Photo journal of my MCA 120

[kimoyo]

A beckett skimmer is not for everyone.

But let me address some of your requirements.

1&4) No skimmer is totally quiet. You have air flow and water flow so its bound to make some noise. I couldn't hear the red dragon pump running, but the air noise is dealt with by a silencer. You can get silencers for any skimmer, the more air going thru the better/more silencers you will need. The pump on the other hand is a different story. The RD pump on the 300ext is silent and uses 80-90W and I don't care what they say on here because I know someone who owns one and hooked up a killawatt meter to it and measured it. The ap702 use 2 ehiems at 104W. The smallest tunze pump runs on 120W and does 1450gph @ 12ft of head pressure. I was considering getting it to power my beckett but it might be underpowered a little, but if I was running a single beckett thats what I would use and your only talking about a 40-50W difference from the BK300. I plan on getting the largest one (quieter than a dar) that runs on 200W and using some of it as my return. So my beckett will be recirculating kinda.

2) You can put any skimmer in a sump or its own sump. But not every skimmer will fit under your stand.

 

[kimoyo]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6931432#post6931432 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ginzo
Hey Kimoyo,

Just started to read that thread on the skimmers and I saw the following that somebody posted regarding the SK4220:

pros - great skimming power, air flow gage, quick disconnect banjo fittings, awesome craftsmanship.
<b>cons</b> - very finicky and requires lots of fine tuning with the gate valve after any changes in the tank, need a huge pressure pump to run this beast.

I would hate to have to always play with the skimmer to get in running correctly. The BK is pretty much "plug and play" from what a lot of people are saying.

One question I forgot to ask you: what does <b>ssb</b> mean ?

ssb = shallow sand bed.

Choose whatever skimmer you think is best for you. But everything is relative, sometimes you don't appreciate what you have until you have something else to compare it to. Keep reading and see what he says later in comparison to the other skimmers.

 

[maxxII]

Aqualogic chiller are awesome, probably the best and most reliable on the hobbyist market (unfortunately also the most expensive). But the older design made it hard to put in different places. With the new design the chiller sits vertical and the cover is solid. So during the summer I can really just put it in window. I'm actually planning on building an exhaust for it after I finish the other upgrades so I don't have to worry about it going in the window. I might even build a vibration isolation / noise dampening cabinet with an intake and exhaust for the chiller. But to me thats the best of both worlds. No pump adding heat/electricty to the tank (or my power bill) and my chiller still exhausting to the outside.

Could you please post up pics of this being vented to the window? I hadnt realized your viewpoint when I purchased my chiller....

I bought a used PCH CL-650 1/4 HP chiller for my 58 gallon. It works good and the customer service from PCH is great, (had to buy replacement fittings when I cracked one attempting to hook up the chiller originally....the didnt charge me at all even though I bought the chiller used...)

But the drawback to this chiller is that it requires a fairly high flow through rate to be effective, otherwise the chiller cycles on and off more often....using more energy.

I ask you about this because I will be upgrading to a 120 eventually and was looking at ways to streamline things and improve things that I see dont work as well as I would like.

What temp are you keeping your tank at right now and how are you maintaining it?

Nick

 

[kimoyo]

Hey Nick,

The new aqualogic model has a smaller footprint. So all I'm going to do for now, if necessary is sit it on the windowsill with the exhaust facing outwards. It hasn't gotten warm yet so I haven't had the need. As it gets closer to summer (and I get the other stuff done) I will figure out exactly what I will do. I'm leaning towards building a section into the skimmer cabinet for it, but whatever I do I'll post the pics here.

I haven't really decided what to keep the temp of the tank at. Right now its a 77-78 because I can and the chiller doesn't click on but I don't know if that is the best temp. So I've been asking more experience reefers in the area their opinion and what they've noticed at the different temps. Most of them have said somewhere between 80-82 is good. I often heard that avg reef temps are 82, but some "experts" go as far to say that up to 88-89 are okay. But most of the hobbyist I talk to said their sps start to look wierd around 86. So for me, during the summer I'll probably go to 81-82.

 

[maxxII]

Couple of questions on the Aqualogic chiller....

Do you notice it using less energy than the inline you had previously? I realsize some of the energy usage could be attributed to the pump needed to run the inline, but have you calculated the energy cost to run the drop in chiller? I only ask that becuase you've done such a thorough job with this system, you seem like you might have.

Does the chiller use a fuse? My PCH does and its not a standard size fuse so I cant exactly run out to Lowes or HD to get a replacement if/when it blows....

What kind of flow requirements does the drop in require/reccomend? Is there any kind of maintenance associated with this chiller? Besides keeping the air filter clean....

Does anyone else make a drop in? What led you to this particular brand?

TIA. This thread really has me thinking about my future upgrade and how to improve things.


Nick

 

[kimoyo]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6932747#post6932747 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by maxxII
Do you notice it using less energy than the inline you had previously? I realsize some of the energy usage could be attributed to the pump needed to run the inline, but have you calculated the energy cost to run the drop in chiller? I only ask that becuase you've done such a thorough job with this system, you seem like you might have.

Both the inline and dropin use the same compressor and fan and the have the same BTU removal capacity. As I understand it, the only difference as you know is that one has the coil on the outside and the other on the inside. And if you look at two models with the same hp you will see the inline is bigger where it contains the coil. So if I'm understanding it correctly the energy efficiency will depend on the pump you use on the inline.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6932747#post6932747 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by maxxII
Does the chiller use a fuse? My PCH does and its not a standard size fuse so I cant exactly run out to Lowes or HD to get a replacement if/when it blows....

Not sure if it uses a fuse, circuit breaker, or anything. Never had a problem with it so I never asked.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6932747#post6932747 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by maxxII
What kind of flow requirements does the drop in require/reccomend? Is there any kind of maintenance associated with this chiller? Besides keeping the air filter clean....

They list the flow as the same. Your supposed to clean the coils same as you clean the coils on the inside of the inline.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6932747#post6932747 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by maxxII
Does anyone else make a drop in? What led you to this particular brand?

Yeah but I know aqualogic is really good. They've been doing it the longest I believe and the new line looks really really good. Plus, an owner of one the big aquarium supply sellers (a sponsor) said he thought they were the best and that was good enough for me.

Glad the thread is helped.

 

[Opiy]

Anything worth updating yet ??

 

[kimoyo]

Very soon I hope!

I already got my 8*54W silver tek t5 fixture with acrylic lens cover and legs. Itââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s so sweet and convenient, and really bright. I can run 432W for 8 hours with the temp going up about 1/2 a degree. Mounting legs are awesome; I was trying all these sorts of elaborate things to hang my lights when the simplest thing was the easiest.

My skimmer is done and will be shipped out to me soon, yes!!! Very happy about that and will post pics when I get it.

My tunze recirculation pump 1074.14 will be arriving shortly and I will pick it up sometimes next week.

Hopefully, Ill be building my sump this weekend; hereââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s a design I made, it measures 20.75"*24"*16" for now but I'm going to change it.



So as long as everything goes according to plan, pics will be coming shortly.

 

[Opiy]

Were you going to have an in-sump refugium? Unless I just read your plan wrong doesn't look like you would have room or do you not plan on going with a refug?

Sounds like it is all coming together. Won't be much longer now

 

[Miax]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6928727#post6928727 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kimoyo
If you don't need the chiller in a separate room I would get a drop in; no need for an extra pump. I got this model from premium aquatics on clearance.

Cost me $720 I think.

Interesting approach.. Would it not be easier and less costlyn to purchase an actual in-room air conditioner for cooling the room (and its tank)? I did this and now have not only control over my aquarium tank temps but also control of the atmosphere in the room with the tank - thus eliminating the heat from pumps and lights.

I say this because I have seen many threads in which people spend huge amounts of money on a tank, only to run into heat problems in the Room with the tank and end up having to make many customizations.

Seems to me it would be easier to install a room air conditioner in the room with the tank, thus eliminating all heat problems. I have pictures of this but I have not uploaded them yet - but there are ways to quiet a room conditioner just like we quiet tanks. I will post them soon, I'm still quite new to RC and am waiting for my USB/Camera cable.

However the point stands.. You spent $720 bucks for that chiller. A room conditioner would cost $500 or $600 bucks and you cool both the room And the tank.

Thoughts? Any reasons Not to do this other than the noise that the air conditioner (if not properly shielded) would make?

Miax

 

[melev]

Miax, I use a window a/c to cool my fish room, and it cost me $141 two years ago. I'm about to buy another one now that we are back in the hotter season, so I have it when this one breaks down.

Keeping the fishroom at 78F keeps my tank and 81.5F during the heat of the day, and 79-79.5 at night.

 

[Miax]

Awesome thanks, thats what I thought.

In my case I bought a more expensive indoor unit that stands on casters and has an insulated duct leading outside. I then took one of the two inputs into the AC unit and fed it with the output from the metal halide light fixture (enclosed) - eliminating the heat from the light before it can even enter the room (thus the AC works less hard to keep the room cool as the hottest air in the room is fed directly into the condenser).

As mentioned above I plan soon to start my own reef tank thread, as I have found the ones posted here enormously helpful in ways I could never repay the community (ohter than literally, which I plan to do - I'm only a week noob here - a pollywog amongst whales. But I do love Gadgetry like rdmpe does who posted his big tank-diary here - I printed it and several other similar threads and studied it like college work (lol - the old days of school).

Anyway I'm glad I'm not off my rocker here, as I already installed the system. :eek1: No my office (12x14 - not huge) is a balmy 71 degrees - while the air coming off the halides and servers (behind it, more on that later) is 83 degrees coming into the AC. Thus I'm able to defeat roughly 12 degrees Farernheight of heat generated by the tank. I suspect the temp will rise too when I add the pumps and anything else, but the AC is adjustable so Is hould be able to compensate.

For those thinking obout it, be warned in that the AC will make more noise than the tank by far. I solved this by installing the AC unit in a closet adjacent to my office, ran the ducts in and out of the house accodringly, and now the AC unit is nicely muffled with a regular grill-vent leading in.

Miax

P.S. If I jabber too much tell me, I'm new!
M

 

[melev]

Miax, when you have some spare time, try reading my 200 page thread. It starts from the first day I decided to set up a huge tank with a fish room, and is in this (Reef Discussion) forum. The thread has been split 6 times, so if you are backtracking, you have to go all the way to the beginning.

 

[kimoyo]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7188585#post7188585 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Opiy
Were you going to have an in-sump refugium? Unless I just read your plan wrong doesn't look like you would have room or do you not plan on going with a refug?

Sounds like it is all coming together. Won't be much longer now

Hey Opiy,

I wasn't planning on a refugium but if I decide to do something like that I would probably tee off my return to a small box that I had elevated above the tank. Then the water would overflow into the tank from the refugium.

Pump should hopefully be here wednesday or thursday and then get to me the next day.

And I finally got a tracking # from Barr Aquatics!!! So hopefully I can post pics of the skimmer later this week.

 

[kimoyo]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7188944#post7188944 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Miax
Interesting approach.. Would it not be easier and less costlyn to purchase an actual in-room air conditioner for cooling the room (and its tank)? I did this and now have not only control over my aquarium tank temps but also control of the atmosphere in the room with the tank - thus eliminating the heat from pumps and lights.

I say this because I have seen many threads in which people spend huge amounts of money on a tank, only to run into heat problems in the Room with the tank and end up having to make many customizations.

Seems to me it would be easier to install a room air conditioner in the room with the tank, thus eliminating all heat problems. I have pictures of this but I have not uploaded them yet - but there are ways to quiet a room conditioner just like we quiet tanks. I will post them soon, I'm still quite new to RC and am waiting for my USB/Camera cable.

However the point stands.. You spent $720 bucks for that chiller. A room conditioner would cost $500 or $600 bucks and you cool both the room And the tank.

Thoughts? Any reasons Not to do this other than the noise that the air conditioner (if not properly shielded) would make?

Miax

Hey Miax,

I actually have a window air conditioner that I used last summer and was thinking about buying a room air conditioner. I only paid around $200 for my window a/c so why did I buy an expensive chiller?

My tank is in my bedroom and I don't like to have the ac on all the time. With a chiller I would be directly cooling the tank water but with an a/c I would be indirectly cooling the tank by cooling the air first. Since I would be fluctuating the room temperature by opening and closing the window I don't think it could work effectively in my situation.

Also, my chiller doesn't run all the time, it only goes on when it needs to which I've tried to limit by paying attention to the amount of watts used in the tank. I guess you might argue that the a/c won't need to run all the time also but water has a higher specific heat than air. It takes more energy/heat to raise the temperature of water 1 degree than it does air; basically it takes water longer for its temperature to rise than air. So during a hot day hopefully the water can stay within a certain range until it starts cooling down as the sun goes down.

 

[FroMan]

I was cleaning out some old book marks tonight.... Any updates (yes I'm bringing this thread back from the abyss)