Rebuild and recovery of a dead tank

[jason2459]

Guess I didn't post this here. Short Video I took to show my placements of my maxspect gyres.

Hmm, lots of pictures but no vids. Just took one a little bit ago and finished uploading now. Can probably hear my drier and wash machine going. Return just started up so some bubbles are coming out but good as you can see in the vid where the return is coming in and the fish are going after what ever is flying out.

Side Horizontal right gyre runs 100% 24/7 so around 5000gph

Back left vertical gyre runs 100% alternating direction across the back or the front so around 2500gph. ( going across the back in the video I think)

Return pump at around 1400gph working with the horizontal gyre.

Approximately 8900gph flow

https://youtu.be/GWG9SXewi2U

Edit: yep have to turn the volume way up and can hear the washing machine starting right at the beginning of the vid and drier running. They are on our second floor. Can then hear the water a little too with the volume way up as the overflow gets settled in. What you don't hear is the pumps at all with them running at 100% [emoji4]

At normal volume level can't hear anything.

Here's that video embedded
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GWG9SXewi2U" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[jason2459]

Well jeesh, I just bought a new sump. I was not planning on it at all. The petco by me has the $1 per gallon sale going on. I now have to plan out some baffles for a 75 gallon sump

 

[jason2459]

Getting a plan together for the new sump. Based kind of off the trigger system sump I'm running now. I really like how I have the drains come in and wraps around like a U turn to the return pump. Except I'd really like the skimmer first and a much larger "bio" area. I don't really want to call it a refugium as its not your typical one and if I did want that I'd setup a split sump with the return in the middle.

Water height pretty much around to the return area is 14" and return area 10".

 

[jason2459]

And if anyone has any kind of input on that setup, besides the fact I still use an under gravel filter ha!, its more then welcome. [emoji4]

 

[jason2459]

Changed out my RODI prefilters today. Every 6 months even if it may not need it. Vendors say 6-12 months for carbon blocks and as pressure drops for sediment filters. Manufacturers spec out certain volume amounts at certain rates for carbon filters.

Since I'm not tracking volume amounts I figure every 6 months even if not needed is cheap insurance to keep the membranes healthy. I change out the membranes every 3 years even if some say they can go longer. Again, cheap insurance for clean water for my tank.

For the prefilters I have a reminder setup in Neptune's Fusion now but other wise every January and June. Membranes I just remember any year divisible by 3 which will be next year.

This time around I went with a 1 micron sediment, 1 micron carbon, and .6 micron carbon stages. Before I had 5 micron, 5 micron, .6 micron.

 

[jjvanb]

J-

What function or purpose does the UG filter serve? Is it just for additional biological filtration? less live rock needed in the system? I think I saw somewhere you got the inspiration for it from PaulB (not sure if I got the name right). What other benefits could it provide your system?

 

[jason2459]

Oh, and one other change recently is I reduced my blue green chromis count. I bought 6 or 7 and somehow ended up with 9. I thought they would be cool swimming around the tank. They just made everything look way to busy and chaotic. I tried getting used to it and have had them I think a year maybe, can look back in this thread, and I just have never gotten to like it. It was not easy but I got them down to two. Two that I've noticed over time to seem to have paired up so hopefully they are. I'm so much happier with watching my tank between that chaos reduction and the new lighting setup.

 

[bif24701]

So it seems like you are very happy with the SB Reef Light Bars?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jason2459]

Wow, looks like I've had the chromis since Feb 2nd 2015. Longer then I though. Almost 2 years of not liking them. I think I gave them plenty of time to grow on me.

 

[jason2459]

So it seems like you are very happy with the SB Reef Light Bars?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I am very happy with the look with them and the T5 down the middle. Could be brighter though. I'm talking with them about that and looking to get their input.

 

[jason2459]

J-

What function or purpose does the UG filter serve? Is it just for additional biological filtration? less live rock needed in the system? I think I saw somewhere you got the inspiration for it from PaulB (not sure if I got the name right). What other benefits could it provide your system?

Yep, it's all PaulB's fault. The number one benifit has been a tremendous amount of pods produced by it. Its like a hotel for various pods. Cover it with dolomite. I have no idea if it has other benefits. It may. PaulB has ran one for 40 years or so and makes the entire bottom of his tank a refugium for them.

 

[jason2459]

J-

What function or purpose does the UG filter serve? Is it just for additional biological filtration? less live rock needed in the system? I think I saw somewhere you got the inspiration for it from PaulB (not sure if I got the name right). What other benefits could it provide your system?

Also, please note that it's reversed flow. So pumps are pushing water into the tubes and into the plate.

 

[jason2459]

Getting a plan together for the new sump. Based kind of off the trigger system sump I'm running now. I really like how I have the drains come in and wraps around like a U turn to the return pump. Except I'd really like the skimmer first and a much larger "bio" area. I don't really want to call it a refugium as its not your typical one and if I did want that I'd setup a split sump with the return in the middle.

Water height pretty much around to the return area is 14" and return area 10".

Got the glass cut and there is one change I'm going to make and that's reverse the baffle flow. So, from the skimmer section to the bio area will be a flow over baffle. Then to the return will be a under/over/under baffle setup.

This is to prevent the left side from ever being emptied. Say for some really terrible reason my skimmer goes nuts and starts filling up the skimmate bucket and murphy is really on his game and either the switches in the buck don't work to shutdown the skimmer or what's happened before starts siphoning out just the skimmer section could get drained. Assuming my other failsafes don't fail too. Lots of failsafes in place. Basically from failures of others or myself that I've learned from and put something into place to help prevent from happening again.

The flow over from the skimmer section also forces all the microbubbles to the surface. The return section is pulling water from the bottom where they shouldn't be. The ATS drains may cause some bubbles but those are bigger then the skimmers microbubbles and rise pretty quick and even if it got under the returns first baffle would be killed by the second set of them.

The space between and under the baffles are 2" so should allow the 1400gph go through fairly smoothly and not like a raging rapids causing bubbles.

Now, hopefully the 14" running height through most of the sump allows for enough space for the back flow of water when the return stops. I THINK I've calculated it right.... will find out in about a week to let the silicone cure.

 

[jason2459]

Looks like Bud is getting back on track to get his Turbo Aquatics ATS Rev 4s out. I let him know I'm low priority. I am excited but I've got lots of other things I'm still playing with and other things I can do in the mean time. Plus I still have the L4 Rev3 going and kicking butt. But if you noticed in my sump layout that Turbo's ATS is the dimensions of the L8 Rev4 [emoji4]

From my last cleaning this past weekend

I've been running the lights 24/7 and the growth is pressing out to the insides. You can see it flattened out in that picture where it was doing that.

Plus I've been double dosing a product called Vibrant that's supposed to kill off algae. lol

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2611990

 

[jason2459]

Getting a plan together for the new sump. Based kind of off the trigger system sump I'm running now. I really like how I have the drains come in and wraps around like a U turn to the return pump. Except I'd really like the skimmer first and a much larger "bio" area. I don't really want to call it a refugium as its not your typical one and if I did want that I'd setup a split sump with the return in the middle.

Water height pretty much around to the return area is 14" and return area 10".

Got the glass cut and there is one change I'm going to make and that's reverse the baffle flow. So, from the skimmer section to the bio area will be a flow over baffle. Then to the return will be a under/over/under baffle setup.

This is to prevent the left side from ever being emptied. Say for some really terrible reason my skimmer goes nuts and starts filling up the skimmate bucket and murphy is really on his game and either the switches in the buck don't work to shutdown the skimmer or what's happened before starts siphoning out just the skimmer section could get drained. Assuming my other failsafes don't fail too. Lots of failsafes in place. Basically from failures of others or myself that I've learned from and put something into place to help prevent from happening again.

The flow over from the skimmer section also forces all the microbubbles to the surface. The return section is pulling water from the bottom where they shouldn't be. The ATS drains may cause some bubbles but those are bigger then the skimmers microbubbles and rise pretty quick and even if it got under the returns first baffle would be killed by the second set of them.

The space between and under the baffles are 2" so should allow the 1400gph go through fairly smoothly and not like a raging rapids causing bubbles.

Now, hopefully the 14" running height through most of the sump allows for enough space for the back flow of water when the return stops. I THINK I've calculated it right.... will find out in about a week to let the silicone cure.

Just got done swapping out the sump.

Lots of untangling and rerunnung, cutting solid pvc drain pipe to get old sump out, gluing new flex pvc, untangling more stuff.

Filled 3/4 the way and had to make new saltwater. Untangled more stuff. Cleaned off the pumps, ATS, and skimmer collection cup, OMG I will post pics of that later....

Adjusted a bunch of stuff as I have a million failsafe switches of various types. Got the heaters, ATS, AWC, ATO, return, skimmer, swabbie, etc.

Finished filling the tank all the way, turned on the return pump and skimmer and ATS and was able to siphon out some water to bring the water level in the return section down to where I want the running level to be.

Calculations were perfect. A good 2.5 plus inches to spare at the top of the sump and goes right to the top of the 18" divider.


I'm also loving the way its flowing through. Glad I decided to flip the baffles. Pics later.


Oh, there was one thing I forgot to account for. The skimmers drain to my skimmate bucket. Because its moved over it wasn't long enough and that size tubing is the only size tubing I don't have a spare of. I'll have to pick some up tomorrow. For now I opened up the gate valve quite a bit. But that darn skimmer is to good and was still pushing skimmate up the neck. lol

 

[jason2459]

So, its been a little over a month since I cleaned my skimmers collection cup. I was not expecting to find what I found but not surprised either. I went near a year with out cleaning my Aquamaxx collection cup once that was also running this same Swabbie neck cleaner.

It was a pretty nasty sight before. But this build up was much worse. This skimmer, at least for me, produces a thick and very sticky dry foam.

The inside of the collection cup was almost closed up

And the neck cleaner's arm was caked full. The plastic rod is not nearly this thick

I definitely shouldn't go much longer between cleanings then this.


Also, since my drain tubing isn't long enough now that I changed its location in the sump I tried to tune it way down by opening up the gate valve and bring the water level really low

But this skimmer just doesn't want to give up that easily...

And pushing over the top...I had to open the gate valve even more

 

[jason2459]

You can see some of the new drain lines there in that last picture above.

And here's the new sump in place

Skimmer fit in there nicely

 

[jason2459]

I will have to make a small adjustment to things that are measured by tank volume. I don't go by tank specs which is not the actual water volume.

I don't have 255 gallons now that I have a 180 display tank and 75 gallon sump. For one the sump isn't running completely filled. Then there's sand and rock that takes up room away from the water volume. But the piping adds some water volume.

According to this handy calculator
http://reef.diesyst.com/volcalc/volcalc.html

I have around 220 total gallons of water. I had around 190ish before the sump swap.

 

[jason2459]

My new lees aquatics UGF plate came in and fits in perfect. Instead of the 12x24 I got a 16x22.5. It definitely fits the space better.

I also picked up 4 liters of pond matrix that will go on top. Its very porous being basically a pumice stone. Then my marine pure and brightwell/kent blocks and plates will go on top of that.

I have a single aquaclear 50 running the rugf in reverse. The pump itself is designed specifically for UGF plates and also capable of running in reverse. The Aquaclear 50 in reverse is rated around 125gpg. With back pressure its probably around 100gph less or more.

The pond matrix is very light and some of it floats in water so for right now I rinsed them in RODI water and placed them in a couple media bags sitting on top of the RUGF plate until they soak in enough water there's no more floaters.

 

[jason2459]

So here's the final sump setup. I still need to organize and mount the probes.