My Ultimate Multi Mantis System(s)

[TundraGuy]

The pix are truly helpful in figuring this out.

 

[Kharn]

The pix are truly helpful in figuring this out.

Pix often speak a thousand words :lol2:

Here is what I have come up with lately, realizing that I am going to have to either put the sump(s) below the lowest tanks in the display stands, or above the highest tanks in the display stands...

Still using 2 sumps, however going along the lines of what you mentioned before...both STAND A & B would be connected via the sumps, there is only going to be 2 sumps in total (rather then 4, 2 per stand).

However unlike before where I had the first sump split with equipment & refugium I will only have it with equipment and smaller, the second sump will still remain a single full tank refugium but, what the 1st tank looses in length, the second sump will have it added to it thus making it larger I've got around 2.5mtrs length to work with so I'll likely have a 600mm L Equipment sump as first sump tank and input area, then a 1200mm L full refugium sump as the second sump tank and return.

Due to the vast amount of space I plan on having free inside the first sump tank holding the equipment, I plan on using that large free space as the fail safe reservoir for when power goes out.

Both of these sumps sit a few inches above the ground level with each other and slightly below the lowest tanks of display STAND A & B.



Questions...

I'm fairly certain that all I need to have to "dictate" the operating level of water inside the first sump is adjusting the height of the divider that the water must flow over in order to get out of the first sump...however would having bulkhead hole(s) drilled in the side at it's lowest point take water, fill the second sumps small chamber to, as high as the operating level of the full refugium, mostly because the refugium will be (hopefully) operating at a level twice if not 3x higher then that of the first sump housing the equipment?

Another concern albeit a little bit easier to solver (I hope, again...) is the return pump, since the stands are connected via the first sump both going into the same location I would have to find a way to equally distribute the water back out of the return pump this however might be as simple as a valve in place that will hopefully split the water evenly... using 2 pumps isn't an option.

 

[Kharn]

Since STAND C will not be an issue, with the Top of its lowest tank quite high off the ground, thereby offsetting a sump to be lower then this will NOT be a problem.

However here are a couple of detailed images portraying the space I have to work with.

Note: The long horizontal and vertical black lines represent the floor/ground, the rear wall behind the stands and the ceiling above the stands (minus the steel beam in between the 2 stands, above the TV).

 

[Mdpflueger]

In design #2, the water level from sump #1 to sump #2 is going to act like a siphon I think. So the water level in sump #2 will only rise if the water in sump #1 is higher. If you took part of your idea in design #1 and raised sump #1 like 10" off the ground then I think you could get gravity to work in your favor and the water level in both sumps to where you want them. Connect both bulk heads at the bottom of the sumps using PVC and 2x90 degree elbows and you are good. Just a thought, btw really love your thread.

 

[TundraGuy]

Ok just a thought but have you thought about going with a scrubber instead of a fuge? With the top tank being so high you can use its drain to feed a scrubber instead of feeding the middle section.

Dont worry about trying to control the exacted flow to each tank. Just make a manifold off the single pump with valves to control what tank gets what water and how much.

Another thing if you ran each tank off the manifold and each tanks drain strait to the sump you will have more control over the total system. For instance you can turn off the valve to one row and work on it with out turning off the pump.

I see your trying to defy the laws of gravity by having sump 1's water level lower then sump 2's water level. The water level in an area is controlled by the highest line that water has to flow over not the lowest. What i am stating here is if water has to fill up an area before it can overflow to a lower area it will.

With that said and supposing your going with the set up in this last drawing then flip them and make the fuge the first area water comes into then into the equipment section. This may lower your pod count a little but not in the long run. Your going to however gain a safety net over the fuge going sexual and crashing. If this happened all the genetic by products from the fuge will first go through the filtering area and the skimmer. Make one last section for the evaporation control and top of. I would use an external pump giving you more sump area. External pumps tend to have more torque making them better for use with a manifold and multiple tears.

 

[Kharn]

In design #2, the water level from sump #1 to sump #2 is going to act like a siphon I think. So the water level in sump #2 will only rise if the water in sump #1 is higher. If you took part of your idea in design #1 and raised sump #1 like 10" off the ground then I think you could get gravity to work in your favor and the water level in both sumps to where you want them. Connect both bulk heads at the bottom of the sumps using PVC and 2x90 degree elbows and you are good. Just a thought, btw really love your thread.

With only 700mm from the ground to the top of the bottom display tank I do not have much room for the lowest sump, or the sump where water flows into it from the display stand...to raise this sump 10inchs...would make it level with the display tank in front of it (250mm ground to bottom of sump & display) which would then also mean I need to take off at least 9inchs again for the HOB overflow so in the end if I did this the sump would only be 220mmtall/deep....and this sump is meant to be the fail safe reservoir being the place that water flows into and the lowest sump.

Thanks for the input

 

[Kharn]

Ok just a thought but have you thought about going with a scrubber instead of a fuge? With the top tank being so high you can use its drain to feed a scrubber instead of feeding the middle section.

Dont worry about trying to control the exacted flow to each tank. Just make a manifold off the single pump with valves to control what tank gets what water and how much.

Another thing if you ran each tank off the manifold and each tanks drain strait to the sump you will have more control over the total system. For instance you can turn off the valve to one row and work on it with out turning off the pump.

I see your trying to defy the laws of gravity by having sump 1's water level lower then sump 2's water level. The water level in an area is controlled by the highest line that water has to flow over not the lowest. What i am stating here is if water has to fill up an area before it can overflow to a lower area it will.

With that said and supposing your going with the set up in this last drawing then flip them and make the fuge the first area water comes into then into the equipment section. This may lower your pod count a little but not in the long run. Your going to however gain a safety net over the fuge going sexual and crashing. If this happened all the genetic by products from the fuge will first go through the filtering area and the skimmer. Make one last section for the evaporation control and top of. I would use an external pump giving you more sump area. External pumps tend to have more torque making them better for use with a manifold and multiple tears.

One of the primary reasons I am going and will go with a Fuge is because of not only the added water volume but the possibility of turning the fuge(s) into compartments as well for stomatopods, albeit the less interactive ones that don't like to perform for the camera...even species known for there high level of interaction can be shy (something I don't need to tell YOU (TundraGuy) but for the sake of others...)

Basically I take Rocky (G.graphurus) & Shockwave (G.falcatus) in one hand Rocky is extremely interactive ALWAYS wanting to perform for the camera...in the other hand there is Shockwave who is to scared to basically ever show his face...So in order to make room for an interactive specimen in the Display tanks I need to make room, taking out my non interactive species, placing them in the refugiums behind the stands.

I've even thought about using the refugiums as my "Stomatopod Gym" by this I mean any species deemed to small for visual enjoyment in a display but, still exhibits high interaction even at it's small size, is kept but put into the refugium where it can feast at will upon the pods etc. (talking about stomatopods no greater then 40mm in size). By allowing them to gorge they should grow up fast and become large enough for visual enjoyment in the display stand. (2xG.ternatensis, 1xG.viridis,...all less then 40mm long)

With this new sump design that I created last night, it would be possible to do all I have wanted to...essentially setting up a whole second "Ultimate Multi Mantis System!" this will obviously at the very least double my accommodation levels!

Having said this one must remember that all the tanks going behind the displays are designed for species less interactive/very small...so the likely hood of capturing them on camera is going to be a lot low...

It's a rather simple design...

Taking the normal aquarium HOB filters and linking them together in a way that LFS have there stacked aquariums linked (vertical pipe), again let me know if you see of flaws...



The dark blue is water in operation whilst the light blue represents the fail safe reservoir where water builds after power dies.

The ONLY thing I dislike about this sump...is how thin & tall it will be...likely around the 600mm Long (too match displays in front) and probably the same height as well (350mm for top 2, 450mm for bottom sump) however due to the requirement of offsetting the 3 sumps (top 2 above whilst bottom sump below)...means the stand would like be over 2mtrs tall and it will not be as wide as the display stand more around 200mm-250mm (since there is only 560mm between the wall and the rear of the stand).

There is always going to be a need for a fail safe reservoir and a deep one -_- just cause of my 'gumbicus noobicus' choices when I had the tanks made (I MUST of been on CRACK!?!) basically when the power goes out the water in each tank must drain to below the bulk head, in operation the water line is JUST over the bulk heads (to allow for maximum water transport whilst not overflowing/giving it too much), when power goes out the water line must drop about 50mm in each of the 2 top tanks so around 4inchs of water level is going to always fail when power goes out.

Now because my tank dividers do NOT have holes, water can only flow over the divider, this means the very last compartment (dictated by placement of overflow/rite now, FX5 input to canister) acts as the fail safe reservoir & place where evaporation happens, no other compartment water level changes (even the one beside this last compartment, even though they share the same tank, it's due to the water having to flow over the divider). This last compartment acting currently as a water reservoir and evaporation chamber, fluctuates in levels rapidly due to it small space albeit deeper still...(in a week it can drop over 10cm in water level).

However all this should be fine in the latest design, having the bottom sump lower and running at operation lower then all other tanks above just means that all tanks above will drain to just under there bulkheads/overflows down into this 1st sump/equipment sump. (although it looks 'tight' in the pic, there will still be at the least 300mm above each sump tank for maintenance).

Another thing I noted of interest which should actually be self controlled so long as this current design ACTUALLY works...when I had my old AquaClear110 running on my nano a while back I noticed that it's flow was really strong for such a small nano which was actually larger then these compartments...however due to me 'choice' of using bulkheads as overflows, it seriously reduces/limits/dictates the flow I can have, thus the flow coming out of the refugiums and into the displays as well =) all (I hope) it will be a case of is, adjusting the 1st sump pump until I find the point at which I am at now (water just over bulkheads).

In order to access everything, my TV is getting a new stand as well which I am making at work, the whole thing will be on lockable wheels so I can pull it out and push it back easily

Better leave it at that wall of text

 

[Kharn]

I should also note that one of the pieces of equipment is also going to be a UV sterilizer

 

[TundraGuy]

That one is a winner. Miner tweaks and this thing will be just what you are looking for. Love the wheel idea thats going to come in handy down the road. Cant wait to see the progress on this one.

 

[Kharn]

Yeah I just got word back from Jeff @ Life Reef, the design will work! So this is now SET!

Tonight I will be drawing up tank dimensions and sending them off to the builder...

Over the past 2 nights I have been wrapped in my 'Rise of the Planet of the Stomatopods' Movie which I now have over 30mins of footage and well over 1500images...Have been having a hard time with photoshop and the scenes where the apes/stomatopods' are inside cages..I need to extract the wire/bars, remove the apes, put the stomatopod in the place of the apes, then put the wire/bars back in place, all this per image and there can be over 200images in as little as 30seconds of "footage" when there stacked together and cut to suit the timeline of the sounds/music.

So I skipped the last part part of the animals caged and went straight to one of my favorite scenes, where the apes/stomatopods are trying to cross the bridge to get to the safety of the forest, high action scene.

EDIT: I completed about 4-5mins of footage last night for this scene (only getting 1/3 through the scene) and editted over 600images for it.

 

[TundraGuy]

Can I request a remake of mortal kombat using mantis? I think Shockwave will be a great Reptile (being mostly green). Maximus as Subzero (a lot of blue hues). Ether The Kraken or The Juggernaut as Scorpion (front shots of the peacocks show so much red). Morgoth as Baraka (skin tone not the uniform). Jk. Cant wait to see the new clip.

 

[TundraGuy]

It just accorded to me I know the names of your pods as if they were my own. lol

 

[Kharn]

It just accorded to me I know the names of your pods as if they were my own. lol

In short, yes!

There is a NEW Mortal Kombat movie in the makings, the trailer is already public, Michael jai White plays Jax and some random asian plays Scorpion, the trailer is based around Scorpion and I think the movie is too.

But yeah I want to do a Mortal Kombat style movie.

This current one is just taking a long time and I'm not half done yet, still need to finish the whole movie then go back and editted it all multiple times, which will likely be the longest part...

 

[TundraGuy]

O wait the color of Scorpion is yellow not red. Who is red?

 

[Kharn]

Last night I got towards the end of the bridge scene, anyone that has seen or knows the film well should know that this scene is one of the most action packed ones, so I am taking my time with it, collectively I have spent well over 25hours on this one scene that is a little over 5mins long and has over 600images so far.

It's one of my favorite scene as not only does Cesar/Maximus speak a couple times in it but, they show their military intelligence/war tactics.

I'm following this film exactly and around 6 stomatopods have recurring roles as they actually portray the different apes in the films.

CAST

Maximus (G.graphurus) - Cesar/very smart ape not very large for ape, Lead Ape.

Minnie (G.graphurus) - Cesars Mother & plays minor roles deeper into the film for other minor apes.

Juggernaut (O.scyllarus) - Rocket/very large ape, previous Ape leader, over thrown by Cesar but becomes one of the 'leading' apes in there assault, a.k.a Rocket & Cesar become friends.

Zuzu the Unique (New G.smithii strain) - Koba/very scarred ape, second generation ape leader, freed by Cesar and joins Cesar along with the apes under him.

Morgoth (L.sulcata) - Maurice/Leading Orangutan, Cesars personal guide/council.

Leviathan (L.maculata) - Buck/Leading Gorilla, Cesar releases buck from his very small cage thus allowing him freedom to move and play, intern Buck is extremely thankful and becomes one of if not the most loyal supporter to Cesar.

They are the primary characters

 

[Kharn]

The only "let down" in the film is that lots of the stomatopod pictures are jsut duplicates positioned different;y to suit the scene, it would litterally take me years to capture the photoage for each individual photo, cut/edit it then position it on the 1 of 1,000's of images...however I do pre watch a lot of what I have made already and I am VERY happy with it, because the pics themselves are so short 0.10-0.20 of a second and because it's all back to back you really get that motion picture feeling, I have done very well with the timing so far

 

[TundraGuy]

When will you be airing this film?

 

[Kharn]

When will you be airing this film?

When it's completed I have not yet finished makin gthe raw footage yet, (mixing the stomatopods with the pictures) then I need to go back and methodically edit it all.

Still undecided about what I am going to do about the sounds (like the apes hooting) there are scenes where the noises the apes are making are different and hence you wouldn't know they were apes unless you saw film with the sound, so those scenes are good to leave alone.

Once all the raw footage is done and inplace, I then have to go back and edit it all/touch it up as I already know of areas I lacked in and must go back to and redo.

 

[Eel Freak]

Kharn, as always, I am thoroughly impressed. Sorry to hear about the loss of one of your Squillids, but, sadly it is the way of things. All these wonderful creatures we have (for me my 10 year old sailfin tang) must inevitably move on at some point

But! On more positive notes, I become increasingly envious every time I look at your thread... And especially now because it's been a while! I love the new Lysiosquillina member of your crew as well. Simply gorgeous. (And so is everyone else )

Keep up the awesome work! It inspires me and fuels my fascination for stomatopods. :thumbsup:

 

[Kharn]

Kharn, as always, I am thoroughly impressed. Sorry to hear about the loss of one of your Squillids, but, sadly it is the way of things. All these wonderful creatures we have (for me my 10 year old sailfin tang) must inevitably move on at some point

But! On more positive notes, I become increasingly envious every time I look at your thread... And especially now because it's been a while! I love the new Lysiosquillina member of your crew as well. Simply gorgeous. (And so is everyone else )

Keep up the awesome work! It inspires me and fuels my fascination for stomatopods. :thumbsup:

Totally thinking about turning my Live Food Tank into a Mangrove System it's large enough to hold a decent volume of water (300L) and with the addition of a few 'squillids' that I assume prefer mud/need mud It's the catalyst I needed in order to start a mangrove tank, best part is all of my live food that I get comes from mangrove areas even the fish (use mangroves for shelter since they are only small).

I just need to get my head around my own paranoia with the unwanted chemicals in the mud that could essentially just 'cook' my squillid spearers. I do read a lot about these mu dwelling species not actually needing mud in total a lot of the times I read about them being found in "Muddy Sand" so I'm thinking it's maybe something more like 50mud:50veryfinesand

Having said this I have witnessed these squillids fan sand out from under them but none have yet to make burrows, they all inhabit the PVC I put in with them, I have a distinct feeling that even if given mud, they will not burrow...there old owner said he had these stomatopods for "months" and the picture he provided of them was them all together in 1 tank on a very coarse almost pebbly substrate far too large to use for building.

Perhaps during their stay with him, they dropped the ability to create burrows thinking they will never be able to again due to the substrate in their old tank.

Having said this....the L.colemani that I recently got although it still refuses to eat like a true spearer (grabs my food I offer, nibbles a bit then throws it away, has shown interest in live food but so far nothing)...however he has begun to dig...it's very slow with the digging just like Morgoth was and so far it has only dug a burrow about half it's own length, deep.