sure about the return plumbing, I used a bunch of 45's instead of 90's so it wouldn't restrict the flow as much but I don't like the way it looks. I might do it over and use the black pvc flex hose instead, I need to sleep on it I guess

 

[peterk814]

awesome thread...what kind of sump from mrc did you get?

 

[jrpdriver]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13879803#post13879803 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by peterk814
awesome thread...what kind of sump from mrc did you get?

Thanks! I had them make it 80"x20"x20" with dividers to make the sections 20" for the skimmer, 20" for a chaeto section and 40" for a frag tank.

 

[Untamed12]

I notice that you've used a gate valve on the intake to your return pump. Why is that?

It was my understanding that if you are going to restrict the flow of a pump that you should do so on the output side, rather than the input side.

Also, I would try to find larger strainer than the one you've used. I tried those for a short period of time and they drove me nuts with how fast they clog.

 

[jrpdriver]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13880400#post13880400 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Untamed12
I notice that you've used a gate valve on the intake to your return pump. Why is that?

It was my understanding that if you are going to restrict the flow of a pump that you should do so on the output side, rather than the input side.

Also, I would try to find larger strainer than the one you've used. I tried those for a short period of time and they drove me nuts with how fast they clog.

The gate valve is not to restrict the flow, it is simply so I can shut it to remove the pump without spilling water or draining the sump. I used the gate valve instead of a ball valve because, as you can see from the picture, there is very limited space. The gate valve is shorter than a ball valve so I was able to make it fit in that space.

I'll look into the strainer, thanks for the info

 

[JRaquatics]

You current tank looks awesome. I am sure your upgrade will be even better. Nice Build BTW.

 

[jrpdriver]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13880620#post13880620 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JRaquatics
You current tank looks awesome. I am sure your upgrade will be even better. Nice Build BTW.

Thank you very much!

 

[Reefolution]

Just a heads up. Using two 45 elbows is actually a little more resistance than using one 90. Hard to believe but true.

 

[jyesum]

Reefolution, do you have doucmentation of this information, with a flow meter, or some kind of backing? I would like to know for myself as well.

Cool Build, nice Tank JRPDRIVER!

 

[jrpdriver]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13883323#post13883323 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Reefolution
Just a heads up. Using two 45 elbows is actually a little more resistance than using one 90. Hard to believe but true.

Wow, that's hard to believe, I would also be very interested to know where to find info on that?

 

[jrpdriver]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13883378#post13883378 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jyesum
Reefolution, do you have doucmentation of this information, with a flow meter, or some kind of backing? I would like to know for myself as well.

Cool Build, nice Tank JRPDRIVER!

Thanks! Let me know if you find any info on the elbows, I'll post if I find anything