Hello all,
I thought it might be fun to do a thread about my setup. This system has been a roller coaster of ups and downs. I've done a lot of experimenting on this build so, I'd say I caused most of the headache and heartache. I'm starting this thread at a time where the tank isn't in great shape. Very few coral and they are having a bit of a hard time. The tank is far from stable yet so, this thread comes a bit different then most.
I'm putting all this confusing info in here cause I hope it will help others realize that this hobby is no different then anything else. If you do it right the first time you will come out ahead cost wise, and results will be better, quicker in the long run. Trying this or that cause it's cheap or cause it will buy you time, just doesn't work. At least it hasn't for me. Not in the last 2 years this tank has been running. I wish I could say I did all this for fun. I didn't. I "thought" I could "make it work". I've learned a ton in the last 2 years.
I setup the tank on 4-16-13. I used 100% dead dry rock and dead dry sand. Partly cause I thought I was going to be a great reefer and do it "right" by QT'ing everything, period. I wanted it to be me that introduced everything to the tank as much as possible. On purpose. I got in the way and I ruined that idea real fast. :headwally: I immediately (after cycle) put stuff in without QT. I've dosed different things to try stuff out. All the while not keeping any notes on dosages or outcome. Not bright, I know.
The tank was originally setup without a sump and I had no intention of running a sump. I put in a piece of 4" PVC pipe and by placing a pump in there it acts as a low point for evap and give me surface skimming. I ran like that up till about a week ago. (I added a sump) I've also had two different canister filters on the tank at two different times. For flow, the tank has had a trio of MJ-1200's, a pair of MP10's, a mix of MP10's and cheap Aqua Top power heads, And now, has a pair of Jeabo RW4's with 2 Aqua Top 300ish GPH power heads. The pump for the new, above the tank sump is a MJ-1200. I've run with no skimmer, a DIY air stone skimmer, an old Red Sea prizm skimmer, and for the last year, year and half (till about a week ago) a Reef Octo BH-1000 HOB skimmer.
SO, this is where I'm at.
The tank is an Aqueion standard 65 gallon tank. It has a 4" PVC pipe to act as a sump and skim the water surface. There is a MJ-1200 pump inside feeding a 20L overhead sump that is in a closet on the other side of the wall that the tank is in front of.
A FTS showing the lighting and the pipes going through the wall.
The PVC pipe (in tank sump) with the old Reef Octo skimmer. The black piece with clear tubing is my Tsunami ATO.
This is my new sump area. It's just a closet in a spare bedroom. The sump stand is 50 3/8" tall.
My sump setup. The air manifold is some stuff I had kicking about. Collecting stuff over the years. I bought the skimmer from a LFS. He builds tanks and what not and he builds air stone skimmers. I'm a HUGE fan of air stone skimmers. I'm not crazy about the flat topped body of this one but, hey. It works. It's being driven by an Alita 25M air pump. The current air stone is a boss hog ceramic stone.
This is about what I like to see for skim color. This is after 33 hrs.
This is after about 55 hrs. Pics never do justice. The skimmer is 8" in diameter. The amount of skim in there is about 20oz or so.
A close up of the air manifold. The temp gauge is for fun and, I figured that some instruments to let me know what exactly is going on with my skimmer would be awesome. I now know at a glance what is wrong if anything, with my skimmer. If I see manifold pressure drop or go up, I can look at that. If I see the flow rate go down, I can increase the pressure to compensate for the air stone becoming plugged up. I can then decide when I want to clean the stone based on a max back pressure I want to impose on my air pump.
This is just a quick video of the sump. Yes, it's this quiet. The air pump is in my garage and the air line is run through the attic. The extra air is being blown off into the attic also.
The tank has
2 black and white clowns
1 red line wrasse
2 cardinal fish
1 bi color blenny
1 blue spot jaw fish
Xenia
red monti cap
3 colines of zoas
green star polyps
red chalice
green enchino
frogspawn
hammer coral
gorgonian
toadstool
Any comments, questions, concerns are welcome.
Cheers :beer:
Stay dry
Edit; Please let me know if the video plays well. For me its choppy. My internet must be bogged down??? Thanks
I thought it might be fun to do a thread about my setup. This system has been a roller coaster of ups and downs. I've done a lot of experimenting on this build so, I'd say I caused most of the headache and heartache. I'm starting this thread at a time where the tank isn't in great shape. Very few coral and they are having a bit of a hard time. The tank is far from stable yet so, this thread comes a bit different then most.
I'm putting all this confusing info in here cause I hope it will help others realize that this hobby is no different then anything else. If you do it right the first time you will come out ahead cost wise, and results will be better, quicker in the long run. Trying this or that cause it's cheap or cause it will buy you time, just doesn't work. At least it hasn't for me. Not in the last 2 years this tank has been running. I wish I could say I did all this for fun. I didn't. I "thought" I could "make it work". I've learned a ton in the last 2 years.
I setup the tank on 4-16-13. I used 100% dead dry rock and dead dry sand. Partly cause I thought I was going to be a great reefer and do it "right" by QT'ing everything, period. I wanted it to be me that introduced everything to the tank as much as possible. On purpose. I got in the way and I ruined that idea real fast. :headwally: I immediately (after cycle) put stuff in without QT. I've dosed different things to try stuff out. All the while not keeping any notes on dosages or outcome. Not bright, I know.
The tank was originally setup without a sump and I had no intention of running a sump. I put in a piece of 4" PVC pipe and by placing a pump in there it acts as a low point for evap and give me surface skimming. I ran like that up till about a week ago. (I added a sump) I've also had two different canister filters on the tank at two different times. For flow, the tank has had a trio of MJ-1200's, a pair of MP10's, a mix of MP10's and cheap Aqua Top power heads, And now, has a pair of Jeabo RW4's with 2 Aqua Top 300ish GPH power heads. The pump for the new, above the tank sump is a MJ-1200. I've run with no skimmer, a DIY air stone skimmer, an old Red Sea prizm skimmer, and for the last year, year and half (till about a week ago) a Reef Octo BH-1000 HOB skimmer.
SO, this is where I'm at.
The tank is an Aqueion standard 65 gallon tank. It has a 4" PVC pipe to act as a sump and skim the water surface. There is a MJ-1200 pump inside feeding a 20L overhead sump that is in a closet on the other side of the wall that the tank is in front of.
A FTS showing the lighting and the pipes going through the wall.
The PVC pipe (in tank sump) with the old Reef Octo skimmer. The black piece with clear tubing is my Tsunami ATO.
This is my new sump area. It's just a closet in a spare bedroom. The sump stand is 50 3/8" tall.
My sump setup. The air manifold is some stuff I had kicking about. Collecting stuff over the years. I bought the skimmer from a LFS. He builds tanks and what not and he builds air stone skimmers. I'm a HUGE fan of air stone skimmers. I'm not crazy about the flat topped body of this one but, hey. It works. It's being driven by an Alita 25M air pump. The current air stone is a boss hog ceramic stone.
This is about what I like to see for skim color. This is after 33 hrs.
This is after about 55 hrs. Pics never do justice. The skimmer is 8" in diameter. The amount of skim in there is about 20oz or so.
A close up of the air manifold. The temp gauge is for fun and, I figured that some instruments to let me know what exactly is going on with my skimmer would be awesome. I now know at a glance what is wrong if anything, with my skimmer. If I see manifold pressure drop or go up, I can look at that. If I see the flow rate go down, I can increase the pressure to compensate for the air stone becoming plugged up. I can then decide when I want to clean the stone based on a max back pressure I want to impose on my air pump.
This is just a quick video of the sump. Yes, it's this quiet. The air pump is in my garage and the air line is run through the attic. The extra air is being blown off into the attic also.
The tank has
2 black and white clowns
1 red line wrasse
2 cardinal fish
1 bi color blenny
1 blue spot jaw fish
Xenia
red monti cap
3 colines of zoas
green star polyps
red chalice
green enchino
frogspawn
hammer coral
gorgonian
toadstool
Any comments, questions, concerns are welcome.
Cheers :beer:
Stay dry
Edit; Please let me know if the video plays well. For me its choppy. My internet must be bogged down??? Thanks
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