Los' 360 reef CAD plans and setup

[JCurry]

Los,
Thanks for the offer to stop by I'll have to take you up on that sometime, maybe when I go out to Dr Mac's for corals. I like the auto water changer; I put something similar into my system design as well. I'm using two 55 gal drums one I can fill by diverting the return water from the tank with a 3-way ball value and the other is filled with fresh salt water that I release back into the sump as the other is filling. Well I hope that’s how it will work haven’t tried it yet. In your design how do you handle power outages? I had the changer in-line at first but I was concerned with the 55 gallons dumping into my sump and over flowing. I also really like your rock work in the display, I like how the rocks coming out of the water. The tank is looking really sweet. What fish are you looking to keep in your display?

 

[Zach.Attack6]

Fish room and water change system are SWEET:beachbum: :beachbum:

 

[Los]

JCurry-

Thanks and I'd love to have you over. Power outages aren't a problem with regards to the water change system. When I get back from this trip I'll post some more pictures which will make it clear, but for now suffice it to say that when the power goes out only an extra 1 or 2 gallons will drain out. The output from the inline tank is right at the water line, much like the overflow in a display tank. The power here is actually fairly unreliable, so I've implemented a bunch of safeguards which will hopefully protect me. More on that later...

I haven't really decided about fish. The tanks been running for quite a few months now without any fish and you'd be amazed at the quantity of pods. They are all over the place, so whatever fish I put in there is going to be really happy

When it does come time to add fish, I'm going to do a bunch of homework. Any stocking suggestions would be most welcome.

 

[Los]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14465589#post14465589 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Zach.Attack6
Fish room and water change system are SWEET:beachbum: :beachbum:

Thanks, Zach! I appreciate your kind words.

 

[erics3000]

lOS THINGS ARE LOOKING GOOD...

 

[insane]

Kudos

Kudos

Extremely well thought out planning and execution. Bravo! You lead by example. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Thank you for a great thread.


Insane
aka
Frank

 

[Los]

Thank you, Frank and Eric. I've got some updates to give, which I'll make a point of getting to when I get back from Brazil.

The thing I'm struggling with right now is what I believe to be allelopathy. If I don't change my carbon every 3 weeks, I start getting die-off from the base up on my acros. I've eliminated the green star polyps and leathers and I still have the problem. The only thing I can narrow it down to are two huge colonies of hydnophora, one softball and the other volleyball sized. I don't know if those are causing a problem, but I am suspicious. Anyone else have that problem with hydnophora?

 

[Denadai]

Nice thread !!!

You have a lot of space, a couple of tangs would be nice

best regards

 

[Los]

Thanks, Roberto. It was great seeing you and I really appreciate the tank tour in Sao Paulo. You Brazilians have certainly mastered keeping reefs.

Here are a few pictures:

This is Roberto's tank, after recovering from a bout of AEFW (even in Brazil!). This point-and-shoot camera really doesn't do justice to his colors:

This is Joao Carlos' tank, which is filled with native species of fish from Brazil. Very cool:

This is SPSCarlos's tank, also in Sao Paulo, which must be seen to be believed:

More pictures to follow.

 

[Los]

Joao Carlos is the ultimate DIYer. He has a Deltec skimmer clone that he built himself, amazing DIY aquascaping using cement, and even a multifaceted tank that spins around like a revolving restaurant. Very impressive. He gave me a video of him collecting native Brazilian species along with Julian Sprung! Here he is in front of his native species tank:

In the picture below is me (the heavy set one!), Carlos, and Roberto:

It's what's behind us three that really matters. Check out these pictures and remember that these were taken with a crappy point-and-shoot. In person, the colors are breathtaking:

Here is a close up showing some of the ridiculous colors:

Thanks to my new Brazilian friends for a memorable and educational visit!

 

[Los]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15622667#post15622667 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Denadai
Nice thread !!!

You have a lot of space, a couple of tangs would be nice

best regards

Absolutely. I am going to start stocking the tank with tangs when I get back.

 

[Los]

Gea, Eva, and I just arrived in Atlantic City and we'll be at MACNA XXI all weekend. If you're going to be here and want to meet, shoot me a note and I'll send you my cell number. I'd love to meet some RCers in person and talk reefs over a beer.

 

[Elliott]

wow, I haven't been back to this thread since the first page, really came together nicely, great fish room, BIG!

thanks for all the details, this will be stunning when it matures :thumbsup:

 

[dipan]

Just found your build thread! So many folks to learn from on this forum, especially when you're building your own setup or dream about it. I CANNOT get over how many Sfiligoi fixtures you've got over your tank and even one over your frag tank! I was hoping to use the one that I've got, but sadly, it probably won't work out ...

Anyways, thanks again ...

 

[Los]

Thanks, Elliott.

Dipan, thanks for the comments. Sfiligoi makes sweet lights. If you can use yours, I highly recommend it. Even after being on for 8 hours, the fixture is still only slightly warm and that's without any fans. They also look sweeeeeeeet. Good luck with your build.

 

[Los]

Water change system

Water change system

I had been asked by a couple people to post more details on the water change system. This is one of my favorite things about the build. Doing a water change takes about 5 minutes. Here's how it works:

There are two tanks next to each other:

The left (or inline) tank is normally filled with saltwater. Water runs in through the green pipe from my upstairs fish tanks. It then flows out of the green pipe on the left via a bulkhead I installed and into my downstairs sump.

The right tank is filled with RODI water, fed by a Typhoon III Extreme 150 gpd reverse osmosis system. Incidentally, I have a Tunze Osmolator for automated top-off and it pulls water from this tank, through a Kalk Reactor, and then into the sump.

When I'm ready to do a water change, I turn the valve above the left inline tank. When that's closed, it forces water up and over so that it goes directly into my frag tank. This allows me to take the inline tank offline without having to turn my return pump off. I only have to turn this one valve:

Hooked up to both water tanks is a Mag 9.5 pump:

It can pull water either from the inline tank or the RODI tank. In this case, I make sure the three way valve is pulling water from the inline tank. I should note that the pipe connecting the valve to the inline tank is underneath the intake of my return pump. Here's a close up:

to be cont'd

 

[Los]

Water change system cont'd

Water change system cont'd

I then go to the 3-way valve that is above the pump. That can send water either back to the inline tank or it can send it to the sewer system. For the water change, I want it to send the water to the sewer, but right now it is pointed to the left so it will send water back to the inline tank:

The 3 way switch is the one in the back. There is actually another valve in front which I can open to send water through the black hose. I use that if I need to grab some saltwater for a quarantine tank or even RODI water for something else (although I have yet to find a need for that). Anyway, I need to twist that valve so that the water goes to the sewer:

With those three valves in the right place, I flick a switch which turns on the Mag 9.5. I used to just put the plug in the outlet, but figured connecting a switch would make this even easier:

The 9.5 then quickly drains the inline tank into the sewer. Here's a look into the rapidly emptying inline tank:

While it's emptying, I grab a bag of salt:

to be cont'd

 

[Los]

water change system cont'd

water change system cont'd

The water is pretty much drained by now:

I then turn the top 3-way valve, so that instead of sucking water out to the sewer, it returns it back to the inline tank.

Sorry about the bad picture, but I was trying to turn the valve while taking a picture at the same time.

I then go to the bottom 3-way valve and turn it so that instead of sucking water from the inline tank, it sucks water from the RODI tank:

With those two valves turns, I went from emptying my inline tank into the sewer to taking RODI water and sending it into the inline tank.

I then flip another switch which turns the heater on, which is in the inline tank:

And I flip another switch which turns on two Koralia 3s I have in the inline tank to mix up the salt.

As the inline tank is filling up, I use a funnel and pour in a full bag of salt. My wife walked in at this point, so she took the picture for me:

As soon as the water gets close to the top of the pipe inside that would otherwise drain it, I turn the bottom 3-way valve:

This causes the Mag 9.5 to pull from the bottom of the inline tank (which is now mixing saltwater) and send water back in through the top of the same tank. It's basically a loop, which helps mix the water.

Here's a pic inside the tank. Note that there are two pipes. They both send water to the sump, but really only the left one should ever be used. The one on the right is a backup. The white blurry thing that is partially inside the tank is the funnel I was pulling out. Ignore that:

The RODI tank is now close to empty:

Voila, water change is done for now, at least while the water mixes. Time for that pizza my wife just picked up. The time from turning the first valve to eating pizza was 10 minutes. Normally it would take less time, but taking the pictures and talking with my wife slowed me down a bit.

to be cont'd

 

[Los]

water change system cont'd

water change system cont'd

After the water has mixed for a few hours, I check on it:

As you can see above, the water is being mixed via the Mag 9.5 and being dumped into the top of the tank. There are also a couple Koralias inside mixing the water.

I flick off all the switches (although, I suppose they could be left on):

Before, this would entail unplugging three or four plugs, but the switches make it easier.

I then peak inside the tank and make sure everything is mixed, which it always is:

And then I turn the original valve, which brings the system back online:

Water now comes into the inline tank from above and out through the drain pipes again, just as at the beginning:

I know all that may have sounded complicated, but it's not. I turn a couple valves, flip 3 switches, poor in one bag of salt, eat pizza, wait, turn one more valve and flip the switches again, and I'm done. I do water changes every week, since it's so easy now.

If you want to set up a system like this, a few pointers:

1. It's a very good idea to position the out pipes from the inline tank at a height such that when you bring the system offline, there is just enough saltwater in there (about 43 gallons), so that when you drain it and replace it, it takes exactly one bag to reach the right salinity. That will make your life MUCH easier.

2. In the RODI tank, it's a good idea to have it set up with a float valve and an auto-shut-off valve in the RODI unit, so that it fills automatically and you don't have to worry about it. As a failsafe, I have a bulkhead plumbed into the top of the RODI tank which if it overfills will drain directly into the sewer system (ignore the blue pipe, which is coming up from the Mag 9.5):

That makes floods from the RODI system impossible.

Here's a picture of the red drain pipe connecting with the drain pipe from the 3-way valve:

which then goes into the sewer system:

The emergency drains are the red ones.

Eventually, I'm going to hook up some float switches which will tell my AquaController if something is out of whack. Speaking of which, I'm upgrading my ACIII Pro to the new Apex. I haven't hooked the Apex up yet, but I'm very much looking forward to doing so.

 

[kc350twin]

Amazing Los.

Can you tell me or others where to get the switch box that controlles the pumps?