anbosu
New member
I use the Kent Marine scraper on my 360 - there is a plastic scraper that works well on acrylic. You have to be careful, but so far no scratches.
My 500 + gallon system. Last 13 years to now. Build, Aquascaping & more. Lots of pics
- Thread starter slief
- Start date
I use the Kent Marine scraper on my 360 - there is a plastic scraper that works well on acrylic. You have to be careful, but so far no scratches.
slief
RC Sponsor
I have one of those too. Problem is that I can't gen enough leverage with it in my tank for it to be effective without really getting wet. Plus with the aquascape and only two openings, there is very limited ares that I can actually reach well.
woodnaquanut
Active member
Be sure to eat your spinach!
With a tank that size keeping up with the coraline would be a lot like painting the Golden Gate bridge. Once you finish, it's time to start over!
The real upside is keeping it clean is a lot easier than getting it clean. I keep telling myself that but as I'm a card carrying member of the PCA (procrastinators club of America), I'm still not implementing it. :facepalm:
I keep meaning to get me one of those cards.
slief
RC Sponsor
Be sure to eat your spinach!
With a tank that size keeping up with the coraline would be a lot like painting the Golden Gate bridge. Once you finish, it's time to start over!
The real upside is keeping it clean is a lot easier than getting it clean. I keep telling myself that but as I'm a card carrying member of the PCA (procrastinators club of America), I'm still not implementing it. :facepalm:
Great analogy! No doubt it is a never ending process and I've procrastinated too much! Along with several more Algae Dozer pads, I have several cans of spinach! Good news is that I am making some progress!
I'm a supporting member myself! :beer:
slief
RC Sponsor
A week or so back I got a message from Royal Exclusiv/Bubble King that I had an XMAS gift coming. I've been using MK made skimmers for years now. First my Alpha 300 and then the upgrade to the Supermarin 250. I've been trying to help out on the forum as much as possible with BK skimmer setup and trouble shooting for no other reason than the fact that I really like their products and kind of know them inside and out. Also given their current limited forum support, it just seems prudent to help where I can.
I got a message Friday that what ever they were sending me was sent UPS Express and that it should arrive before XMAS. Today I got a big box from Bubble King and it was really big and heavy leaving me to wonder what they could possibly have sent me. Frankly, I was kind of shocked. A box of candy would have been a kind gesture but this box would have been an awful lot of candy. Lets just say my jaw hit the floor when I opened the box..
I've long been considering one of their RD3 80 watt circulation pumps to replace my Dart Gold closed loop. My only hold up was that RD3 250 watt pump that was coming out. That pump however was a little on the big side as this would replace my Dart Gold Closed Loop pump. My idea was that with their new Apex 0-10v control interface, I could sync one up with my Tunze's via my Apex and generate a pulsing wave motion through the recirculation pump that matches my Tunze's. My recirculation pump returns under my rocks via a manifold that circles my overflow. I'm not working on getting the 0-10v control interface so I can hook this up to my Apex. It looks like I will have a nice aquarium related project to conquer over the xmas holiday as I have almost 2 weeks off starting Weds.
Thank you Klaus!!! You made this a very merry XMAS! You can count on my continued support and help!
I got a message Friday that what ever they were sending me was sent UPS Express and that it should arrive before XMAS. Today I got a big box from Bubble King and it was really big and heavy leaving me to wonder what they could possibly have sent me. Frankly, I was kind of shocked. A box of candy would have been a kind gesture but this box would have been an awful lot of candy. Lets just say my jaw hit the floor when I opened the box..
I've long been considering one of their RD3 80 watt circulation pumps to replace my Dart Gold closed loop. My only hold up was that RD3 250 watt pump that was coming out. That pump however was a little on the big side as this would replace my Dart Gold Closed Loop pump. My idea was that with their new Apex 0-10v control interface, I could sync one up with my Tunze's via my Apex and generate a pulsing wave motion through the recirculation pump that matches my Tunze's. My recirculation pump returns under my rocks via a manifold that circles my overflow. I'm not working on getting the 0-10v control interface so I can hook this up to my Apex. It looks like I will have a nice aquarium related project to conquer over the xmas holiday as I have almost 2 weeks off starting Weds.
Thank you Klaus!!! You made this a very merry XMAS! You can count on my continued support and help!
pmrossetti
Active member
I'm a little confused. How many watts is the pump Klaus sent you vs. the Dart Gold?
Thanks and Merry Christmas.
Thanks and Merry Christmas.
slief
RC Sponsor
:beers: Merry XMAS to you too!
80 watts for the Red Dragon and 165 for the Dart. A bit of a difference in flow but given my friction loss, the end result should be about the same. There is only one minor hitch... The fittings that came with the pump are metric and not imperial so I need to get different union fittings for the pump so I can use standard US PVC. I'm waiting to hear back on that. I was able to get a good deal on the 0-10v module for this pump with the Apex cable and should have that by the end of the week. Hopefully the correct fittings will come soon there after so I can get this pump setup.
My only concern is tank temps. Summer temps will be fine and probably a degree or two lower. It's the winter temps that concern me. I recently changed out my Hammerhead Gold return pump for a Dart Super Gold that was 165 watts less power. It seems that may have dropped my ambient temps a bit as I saw 75.5* tank temps when we had our cold front last week. I'm afraid this new pump might drop winter temps even further. As such, this could end up being a summer pump. I guess we will see once I get this thing plumbed in. Fortunately my pumps are setup so they can be swapped in minutes and I will do the same with this pump so that it's setup such that I can swap it in place of the dart without having to change anything on the tanks plumbing. Just close two valves and remove to unions to do the swap.
Merry XMAS!
biecacka
Active member
That is a heck of a gift and shows how much they appreciate your help. I sent him a pm about 4-5 weeks ago and he hasn't read it yet. I know they are busy taking care of their customers and this RAK(Random Act of Kindness) is one reason people like their products and one reason I might be interested in one....
Corey
Corey
McPuff
New member
Consider trying the micro-mesh sandpaper. Put a thin pad between the sandpaper and the magnet to get more consistent contact. This works quite well but just like the dozer pads, you'll need to switch them out regularly. This is also a good way to remove scratches in the acrylic.
sowildpaul
New member
Happy Holidays, slief! Thanks for sharing your experiences with us!
DNA
New member
Is this what you need?
http://royalexclusiv.net/Accessorie...08-RD3-Speedy-65-75-80W::471.html?language=en
slief
RC Sponsor
Is this what you need?
http://royalexclusiv.net/Accessorie...08-RD3-Speedy-65-75-80W::471.html?language=en
That wont work. All my pumps are hard plumbed and setup for quick swaps with union ball valves. The pump itself has gray union fittings attached to the inlet and outlet of the pump. See picture a few posts up. They have a female slip fitting on both for metric PVC. The inlet is 50mm and the outlet is 32mm (I think) I need the fittings that will support 1" outlet and 1.5" inlet. I should have them next week. I could make the outlet side work but not the inlet.
All my spare pumps are plumbed with unions so I can swap them out in a moments notice. I need to be able to set this pump up so that my Dart Gold closed loop pump which this will replace, becomes the backup and as such, I will need to adapt the plumbing on the new pump so that I can swap them in minutes without having to change any plumbing.
slief
RC Sponsor
Hmmm.. I might just have to try that route. I am have been meaning to get the scratch removal kit so I can address a couple scratches so I could probably kill two birds with one stone. Thanks for the suggestion!
Thank you very much!! Happy Holidays to you as well and everybody else on RC!
sowildpaul
New member
Or this one (Spears makes metric fittings) http://www.spearsmfg.com/super_sour...C & CPVC Metric Fittings, Unions & Valves.pdf
The website, rrproducts.com may have what he's looking for.
sowildpaul
New member
You may be interested in that ^. However, the transition unions are expensive (I bet you don't care lol).
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slief
RC Sponsor
Thanks for the links. The Spears stuff is close but probably won't work within the confines of my limited space. If push came to shove I could probably make something like the spears unions work but I am trying to retain what ever space I can as I need to adapt this pump to existing plumbing sizes. The part that goes onto the pump is essentially a half union. The outer ring part of the union threads directly onto the pump. The pump has standard thread sizes which is good however the outer rings of most unions don't have standard thread/pitch sizes.
The part I need is from VDL fittings which is a European company and I have been in contact with them however I expect to have the correct parts from Royal Exclusiv in the coming days.
sowildpaul
New member
Wait a minute, are you saying that the pump has standard threads like NPT which is American standard thread? If so, then replace included fittings with NPT fittings (or unions or true union ball valves).
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slief
RC Sponsor
I thought about that but I'd only replace them with unions that could thread directly onto the pump. Problem with that is that the unions would need to be adapted back to slip for my PVC lines. I'd rather use the union style fittings that are already on the pump because they are essentially half unions that take up much less space than a full union and have slip connections on the bushing sides. As such, they are much lower profile and will ultimately take up much less space in the plumbing. I already have a union before and after my pumps for quick removal and will need to adapt the plumbing sizes for the new pump to my existing plumbing and unions. That way I can keep my dart as a plug and play spare that can be swapped right in without plumbing mods. Once I get it plumbed and take a picture, it will be easier to understand. Bottom line is that space before and after the pump are at a premium and the extra space required for another full union will make it difficult to adapt it down within the confines of the existing unions and pluming. The good news is that they they are sending me the correct fittings next week along with the RD3 0-10v control interface for my Apex. Unfortunately I already bought and received an RD3 0-10v interface for this pump from another member but I will sell that once I receive the one from Royal Exclusiv.
Truth is I'm not sure I will be able to use this pump during the winter anyway. I'm afraid my tank temps may drop too much as a result of the cooler running lower wattage RD3 compared to my Reeflo Dart closed loop pump which the RD3 is slated to replace. As it is, I'm hitting a low of 75* on the colder nights now and I don't run heaters. My winter temps seem to have dropped a degree or two compared to last year after switching out the Hammerhead Gold for the SuperDart Gold on my return. As such, the RD3 could end up being a summer only pump which wouldn't be horrible as my summer temps hit a max of 82. If that drops a couple degree's I certainly won't be complaining. I just need to be careful of my winter temps. I really don't want my temps lower than 75.
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