my 20 gallon high diy project

[SugarFox03]

Thank you so much for posting all of those pictures. I'm trying to set up my new tank, switching from my 24g AquaPod thats been set up since last April, to my new 26g bowfront & 10 gal fuge/sump. I have been searching everywhere for good ideas on the sump, and your pictures really helped!! I'm new to this plumbing/fuge thing....and didnt really know where to start.

Good luck with the tank...looks great! And thanks again!

 

[KYyada]

Hey I like that setup! Do you have a limit switch so it won't overfill the top tank if the drain stops / slows up or something...happened to me once on my old setup. Mine is closed loop now. I have a SQWD wave maker, very cheap and really cool you could add one easy, You should check them out. I have one with a mag5 and love it! Loclines are nice too check them out.

 

[draleigh]

I have read a lot of bad things about the bio balls. You might want to considering changing those to rock rubble. Looks good though. Why didn't you just setup your 75 as a reef rather then the smaller one?

 

[danoreef]

SugarFox03; thank for the compliments and i hope I can help I got the sump refugium design from www.melevsreef.com

KYyada; I am going to get the loc line today I only have 1/2 inch I hope the LFS will trade me the 1/2 for 3/4 inch

draleigh; I am going to use LR rubble in place of the bio balls when the DIY rock that I made is finally ready I am still waiting for the parameters with the rock to be OK.

 

[danoreef]

added a firefish I quarantined it for 10 days then acclimated it to the main tank. I am still waiting for the DIY rock to fully cure I started making the rock on January 6th and finished the last rock around January 26th and the PH is still through the roof. I change the water every other day, Still waiting. I have a micro bubble problem that I think I might have fixed it yesterday I'll check it today when the lights come on. I am waiting for the rock to put in the sump to break up some of the bubbles right know I am using bio balls witch the macro loves. I will post some pics when the rock is done.

 

[KYyada]

I have a Mag 5 with a SQWD and when I started my tank everything was fine but into the cycle I started to get micro bubbles. After the rock cured and I added Chaeto the bubbles started to leave as my water cleaned up. I added some live sand (really smelly stuff) to the fuge and the bubbles returned. Now that the water is cleaner the bubbles have left all but a few way every now and again. I also have noticed that when I do a water change I get a few more, I have been told that the salt has an emulsifier that can cause that. I am wondering if the mag pump likes dirty water? When I cleaned mine before installing as best as I can rememmber it had sharp edges and really squared. I dread taking mine out as I don't have a union on the intake for fear of bubbles. I wonder if rounding the edges and corners of the impeller might help it. I think the thing is cavitating....At least I can tell when my water is getting funky! Keep me posted....you can PM me if you like.

 

[danoreef]

thanks KYyada.

 

[norcal99]

dano- looks like a pretty solid start. I used the same sump design from Melev's reef and it's worked like a champ. No microbubbles!

 

[danoreef]

norcal, Did you use live rock where the water enters the sump?Can I see some pictures? The lights came on and I still have the bubble problem today. I am lost... I put a water break made up of a piece of PVC and Plexiglass with holes cut in it but I still had the problem I went back to the bio balls until the rock is done. Can't figure this one out

 

[norcal99]

my sump is exactly the same as yours. I have LR rubble in the bubble box, chaeto in the fuge area. Only thing I can think of is that your water level in your return section might be too low. The drop off from the 3rd baffle to the return should ideally be a very short drop off as that can create bubbles if the drop is too high.

As you can, I really don't have very many bubbles entering the bubble box. Another issue to consider is that if air enters your drain line at any point, you will have a ton of bubbles entering the bubble box. Make sure you drain isn't sucking in any air and your microbubble problem should be reduced.

 

[danoreef]

Thanks Mike, the air in the drain line was the problem. the funny thing was, is that it was'nt sucking air from the hole in the overflow though it was just draining to fast. So I throttled back on the ball valve I have in my drain line and it was as simple as that. Thank god! now the water is about 4-5 inches over the hole in the overflow.

on a different note I added on of my DIY rocks to the tank it is still not fully cured the ph is still high however the PH in my tank was at a 7.8 so I figured 1 rock should do a good job of buffering. check it out;

 

[KYyada]

What was your recipe on your rocks? I am going to try to make some again. Yours look very porous.

 

[danoreef]

The recipe is
1 part white Portland cement
2 parts rock salt and
2-3 parts aragonite reef sand
made formations in a large cooler filled with rock salt, let cement dry for 2 days. then let soak for a long time changing the water every other day until water parameters are safe for the tank.

 

[KYyada]

The surface has a nice texture to it, looks very real.

 

[danoreef]

that is because I dug out a mold in a bucket of rock salt and poured the mixture into the mold. the rock salt would stick to the outside of the cement, and when I soaked it all the rock salt would dissolve and leave all those great looking holes.
I am contemplating making a huge batch and seeing If I could sell some of it but I'm not sure how to do it.
I'll start a post in the lounge and see what the response is.

 

[KYyada]

I sent you a PM

 

[danoreef]

I just started my own website where I can also post the updates to my tank and overall express my love for this hobby.check it out, tell me what you think.