Kar's 55g Red Sea Reef Thread
- Thread starter kar93
- Start date
chrismunn
New member
yeah, i think its one reflector, but surrounds each bulb as if they were multiple single reflectors. i still cant remember what thier called, but they were all the rage here about a year ago. thier like the t5 equivelant of a MH lumenarc. i keep wanting to say parabolic, but thats a concaved mirror.....
inch and a half (40mm) drain is plenty big, but the return seems kinda small at just over a half inch (16mm). here, the average sized return is .75 inch pipe (19.05mm). thats the size most people would use for a pump rated at 650gph, although i think that for a pump that size, .5 inch pipe (12.7mm) would be just fine. what you have (16mm) is right inbetween so i think youll be ok.
inch and a half (40mm) drain is plenty big, but the return seems kinda small at just over a half inch (16mm). here, the average sized return is .75 inch pipe (19.05mm). thats the size most people would use for a pump rated at 650gph, although i think that for a pump that size, .5 inch pipe (12.7mm) would be just fine. what you have (16mm) is right inbetween so i think youll be ok.
PaPa_Johnny
Premium Member
Is the output of the pump 16 mm? and do they make a pipe or hose that size? What has been recommended to me is to go up one size from the discharge size of the pipe to keep friction loss to a minimum. No further than you are going friction loss should be nominal.
A whole lot of verbage to say the same thing Chris said, 16 mm should be okay
A whole lot of verbage to say the same thing Chris said, 16 mm should be okay
skaterzero22
New member
depends on the seahorse. check it out in the seahorse and pipefish forum for better info
skaterzero22
New member
that'll do it :lol:
rhinochaser
New member
Too much water flow in the sump for seahorses, they get sucked over the baffles, yeah I tried that..
Electrobes
Montipora type guy
okay just finsihed looking at this thread, some suggestions:
- I am a little worried about your sump because there is no bracing at the top. Maybe the baffles are enough, but just wanted to toss that thought in your head.
- With the salt: I.O. is a very stable salt. It does lack in calcium and magnesium in average batches, but it does have a stable Alk. Randy suggests boosting the calcium and mag via Dow Flakes and Mag Flakes. I'll prob take this approach as I always used I.O. and it has never failed me. Plus my tank will be softies
- As for SPS, we'll see soon enough if you can grow any your current tank conditions. I would try a piece of Monti Cap first and see what happens. IME they seem to require less light as far as SPS go.
- I am a little worried about your sump because there is no bracing at the top. Maybe the baffles are enough, but just wanted to toss that thought in your head.
- With the salt: I.O. is a very stable salt. It does lack in calcium and magnesium in average batches, but it does have a stable Alk. Randy suggests boosting the calcium and mag via Dow Flakes and Mag Flakes. I'll prob take this approach as I always used I.O. and it has never failed me. Plus my tank will be softies
- As for SPS, we'll see soon enough if you can grow any your current tank conditions. I would try a piece of Monti Cap first and see what happens. IME they seem to require less light as far as SPS go.
kar93
Active member
Thanks, Ive decided against the seahorses now. The sump should be fine because its juts a clearseal aquarium so i hope its ok. I was thinking of trying the Montis first but somebody recommended trying Pocillopora first because they had most luck with that but from what ive researched they are one of the harder SPS to keep alive.
Electrobes
Montipora type guy
I suggested the Cap because it's easy to frag and they tend to grow the fastest IMO, so it would be easier to get from someone without too much hassle.
chrismunn
New member
i would have to second, or third against keeping sea horses in your sump. thats where all your top off water is going, and probably where you will put your additives.
i also second the choice of montipoa as a sps to start off with. digitata and capricornis are both very beautifull, and easy to care for as a sps.
your pumps output is 19mm, and your return hole in the tank is 16mm? ideally you'd want the return hole drilled in your tank to be slightly bigger than the output sie on your pump, but 2mm is really miniscual and i wouldnt worry about it. although, you might decide later on that you want a larger return pump, in which case you might be out of luck. if you put a new pump on that had a 25mm output, you could easily adapt down to a 16mm pipe, but it kinda defeats the purpose of a larger pump. the 16mm hole wont allow for optimum operating conitions on a larger pump.
rethinking it now, i would recommend a larger return hole in case you do decide to upgrade pumps later on.
i also second the choice of montipoa as a sps to start off with. digitata and capricornis are both very beautifull, and easy to care for as a sps.
your pumps output is 19mm, and your return hole in the tank is 16mm? ideally you'd want the return hole drilled in your tank to be slightly bigger than the output sie on your pump, but 2mm is really miniscual and i wouldnt worry about it. although, you might decide later on that you want a larger return pump, in which case you might be out of luck. if you put a new pump on that had a 25mm output, you could easily adapt down to a 16mm pipe, but it kinda defeats the purpose of a larger pump. the 16mm hole wont allow for optimum operating conitions on a larger pump.
rethinking it now, i would recommend a larger return hole in case you do decide to upgrade pumps later on.
chrismunn
New member
huh, installing an RO/DI isnt normally quik and easy, did you set it up right? there is normally a small tube inside the waste water line, at the end that plugs into the unit. its a very small diameter tube, about the size of a catheder, and you should have to cut it down to the right length before the unit will operate properly.
basically, when you get the unit and set it up, the small tube is very long. the longer the tube, the less water you will produce. the less waste water you produce, the more likely the product water isnt fully pure. there is a ratio that you want to achieve where your producing 1 cup of product water for evey 4 cups of waste water.
it could be pre-calibrated? but did you read the directions to see if you might have missed this step?
basically, when you get the unit and set it up, the small tube is very long. the longer the tube, the less water you will produce. the less waste water you produce, the more likely the product water isnt fully pure. there is a ratio that you want to achieve where your producing 1 cup of product water for evey 4 cups of waste water.
it could be pre-calibrated? but did you read the directions to see if you might have missed this step?
