Lightsluvr's 340G Upgrade

[Lightsluvr]

Lights...

Lights...

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15314598#post15314598 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by strout
The first thing I looked at in your pics was to see the lights, Just love the way they roll right out of your way so you can get right up there, close and personal with your tank. Thats a must for my next tank. Glad there were no leaks.

Props to all the reefers who stopped by, left comments and suggestions - I can't count how many times this project has changed directions in just two months... that light was inspired by Ed and Sandy's 375G RC build thread...

I am very pleased with the way it is evolving... back to the water test...

LL

 

[Bax]

Congrats on what seems like a tight water test!

 

[Lightsluvr]

The return pump is on - it really pushes water through - I had to throttle back the Barracuda Gold by about a third. That will change a little when I open the overflow to also feed the Orca 250 skimmer...

Through a little tweaking, this appears to be the happy operating level for the Acrylic Sump:

I tried turning off the return pump with different levels in both sumps. This simulated power loss to verify that the acrylic sump has enough reserve capacity to avoid spillage.

This is the typical level of water in the sump with power off:

Highest operating level in the Rubbermaid sump, with the overflow valve to the sump completely open:

This has been a very good day for the project... I have already drained as much freshwater from the tank and sumps as I can with the various pumps at my disposal...

LL

 

[Lightsluvr]

Question

Question

I have pumped freshwater out of the DT and both sumps. I have drained the CL pipes and pumps. They is probably 1/2" water remaining in the tank and sumps.

My question - do I need to drain absolutely every drop of freshwater, or will the remaining 5 to 10 gallons be diluted sufficiently when I start mixing and adding several hundred gallons of saltwater to the system and circulating it 24/7?

Any experience - what steps did you take after a freshwater test run?

Thanks for advice on this issue...

LL

 

[Ed Reef]

Looking great !!

 

[elijaher]

Looking great! I glad there was no leak.

 

[evogames]

Amazing...

 

[Bax]

LL

Why take a chance? Use a shop vac and remove all the water you can then towel dry it down.

 

[Ed Reef]

Re: Question

Re: Question

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15314734#post15314734 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lightsluvr
I have pumped freshwater out of the DT and both sumps. I have drained the CL pipes and pumps. They is probably 1/2" water remaining in the tank and sumps.

My question - do I need to drain absolutely every drop of freshwater, or will the remaining 5 to 10 gallons be diluted sufficiently when I start mixing and adding several hundred gallons of saltwater to the system and circulating it 24/7?

Any experience - what steps did you take after a freshwater test run?

Thanks for advice on this issue...

LL

I usually removed all the FW and wipe it down over again to rid of any possible chemical residue which could have gotten into the tank during the build.

No point taking the risk now

Just used a thick tower or a wet vacuum (if you have one) and it can be done fairly quickly

 

[melev]

What pipes are draining into the return section? I would change that to avoid microbubbles. You could do this if that plumbing is there to stay:

Here's a picture of a real one in a Trigger Systems sump:

 

[zxanth]

awesome thread...can't wait to see more.

 

[Lightsluvr]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15315216#post15315216 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Bax
LL

Why take a chance? Use a shop vac and remove all the water you can then towel dry it down.

Everybody is correct, of course. That's the conclusion I reached while stewing over it last night... for crying our loud, I have a wet-dry shop vac!

Thanks for all the comments!

 

[Lightsluvr]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15305293#post15305293 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lytehouse
Awesome accomplishment...... congrats.

Wish I had sent you the mag 12. Water hose screws right on the outlet and you run the hose out the door or window.

Lynn,

The Mag 12 was great... it took about an hour to pump out the tank and sumps! My back yard is well-watered today.

I will be moving the RO/DI system into the fish room today. No need to drag all that SW through the house... The back yard will benefit from the "waste" from the RO/DI.

Thanks so much.

LL

 

[Lightsluvr]

THE WATER PLAN

THE WATER PLAN

I plan to start making RO/DI 24 hours a day for the next several days.

In preparation, I am moving the RO/DI unit to the fish room, mounting it on the wall above my water storage tanks. Water will be supplied by tubing through the wall. Waste wil be directed outside through the wall. The waste tubing will be long enough to direct the waste water to various parts of the back yard.

I haven't yet plumbed the water change system (described earlier in the thread), so the first mixing and pumping will be done in the old fashioned way...one tank at a time.

I'll put fresh saltwater in the Rubbermaid sump. It will overflow into the acrylic sump, where I can then pump it up into the tank with the return pump. I will use water from the 120G and 180G water changes to speed up filling of the new DT.

As the DT starts to fill, I will aquascape from the bottom up, using rock pulled from the other tanks, supplemented by additional cured rock I have acquired.

In addition to live sand fom the 180G, I will add cleaned rinsed sand gradually over several weeks to minimize any risk of a cycle.

Anybody see any problems with this plan?

LL

 

[pwhitby]

I would add all the sand at once George. All the rock you are using is already cured, so you should experience only a mimimal cycle.

P.

 

[Lightsluvr]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15316454#post15316454 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by pwhitby
I would add all the sand at once George. All the rock you are using is already cured, so you should experience only a mimimal cycle.

P.

That's reassuring - I was concerned about that, Paul. Depending on how much of the sand I don't use in the DT, the rest goes in the Rubbermaid with the LR.

You MUST come over and take a look at the closed loop! It is totally insane! I need to fine tune the flow accelerators, but I'm beginning to wonder if I'll even need the Vortechs! Amazing how much flow is in there...

Thanks, Paul.

LL

 

[edandsandy]

CONGRATS on the FW test!
No leaks are a good thing on the first round!












I think you are encouraging BAX to get his big tank up and running

 

[Lightsluvr]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15316660#post15316660 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by edandsandy
CONGRATS on the FW test!
No leaks are a good thing on the first round!

I think you are encouraging BAX to get his big tank up and running

Yes, I was very, very relieved after each test...

I hope we get Bax pumped up - I know we are...

After we get the saltwater in and circulating, then it will be time to build our edandsandy water change system...

Thanks for stopping by again. Always good to hear from you guys...

LL

 

[Poseidon]

Awesome! All the planning is paying off, well done.

 

[edandsandy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15316696#post15316696 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lightsluvr

After we get the saltwater in and circulating, then it will be time to build our edandsandy water change system...

LL

Are you planning to build a platform for the tanks??
If not, you should consider it.



If you need any help just ask away!