Our Mini 425 Ocean

[erics3000]

Is this good for turning off the ro feeding the top off tank.

http://cgi.ebay.com/AUTO-SHUTOFF-KI...photoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262

 

[EnglishRebel]

Eric
Actually all you need is a float valve. That's what I have on my ATO tank. If you purchased a standard RO unit, by putting back pressure on it with the float valve it will stop making water.
BTW don't trust the float switch as they can fail. I always turn off the water to the RO unit after I've filled the ATO tank. My float switch is only a back up in case I forget to turn off the water.

 

[erics3000]

I have been afraid to do something with any valves in case of a situation like that. I have left it on a couple times and have come home to a soaked garage. That is a good idea to just use this as a backup method in case I forget to turn it off. I just wasn't sure about the valve and placement. I thought it was bad to leave the membrane under pressure but daaa I could just put it in front of the membrane, or can I?

I just got my Kalk Reactor yesterday and the day before my RKE v2 also showed up. Since I added a few frags I have been using up more calcium than water changes can handle. So now I think I can finally setup my auto top off at the same time since I have the RKE and kalk reactor. I just need to hook up 4 new 15 amp breakers. The wires are run just need to install them but wanted to do this on the weekend sometime. I wanted to feed the kalk by gravity from my 75 r/o storage but not sure yet how I want to hook up the Kalk. I know some people have theres on timers only coming on at night. I just need to do a little more research or see if I can get some input on the best setup for my system.

So what do you guys recommend on the kalk reactor configuration?????

I currently have 2 of my overflow drains going to my fuge and 2 going to my sump. My sump drains to my fuge. I have 2 bulk heads on the 2 side of my fuge 1 for my return pump and the other for my skimmer. I don't have any baffles in my sump which really sucks. I don't think I am efficently skimming like this. I really liked the idea of having all my water going to skimmer sump than draining to the fuge and finally draining to my sump. The other advantage was the skimmer sump will fill with deitris. Now I my rocks in the fuge get full. The reason why I change it when I was having trouble with the skimmer the 20 skimmer sump feed from the dart could not keep up with the marlin pump for the skimmer and I was tired of the skimmer out of sump spilling water all over the floor. My nitrates are a little high and I want to do something about this besides continuing water changes to bring them down.

Here are the options I have been thinking about my nitrate issue.

1. Skimmer sump now using a 40 qt that my skimmer can sit inside. It will fill with pop and save the fuge. I would change my drains again and have all flow going to skimmer 40 sump drains to fuge and than to main sump.
2. I was thinking about a RDSB in a 55 full to the brim with sand. I would have my drains go a 55 rdsb than my fuge than the main sump. The other 2 drains to my sump that feeds the skimmer won’t change. Than I will put a t on the skimmer pump bulkhead and have the drains go to the t.
3. A DIY Nitrate reactor. But I guess I will just need to continue blowing out the poop in my 150 fuge.

I would like to get my nitrates under control. This is a list of my fish.

3 yellow tangs
1 scopas tang
1 vlamingi tang
1 orange Shoulder tang
1 Sailfin tang
1 yellow wrasse
1 six line wrasse
1 cleaner wrasse ( eats everything great fish)
1 purple pusedu
2 bangi cardinals
2 false pewrculia clowns
2 tank raised clowns
1 foxface
2 clams
2 brittle stars ( 1 green, 1 orange)
1 sand sifting stars

I will get some pics of the new toys up and a exhaust fan I added to my garage. My memory stick reader is now acting up. I am looking forward to getting a Canon or Nikkon down the road.

 

[erics3000]

I started on a vent for an exhaust fan in the garage. Trying to get ready for the summer humidity. I am going to run some duct from the side of my fuge to over the sump where a little fan will be. I might add a 2nd one later. What a PIT. My wife didn’t give me any weird looks this time.

Here are some pics of my new toys..
Kalk Reactor

Reef Keeper Elite. I mounted it by the front of the display. I think I am going to run a 2 inch ring around it made out of black acrylic. I just need to find some somewhere, maybe a car audio store. When I get some time to work on it I will get some more pics up

 

[erics3000]

Here are some newer pics of my tank. Glass is a little dirty but at least I put some up.

[IM

G]http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z233/erics3000/Aquarium/DSC04204.jpg[/IMG]

 

[Ed Reef]

Lot's bioload there lol

 

[Jar*Head]

Love the fish collection Eric. I hope my deltec cooler can handle the tank

 

[bleedingthought]

Not enough bioload. I only count 7 tangs. I've got 6 (plus a big trigger) in my 210. Throw some more fish in that thing! Looking good so far.

 

[michika]

I finally found your thread again! I missed it!

The tank looks amazing, last time I saw photos of it, I could swear that it was lacking livestock. I love the tangs!

 

[erics3000]

Thanks everyone. I really want to add a purple, hippo, kole, and chevron. I might have to swap out 1 of the yellows. I really want to add a few more wrasse, hawk fish, achilles, and a couple other small ones. Hopefully my water volume will support more. hehehe I just want to get my equipment all worked out and nitrates now that I am finally adding frags before I get more fish. I also want to get a little hang on for QT or a pump for my little skimmer for it.

Anyone have any input on adding a 50 remote sand bed,

nitrate reactor,

or I was thinking I could just fill the bottom of my sump with sand and raise the intakes for the pumps????????




Thiago I haven't seen any updates n your thread for a while..

Steve I cant wait to see you get started.

Catherine the cool things is when you get your big tank up you will have some live stock to transfer..

Well I have to go to Cali for a month for training so I hope to get a few things done in the next couple weeks. They re did a aquarium in San Francisco so I am going to check it out.

Last month we went to the west side of Florida for a few days, Excellent beaches. I made it to the Mode aquarium a little small but still cool. I have some pics that I need to post. They had a weird interesting skimmer on there sea turtle tank.

 

[jnarowe]

Eric,

I have been experimenting with a 50g RDSB, which used to be a sort of refugium, lighted etc. So I pulled the light and filled it with fresh sand, but over the course of a couple months, I haven't seen much positive results. A little, but not as much as I had hoped.

 

[EnglishRebel]

Tank's looking good Eric. I like the rock work, nice arrangement. :thumbsup:

 

[erics3000]

J -

That is exactly what i wanted to do fill it ot the brim with sand and see what happens with no light. Maybe put my mangroves in there so they can grow real high and shine the light on them. Well if you saw a little i might see more since my water volume is a lot less. I found a used 55 for cheap. Hope today will be a better day for you..

Than I thought why don't I just fill my 150 rubber maid with sand? Just need to raise the intakes and make sure the return from the skimmer doesn't make a sand storm.

1 thing for sure is I need a couple hundred lbs more rock in the fuGE..Than I might move the Macro to another spot...

Alan- thanks. For Aquascape I wish I had went a little wider...next time ...

 

[jnarowe]

Two ways to go:

1. Lighted to grow pods etc. and have a nice predetor-free zone. This is what I did for about 3 years.

2. Completely RDSB, no light, and introduce sponges. I think a cryptic zone would be nice too. I was headed in that direction until my health went South.

 

[erics3000]

Since I already have the 150 fuge lighted with live rock a plenum and 7 inches of sand. If I can add it off gravity than why not add a 55 full of sand. I can move my mangroves to there and put a screen over the 55 and just have the little flood lights shooting up toward the leaves I can keep it dark. I have also been interested in the cryptic zones. Maybe this is the perfect time to do it. I can block off a few a few inches of the 55 and keep it dark for those specific organisms. I remember reading you don’t need a lot of flow for cryptic zones so this should work. I just need to build another stand for the 55. If I can score one of those little metal stands that would b perfect? I can do this for probably $100 what it would cost with a nitrate reactor. Hummm

Another advantage it would be easier to clean the 55 than my 150 with all the rock. It fulls up with a lot of pop after a while. it would be a lot easier to vacume the the top of the 55 every now and than hopping I don't mess with its filtration abilities.

 

[jnarowe]

I think it would work but I don't go for metal stands. Since you are in Florida, you don't have the earthquake problem, so probably much less risk for you.

For your 150, just get a good modded Maxi-Jet 1200 down in the bottom to keep the detritus in suspension. Move it maybe once a week to direct flow to a new area, and that would probably help a lot. That issue is why I don't use rock in a fuge.

and just have the little flood lights shooting up toward the leaves...

I don't see this working out because the plants will grow toward the light. You would end up with some wacked Mangroves. BTW, do you already have the plants? I have quit a few really nice ones I need to get rid of.

As far as replacing a nitrate reactor with a "natural" solution, I am not sure that's an apples-to-apples deal. Personally I would go that route because I have somewhat of a fear of nitrate reactors due to the sulfur and crash stories I have read, but I would assume that a properly maintained reactor would provide better nutrient reduction than some of the natural methods.

For instance, refugiums really (IMO) do not do much for nutrient removal unless they are sized extremely large. I like them as a predator-free zone and a point of interest, but find that mine had annual cycles of sort of boom and bust.

I love mangroves but I doubt they have much ability to absorb nutrients as well. Plus they grow extremely tall and most systems cannot handle that height. I mean, they ARE trees.

 

[erics3000]

Got you with the light... I could cover the tank and just let the branches come through. This would give me plenty of room for growth from the mangroves. I have 4 in fuge but they are only a few inches high and already hitting the top of the table, In the 50 they would have plenty of room to grow tall.

My refugiums biggest benefit I think is the space to add more live rock, and also the predator free zone area for pods and snails. I think the reverse lighting also helps a little with PH or extra water volume. My only complaints are not having a sump in front to catch all the poop from entering. It is a tall 150 not a long so I have to do what you mentioned with the extra power heads. The original setup I had all my overflows water going to a minis sump which feed my skimmer pump. Than drain to my fuge and than sump. It was perfect because the mini sump collected the entire poop and I could vacuum it easier and it would keep my rock in the fuge from getting filled up

 

[jnarowe]

Yeah, detritus really is the sourge of this hobby. Flow and catching it is about all you can do. As the mangroves get really tall, you will have to raise the lights and then there would be less on the sump, but I really wonder how you could cover it and still allow them to grow. Mine grow like weeds and are the primary reason why I actually shut down my fuge. They were just too darn tall, and getting burned all the time.

 

[Bax]

Fish look good Eric.

I like all of the above that you and J are discussing, BB fuge with pretty rippin internal flow, lot's of LR in there too, a cryptiv section, an RSDB section, and I'll add one, a sea grass bed in a more normal DSB.

I am bound and determined to include these in my systems going forward.

 

[erics3000]

I never remember how to spell detritus. So what do you think is it worth it?