Pete's 280 log

[psteeleb]

I’m getting ready to hook up a Kalc reactor. I am toying with a couple ideas that will help mitigate the risk over dosing when hooked up directly to my top off water.

The first idea is to build in a 1gallon or so holding tank in the top off water supply line. As top off water is needed it will fill up the holding tank first and then overflow to the sump. A solenoid valve that is time and Ph dependent can then control the holding tank flow to the Kalc reactor. I see two negatives; first, if the system needs to top off more then the gravity feed supplies I could see it dosing more then the 1 gallon at a time; and second, if the solenoid valve fails open.

The second idea provides a bit more control as it isolates top off from Kalc feed. The basic concept stays the same but the overflow from the holding tank goes back to the Ro/DI reservoir.

With either design I'm looking to set specific feed amounts at specific times of the day. I want to be able to adjust the amounts added by filling up the gravity feed tank multible times durring a day.

I’m looking for feedback on these designs or maybe even something different.

Thanks

 

[vanmo92]

Beautiful tank!!!

 

[Ritten]

Stunning! It's hard to tell from the video, but your six line wrasse looks really large. Also, how often do you feed the tank with the Anthias?

 

[psteeleb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11916146#post11916146 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ritten
Stunning! It's hard to tell from the video, but your six line wrasse looks really large. Also, how often do you feed the tank with the Anthias?

the 6 line is fat but not huge, I think it may be an optical effect that makes him look as big as one of the tangs as he swims by

my pig in the tank is my mandarin goby (he eats everything) I'll see if I can get a good picture of him later

the tank (and anthias) only get fed once a day - sometimes I'll throw in some extra pellets or a cube of mysis when I'm home. I don't think most anthais would do well with only one feeding a day but the lyretails seem to be doing just fine

here is a first attempt at a top down video (just having some fun with the camera )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNpxL8iDCd0

still looking for feedback on my Kalc setup design

 

[Reeftanks6]

Great tank its beautiful. Great shots.

 

[psteeleb]

here's some information on my build so far

starting with a sketch I made before the build of the plumbing

here is the main return pump (I still need to rework all my electrical in the stand - it's a mess)

here is the closed loop system - it has a large drain under a rock with DIY portland cement feet that create a large hollow chamber in the middle of my tank. The return goes through a SQWD and each return line is fitted with a Penductor

here are the carbon and phosban reactors

 

[its fry]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11882483#post11882483 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by psteeleb
here is a shot from the front (not a full tank shot)

That's phenominal

 

[ReefEnabler]

nice clean plumbing.

what size ball valves are you using for the TLF reactors? And what kind of barb fitting is that? Thanks!

 

[psteeleb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11954079#post11954079 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by its fry
That's phenominal

Thank you - it was one of those lucky shots, I realy liked the colors and the mix of corals and fish, so decided to post it.

 

[psteeleb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11954155#post11954155 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RyanBrucks
nice clean plumbing.

what size ball valves are you using for the TLF reactors? And what kind of barb fitting is that? Thanks!

Thanks, I wanted the plumbing installed where it was back out of the way but have the valves accessible.

Originally I ran tubing to the reactors and used the TLF’s valves that were provided. The setup was flimsy, and hard to keep in place when I needed to change out the reactor media so I reworked it using ½” PVC. The valves are ½” PVC threaded ball valves and the barbed fittings adaptors I found in the hardware store with the underground sprinkler supplies. The barbed fitting are a bit larger then the normal ones so they have a nice solid fit.

The reactors fit snugly between the top of the covered sump and the valves but come out easily when pulled out at an angle from the bottom. Now when I change the reactor media it’s very easy to just close the valve and pull out the reactor.

 

[ReefEnabler]

"The reactors fit snugly between the top of the covered sump and the valves but come out easily when pulled out at an angle from the bottom."

Nice, I like the sound of that! I just got 2 LFS reactors so I'll keep that in mind while plumbing them.

So the barbed fitting is actually threaded on the PVC side?

 

[psteeleb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11956282#post11956282 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RyanBrucks
"So the barbed fitting is actually threaded on the PVC side?

Yes - sorry I should have mentioned that the barbed fittings are 1/2" threaded by 1/2" barbed

 

[psteeleb]

I made a couple other changes to the plumbing from the sketch that is probably worth mentioning.

At first, I installed a bypass with a shut off valve between the distribution header and the left return. This way if my main pump ever goes out I can isolate the main pump, hook up a temporary pump to that last valve on the left, open the bypass and run both my skimmer and left return from the temporary pump.

Then later on, I added a dedicated pump to the skimmer to increase skimmer production. In the future I'll and a bypass from this pump to the distribution header. With this mod if my main pump ever does goes out, all I’ll have to do is open and close some valves and I can remove my main but keep the system going.

I also got rid of my filter sock. I was getting tired of cleaning and replacing it constantly. I built a bubble trap from some 4” and 6” corrugated drain piping. The first installation of this modification had me cutting the 6” pipe shorter then I wanted in order to fit it under the filter sock bracket. This lead to a lot of bubble over, but this was easily fixed by lowering the 4” to be 2 inches below the 6” and adding a couple more slots to the 6” pipe to allow a bit more flow through.

here are the pipes ready to be installed the first time

from this picture you can see there is too much bubble over

so a couple more cuts to lower the internal pipe and allow for more flow out of the bottom of the outer pipe and it works great

 

[yoboyjdizz]

Great work, your tank is amazing.

 

[psteeleb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11961403#post11961403 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by yoboyjdizz
Great work, your tank is amazing.

thanks and I'm really enjoying seeing your build, love those fish

 

[psteeleb]

Bad news

After reading about AEFW today and what to look for I decide to inspect my corals tonight. Sure enough the signs are there so I start lightly blasting with tank water my Tri color and here's what I sucked up.

Not a good day in the reef.

 

[yoboyjdizz]

Thats not good, but don't let it get you down there are many battles in having a tank. Just got to keep over coming them!

 

[psteeleb]

AEFW wars - day 2

I only found a couple more today and my anthias and chromis gobbled those right up after I blasted them loose. :fish1: :fish1:

 

[psteeleb]

I needed to get the heat and humidity out of the hallway that I set up my reef tank in. Step one was to have the main AC return duct relocated that use to be right over the top of the tank. Step two was to use the opening to install a temperature controled attic exhaust fan. Nice thing is I can not hear it running unless I'm right up against it.

here is apicture looking up at the fan

and another with the filter grate closed

and here it is from the attic side. I built a plywood box to house the unit, and I still need to wrap it with insulation

 

[ReefEnabler]

nice, did you do that yourself?

I need to work out some kind of ventillation for my WIP fishroom in the garage. I'm not paying to keep my whole garage temp regulated so instead i'm just sealing a small space around the tanks and going to have my house always venting into the fishroom and then the fishroom venting to outside. it will bring in fresh air into the house first. still trying to find somebody to do the work, I dont feel comfortable enough to go ripping up my existing ductwork and adding fans and stuff yet