OK! Enough chat...Starting a 1000g+ Reef
- Thread starter JohnL
- Start date
- Status
jnarowe
New member
First of all, I have no idea why I didn't get emails on all these responses!
Good news: The new DC4HD arrived today. Now that is seriously fast service from Neptune. Man that guy knows how to take care of customers!
Hop: Interesting idea. I'll have to think about that. It will make keeping the floor clean more difficult but there may be value in not getting electrocuted.
Marc: Good suggestions! Of course I don't keep anything electrical on the floor but unfortunately had some stuff temporarily down while I re-rigged some equipment.
My reactor is actually larger than the sump. I built it to sit on the rims. But I do have a plan to route the bottom flange so that water will spill into the sump instead of the floor. Tough lesson to learn but that's the way it goes.
Wow on that link! Has there been any determination as to why it got cloudy? Maybe from dying animals?
rdmpe: Always check in on my thread to see how disaster can strike!
Pic of my recent Vortech gasket mod:
Well, I believe it was Dave at IceCap that suggested I do this and it has taken a while to get around to it, but I do see quite an improvement. I hope this will help Eco-Tech in future designs.
As many of you know I have had a lot of problems with these pumps not the least of which is very high running temps. So high in fact, that my tank has crazed. What I have found is that the dry side magnet has been rubbing on the gasket and over-heating it to the point that it was getting deformed and transferring too much heat to the glass. This is in part due to my tank having 3/4" thick glass.
I took the standard gasket and cut out the center. This allows the motor to contact the tank properly but leaves space so there is no friction with the gasket. I used Super Glue Gel to glue it to the motor and got immediate results.
Not only is the pump operating at a normal temperature, it is also much easier to align because the gasket moves with the motor rather than staying in place and bunching up.
I will monitor this one for a few days and if it continues to operate this well, I will do all the others. I am really pleased with the results so far, and because it is easier to align, I don't have the rattling typical of when I remove and the wet frames for cleaning.
Good news: The new DC4HD arrived today. Now that is seriously fast service from Neptune. Man that guy knows how to take care of customers!
Hop: Interesting idea. I'll have to think about that. It will make keeping the floor clean more difficult but there may be value in not getting electrocuted.
Marc: Good suggestions! Of course I don't keep anything electrical on the floor but unfortunately had some stuff temporarily down while I re-rigged some equipment.
My reactor is actually larger than the sump. I built it to sit on the rims. But I do have a plan to route the bottom flange so that water will spill into the sump instead of the floor. Tough lesson to learn but that's the way it goes.
Wow on that link! Has there been any determination as to why it got cloudy? Maybe from dying animals?
rdmpe: Always check in on my thread to see how disaster can strike!
Pic of my recent Vortech gasket mod:
Well, I believe it was Dave at IceCap that suggested I do this and it has taken a while to get around to it, but I do see quite an improvement. I hope this will help Eco-Tech in future designs.
As many of you know I have had a lot of problems with these pumps not the least of which is very high running temps. So high in fact, that my tank has crazed. What I have found is that the dry side magnet has been rubbing on the gasket and over-heating it to the point that it was getting deformed and transferring too much heat to the glass. This is in part due to my tank having 3/4" thick glass.
I took the standard gasket and cut out the center. This allows the motor to contact the tank properly but leaves space so there is no friction with the gasket. I used Super Glue Gel to glue it to the motor and got immediate results.
Not only is the pump operating at a normal temperature, it is also much easier to align because the gasket moves with the motor rather than staying in place and bunching up.
I will monitor this one for a few days and if it continues to operate this well, I will do all the others. I am really pleased with the results so far, and because it is easier to align, I don't have the rattling typical of when I remove and the wet frames for cleaning.
melev
Well-known member
<b>Wow on that link! Has there been any determination as to why it got cloudy? Maybe from dying animals?</b>
The cause was a Gen-X pump that failed in a spectacular and disastrous way. The metal inside came in contact with the water, which then caused the death of flatworms and xenia (at first, probably). SPS next went up in smoke, and then the softies started exuding slime due to stress. It's a real mess, and he's been working for the past couple of days around the clock trying to salvage what he could.
It's always something.
Regarding your reactor, you could make it sit in a tray that has a bulkhead and pipe going into the sump since it is larger than the vat.
The cause was a Gen-X pump that failed in a spectacular and disastrous way. The metal inside came in contact with the water, which then caused the death of flatworms and xenia (at first, probably). SPS next went up in smoke, and then the softies started exuding slime due to stress. It's a real mess, and he's been working for the past couple of days around the clock trying to salvage what he could.
It's always something.
Regarding your reactor, you could make it sit in a tray that has a bulkhead and pipe going into the sump since it is larger than the vat.
jnarowe
New member
Very interesting idea if I could find the right size tray. That would be better than routing the flange IMO. Maybe an agricultural tray would work. I'll check HD tomorrow and see what they have.
So the metal killed off stuff just like that? Seems improbable. I figured it was an electricution of sorts. What a total mess. I tell ya, I would probably cry if that happened to me. To see all that hard work go down the tubes would be horrible. I know local reefers who lost everything during the power outages a couple weeks ago. A couple of them won't even answer their phones.
jnarowe
New member
Well I did have one fatality from my electrical catastrophe. 
I lost the urchin I had in the overflow. It was without water for and extended period although there was about a 1/4" that didn't drain out. It looked fine the day it happened but I discovered it dead yesterday and I think it must have been on its way out when I thought it was OK.
The peppermint shrimp and aiptasia made it through OK and I have no idea why that shrimp won't eat the aiptasia. I don't think it understands its place in life! :lol:
I lost the urchin I had in the overflow. It was without water for and extended period although there was about a 1/4" that didn't drain out. It looked fine the day it happened but I discovered it dead yesterday and I think it must have been on its way out when I thought it was OK.The peppermint shrimp and aiptasia made it through OK and I have no idea why that shrimp won't eat the aiptasia. I don't think it understands its place in life! :lol:
mr.wilson
.Registered Member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9127385#post9127385 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jnarowe
Always check in on my thread to see how disaster can strike!
I've been busy these past few weeks, so I lost track of which disaster we're talking about now. I'll get ya on the next one. I'm already working on the rough draft of my advice.
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9161396#post9161396 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mr.wilson
I've been busy these past few weeks, so I lost track of which disaster we're talking about now. I'll get ya on the next one. I'm already working on the rough draft of my advice.
I thought he would have some free time since I took my tank down :lol:
jnarowe
New member
Well I just got back from LFS and took about an hour dipping and cutting on 3 rescue SPS. They all seem to be fine and one got crazy with the polyps right away. I had to break one up pretty good to get around the RTN, but the price was right at $10 per coral.
Another one we believe is a pink mille and when I put it in the female maroon went berzerk and tossed it. That damn fish makes mounting corals such a pain, but I still love/hate her anyway! :lol:
I have another one he tossed in with my order of peppermint shrimp last week and it has started to color up after only about 6 days. My LPS seem to be recovering so that's good, but I found my alk down to 6.2 dKH a couple days ago. I can't figure out how it gets so low so quick since it was 9.6 dKH just 3 days prior particularly with the water volume I have. I guess testing every day is about all I can do.
Sherman and I have ordered in a box of SPS from the LFS which should come in Wednesday night. He is giving us a great price at $25/coral to buy by the box and I will post pics Thursday if I get time.
And then I am done! :lol:
Another one we believe is a pink mille and when I put it in the female maroon went berzerk and tossed it. That damn fish makes mounting corals such a pain, but I still love/hate her anyway! :lol:
I have another one he tossed in with my order of peppermint shrimp last week and it has started to color up after only about 6 days. My LPS seem to be recovering so that's good, but I found my alk down to 6.2 dKH a couple days ago. I can't figure out how it gets so low so quick since it was 9.6 dKH just 3 days prior particularly with the water volume I have. I guess testing every day is about all I can do.
Sherman and I have ordered in a box of SPS from the LFS which should come in Wednesday night. He is giving us a great price at $25/coral to buy by the box and I will post pics Thursday if I get time.
And then I am done! :lol:
jnarowe
New member
So I am checking alk and Ca at least once per day and I got the alk back up to 9.0+ dKH yesterday from 6.0 dKH on Sunday. Today it is back down to 8.0 dKH. With 1,100g+ in the system, I am having a hard time figuring out why I am having such large swings.
Still don't have the Ca reactor back up and running, but the Weld-on 40 came today so tomorrow I will get it back together. Is the lack of a Ca reactor making the alk swing?
Still don't have the Ca reactor back up and running, but the Weld-on 40 came today so tomorrow I will get it back together. Is the lack of a Ca reactor making the alk swing?
- Status
Similar threads
