Newbie Build : 55gal mixed reef

[evo_2679]

Looking Good Murphys Law !!!! You'll love the CeramEco rock from aqua-tecture. I love mine !!!! But just make sure to rinse them or else you may get small particle floating around in your tank ..

 

[aquaph8]

Best advice I can give you is take it really slow and be patient with it while your tank settles in, feel free to hit me up if you need anything at all man.

 

[MurphysLaw]

Too funny Ed got that Eheim from me :fish1:


You will love that light...the bulbs are only a month old and it looked great on my old 55.

That is funny. I already love the light fixture. My only concern was the age of the bulbs because Brett wasn't sure how old they were. However, you just answered that ? for me. Thanks.

 

[MurphysLaw]

It is the fact that the water level can only change about an inch (judging be the picture) This is because the height of the elevated baffles are like I said above only about 1" above the baffles that go all the way to the bottom of the sump.

So you have to keep the water level just below the tallest baffle and just above the shortest baffle.


The way I would build it would be to have only one baflle in the skimmer chamber. This allows the water to stay at a constant level and skimmer to run without any adjustments. Two seperate the fuge and return chamber I would have 3 baffles with the middle one around 3-4" above the other two.


Lets say the sump is 16" tall


skimmer chamber baffle 10"
baffles between fuge and return
baffle 1 6" tall mounted to the bottom of sump
Baffle 2 12" elevated 1"
Baffle 3 6" tall mounted to the bottom of sump

This allows you to have 4" of evaperation, not that is should always be taken advantage of do to salinity but it buys you time before you run that nice ehiem dry. Also it might allow you to do water changes without turning off the main pump.

I can keep going on and on, just let me know if you have any more ?'s

Wow thanks for the info, but I am not sure if I understand. I ran the system with fresh water for a couple days and the 3rd chamber(from left to right in the attached pic) is the only one where the water level changed and I had marked it in the pic. It seems to have from the top of the very last pane(13") down to the top of the return pump(4") so at most 9" of room to rise and fall...

 

[MurphysLaw]

Looking Good Murphys Law !!!! You'll love the CeramEco rock from aqua-tecture. I love mine !!!! But just make sure to rinse them or else you may get small particle floating around in your tank ..

Thanks! I am pretty stoked about it so far. Your rimless build thread is actually where I discovered the CeramEco and the inspiration. It looks so awesome in your tank! Thanks for the tip, I will definitely rinse the rock first, I have to rinse my CaribSea ReefSand too anyway.

 

[MurphysLaw]

Best advice I can give you is take it really slow and be patient with it while your tank settles in, feel free to hit me up if you need anything at all man.

Thanks, I will most certainly heed your advice and be super patient. I know I will have tons of ?s too once I get my rock and start cycling my tank.

 

[fishaholic911]

Wow thanks for the info, but I am not sure if I understand. I ran the system with fresh water for a couple days and the 3rd chamber(from left to right in the attached pic) is the only one where the water level changed and I had marked it in the pic. It seems to have from the top of the very last pane(13") down to the top of the return pump(4") so at most 9" of room to rise and fall...

Looks like you are in good shape

 

[MurphysLaw]

Looks like you are in good shape

Cool thanks, I mean I definitely plan on getting an ATO down the road but I was just hoping to be able to use that money elsewhere in the mean time.

 

[brettinteriors]

Welcome to the forum. You will save a lot of money asking qestions:thumbup:
There is a auto top off and toms aqua lifter in Craigslist for $30. Reef life without ato is rough. Cheapest new is on auto top off.com and the toms aqua lifter. Drop me a line if you ever have a question. I have a few frags I can give you when your up and running.


Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[MurphysLaw]

Welcome to the forum. You will save a lot of money asking qestions:thumbup:
There is a auto top off and toms aqua lifter in Craigslist for $30. Reef life without ato is rough. Cheapest new is on auto top off.com and the toms aqua lifter. Drop me a line if you ever have a question. I have a few frags I can give you when your up and running.


Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Thank you. I definitely plan on getting an ATO for my system. especially after DangerWill's thread today about a 98% loss. I am looking into the autotopoff.com as well as some on BRS. Also thanks for the offer on the frags. I am currently working with Aqua-tecture on some custom CeramEco rock pieces to get in my tank so I can get it going.

 

[MurphysLaw]

Update: Advice on ATO pump and Dr.Tim's One&Only

Update: Advice on ATO pump and Dr.Tim's One&Only

Ok, so I have acquired a JBJ ATO and a noisy MP10. I will be picking up some replacement bearings for the dry side of the Mp10 that should quiet it down a lot, totally worth the discounted price!

1. I still need a pump for the ATO. I am thinking of going with either an aqua-lifter or a Cobalt MJ400. My concerns are;
- Back siphoning into the ATO reservoir with the MJ400...
- Taking too long with the aqua-lifter...
I would like to use the ATO when I do water changes to gradually drain out water from my display with a T and Ball valve on one of my overflow drains. So that it is a somewhat slow impact on my system. And as the water level decreases have the intake from my ATO in a bin of mixed saltwater. The aqua lifter has a max run-time of 14min before it's fail safe shuts off the pump until u manually restart it. My water changes will be weekly 7-10gallons and I am not sure if this can be done within 14min by the aqua lifter...
But, with the aqua lifter in normal use for the ATO I wouldn't have to worry about back-siphoning. Would I have to worry about this with a submersible pump in my ATO res like the MJ400?

2. Today I ordered a bottle of Dr. Tim's One and Only Live Nitrifying Bacteria. Hopefully it will arrive around the same time as my custom VidaRock! (10-14days)
Fish-less Cycle: My understanding is with "dry rock" and "dead sand" I will stabilize the temperature and salinity of my system and then add the bacteria. I will also add ammonium chloride to feed the bacteria so it will develop and "cycle" the tank. I will monitor the ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate levels: In theory the Nitrite levels will initially increase indicating the ammonia is being converted to Nitrite by the bacteria and I will add some more ammonia daily to the point where the ammonia levels return to 0 within a 24-hour period. Thus, cycled and ready for slow intro of fish.

Thanks for following and any input/advice/insight is welcome.
I am getting anxious to get things going!

 

[aquaph8]

I run my ATO with an aqualifter and then when I do water changes I pull my Trashcan with my new water to the tank and use a MJ and some tubing, plug the MJ into the ATO outlet and it fills the tank as water is removed. I like the idea of a automatic water change system but if I went that route I would want it set up all the time and have it do daily continuous water changes. The problem I have is no place to put a reservoir for saltwater for that, I so envy people with basements in this hobby.

 

[MurphysLaw]

I run my ATO with an aqualifter and then when I do water changes I pull my Trashcan with my new water to the tank and use a MJ and some tubing, plug the MJ into the ATO outlet and it fills the tank as water is removed. I like the idea of a automatic water change system but if I went that route I would want it set up all the time and have it do daily continuous water changes. The problem I have is no place to put a reservoir for saltwater for that, I so envy people with basements in this hobby.

That sounds like my best bet. Which size MJ do you run? What volume do you replace? and How long does it usually take? Has the MJ ever back-siphoned down into your trashcan?

Thanks,
Wade

 

[phenom5]

Hey Wade, I ran a EuroReef RS-80 for years. Solid skimmer, but the Sedra pumps are the weak spot IME. Just make sure you pull the pump and give it a good vinegar soak every 3-6 mos, and you should be good. Also I use to microwave some RO water and let the airline suck the hot water up once a month or so to keep the airline tube clear.

And you're correct about the sump. The section with your return pump should be the only chamber that the water level changes in, regardless of the height of the baffles.

 

[MurphysLaw]

Hey Wade, I ran a EuroReef RS-80 for years. Solid skimmer, but the Sedra pumps are the weak spot IME. Just make sure you pull the pump and give it a good vinegar soak every 3-6 mos, and you should be good. Also I use to microwave some RO water and let the airline suck the hot water up once a month or so to keep the airline tube clear.

And you're correct about the sump. The section with your return pump should be the only chamber that the water level changes in, regardless of the height of the baffles.

Awesome! I am excited about the skimmer It seems really nice and I got it for $40! Its too bad Euro Reef no longer exists. It cleaned up really nice too in a vinegar bath. I also looked online at seadra replacement pumps just in case... and they are pretty pricey but the needle wheel impellers are not so hopefully that is the only thing I have to replace. I will definitely keep the airline clean. Thanks

Oh, was your Seadra coupled to the Skimmer housing? or did it just kind of sit together? I attached pics.

 

[phenom5]

That looks about like I remember. Does it fit snug?

Reef Dynamics BTW. Basically the guy from EuroReef started up Reef Dynamics. Not sure of the specifics, but the skimmers look the same, they even use the same logo. The LA Fish Guys videos are fantastic, loaded with a ton of info on skimmers, definitely worth a watch.

 

[aquaph8]

I have a couple MJ 900's and a couple 1200's laying around at all times. I usually just use the gravel vac cause Im cleaning the sand most days anyways and the 1200 will put it back in as fast as I can remove it. I normally do around 30 gallons on my 225. It only back siphons if I actually put the hose in the water, I hang it up above the water so it only sucks a little air back when it shuts off.

 

[MurphysLaw]

That looks about like I remember. Does it fit snug?

Reef Dynamics BTW. Basically the guy from EuroReef started up Reef Dynamics. Not sure of the specifics, but the skimmers look the same, they even use the same logo. The LA Fish Guys videos are fantastic, loaded with a ton of info on skimmers, definitely worth a watch.

It is not real snug but definitely not loose... If that makes sense. I think it is fine. At first I thought I was going to have to find some type of gasket or bulkhead but I dont think I will. Wow after looking at that site my skimmer could be Reef Dynamics. Im not sure. All it has is that symbol on top. I will check out those videos.

 

[MurphysLaw]

I have a couple MJ 900's and a couple 1200's laying around at all times. I usually just use the gravel vac cause Im cleaning the sand most days anyways and the 1200 will put it back in as fast as I can remove it. I normally do around 30 gallons on my 225. It only back siphons if I actually put the hose in the water, I hang it up above the water so it only sucks a little air back when it shuts off.

Haha duh. That makes sense. Ill probably end up getting an aqualifter as well as an MJ. Thanks for the info.

 

[MurphysLaw]

Does anyone use a titanium grounding probe or anything similar to ground out "stray voltage" in their system. Is this really necessary?