o2manyfish 750g Tank, 1500g System "Built" Thread
- Thread starter o2manyfish
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o2manyfish
o2manyfish
SFSU,
The electricity to run almost 1000g was nominal. I used gravity to flow the water through 5 different tanks. At the time I was using a Dolphin Ampmaster 3600 as a return pump and the outlet split with 1/2 to my display tank an 1/2 to the outdoor tanks. After a couple of issues with seals and restarting I switched over to a single dart pump for the return.
For chilling I buried the 400g tank in the ground. When the temp goes up a valve opens and the water from the return switches and flows through the underground tank and then back to the above ground tanks. I also supplement with a 19 dollar box fan on the surface. Evaporative cooling is extremely effective where I live. So even on an overcast and rainy day with the outside tanks I still probably evaporate a minimum of 15g a day. In the summer time that may go as high as 40+g a day. All the top off is Kalkwasser. So I am happy to evaporate more and add more Kalk to the system.
The only other expense was in each one of the frag tanks I used a RIO pump for flow. With great luck I used up flow. I put the RIO's on the bottom of the center of the tank and pointed them straight up. This create a mushroom flow that rolls across the entire tank. It also creates waves and periodically throughout the day the upflow waves will reach a key frequency (don't know how else to describe it) and create a 3-4" wave across the tank. The 3-4" waves bounce around for maybe as long as a minutes and then settle back down to a 1" wave. I am real happy with the upflow technique and use it in my main display tank as well and have two tunzes that are midway down in the tank pointed straight up.
So that's all the electricity it took to have a very successful outdoor frag system in So Cal.
Dave B
The electricity to run almost 1000g was nominal. I used gravity to flow the water through 5 different tanks. At the time I was using a Dolphin Ampmaster 3600 as a return pump and the outlet split with 1/2 to my display tank an 1/2 to the outdoor tanks. After a couple of issues with seals and restarting I switched over to a single dart pump for the return.
For chilling I buried the 400g tank in the ground. When the temp goes up a valve opens and the water from the return switches and flows through the underground tank and then back to the above ground tanks. I also supplement with a 19 dollar box fan on the surface. Evaporative cooling is extremely effective where I live. So even on an overcast and rainy day with the outside tanks I still probably evaporate a minimum of 15g a day. In the summer time that may go as high as 40+g a day. All the top off is Kalkwasser. So I am happy to evaporate more and add more Kalk to the system.
The only other expense was in each one of the frag tanks I used a RIO pump for flow. With great luck I used up flow. I put the RIO's on the bottom of the center of the tank and pointed them straight up. This create a mushroom flow that rolls across the entire tank. It also creates waves and periodically throughout the day the upflow waves will reach a key frequency (don't know how else to describe it) and create a 3-4" wave across the tank. The 3-4" waves bounce around for maybe as long as a minutes and then settle back down to a 1" wave. I am real happy with the upflow technique and use it in my main display tank as well and have two tunzes that are midway down in the tank pointed straight up.
So that's all the electricity it took to have a very successful outdoor frag system in So Cal.
Dave B
o2manyfish
o2manyfish
Lawrence,
You were supposed to come visit this week and swap some rock....
You've got the address just give me a heads up when you want to come visit.
Dave B
You were supposed to come visit this week and swap some rock....
You've got the address just give me a heads up when you want to come visit.
Dave B
o2manyfish
o2manyfish
Nanook,
Thank you. Yellow tangs are great for color, movement and keeping the algae tidy. Some of mine are starting to get on the big side so if I can find a trap I will move the larger ones outside and start off with tiny ones again.
Dave B
Thank you. Yellow tangs are great for color, movement and keeping the algae tidy. Some of mine are starting to get on the big side so if I can find a trap I will move the larger ones outside and start off with tiny ones again.
Dave B
bullitr
broke but happy
Lawrence,
You were supposed to come visit this week and swap some rock....
You've got the address just give me a heads up when you want to come visit.
Dave B
Sorry Dave my QT tank was wipe out since hyposalinity don't do anything for velvet. Angels are sensitive to copper so I thought hyposalinity was the answer I was wrong
dotcommer
Active member
I started reading your thread not knowing until you posted your first pics, that your tank was one of the ones on my list of tanks with a cam. I stopped in and checked out your tank a few times from your web cam. Glad to see you have posted your build and pics from years past to now.
o2manyfish
o2manyfish
Last Wednesday night I was fortunate enough to watch a pair of Bangai spawn. I walked away from the tank for a couple of minutes to post a question on RC of how the egg transfer occurs and come back to the thank and male was holding all the eggs.
Then on Thursday night around midnight I was chatting with a friend and we were talking fish and watching them on the webcam and we caught a pair of Royal Grammas spawning.
I saw some amazing corals come in from Austrailia today. I was patient and didn't pick anything up. But hope to get a few on Friday when they settle in. But it did motivate me to come home and clean my skimmer. I have a Deltec 702 that I have been running for about 8 years. It hasn't been cleaned in over 4 years. So I pulled it of the cabinet and tore it all down. The Eheim pumps were in great shape, the impellers were clean, no shells in the pumps. I cleared out the venturi inlets with a drillbit and then filled the skimmer with vinegar and am letting it run overnight to clean the coraline from the skimmer body.
Dave B
Then on Thursday night around midnight I was chatting with a friend and we were talking fish and watching them on the webcam and we caught a pair of Royal Grammas spawning.
I saw some amazing corals come in from Austrailia today. I was patient and didn't pick anything up. But hope to get a few on Friday when they settle in. But it did motivate me to come home and clean my skimmer. I have a Deltec 702 that I have been running for about 8 years. It hasn't been cleaned in over 4 years. So I pulled it of the cabinet and tore it all down. The Eheim pumps were in great shape, the impellers were clean, no shells in the pumps. I cleared out the venturi inlets with a drillbit and then filled the skimmer with vinegar and am letting it run overnight to clean the coraline from the skimmer body.
Dave B
o2manyfish
o2manyfish
Dotcommer & Worm,
Glad you guys are enjoying the cam. I am trying to add feed time information to the page. So people can tune in when the autofeeder goes off and really see all the fish come out.
Danfeig,
Thanks buddy. Now I just need to find the motivation to clean up all the exterior system so it has some semblance of organization. I need to build a fish room like you. But I am so lazy an spill so much water I need it to all be outside.
Nanighan,
The webcam is 74.62.193.110. Lights are on from 5pm to 1:30am PST.
Vair,
I wasn't expecting the rat either -- LOL
Dave B
Glad you guys are enjoying the cam. I am trying to add feed time information to the page. So people can tune in when the autofeeder goes off and really see all the fish come out.
Danfeig,
Thanks buddy. Now I just need to find the motivation to clean up all the exterior system so it has some semblance of organization. I need to build a fish room like you. But I am so lazy an spill so much water I need it to all be outside.
Nanighan,
The webcam is 74.62.193.110. Lights are on from 5pm to 1:30am PST.
Vair,
I wasn't expecting the rat either -- LOL
Dave B
ChefZilla
Active member
Dave,
Inspiring story to say the least. For anyone who wants to know. Daves a great reefer and even better person. Im having a issue with my tank and losing corals to a issue thats frustrating me. So i text dave lastnight and he called me and said. Lets do a water change (this was at 10 pm, AND he lives 25 minutes away) So i said lemme make water so overnight i made water (60 gallons) So dave showed up bright and early with salt and PRIME so we can change out as much water as possible. So a BIG THANK you to my friend Dave.
By the way, This inspired me to keep going. Now lets set up that outside frag system
Inspiring story to say the least. For anyone who wants to know. Daves a great reefer and even better person. Im having a issue with my tank and losing corals to a issue thats frustrating me. So i text dave lastnight and he called me and said. Lets do a water change (this was at 10 pm, AND he lives 25 minutes away) So i said lemme make water so overnight i made water (60 gallons) So dave showed up bright and early with salt and PRIME so we can change out as much water as possible. So a BIG THANK you to my friend Dave.
By the way, This inspired me to keep going. Now lets set up that outside frag system
o2manyfish
o2manyfish
Chefzilla,
I only hope we are on the right track at solving your issue and things stop degrading. Always happy to help when I can.
Dave B
I only hope we are on the right track at solving your issue and things stop degrading. Always happy to help when I can.
Dave B
o2manyfish
o2manyfish
Hugo,
Thanks for the compliments.
I'm pretty sure you've seen this tank. It was up and running when we had the last couple of frag swaps here at the house many years ago.
Tank dimensions are 96x33x29.
Dave B
Thanks for the compliments.
I'm pretty sure you've seen this tank. It was up and running when we had the last couple of frag swaps here at the house many years ago.
Tank dimensions are 96x33x29.
Dave B
snipersps
Active member
Yes I remember I see it before but long long time ago, I think I'm going to upgrade from 150 gallons to 350 gallons 96x36x24 lemmar no brace just a frame on top.
o2manyfish
o2manyfish
Hugo,
Having an entirely open top with no bracing is really nice. I had a 3" Acrylic lip put around the top of the tank to keep the steel frame from being in contact in the water. I definitely recommend the lip. When you are working in the tank it prevents splashing the water out of the tank.
Also make sure that the frame is properly powdercoated to protect it from rusting.
Dave B
Having an entirely open top with no bracing is really nice. I had a 3" Acrylic lip put around the top of the tank to keep the steel frame from being in contact in the water. I definitely recommend the lip. When you are working in the tank it prevents splashing the water out of the tank.
Also make sure that the frame is properly powdercoated to protect it from rusting.
Dave B
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