Our 375g reef tank build & fish room
- Thread starter edandsandy
- Start date
edandsandy
Active member
Thank you Ed, coming from you that is certainly a compliment!
I followed your thread for a very long time and picked up a few tricks from you! Again thank you!
edandsandy
Active member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14174626#post14174626 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by GlassReef
Great work guys! How did you get it all set up so quickly? Anyway, it looks absolutely top notch. We could use a couple close up pics of the tank.
Thank you Tom,
We used all the live rock & sand from the 120, we also purchased live rock from some of our local reef club members.
We only have eight fish, so I was not to concern with the bio-load.
We also purchased new live sand.
I made sure to have the water parameters as close to the 120 as possible when we added the corals. We have had a little die off here and there, but not much. I think that is to be expected also.
I know, it was a scary move putting the corals in the new system.
I have checked the water conditions daily to date there has not been a nitrate spike or ammonia spike.
We are currently using the GEO 618 calcium reactor, it is rated for a 350 gal system. With that being said it was tuned in for the 120, so regulating the calcium has been my only problem so far.
Which I now have under control.
Also I will be taking LOTS of close up pictures soon.
I talked to Ed about taking a picture of the tank monthly,
and next year make a calendar of all the pictures so we can see how much the corals have grown!
edandsandy
Active member
Ed was able to hook up the ATO unit yesterday.
WHOO HOO!
He did such a great job on hiding the wires and plumbing!
I do not know why we waited so long to hook one of the these most useful pieces of equipment up!
When I think of all the years dragging water in from the garage to both of the tanks.
oh, my aching back!
It is so COOL!
We are having problems with the RO/DI unit now.
When we moved the unit from the garage to the room we lost a fair amount of pressure, so we purchased a booster pump with all the asscories from "The Filter Guys" ( Great company BTW )
and it is giving us a fit! Ed posted a question to them on their forum. So with that being said....
That piece of equipment is working OK, but not mounted on the wall as planned.
I have been waiting patiently for Ed to hook up the self cleaning head on the protein skimmer :trolleys:
I think I will have to do it myself. I just can't stand cleaning that darn thing :lol:
Ed still will not let me take pictures of his work yet!
WHOO HOO!
He did such a great job on hiding the wires and plumbing!
I do not know why we waited so long to hook one of the these most useful pieces of equipment up!
When I think of all the years dragging water in from the garage to both of the tanks.
oh, my aching back!
It is so COOL!
We are having problems with the RO/DI unit now.
When we moved the unit from the garage to the room we lost a fair amount of pressure, so we purchased a booster pump with all the asscories from "The Filter Guys" ( Great company BTW )
and it is giving us a fit! Ed posted a question to them on their forum. So with that being said....
That piece of equipment is working OK, but not mounted on the wall as planned.
I have been waiting patiently for Ed to hook up the self cleaning head on the protein skimmer :trolleys:
I think I will have to do it myself. I just can't stand cleaning that darn thing :lol:
Ed still will not let me take pictures of his work yet!
EnglishRebel
Retired Rebel Reefer
Sandy
Unless your water pressure at the RO unit is below 40 PSIG then the pump will not work. I asked about a pump to boost my city water from 70 to 100 PSIG but the Filter Guys said that it would not work as the pressure switch was rated to turn the pump on at 40 PSIG. if your pressure is higher it will not turn on. They did say I could turn it on manually bit that's too much of a hassle.
Unless your water pressure at the RO unit is below 40 PSIG then the pump will not work. I asked about a pump to boost my city water from 70 to 100 PSIG but the Filter Guys said that it would not work as the pressure switch was rated to turn the pump on at 40 PSIG. if your pressure is higher it will not turn on. They did say I could turn it on manually bit that's too much of a hassle.
ReefingBuddha
New member
I have the same problem, my water pressure is at 50 and I would obviously like to boost it. Unfortunately my pressure switch does turn it on but switches on/off repeatedly for about a minute first, very annoying and can't be good for the pump.
Is there any way to lower the incoming pressure to 40 PSI? There must be a way around this problem.
Great build by the way. I've been following along for a while.
Is there any way to lower the incoming pressure to 40 PSI? There must be a way around this problem.
Great build by the way. I've been following along for a while.
EnglishRebel
Retired Rebel Reefer
Put a pressure regulator on the supply to your RO unit. Adjust it so it's below 40 PSI and you're good to go. No reason to reduce the pressure to the whole house just to get your booster pump to work. Pressure Regulator
I wouldn't put the booster pump on your house supply as I don't think you want 100 PSI, this will put too much stress on your hoses etc.
edandsandy
Active member
Alan,
Sorry for the delayed response...
Our pressure was around 20 PSI, so the booster pump was needed.
We also discovered that the check valve was going bad on the RO housing, Thanks to the help from Jim with the Filter Guys, so we ordered that also.
We have had that unit for over 2 years so I guess it was past due on the preventive maint.
EnglishRebel
Retired Rebel Reefer
Wow, 20 PSI :eek2: How long does it take to shower -- half a day!
edandsandy
Active member
:lol:
We have the RO/DI unit on an irrigation meter, this way we don't pay for sewage.
I'm not sure why the pressure dropped so much.
We have the RO/DI unit on an irrigation meter, this way we don't pay for sewage.
I'm not sure why the pressure dropped so much.
EnglishRebel
Retired Rebel Reefer
So where does the RO waste water and SW when doing water changes go?? I hope your water department doesn't lurk around here. Tsk, tsk, tsk
edandsandy
Active member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14221718#post14221718 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by EnglishRebel
So where does the RO waste water and SW when doing water changes go?? I hope your water department doesn't lurk around here. Tsk, tsk, tsk
No, no, really it's not bad.
The waste water from the RO gets recycled into the yard and the SW goes down the drain.
It took 3 days of digging a trench to hook up to the city line for the SW drain and BIG $$$$$$$ too.
This is what my front yard looked like
under and down the drive way:
Believe me when I say the city knows what's going in in that room. The inspectors still stop by just to see what's new in the tank
I don't think I could have hidden all that LOL
Where does you RO waste go?
ransomed4ever
New member
So you had to install a seperate drain system for your RO waste and old SW? There must be some way different laws in Florida then here in the Midwest. All my RO waste and old SW from water changes just goes down the floor drain in my basement. Here the city just charges a standard sewage fee every month no matter what, or how much, goes down it.
EnglishRebel
Retired Rebel Reefer
I have a separate meter for the yard sprinklers for which there is no sewer charge. But if I'm generating SW from RO water that is on a separate meter then that cannot go down the drain because I've not paid a sewer charge.
I wouldn't ask the city if it's okay to put SW down the drain as they might reconsider.
I wouldn't ask the city if it's okay to put SW down the drain as they might reconsider.
ReefingBuddha
New member
Sorry if I was unclear before. I only ever meant the supply to the RO/DI unit. I just bought a new high pressure switch and all is good now. Thanks for the advice.
That is quite the project you have in your front yard. I might have to do the same when I setup my big tank in Florida.
edandsandy
Active member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14225286#post14225286 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by EnglishRebel
I have a separate meter for the yard sprinklers for which there is no sewer charge. But if I'm generating SW from RO water that is on a separate meter then that cannot go down the drain because I've not paid a sewer charge.
I wouldn't ask the city if it's okay to put SW down the drain as they might reconsider.
Alan,
That's what we have the RO/DI unit hooked up to, an irrigation meter. We just choose to recycle the waste water to the yard. You know back to the earth.
You have no idea how many plants we have, that is my other hobby.
When we do a change out, that dirty salt water goes into the city sewage. The city inspector didn't say we couldn't do that.
edandsandy
Active member
Well yes and no, we couldn't tied into the existing line for the dirty SW, so we had to run a separate waste line from the fish room to the city sewage line.
We recycle the waste water from the RO/DI unit into the garden.
ransomed4ever
New member
Ok, I know all about trying to tie remodels into the existing systems. Luckily I haven't had to do something so extensive, yet. Everything is looking great so far, you just need ot get Ed to let post those new pictures.
edandsandy
Active member
Thank you ransomed4ever,
I know, I know!
What do you think about me posting some pictures and telling you a little about the plumbing etc.....
Similar threads
