Potomac Reef - 150gal designed for upkeep and sustainability.

[vanburen]

Potomac Reef - 150gal designed for upkeep and sustainability.

Just ordered a nice drip tray for my door mounted tool rack.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XJBVSJ4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[vanburen]

Potomac Reef - 150gal designed for upkeep and sustainability.

Starting to get some decent growth and color emerging on my Sps/lps.

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[vanburen]

In my attempt to lower maintenance hassle I replumbed my gfo reactor with 1/2inch pipe -gets unwieldy flex hose out of sump , easy to access thumbscrews now, and I can direct flow in the sump towards probes.

Also added a simple drip tray for my tool rack.

And I finally saw this frag do something - after the lights went out it opened up.

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[Esh1]

nice setup!

I'm curious, what are the actual dimensions of the containers you're using for your mixing station? I've seen whats listed online, but with the top's I'm not sure if the listed dimensions are taking account of this. I've got a storage closet near my tank that might be able to fit 2 of these but want to be sure first.

 

[vanburen]

nice setup!

I'm curious, what are the actual dimensions of the containers you're using for your mixing station? I've seen whats listed online, but with the top's I'm not sure if the listed dimensions are taking account of this. I've got a storage closet near my tank that might be able to fit 2 of these but want to be sure first.

They are 20 x 47. And then the top needs access of course.


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[vanburen]

Potomac Reef - 150gal designed for upkeep and sustainability.

Nyos skimmer was running poorly with a lot of micro bubbles coming out and level all over the place. Turns out I had a deposit in the air intake / Venturi that was causing issues. Vinegar and persistence got it out.

Added my final(?) pair of Dos units for my Reef Colors trace element additives. We are now on cruise control!

Had an issue with my calcium pump head somehow getting air and not pumping consistently. Swapped the head out and it's working well. Not sure if the head was the cause or perhaps a loose connection but it was not holding prime. In retrospect, a leak on the inlet side would have caused these issues. Maybe I missed that somehow.


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[vanburen]

Some video updates ... lots has happened.

https://youtu.be/O_6JbO3HH6A

https://youtu.be/iXkhmn__LEg

https://youtu.be/bcezqpxGVhQ


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[vanburen]

One more:Equipment: How to Avoid Neglected Tank Syndrome

 

[sayn3ver]

They make some affordable generator panels now. I like these style ones. Not necessarily this brand but there are several that come with breakers and pre made wire harnesses which simplifies installation.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Relianc...Circuit-Transfer-Switch-Kit-3006HDK/202213700

You already have a dedicated outlet (hopefully you went with a 20amp circuit on 12awg wire minimum. 2-3 circuits would have been nice as if you had a breaker go bad or something trip it wouldn't take the whole tank down).

With a small Honda inverter generator like an eu2200i, you could have the tank outlet switch over for generator power. They are reasonably priced, small, can be used for camping and portable emergency. The power is clean and won't damage sensitive electronics. Ryobi has a small 1800w inverter as well that's cheaper and worked well on the construction sites I've used with battery chargers and such. These both also sip gasoline compared to larger generators. And they are pretty quiet and easy to start.

The small Honda and Ryobi inverter generators, because they can be used for tailgating and such, will get more use and because of that will probably be kept maintained and used this increasingly their reliability and reducing the chance for ethanol fouling and such.

Just something to think about.

I'm an electrician by trade (commerical/industrial) so I take for granted most have to pay for labor to do these kinds of things.

Also make sure you can get to that GFCI outlet behind the tank. They do fail and will need to be replaced. If it's near your sump and or exposed to higher humidity, spend the extra money for an outdoor rated GFCI. They pot the electronics with epoxy and the yoke and hardware are stainless. I cannot stress that these GFCI outlets can and do fail overtime and we replace them often. It may be better to use a normal outlet and either wire it on the load side of a dead front GFCI that's in a more accessible location or use a GFCI breaker. Ymmv.

I have installed a good amount of redundancy. Skimmer cup full, hi/low sump, leak, dosing low plus water chem alerts.

Still don't have a good solution for short term power loss - I don't want to run vortech pumps (visually) and don't have a good place for a large ups.

Also, heat is a bit of a challenge. I think when summer arrives, I'm going to have problems now that I have the fuge Light. I'm between 78-79 now with a 72 house.
View attachment 383405



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[vanburen]

Thanks for the info on the gen panels. We actually ended up going with a large standby generator for the house. It has been a bit of a saga with inspectors etc. I definitely think some sort of generator solution is critical if you have a lot tied up in this hobby!

Frag tank is up and running:

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[vanburen]

https://youtu.be/8zgeKrd1QA8



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[vanburen]

New video on my mixing station - adding automated fill.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTRYfG8ObRA

 

[vanburen]

Potomac Reef - 150gal designed for upkeep and sustainability.

Thanks for the info on the gen panels. We actually ended up going with a large standby generator for the house. It has been a bit of a saga with inspectors etc. I definitely think some sort of generator solution is critical if you have a lot tied up in this hobby!




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Generator failed inspection due to proximity of window. Getting moved this week after being in place for 14 months. Unreal. Tank is doing well. Sps corals have ok color but not great yet. Fish doing great. Alkatronic has me seeing daily changes to alk that are fascinating. Maybe ignorance was bliss but...
Switching to tropic Marin pro salt since I'm not getting any benefit from Red Sea Coral Pro since it's precipitating out



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[vanburen]

Today they move the generator so it will pass inspection. An amazing lack of coordination. Try one - we sent them away because they were going to cut a decorative tree down. Had landscaper move tree. Try two- sent them away because they hadn't arranged for the plumber to move gas at same time. Third time a charm? We will see.


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[vanburen]

Totally anecdotal, but I had a minor salinity fluctuation and lost my birds nest. It totally rtn'd the next day. I fragged it up but lost most large parts.

Not devastating. It was really big but a pain to prune. I have a bunch of backup frags downstairs plus the new saved pieces. Plus it has grown into some rocks in tank and I have local backups too. And now I have some more space for new coral.

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[vanburen]

https://youtu.be/FZX3lVW-sRA

New video - bit of a tank tour of corals! Hope you enjoy


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[pelphrey]

Look who I ran into!