No, I use no mechanical filtration. 
Randy's new 120 gallon Reef
- Thread starter Randy Holmes-Farley
- Start date
Thanks.
I think the hood is 15" high, and I have 2 x 250 w double ended XM-10k mh lamps. I also have 8 x 9 watt PC lamps that are a mix of 10,000k and actinics.
I think the hood is 15" high, and I have 2 x 250 w double ended XM-10k mh lamps. I also have 8 x 9 watt PC lamps that are a mix of 10,000k and actinics.
I aim for about 80 deg F. In the summer I use a home made cooling system that runs cold tap water through plastic tubing coils in the sump. It is controlled by a solenoid/temperature controller, and the water then goes out to the yard to water plants. It is only used for about 3 months a year. The remainder of the year my heaters are sucking down electricity. 
-
-
toddlaco
Premium Member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8223182#post8223182 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Randy Holmes-Farley
I aim for about 80 deg F. In the summer I use a home made cooling system that runs cold tap water through plastic tubing coils in the sump. It is controlled by a solenoid/temperature controller, and the water then goes out to the yard to water plants. It is only used for about 3 months a year. The remainder of the year my heaters are sucking down electricity.
-
Could you please explain in more detail how your home made chiller system works.
I am setting up a 360 gallon FOWLR tank. One of the main reasons it is a FOWLR instead of a reef is due to extreme expense of chilling this size tank with a conventional chiller.
I think I grasp the majority of your system. I would like more specifics on the solenoid/temperature controller though, and what size tubing and flow rate.
Hmmm, maybe a use for RO waste water? Titanium tubing doesn't cost that much, for a few feet that go in the sump, and the heat exchange is much better than with plastic.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Titanium-tube-t...ryZ71417QQssPageNameZWD1VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/Titanium-tube-t...ryZ71417QQssPageNameZWD1VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
I collect RO/DI in 2 x 44 gallon Rubbermaid brute trash cans connected with bulkhead connectors. I pump water to a second set of such cans to make limewater, or a third set of such cans for new salt water. I have two Hagen 802's in the RO/DI, and they send the water through tubing to where it needs to go.
The limewater is sent to the main tank with a 15 gallon per day Reef Filler pump on a float switch, and it is dialed back to about half full pumping rate. The limewater settles in places, and is used over 2-3 weeks.
The new salt water is changes in automatically for 3 hours each day with a 30 gallon per dual dual head Reef Filler pump, one head pumping water in and a second pumping it out. [/B][/QUOTE]
do you have any diagrams of this?? i'd love to do something like
this, but i'm a little confused. how do you connect a pump to your r/o?? the limewater is different than a calcium reactor?? I think it is, but not sure of the difference.
can you give more details on your auto water changes??
also, how do you have you refugium plumbed to your tank??
i'm trying to do all this to my tank, but i'm not real mechanically
inclined...
eek1:
do you have any pictures of all this inline??
thanks a bunch in advance!!
I've got a 150 with a 40 gal sump. and also a 29 gal with a
10 gal i'd like to use on it for a sump/refug....:
The limewater is sent to the main tank with a 15 gallon per day Reef Filler pump on a float switch, and it is dialed back to about half full pumping rate. The limewater settles in places, and is used over 2-3 weeks.
The new salt water is changes in automatically for 3 hours each day with a 30 gallon per dual dual head Reef Filler pump, one head pumping water in and a second pumping it out. [/B][/QUOTE]
do you have any diagrams of this?? i'd love to do something like
this, but i'm a little confused. how do you connect a pump to your r/o?? the limewater is different than a calcium reactor?? I think it is, but not sure of the difference.
can you give more details on your auto water changes??
also, how do you have you refugium plumbed to your tank??
i'm trying to do all this to my tank, but i'm not real mechanically
inclined...
eek1: do you have any pictures of all this inline??
thanks a bunch in advance!!
I've got a 150 with a 40 gal sump. and also a 29 gal with a
10 gal i'd like to use on it for a sump/refug....:
I do not have any drawings, but I can answer questions.
how do you connect a pump to your r/o??
The RO/DI drains into the 88 gallon RO/DI tank. If I want to use that to make limewater, I pump it into the 88 gallon limewater reservoir. if I want to make salt water, I pump it to another 88 gallon tank. he pumping is with powerheads and tubing.
The automatic water changes are described in many threads, but is done with a dual head reef Filler pump, changing about 13 gallons per day. The pump sucks water from the 88 gallon new salt water tank and into the sump, and also sucks out of the sump and into the drain.
how do you connect a pump to your r/o??
The RO/DI drains into the 88 gallon RO/DI tank. If I want to use that to make limewater, I pump it into the 88 gallon limewater reservoir. if I want to make salt water, I pump it to another 88 gallon tank. he pumping is with powerheads and tubing.
The automatic water changes are described in many threads, but is done with a dual head reef Filler pump, changing about 13 gallons per day. The pump sucks water from the 88 gallon new salt water tank and into the sump, and also sucks out of the sump and into the drain.
Thanks Randy! we're gonna try and accomodate our setup with
what you have done with yours. I have a powder blue tang that is
about 4.5" that is just amazing me with its health and vigor. My
tank is not the best maintained i'm kinda embarrased to say.
I work an hour away from home, so my time is very limited and i'm trying to automate as much as possible....thanks for posting and
answering my questions
what you have done with yours. I have a powder blue tang that is
about 4.5" that is just amazing me with its health and vigor. My
tank is not the best maintained i'm kinda embarrased to say.
I work an hour away from home, so my time is very limited and i'm trying to automate as much as possible....thanks for posting and
answering my questions
You're welcome.
Good luck.
Good luck.
I won't give all the model numbers as I expect they are no longer available. I put this together years ago.
The cooling uses a lab controller (a Dynasense Thermistor controller) that has a high sensitivity, but could be any hobby on/off controller.
The solenoid is just an on/off solenoid that can accept water line pressure. It is normally off unless electricity is applied. Many places sell these, such as Cole Parmer, I believe.
The solenoid is on the cold water line. It attaches to tubing from Home Depot. I'll check, but I think it is 1/4" OD polyethylene (maybe polypropylene) tubing in a big coil in the sump.
When the temp is high, water runs through the tubing, and then out to the yard. Early in the summer, when the tap water is colder, I throttle back the line pressure a bit with a valve so that the flow is lower, but later I open it up so the flow is only limited by the back pressure from the coil.
The flow is probably on the order of 1 gallon per 5 minutes when on.
The cooling uses a lab controller (a Dynasense Thermistor controller) that has a high sensitivity, but could be any hobby on/off controller.
The solenoid is just an on/off solenoid that can accept water line pressure. It is normally off unless electricity is applied. Many places sell these, such as Cole Parmer, I believe.
The solenoid is on the cold water line. It attaches to tubing from Home Depot. I'll check, but I think it is 1/4" OD polyethylene (maybe polypropylene) tubing in a big coil in the sump.
When the temp is high, water runs through the tubing, and then out to the yard. Early in the summer, when the tap water is colder, I throttle back the line pressure a bit with a valve so that the flow is lower, but later I open it up so the flow is only limited by the back pressure from the coil.
The flow is probably on the order of 1 gallon per 5 minutes when on.
propertyseeker
New member
Has anyone ever used Bio Spira? And does it really cycle your tank quickly?
I'm not a fan of adding bacteria, and have never seen convincing evidence that it is useful.
Thanks. I'll have to get some new pictures soon. The SPS and anemone have really grown quite a bit.
calvinkaren
New member
It is a beautiful tank. Nice Job
Thanks very much. I should take some more recent photos, but things are going very well now.
boxfishpooalot
Active member
Maybee some this weekend?
Similar threads
