My 150 Gallon Build
- Thread starter Blink2824
- Start date
Thanks Soulpatch. I appreciate all your help getting me to this point- I got lucky with the PB. The thing has been a pig since day 1 in QT and after a month of observation I threw him in the DT at the same time as the rest of the crew from the 75gallon. I should have waited a bit longer to put him in because he has quickly become the boss of the new tank and has shown a good amount of aggression toward the clowns but it seems to be passing. My bad luck are with Flame angels... I have tried to own three so far and all three have passed within the first three weeks of owning. I've got a small 1 1/2" Flame coming from DD tomorrow so... we will see.
I have been slammed with house-work in an attempt to get a lot of it done before September but I really need to spend a few hours and sit down to figure out my Apex. I purchased what I now realize is an old DC8 (legacy EB8) and am wondering if I can hook it up with my single EB8 and base unit? I can't seem to log-into the Apex fusion app with the same credentials I use to log-in to fusion from the computer... the frustration is mounting and I have only just begun to toy with this thing... I think I will need to lean on you (Soulpatch and the reef central community) to help me understand setting up/configuring the fail-safe/redundancies I want to put in place. I also need to figure out what to do about my ATO, right now it is a 5 gallon bucket of RODI that I am filling up every two days. Definitely not used to evaporating this much!
!
I have been slammed with house-work in an attempt to get a lot of it done before September but I really need to spend a few hours and sit down to figure out my Apex. I purchased what I now realize is an old DC8 (legacy EB8) and am wondering if I can hook it up with my single EB8 and base unit? I can't seem to log-into the Apex fusion app with the same credentials I use to log-in to fusion from the computer... the frustration is mounting and I have only just begun to toy with this thing... I think I will need to lean on you (Soulpatch and the reef central community) to help me understand setting up/configuring the fail-safe/redundancies I want to put in place. I also need to figure out what to do about my ATO, right now it is a 5 gallon bucket of RODI that I am filling up every two days. Definitely not used to evaporating this much!
!
soulpatch
New member
I am with you on the evap. I am burning through 7 gallons every few days. The nice thing is that my humidor in the basement is not needing to work so hard to keep humidity. LOL.
I am contemplating a solenoid on the RODI line I will run tot he stand with the awc lines. I have a float in my ATO container so I think I can have the solenoid open for a minute or so to refil slightly and not dry out my ato pump and send me an alert. I worry about leaks though so I would have to also install a manual float valve for redundancy and perhaps another upper float to ensure everythign cuts off in time. Still thinking it though.
That said since I am doing kalk right now it is nice to have to bring the bucket over and mix the kalk before it goes into the ato container. Not sure I want a mixing pump in the container but that is probably the next step I need to look into before I delve into 2 part finally.
I am contemplating a solenoid on the RODI line I will run tot he stand with the awc lines. I have a float in my ATO container so I think I can have the solenoid open for a minute or so to refil slightly and not dry out my ato pump and send me an alert. I worry about leaks though so I would have to also install a manual float valve for redundancy and perhaps another upper float to ensure everythign cuts off in time. Still thinking it though.
That said since I am doing kalk right now it is nice to have to bring the bucket over and mix the kalk before it goes into the ato container. Not sure I want a mixing pump in the container but that is probably the next step I need to look into before I delve into 2 part finally.
I need some help. Today I finally had a bit of time to fiddle around with the tank. I barely got the Apex set up with the single EB8 and some basic outlet configuration. I set the powerheads and return pump to off for feed mode and testing purposes... then I tested feed mode. I definitely have too much flow coming through the return pump... Once it shut off... First mistake- I didn't have my skimmer pump off so when the sump filled up the skimmer cup filled up QUICK. Does this mean I should set my skimmer pump to turn off every-time my return pump turns off...right? Second mistake- I have my return nozzles pointed at would I would consider to be a 65-70 degree angle assuming the top of the water is my 90 degree line... I did this because of a slurping noise the return nozzle would make due to the power heads creating random flow...it was the only way to get rid of that annoying noise- but they are too low. Every time the return pump turns off a siphon is created and doesn't break until the nozzle is exposed to air. I get it. So if the return nozzles (loc-line) are pointed too "level/high" with the water, when the pump turns on #1 water sprays everywhere and #2 the slurping/sucking noise from the return nozzle comes back. If they are too low, the sump water level rises too high for comfort. Of course, I was cleaning out the overflown skimmer cup when the pump kicked back on because feed mode timer ran out and I hear my return nozzles spraying water everywhere! On top of it all, I had my Tunze ATO tube sticking into the sump with the ATO reservoir bucket on the floor. After my sump water level rose as much as it did...it created a siphon on the ATO line and my 5 gallon bucket was overflown onto the basement floor... oh the joy.
So, game plan. I don't want to sacrifice good flow from the return nozzles but I am definitely going to need to dial it back and eliminate any excessive water splashing when the pumps come back on because my return will have to break air every-time regardless to end any auto siphon. Right?
I'll work on getting the skimmer pump to shut off every time the return pump turns off. Is there any issue in this? I'm not seeing any...
I need a beer :beer:
So, game plan. I don't want to sacrifice good flow from the return nozzles but I am definitely going to need to dial it back and eliminate any excessive water splashing when the pumps come back on because my return will have to break air every-time regardless to end any auto siphon. Right?
I'll work on getting the skimmer pump to shut off every time the return pump turns off. Is there any issue in this? I'm not seeing any...
I need a beer :beer:
soulpatch
New member
Blink - If you want the returns lower in your tank you can either live with it if you have room in your sump OR you can drill a tiny hole in the bottom of one of the lines just below the water line so that it breaks the siphon and only "leaks" some of that flow through the small hole.
For apex setting and such yes turn off your skimmer with the return pump AND have it turn on at least 10 minutes after the sump so that you give everything time to drain and have the level set again.
For the ATO line you can move it up in the sump. If you drill the hole in your loc line you will have less water flow back into your sump leaving you room for the ato line without worry of the siphon forming. Also if you only have a small amount of line in the sump IE like an inch or less then when the sump fills it wouldn't put enough in there to start a siphon either. You have a few options for that one. You can also move your ato container OR put a chec valve on. I don't like check valves personally but then again straight RODI shouldn't have any buildups to worry about to cause the line any issues....
For apex setting and such yes turn off your skimmer with the return pump AND have it turn on at least 10 minutes after the sump so that you give everything time to drain and have the level set again.
For the ATO line you can move it up in the sump. If you drill the hole in your loc line you will have less water flow back into your sump leaving you room for the ato line without worry of the siphon forming. Also if you only have a small amount of line in the sump IE like an inch or less then when the sump fills it wouldn't put enough in there to start a siphon either. You have a few options for that one. You can also move your ato container OR put a chec valve on. I don't like check valves personally but then again straight RODI shouldn't have any buildups to worry about to cause the line any issues....
915MANG
Member
Yeah I like it too, was it eurobraced on the bottom> Looked like it was on the top.
soulpatch
New member
higher price due to thicker glass needed.
I like the eurobrace since it allows screen top to be recessed into the tank but I might skip it on next tank and go with thicker glass and custom drilled...
I just need to win the lottery so I can have my ultimate fish basement with a mix of FW planted, Reef, and aggressive FOWLR with stingrays and such.
Dude, Soulpatch- now you're talking! In regard to the SCA tank...for anyone considering custom, the pricing seems very favorable over other tank manufacturers. I personally like the eurobrace and also the option to go with or without a canopy. Similar to back when I had my Evolution VIII rally car... One year I liked the spoiler and the other year I didn't so I would take it off until I wanted to see it again. [emoji1303] in other news my 1 1/2" flame angel arrived in rough shape from the DD but it's day two and I just saw him eat for the first time so... Time will tell. Step 1) eat and live through QT 2) eat only fish food and not coral testing 3) introduction to the display. The only other fish I would entertain putting in this new tank would be a copperband butterfly down the road... Just because I'm challenge driven.
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Indeed, they will be suspended for quite a while... I guess I always want to give things what would otherwise be in their natural environment so I was drawn to paying the $15 for it. I'll probably test it out at some point with a few other macro algae. I also like the idea of keeping things simple = less maintenance or things to clean. Which is why I will put it in a 2" deep acrylic tray so I can just pull it out if it's crap in a can.
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