"OverKill" Reef - My Project

[Bax]

It must be like the rinse cycle in there!

A VorTech would be way too much unless you run it very very low, it is adjustable to 300 gph, which would be OK. But that's a lot of cash when you can get some controllable nano streams and really have a cool flow set up.

I used only my Mag 7 return on a standard SCWD and i had pretty good flow in my 26. But if I set it up again, it'll be nano streams all the way!

 

[freestone]

DUDE,
Do you have some kind of gastro-intestinal disorder or something. I mean how much time do you spend on the can, or do you just like hanging out in the bathroom. Just kidding. Thats a sweet tank. I'm totally jealous. I really like the nano-look. It's great to also see the growth progress. Nice work, keep it up.

 

[Jcohen9999]

@freestone. Thanks. I've added quite a few sps and zoa frags over the last few weeks so I am overdue to put up some new pics. I have actually moved my morning routine into the kids bathroom so I can maximize my time in there...the only problem is that I am often scrambling to make the train in the am since I always have just one more thing to examine.

@Bax, I like the rinse cycle analogy. I think I'll use that from now on The reason I am seriously considering the vortech is because I like the minimal foot print. If I put it behind the rock work and kind of have it shoot through that cave it would hit the front of the bow and disperse to either side (where it will meet the oncoming flow from the closed-loop). And the pulsing would be a major plus. However, I am very concerned with the flow overwhelming my overflow so I want to modify that before I move forward with the vortech.

 

[Khandurian]

So what was the verdict with the pipes? Or did I miss that?

 

[Jcohen9999]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12359419#post12359419 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Khandurian
So what was the verdict with the pipes? Or did I miss that?

LOL. I guess I kind of side-stepped the issue when I cut all the closed-loop pipes to the basement and re-plumbed to under the tank in the cabinet. So I went from approx 24' of pvc pipe/tubing (and 17 elbows) to approx 7' of pipe/tubing (and 6 elbows) which reduced the friction loss substantially. I still had and have zero vertical head since the intake and output are at the same level but my flow is greatly increased.

Now my biggest problem is that the pump actually cavitates (if I don't restrict the flow on the output side) since, apparently, it can suck more water than a 1" pipe can provide so I need to downsize my pump.

Jeff

 

[martinphillip03]

Nice tank, nice thread. How about an update

Marty

 

[Jcohen9999]

Wow. Has it really been eight months since my last update ?!?!

I will work on some pics tonight and post this weekend.

I will say that about 2 months after the above picture I had an issue where almost everything towards the top of the tank got bleached out and I ultimately traced it to a MH bulb that seemingly when bad. (as soon as I swapped out the bulb most everything started coming back and I had made no other changes since all the parameters where in check).

I guess it wouldnt hurt to post updated pics of the basement setup while I work on some tank shots:

More to follow.

Jeff
Thanks for the prompting.

Jeff

 

[martinphillip03]

Do you have any sort of cleanup crew or fish in your sump or frag tank

Marty

 

[Bax]

Nice to see the "BIGGEST 26 bow system EVER!" again!

 

[martinphillip03]

I look at it and laugh ( Because its all for a 26 gallon tank). But I like how organized it is. Nothing looks cramped. It made me think that I too may go the Rubbermaid stock trough way.
What type of skimmer is that?

Marty

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14115225#post14115225 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Bax
Nice to see the "BIGGEST 26 bow system EVER!" again!

 

[Jcohen9999]

Marty, I do have a clean-up crew in both the sump and the fuge as once in a while I have tossed some rocks down there from the display tank with some hitchhikers attached. I also recently added a few mexican turbos into the fuge/frag area to clear up a red hair algae bloom I was experience and it worked wonders.

The MRC MR-2 skimmer is a recently added addition (xmas eve actually...thanks to mellotang from LIRA) and while a bit of a electricity hog (as a beckett skimmer it needs a pressure rated pump) it has been pulling a nice amount of skimmate out of the tank and my water is noticably clearer.

Thanks for asking.

@BAX! How are you doing buddy! It looks like you have some work ahead of you. I am a little worried about the length of plumbing in your new system setup over the long haul. My runs are a lot shorter and I can see the degradation overtime in flow as crap must be building up inside the various pipes and such. Make sure you have to swap things out a later date if need be.


Jeff

 

[Bax]

I know, it's a crazy amount of piping

My plan is...

Unions and ball valves.

and more

Unions and ball valves

 

[Jcohen9999]

Some pics from last night (as you can see that monti in the back of the tank and the one on the glass are still in recovery from the bulb caused bleach-out and the top rock is kinda bare as I search for the right coral for that center spot):

Thanks for looking.

Jeff

 

[Bax]

Nice pics Jeff.

Did you move the tanfs to the sump?

 

[Jcohen9999]

Now why in the world would you bring that up

Actually, the YT was gone ages ago (I'm pretty sure he got slurped up by a green serpent star that had no business being in my tank and let's just say the HT is out of the picture (literally, I took these at night so all the fish are tucked away somewhere).

BTW, I am the only person who's sandbed looks like a snail graveyard?

 

[Bax]

I can't keep any turo snails at live at all.

Nasarius and cerinths do OK, nerits will live alittle while, but they go too. I was think I have a predator of some sort in the tank?

 

[Jcohen9999]

Yeah, I know that problem. I basically feed my tank 10 turbo's a week but I know my issues. One is the hermits the other is these guys:

Which is also why I can't have clams.

 

[Bax]

Those pyrams are just a huge PITA!

I battled those for some time. The only way to get rid of them is to physically remove every snail you can get a hold of every day and vigorously brush their shells, even the ones with no pyrams just to get the eggs off the large snail shells. Eventually you will get ahead of them but you must be diligent.

 

[Bax]

Those pyrams are just a huge PITA!

I battled those for some time. The only way to get rid of them is to physically remove every snail you can get a hold of every day and vigorously brush their shells, even the ones with no pyrams just to get the eggs off the large snail shells. Eventually you will get ahead of them but you must be diligent.

 

[melev]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14138724#post14138724 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Jcohen9999
BTW, I am the only person who's sandbed looks like a snail graveyard?

Not if you take the empty shells out.

The pyrams are in abundance. Here's a good article about their removal:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-02/nftt/index.php