My new 600 gallon reef

[jnarowe]

glad to see you got gate valves but I think you should test one to see if it really closes all the way. The typical schedule 40 gate valve, while being inexpensive, doesn't always work like you think it should. It's not a lot of money so you could glue it all up and see what happens.

As I have said before (somewhere), I have been really shocked at how poorly made the schedule 40 valves are, and in particular the ball valves available from big box stores. Sherman was over a couple weeks ago and I had my skimmer pulled for repairs. While it was offlne, and the ball valve was completely "closed", water still poured out of it like it was open a little bit. Maybe running about 50gph or more in the close position!

When I see this pic, I get queezy...

That is a nightmare. At least there is some flexible PVC in there to give you some slack! So on your next tank build, we'll figure out a better way to do it eh?

I notice too that you have two different kinds of flex "PVC" in that pic, and the one that is dead center with the blue primer above looks like it's not PVC but some sort of blend. I would watch that joint as part of your regular inspection.

I can't see the whole thing in the pics, but another very nice thing to do is to install a valve above the union so that you can turn the line off and remove it for periodic cleaning.

I am interested to see how Marcus II does. All that I have read and learned from our local Marine Science Center staff points to them not being long-lived in captivity. They swap them out about every 6 months. And the buggers are SMART! That may be part of why they don't do well in captivity too. They may actually get bored to death.

 

[melev]

Ball valves don't work as nicely as gate valves. I'm not surprised a ball valve didn't work for you, Jonathan. Hopefully Chuck got a good set of gate valves. That's pretty much what I want to get myself. Or those really nice ones from Savko with unions. They just cost a lot.

 

[tbittner]

I bought gate valves from savko and I installed them and ended the pipe at that point, and started filling the tank. They didn't leak at all, even with 3 feet of 360 gallons of water pushing at them. Then I finished plumbing everything up. They work great!

 

[Goodwin9]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12829579#post12829579 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jnarowe
glad to see you got gate valves but I think you should test one to see if it really closes all the way. The typical schedule 40 gate valve, while being inexpensive, doesn't always work like you think it should. It's not a lot of money so you could glue it all up and see what happens.

As I have said before (somewhere), I have been really shocked at how poorly made the schedule 40 valves are, and in particular the ball valves available from big box stores. Sherman was over a couple weeks ago and I had my skimmer pulled for repairs. While it was offlne, and the ball valve was completely "closed", water still poured out of it like it was open a little bit. Maybe running about 50gph or more in the close position!

When I see this pic, I get queezy...



That is a nightmare. At least there is some flexible PVC in there to give you some slack! So on your next tank build, we'll figure out a better way to do it eh?

I notice too that you have two different kinds of flex "PVC" in that pic, and the one that is dead center with the blue primer above looks like it's not PVC but some sort of blend. I would watch that joint as part of your regular inspection.

I can't see the whole thing in the pics, but another very nice thing to do is to install a valve above the union so that you can turn the line off and remove it for periodic cleaning.

I am interested to see how Marcus II does. All that I have read and learned from our local Marine Science Center staff points to them not being long-lived in captivity. They swap them out about every 6 months. And the buggers are SMART! That may be part of why they don't do well in captivity too. They may actually get bored to death.

Looks like they will work for this application. I looked at Marine Depot and the valves were $22.59 for the nicer ones. I've got $21.00 tied up in this manifold and will give it a whirl and see what happens.

When the tank was built, the builder placed the unions right below the opening going up the dry portion of the overflow box. I'm not sure why he did this, but it is a real pain to work on them in this position. I assume that he didn't forsee a need to be changing them.

All of the hard PVC is the same through out the tank. The creep in the picture is from spashed that have run down the dry portion of the overflow. The unions are tight and haven't leaked.

 

[jnarowe]

Salt creep is a strange thing. It doesn't always come from where you think it is. Make sense? :lol: I wouldn't be so worried about the unions but that actual "glued" joint on the one that is a blend. I have worked with that stuff (received by mistake) and it does not adhere very well to PVC with normal PVC cement.

So many kinds of valves, but I use mostly Spears Schedule 80 now that I have learned my lesson.

 

[Goodwin9]

A few new things, (NOT FISH), picked these up today at the LFS.

Some Flower Pot corals...

Some Zoanthus...

I think that there might be a little SPS attached in the middle of this one???

 

[Reeftanks6]

hey goodwin can i see some pictures of the clown tang? Also how is he can u tell me a little about him.her?

 

[Goodwin9]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12836890#post12836890 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Reeftanks6
hey goodwin can i see some pictures of the clown tang? Also how is he can u tell me a little about him.her?

Well, I don't know if it is a him or her, but here are a couple pictures of my clown tang. It is a loner in the tank, doesn't swim with the other tangs in the tank. Doesn't eat from my hand, nor the algae feeding clip. Pretty much does it's own thing.

 

[kar93]

I think I read somewhere that the Clown Tangs get streamers but I don't really know if there is much truth in it because they are part of the Acanthurus family.

 

[michika]

Its a male. You can tell based on the curve of its tail. Very nice fish!

 

[Goodwin9]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12838686#post12838686 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by michika
Its a male. You can tell based on the curve of its tail. Very nice fish!

I would have guessed it to be a male, thank you for the conformation!

 

[Goodwin9]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12826569#post12826569 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
Nice job Willy. Looks like what we did last time made this time easier.

There is a grease you can apply to union threads so that it comes off when necessary. I put it on all of the unions I use, so it won't be so difficult nor need a wrench when it is time to unscrew those.

I bet it was nice to do that job without all those ballasts underfoot in the splash zone. :eek2:

I think that it was more of having wet hands than anything. I knew something was missing from when we did this last fall, for got about the ballast being on the floor. No wonder you both were so nervous.... Since completing this project, Willy has come up with an idea for the next time they are cleaned. He suggested hanging the pipe over the back of the tank, rather than having the pipe run up the dry portion of the overflow box. It would make it mush easier to raise the pipe and removed the strainer section of the pipe. You would have to fight all of the other unions and pipes running up the overflow box.

By the way, do you know the name of the grease incase it is needed in the future?

 

[jnarowe]

wow, gorgeous specimen Chuck. Doesn't look like he's starving!

 

[melev]

It is probably called Silicone Grease, Chuck. They sell it at Home Depot. I bought one that was about the size of a Carmex container (the lip balm); it was yellow plastic. Just apply it to the threads thoroughly.

... Just went and found it. "Valve Stem Lubricant"

 

[Goodwin9]

Thanks Marc! I assume that it is OK to use in the tank?

 

[jnarowe]

Check out the MSDS Sheet. I would be a little suspicious of that grease since they do not provide the ingredients and it has a color to it. However, it apears to be OK in terms of a lack of petroleum in it.

I would recommend using only Food Grade Silicone grease like this one.

I use Danco Silicone Grease which I get from Lowes. It is 100% silicone grease and will soften dramatically at temps. above normal room temperature, so store it in a cool place.

 

[melev]

It shouldn't be in the tank. The threads are where the collar is, which holds the two halves together. The O-ring is what seals those two, so saltwater would never be in contact with it.

I don't know how it would do in saltwater, as I only use it on unions. No wait.. I did use it on the O-ring to my skimmer's collection cup, and nothing bad happened. So maybe it is okay, at least on a huge system.

 

[jnarowe]

:lol: The problem with "Us Reefkeepers" is that we are all human and prone to certain lazy tendencies. So the only lubricant I have in my tank room is the 100% silicone. It's either the 100% silicone or a trip to my workshop...It's not a perfect plan, but it does make me stop and think about what I am going to use, especially if I have to go to the shop to get it.

 

[Reeftanks6]

wow great tang. wish i could get one. Thats weird how he does everything different then your other tangs. But he sure is great.

 

[Goodwin9]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12841742#post12841742 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Reeftanks6
wow great tang. wish i could get one. Thats weird how he does everything different then your other tangs. But he sure is great.

The Clown tang is an eye catcher, hard to miss in the tank. It swims by itself and doesn't bother anyone else in the tank. The Achilles is much the same, does it's own thing without harassing any of the other tangs in the tank.