My 500 + gallon system. Last 13 years to now. Build, Aquascaping & more. Lots of pics

[Mikenroe]

Slief! Very nice tank and I'm impressed with your attention to detail in your rock work. I have a question. What do you do for a living? By the drawings I want to say engineer. My dream aquarium is to have one that is 4' wide 30 in tal and 8 feet. Great job and I enjoyed the write up.

 

[slief]

Slief! Very nice tank and I'm impressed with your attention to detail in your rock work. I have a question. What do you do for a living? By the drawings I want to say engineer. My dream aquarium is to have one that is 4' wide 30 in tal and 8 feet. Great job and I enjoyed the write up.

Thank you very much. I'm in the computer business. Not sure which drawings you are talking about but if it's the ones of the sumps, tha computer drawings were done by the acrylic shop who built the tank. Sounds like we have similar dreams. This tank was my dream tank. Your idea for a dream tank has great dimensions! I like the 30" tall and if I could do my tank over again, 30" tall would certainly be a consideration.

 

[slief]

Long day ahead. A couple power poles being changed out next door and across the street. Power is out and will be out until late today. Fired up my trusty Honda EU1000 Generator but the carb was clogged from sitting. I rebuilt & cleaned the carb and it seems working great now. Reef tank return pump and DSL router have power so all should be good. The tank should be fine as long as I keep the pump running for at least part of the day. Fingers crossed that the generator stays happy and that Edison finishes early. Note to self.. Drain carb on generator when done!

 

[pmrossetti]

Hope it all worked out.

 

[slief]

Hope it all worked out.

All worked out fine. It was an 8 hour or so outage. The generator kept the return pump running all day and didn't skip a beat after the carb cleaing. This time around I made a point to drain the carb when I put it away so it's ready to go next time I need it.

 

[slief]

A some of you may remember, a number of months back I polished/sanded the scratches out of my tank. That process was filmed for a new LA Fish Guys series called LA Fish Guys Aquarium Tech Talk which Im the on camera host of. The series is going to cover How To's, different aquarium technology and stuff like that. The scratch remoal is the first episode in that series. We alrady have filmed one on calcium reactor setup using the Cole Parmer pump and we have another one shot on seting up and basic programming of the Apex controller on Jims tank. There will be others to follow as well.

In the mean time, here is the first of the new series..

Acrylic Scratch Removal Part 1
<iframe width="1280" height="720" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y8eTWZSNLWM?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Acrylic Scratch Removal Part 2.
<iframe width="1280" height="720" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dXthrMx7sq4?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Swetpants]

Very nice set up. Quick question for you. Did all you run off the EU1000i was your return pump or was it capable of more. I'm looking into a generator. Can't decide between the 1000 or the 2000. Obviously more would be better. But price is a factor for me. Thanks

 

[slief]

Very nice set up. Quick question for you. Did all you run off the EU1000i was your return pump or was it capable of more. I'm looking into a generator. Can't decide between the 1000 or the 2000. Obviously more would be better. But price is a factor for me. Thanks

I only ran my RD3 230 return pump which is set at 150 watts and DSL router on the EU1000. I could have run my closed loop and or some power heads as well. That said, if I had a choice between the EU1000 and the EU2000, it's a no brainer. I'd choose the EU2000 in a heart beat. I bought this generator for my off shore fishing boat which I sold a couple years ago. This was plenty to run the microwave and a small LCD TV or a DC emergency bilge pump. I've kept it for the house in case of emergency but have been considering finding a bigger one for some time now. So if you have a choice, it's a simple one. Bigger is better and the Honda's are damn near bullet proof and as close to silent as you can get with a generator.

 

[pfoxgrover]

I use a Genesis Renew. It's by far the best auto water change device on the market. I have it change out 5 gallons a day but you can set it to do anywhere from 1-99 gallons a day, a week or in one continuous water change. It can change out up to 1 gallon every 2 to 3 minutes. Also, because of it's pair of 1 gallon metering bins, there is no other solution on the market with that level of maintenance free accuracy. It uses 1 metering bin for new salt water and another for waste water to insure that the same amount is added & removed every time.

You can see more on the Renew here:
http://genesisreefsystems.com/products/automatic-water-change-systems/

Slief,
I was wondering if you're still happy with your genesis renew? Have you had any mechanical problems with it? How long have you been running it?
Thanks,
Paul

 

[slief]

Slief,
I was wondering if you're still happy with your genesis renew? Have you had any mechanical problems with it? How long have you been running it?
Thanks,
Paul

Had it for 4 years. No issues and love it! There isn't a better auto water changer on the market. The Renew is hands down the best by far and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

 

[pfoxgrover]

Had it for 4 years. No issues and love it! There isn't a better auto water changer on the market. The Renew is hands down the best by far and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Thanks Scott! I think I will get one once I can come up with a drain. Do you think the "Pro" is worth the extra money?

Love the acrylic polishing videos. I've got a micro mesh kit but have not had the nerve yet to try it yet. After watching your videos I definitely feel better about giving it a go.
Thanks again!
Paul

 

[slief]

Thanks Scott! I think I will get one once I can come up with a drain. Do you think the "Pro" is worth the extra money?

Love the acrylic polishing videos. I've got a micro mesh kit but have not had the nerve yet to try it yet. After watching your videos I definitely feel better about giving it a go.
Thanks again!
Paul

I run the Pro version. The main difference between the basic and the pro is that the pro includes additional float sensors in the metering bin so the controller knows when they are full. Wihtout those sensors, the controller will run each step (fill, meter, dispense) for a preset amount of time. The pro will change out water a minute or more quicker that the basic which is why I went with the pro version. That rate depends inpart on how fast the metering bins fill up. One of my bins is 6' high so my bin fills in just under a minute which is kind of slow but fine for my needs. The water from both the new salt water and the waste water also has to drain a fair distance from the metering bins which also impacts the time. The faster it fills and the faster it drains, the shorter the time between the water changes. The pro also includes a set of float sensors for the salt water holding tank and the sump. If either are too low, the Renew will shut off. I don't use those floats becaume my Apex monitors my sump level and if that level is too low, the Renew gets shut off and I get email and text notification. My salt water mixing tank where the REnew pulls its NSW from is a 100 gallon storage tank and I never let that get below the 65 gallon mark so there is no need for a sensor there either. So if I were you, I'd make the decision based on speed of water changes which can be as little as 1.5 minutes with the Pro (I believe) vs as high as 4 minutes per gallon with the basic. If you do end up getting the Renew, rest assured you will love it and understand why I am such a believer in the system. Like I said, nothing on the market compares. It's by far the best at what it does and makes water changes (large, small, daily, weekly or continuous) a simple and hands free task and is always spot on without need to worry about salinity drift and calibration.

Glad the videos were helpful for you. If and when you take on the scratch removal endeavor, just take your time.

 

[pfoxgrover]

Thanks for the info!

 

[Mustang67]

Long day ahead. A couple power poles being changed out next door and across the street. Power is out and will be out until late today. Fired up my trusty Honda EU1000 Generator but the carb was clogged from sitting. I rebuilt & cleaned the carb and it seems working great now. Reef tank return pump and DSL router have power so all should be good. The tank should be fine as long as I keep the pump running for at least part of the day. Fingers crossed that the generator stays happy and that Edison finishes early. Note to self.. Drain carb on generator when done!

I have a battery back up config that cost me a total of about $400 including two large deep cell batteries. 1300 watt inverter I believe. Get a good 4hrs of run time out of it. If you are interested in the config ping me tomorrow and I can reply with full specs and part numbers.

 

[Mustang67]

300 DD
4hrs of run time with Speedy 230Watt pump running @ 80watts. 2x 300 watt heaters, 4x Tunze 6105 and Monzter DC skimmer, 4x T5's.

 

[rickztahone]

Scott, great scratch removal video. I learned a lot

 

[slief]

I have a battery back up config that cost me a total of about $400 including two large deep cell batteries. 1300 watt inverter I believe. Get a good 4hrs of run time out of it. If you are interested in the config ping me tomorrow and I can reply with full specs and part numbers.

Are you using a triplite inverter/charger? I've contemplated doing something similar using a good triplite inverter and 4 trojan or similar 6v gofl cart/RV type batteries but the batteries really should be replaced every few years and also need to be topped off with regularity. Iwent through that with my RV. In the end, a good Honda Gernerator is cheaper and less maintenance which is why I haven't gone that route. Plus, I've only had 2 serious outages in 18 years here. Once was a planned one and the other was the result of a downed line. In either case, my tank would have been fine for the 8 plus hours without circulation but since I had the Honda Generator, it was a no brainer to connect my return pump. That said, in reality, all I'd need for even longer safety would be a couple of my Tunze's.

300 DD
4hrs of run time with Speedy 230Watt pump running @ 80watts. 2x 300 watt heaters, 4x Tunze 6105 and Monzter DC skimmer, 4x T5's.

That's pretty good run time for that many watts. I'd certainly be interested in knowing what inverter you're using.

Scott, great scratch removal video. I learned a lot

Glad you ejoyed it! Hopefully you can put it to good use!

 

[reeferKen]

Scott, great scratch removal video. I learned a lot

Same here, thanks for the tech talk series, the wife and I really enjoy it. Anyone else out there, if you are not aware, go check them out. :thumbsup:

 

[slief]

Same here, thanks for the tech talk series, the wife and I really enjoy it. Anyone else out there, if you are not aware, go check them out. :thumbsup:

Thanks!!

Today is a tank maintenance day. Ran some long overdue Ca, Alk, Mg and Po4 tests. Since setting up and dialing in my calcium reactor several months ago, I havene't bothered to test for Ca, Alk and Mg in a number of months. This due in large part to the consistency of my reactor. The pH remains pretty much flat line in it without my Apex ever having to intervene. This is due in large part to the Masterflex feed pump and the Carbon Doser regulator. Between the two, my reactor effluent is always pefectly consistent along with the pH. As I suspected, the numbers were great. Ca and about 450, Alk at 9.7 and Mg and 1430. All good by my standards.

I've neglected to change my GFO in a few months and while I don't have any nuissance algae issues, I suspected it would be high. It's been 8 months since my last LaCl treatment and not surprisingly, my Hanna ULR tester showed higher Po4 than I would like and higher than I normally let it get. It came in at .15. Yikes. As such, I cleaned out my GFO and Carbon reactors and refilled them both. I also started an LaCl dose. After getting the reactors on line, I noted one of the gates valves was leaking where the valve shaft that the handle attaches to enters the valve. I shut the valve to the manifold and tore the valve apart and sure enough, the o-ring seal was flattened out and hard. Off to True Value I went to get some new o-rings. Back 15 minutes later to put it back together. All's well now with that. It was also time to change my filter socks and wash a batch so that too was done.

My LaCl treatment is about 1/2 way done. I opted to do a half dose today so I don't drop it as quick as I normally do. Normally, I will drop it .06 with a full 5 ml dose at a time but my Anemone always gets ticked off and retreats to the otherside of the rock penisula where it will hang out for a couple days or until I place a powerhead on the viewing pane to blast it back. The foot of it doesn't move but it will stretch under the rock to the opposite side of the peninsula and bother some of the corals. This time I figured I would do a few smaller LaCl doses and spread them out over 2 or 3 days. My target is about .04 to .06 Po4 which at it's present Po4 level will take about 3 treatments of 2.5ml of LaCl mixed in 1 liter of water per treatment. For those that haven't follwed this thread, I dose via an IV bag at a rate of 1 drop per second into a 10 micron felt filter sock. The entire liter of solution takes about 7 hours to dose. Normally the 5ml of LaCl in 1 liter or RODI will drop my Po4 levels by .06. This time I will increase my dose but spread it out over a few days so as not to drop it so much in one day. My aim is to drop it .03 per day. This should prevent my giant BTA from getting annoyed by the larger drop in Po4.

 

[Ricardo18]

thanks for the tech info