Lightsluvr's 340G Upgrade

[Lightsluvr]

UPDATE & MAINTENANCE:
I replaced the wetside propellor on one of my Vortech MP40W powerheads. I was dreading it due to expected cost, but they are "only" $72 on sale. I have learned now that the wetsides have a finite life expectancy. I'm going ahead and order a second one, and will pull the surviving original, clean it up and keep it for a spare...

Anybody out there know someone who has a Reeflo Barracuda or Hammerhead Gold for sale? My return pump is leaking slightly - nice salt crusting around it - suspect a seal, but not sure until I can pull it out... I have the pumps plumbed with double union valves on both sides so they can be pulled off line with minimal toil and water loss...my vacation tank maintenance guru thinks the leak may actually be from a double union valve on the outflow side rather than the pump. I hope he's right!

The feed tubing for my dosing pumps fell off the sump yesterday and deposited a mixture of calcium chloride, magnesium chloride and baking soda onto the stand floor... good thing I caught it while inspecting the return pump. It did manage to get the bottom of two door panels wet...I've had them drying in front of a box fan all night...

Three-part dosing is still working magnificently, notwithstanding the above described tubing event... It has been a month since I checked tank paramters - very unlike me, but I have been traveling extensively with new job responsibilites...

Last nights measurements: CA - 450; ALK - 9.2; MG - 1330. I'll add another 20 minutes dosing to the MG and measure again in a week.

I'll get some updated FTS and other photos posted this weekend...

Finally - located a healthy Vroliks Wrasse which I think will join the community after suitable QT.

 

[MrineLfRlz]

Im sure it has already been asked but i will ask anyways do you have any or can you make a diagram of how you run your closed loop and the drains and returns back to the DT?
thanks

 

[gofor100]

I need to subscribe so I can read the entire thread... geez, a lot of good planning here!

 

[Lightsluvr]

Thanks - it has been running for 19 months now... no major catastrophes. Lots of enjoyment.

LL

 

[jmchzn123]

A few years ago I spent about 4 hours reading a thread of a guy who built a very large tank, maybe 800 or a 1000 gal. Every innovation in technology. Must have cost 200K. Ripped walls out needed a crane. Put gen and chiller unit out in the yard and automated everything. It was insane. The technical data he supplied was overwhelming. I read and read with compelling fascination. I didt drink or eat...I was weary and losing strenght. My GF thought I was watching porn. ........about 2 pages from the end he had a nervous breakdown after not even a year things were going wrong. Fish dying and parameters wouldnt settle......water wouldn't clear up...blah blah blah....by the last page the tank was empty and he was selling everything...I was so upset.....I lost faith.........You make me smile. Thanks for the happy ending....lol....I'm just saying...

 

[Lytehouse]

Thanks - it has been running for 19 months now... no major catastrophes. Lots of enjoyment.

LL

Know you are traveling.

If you are home a weekend and the camera is close.... snap a couple of tank pics of coral growth and charlie growth....:lol:

 

[edandsandy]

Hi,
How's the tank?

 

[Lightsluvr]

Getting the tank all prettied up for the COMAS 2011 Tank Tour. Replaced a leaking O-ring in a Double Union Valve. Cleaning up the salt creep from that valve is a PIA. I have had no other issues with the plumbing, including the flexible PVC that some folks "promised" would result in catastrophic failure. Occasional the Skimmer goes nuts for no apparent reason and fills its 5G overflow bucket, setting off the wet floor alarms at the most inopportune times. Something is causing the skimmer feed to fluctuate, but I just haven't figured it out yet. I am thinking about using a feed pump on the skimmer instead of the present feed from the overflow.
I will add some photos in the next week or so.

LL

 

[dahenley]

how was the tank tour, and how are the pictures coming? (and hows the tank doing)

 

[Lightsluvr]

We celebrated the second anniversary of the tank holding water in June. Excpet for the constant battle with Byropsis and the unfortunate experience trying to tune a Calcium Reactor, nothing to complain about.

I'll report on the tank tour next week, because the club decided to postpone the Tank Tour from June 11 to July 9. I don't know why the change. Above my pay grade.

I unscrewed the Double Union valve on the return pump and the O-ring looks fine. I thought perhaps the Barracuda had vibrated out of place over two years and was applying lateral pressure to the valve. So I re-positioned the pump, re-tightened the double union and the seeping appears to have stopped.

I replaced all the cartridges in the RO filter and put new Resin the the two DI cartridges yesterday. Back to zero TDS. I cleaned up under the tank and re-routed some of the extension cords which run from the various pumps or appliances to the Apex Power Modules.

The most expensive project this year has been replacing the (24) 54W T5 bulbs in the light rack. I got a good discount on all 24 from the guys at Reef Geek and replaced 8 bulbs a week over a three week period. I like the new look which consists of (16) ATI AquaBlue Plus, (4) ATI Purple Plus and (4) GE 6500K Daylight Bulbs.

Maybe next time there will be LEDs in the cards... but technology has to come along for that to happen. 96" x 36" is a lot a space to light up.

LL

 

[dahenley]

Lightsluvr:
How was that Club meeting, and how about those behind the scenes pictures and updated tanks shots?

Hows the algae battle going?

 

[Lightsluvr]

Just when you think you've seen everything...

I had two green mandarin in my display tank; a male and a female. I noticed recently that I had only been seeing the female exploring the rocks for copepods.

This morning while doing mainentance on the system, I happened to glance into the 50 gallon sump where I grow a huge ball of chaeto macroalgae, and what to my wandering eyes should appear but my male mandarin! He was feasting on the huge supply of pods in that sump. (see photo)

OK - here's the mystery. Did this 3-4" fat mandarin travel from the overflow into this sump? Did he jump and miraculously land in the sump? Was he teleported by aliens? I have no idea. But he's in there, uninjured and eating on a seemingly unending supply of pods!

I plan on leaving him there for the time being. I will put a screen over the outflow of this sump (back to the return pump) so he won't become chopped mandarin in the Barracuda.

A similar thing happened a year ago with my 5" yellow diamond goby - but I just figured he JUMPED from the display tank into the 100G Live rock sump. He's still in there as far as I know.

LL

 

[Lightsluvr]

Update on the livestock in my tank. I added a Solar Fairy Wrasse last week and after a night of hiding in the sandbed, he is now always exploring the LR for food. Today I added my long awaited Achilles Tang. He was immediately attacked by a previously submissive Yellow Tang, but overnight they appear to have come to an agreement because at Nori feeding this morning, all was well.
Here are some updated photos of some of the livestock:

 

[Lightsluvr]

And a few more of our favorites - most of these fish (except the Achilles) have been in our tanks for 3-4 years.

 

[Lightsluvr]

More visitors to our tank have wanted this pair of fish (left) more than any other specimens we have... I can't imagine why.

...and that's the way it is...

LL

 

[PaPa_Johnny]

Thanks for the update, always nice to here from you.

 

[Jhuff]

Very nice selection of fish. Planning on adding anymore?

 

[Lightsluvr]

Very nice selection of fish. Planning on adding anymore?

We won't be adding any more until the Achilles settles in... the above photos are not the only fish in our community.

The current stock is:

6" Blue Hippo Tang (4+ yrs)
7" Blonde Naso Tang (2 yrs)
8" DesJardin Sailfin Tang (3 yrs)
5" Yellow Tang (4 yrs)
6" Magnificent Foxface Rabbitfish (3 yrs)
4" Achilles Tang (1 week)
4" Copperband Butterflyfish (3 yrs)
3" Bangaii Cardinalfish (4+ yrs)
(2) ORA Black-White Ocellaris Clownfish (3 yrs)
(2) ORA Orange-White Ocellaris Clownfish (4+ yrs)
4" Diamond Sand-sifting goby (1 yr)
(2) Green Mandarin Dragonets (M-F) (4 yrs and 2 yrs)
3" Green Chromis (3 yrs)
5" Melanarus Wrasse (1 yr)
3" Solar Fairy Wrasse (2 weeks)

There is lots of action in the display tank... especially at feeding time.

Long range plans may include adding a harem of 4-5 Bartlett's Anthias... we will see.

LL

 

[6rotorguy]

Fantastic Tank!!!!

I just spent my whole Sunday reading your very informative and entertaining build thread.

Keep up the good work.

 

[Lightsluvr]

Wow!

Thanks for reading! We had fun putting it together and really enjoy the inhabitants...

LL