OK! Enough chat...Starting a 1000g+ Reef
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jnarowe
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none that I could see other than the pH drop and the water is a little dirty. The salinity is good, temp. good, the fish look fine, no panting etc., no corals sliming that I can see, the snails look good etc. part of that is the thick acrylic and the very large volume of water in the display keeps the temp. fairly stable, plus it's in a very well insulated and sealed tank roo. It was like a steam bath when I opened the door. Anyway at least i will have less to worry about having the generator to keep things going. I really didn't want to buy a generator because i have plans to install a whole-house one soon but basically I ran out of choices. I guess I can always sell this one when iinstall the big one.
spanglish
New member
I have been considering a "whole house" generator for
a couple of years now (even before I got my reef setup).
We live in the sticks and lose power longer than in town.
What brand/models are you looking at? I found a couple
that run on propane and will handle large home for about
$3,500-$4,500 including automatic transfer switch, etc.
a couple of years now (even before I got my reef setup).
We live in the sticks and lose power longer than in town.
What brand/models are you looking at? I found a couple
that run on propane and will handle large home for about
$3,500-$4,500 including automatic transfer switch, etc.
2swift
New member
Hey there J just a comment from Fla about Gen's Always good to have a back up for your primary unit! Murphy is always waiting for you to let your guard down! I have to read back about your light's but I'm guessing at least 4W per G =4000 But if you fire them individually you may get them to hold a bear minimum to substance the tank in the short term in the case of a primary gen failure. 1 other thing hurricanes make for good surfing.
jnarowe
New member
the generators I am looking at are 30-40KW and cost $15K to $35K. I am going to get a propane powered one with a really large fuel tank. With diesel you get a little more power per HP (about 10%) but you have to keep it in fuel. It's much easier to deal with propane than diesel IMO.
"handling a large home" is relative. What do they mean by that? Probably just primary circuits like the water pump, refrigerator and heater. I highly doubt that a generator for $3500 - $4500 could handle a large home and a reef tank of any moderate size. I need complete automation and power coverage so it will be a bit more of a project, which is why I don't have one yet. There are many brands, kohler, generac, gillette etc. but most of them are very similar. My house has 137 built in light bulbs, 400amp service, heat pump, etc. and is ALL electric. My reef draws approximately 5000W at its average daylight running...
2swift: I hear ya loud and clear!
"handling a large home" is relative. What do they mean by that? Probably just primary circuits like the water pump, refrigerator and heater. I highly doubt that a generator for $3500 - $4500 could handle a large home and a reef tank of any moderate size. I need complete automation and power coverage so it will be a bit more of a project, which is why I don't have one yet. There are many brands, kohler, generac, gillette etc. but most of them are very similar. My house has 137 built in light bulbs, 400amp service, heat pump, etc. and is ALL electric. My reef draws approximately 5000W at its average daylight running...
2swift: I hear ya loud and clear!
Cprowler
Premium Member
We were hit by that storm too. I didn't loose power but some parts of the city wont have power till tomorrow night.
My 2 gas cans I have for my generator are MT so I'm going to get them filled ASAP. One of the benefits of propane is it never goes bad and you can plumb it into your bbq also.
My 2 gas cans I have for my generator are MT so I'm going to get them filled ASAP. One of the benefits of propane is it never goes bad and you can plumb it into your bbq also.
The problem with a diesel generator is fuel. Diesel fuel has a very short shelf life, and there are no good fuel stabilizers. Diesel fuel is hydroscopic, so water in the fuel tank is constantly a problem, and that water grows algae. The water and algae stay on the bottom of the fuel tank, which is where the fuel tank pickup is, so the water and algae go to the motor first. There should be a substantial fuel water separator with a filter, but the longer the fuel has been in the tank, the shorter life expectancy of the filter and the more often the water separator will have to be drained. Propane is the way to go if you want to store enough fuel for a whole house generator. For hurricanes I use a portable 10K gas generator. I keep fuel stabilizer in the tank and start it up every other month. When a hurricane gets within a few days, I fill up my 45 gallon fuel barrels. If the hurricane doesn't come, I use the gas in my cars.
jnarowe
New member
yeah, for this application I will definitely go with propane. besides, I am a big fan of Hank Hill! :lol:
I sell marine generators occassionally so I have some contacts/suppliers in that business, but typically those are diesel & water cooled. I am going to research if I can get an air cooled propane genset through any of my suppliers.
Tank looks good today and the power is on.
We have the PSAS Holiday party today so I will be heading out-of-town with Sherman to attend. I'll try to remember to take some pics.
I sell marine generators occassionally so I have some contacts/suppliers in that business, but typically those are diesel & water cooled. I am going to research if I can get an air cooled propane genset through any of my suppliers.
Tank looks good today and the power is on.
We have the PSAS Holiday party today so I will be heading out-of-town with Sherman to attend. I'll try to remember to take some pics.
kmacartney
New member
I lost power for about 16 hours last week. Luckily I only lost a crab.
sherm71tank
Premium Member
Hey mr.wilson, glad to see you checkout Jonathans thread! I've enjoyed your posts regarding the two minute dwell time and recirc vs. beckett threads. Jonathan has a huge air stone skimmer on his system.
jnarowe
New member
mr.wilson: :lol: Yeah well it was too big to heft out anyway. I figured it was used but when I went back in to check on his stock, he said it was new. It was the dirtiest new motor I had ever seen!
Just got back from the PSAS Holiday Party. Not much to report in that the home it was at had just a generator powering the pumps...the power did finally come on and things started getting back to normal. Unfortunately I blew it and did not bring a camera. I really wanted to post a pic of her "Big Nano" which is totally off the chart. Hopefully someone will post a pic of it on RF and I can post a link.
Just got back from the PSAS Holiday Party. Not much to report in that the home it was at had just a generator powering the pumps...the power did finally come on and things started getting back to normal. Unfortunately I blew it and did not bring a camera. I really wanted to post a pic of her "Big Nano" which is totally off the chart. Hopefully someone will post a pic of it on RF and I can post a link.
Glad to hear that for the most part everyone made it out of the power outage OK up there I should have picked up a generator, but got a wood stove instead. The last time the power was out, I got home from work and the wife and kids were sleeping on the floor with all the dogs piled on them (it was 34 degrees in the house). So this year was wood stove... Maybe next year will be a generator.
I should have picked up a generator, but got a wood stove instead. The last time the power was out, I got home from work and the wife and kids were sleeping on the floor with all the dogs piled on them (it was 34 degrees in the house). So this year was wood stove... Maybe next year will be a generator.
Jonathan,
Glade to see every thing is well over there. one of the Doctors i work with ...........has like ten trees on the lines on a two mile road .....can you say almost new years until he gets power.....
well power was out four days.........yuck. glad i have Africans still, i heated the house and they seem to be okay, i need to do a good water change. that battery powered air pump worked like a charm.
Office building i work at though has three fish only tanks.........total loss. Ten fish.......went to the great deep.
Glade to see every thing is well over there. one of the Doctors i work with ...........has like ten trees on the lines on a two mile road .....can you say almost new years until he gets power.....
well power was out four days.........yuck. glad i have Africans still, i heated the house and they seem to be okay, i need to do a good water change. that battery powered air pump worked like a charm.
Office building i work at though has three fish only tanks.........total loss. Ten fish.......went to the great deep.
Having my tank in a sealed tank room helped greatly with the heat issue, as well as water volume.
jnarowe
New member
Flood number...
Flood number...
Well, I don't really know how many floods I have had but after working 12 hours at my store, I came home to a lot of water on the floor last night.
Turns out I didn't get the O-ring seated properly on my kalk stirrer and the doser pumped RO/DI water right to the floor. I guess the good news is that it wasn't into the reef!
Lesson learned: Anyway, the thought never occurred to me that I should have the doser shut off by the ACIII Pro when the water sensor detects water on the floor. A little added code will take care of that.
And this is just another of the many reasons to install a tank in-wall and have cement floors.
Flood number...
Well, I don't really know how many floods I have had but after working 12 hours at my store, I came home to a lot of water on the floor last night.
Turns out I didn't get the O-ring seated properly on my kalk stirrer and the doser pumped RO/DI water right to the floor. I guess the good news is that it wasn't into the reef!Lesson learned: Anyway, the thought never occurred to me that I should have the doser shut off by the ACIII Pro when the water sensor detects water on the floor. A little added code will take care of that.
And this is just another of the many reasons to install a tank in-wall and have cement floors.
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