Rob's 300 Gallon Deep Dimensions!

[Sloanhaus]

Water Changes

Water Changes

I just received my 300 and am wanting to do a automatic water changer also. I was thinking of drilling a hole in the back of the tank about 9 inches down and having a valve to be able to empty 20% of the tank. I don't see how you are removing water as it looks like you are just pumping water out from your sump, which wont be anywhere near 10%. Can you tell me how you are doing your water changes? Also, do you know what kind of glass the back is?

 

[Sloanhaus]

By the way, I am going to bed now and I will be dreaming of all your coral. What an amazing tank you have.

 

[robert s b.]

I just received my 300 and am wanting to do a automatic water changer also. I was thinking of drilling a hole in the back of the tank about 9 inches down and having a valve to be able to empty 20% of the tank. I don't see how you are removing water as it looks like you are just pumping water out from your sump, which wont be anywhere near 10%. Can you tell me how you are doing your water changes? Also, do you know what kind of glass the back is?

Ill do a video, when I do my next water change, I change out 45 Gallons from my Sump, and don't really get my hands wet and only takes about 20-30 min to do my water change. I turn off the return pump and the sump water raises to a certain level. Few ball valves turned and it pumps water from the sump to my Laundry room sink, which the room is located behind the tank. Once the water level is pumped and reached its mark I turn the pump off, and reverse the flow, via pump from the brute coming from the laundry room. Keep in mind my sump is 100 gallons.

 

[troyholl]

I just setup about the same system except I used my main manifold with a valve that moves the tank water to the Qt tank and then I put in a pump that takes the QT water to the sewer drain. Unfortunately this does lower the max amount of water I can change to about 20 gallons at at time but I believe in smaller water changes performed more frequently anyway!

Ill do a video, when I do my next water change, I change out 45 Gallons from my Sump, and don't really get my hands wet and only takes about 20-30 min to do my water change. I turn off the return pump and the sump water raises to a certain level. Few ball valves turned and it pumps water from the sump to my Laundry room sink, which the room is located behind the tank. Once the water level is pumped and reached its mark I turn the pump off, and reverse the flow, via pump from the brute coming from the laundry room. Keep in mind my sump is 100 gallons.

 

[jdd7781]

Robert - sweet setup! Question about your herbie; did you end up combing the 2 drains and using just one gate OR did you leave them separate?

 

[robert s b.]

Robert - sweet setup! Question about your herbie; did you end up combing the 2 drains and using just one gate OR did you leave them separate?

Thanks! I left them separate, it's working good. Have had no problems at all. But the adjustments had to be pretty precise. I have 4 circulation pumps in my tank. 2 wp60 and 2 wp40. Once 2 shuts off at night, flow changes and water level for some reason rises and some water goes through the emergency line. But not much maybe a couple of drops per second. But doesn't bother me since it's at night when we are asleep and the other pumps comes back on in the morning and everything goes back to normal.

 

[johnnyatc]

Awesome tank!!! The videos are great, keep them coming..Thanks for posting.

 

[1fishkeeper]

You have a great looking tank. Keep up the good work maybe one day my tank will look half as good as yours.

 

[robert s b.]

As promised, here is a video of me doing a water change on my 300. I do it every 10 days. Like all reefers, I hated doing water changes. So I made a semi automated water changer. It literally takes 10 min or less to change 45 gallons of water. I'm pretty happy with it. I just need to finish out my water station build out in the garage. Hope you don't fall asleep, LOL, its pretty boring.

 

[robert s b.]

<iframe width="853" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ThancivbanQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[DeepSeaBeauti]

Great video, Gives me some good ideas on how I can make changing my water a bit easier. I'm new to the 300 game and its always cool to see how everyone does it.

 

[robert s b.]

Yes, it's nice to have everything automated, it makes things much easier. Water changes doesn't seem like a chore anymore. Having a large sump. able to make large volume of water change through it, not having to touch the DT has been awesome. Provides my corals and fishes with no stress at all.

 

[robert s b.]

Some before and after pics.
1st pic was taken Dec. 24th so close to 2 months...

This Acro totally changed on me, I moved it up from mid level to about 8-10 inches below the water line it colored quite a bit and tons of growth and pe.
<a href="http://s576.photobucket.com/user/booman_13/media/before%20and%20after/Petclub.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/ss202/booman_13/before%20and%20after/Petclub.jpg~original" border="0" alt=" photo Petclub.jpg"/></a>

My Turb, grew about 1/2 inch in circumference
<a href="http://s576.photobucket.com/user/booman_13/media/before%20and%20after/TurbComp.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/ss202/booman_13/before%20and%20after/TurbComp.jpg~original" border="0" alt=" photo TurbComp.jpg"/></a>

My Garf Bonzai, has been moved up as well and showing some serious growth.

<a href="http://s576.photobucket.com/user/booman_13/media/before%20and%20after/GarfComp.png.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/ss202/booman_13/before%20and%20after/GarfComp.png~original" border="0" alt=" photo GarfComp.png"/></a>

 

[dave.m]

I don't suppose you have access to a par meter, do you? It would be interesting to see what the levels of blue and white light were at the old sites versus the new.

Dave.M

 

[robert s b.]

I don't suppose you have access to a par meter, do you? It would be interesting to see what the levels of blue and white light were at the old sites versus the new.

Dave.M

Im interested as well, my club has one. Ill see if I can borrow it.

 

[robert s b.]

FTS, I have over 50 acro frags in this tank, cant wait for it to fill out. All are encrusting pretty nicely and showing good growth. Patience is a virtue in this hobby, but damn can it grow it a little bit damn faster! I have some sticks that are around 3-5 inches, but they look so damn small in this tank.

<a href="http://s576.photobucket.com/user/booman_13/media/before%20and%20after/IMG_2682.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i576.photobucket.com/albums/ss202/booman_13/before%20and%20after/IMG_2682.jpg~original" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_2682.jpg"/></a>

 

[GrizFyrFyter]

I have half a dozen acros that are the size of a finger nail and are growing for the first time in 5 months. They grow a tenth of an inch and I get excited lol.

 

[dave.m]

Patience is for the dead. We want it all and we want it now! :thumbsup:

Maybe some dither fish would help you pass the time until the sps fill in. How about some colourful fairy or flasher wrasses, like a male and two female McCoskeri wrasses? Or a group of 5 or 7 small female anthias? - something that will stay mostly out in the open and be beautiful just to keep your mind off those derned sps things.

Dave.M

​

 

[robert s b.]

I have half a dozen acros that are the size of a finger nail and are growing for the first time in 5 months. They grow a tenth of an inch and I get excited lol.

Keep up with the maintenance, and you should be good.

 

[robert s b.]

Patience is for the dead. We want it all and we want it now! :thumbsup:

Maybe some dither fish would help you pass the time until the sps fill in. How about some colourful fairy or flasher wrasses, like a male and two female McCoskeri wrasses? Or a group of 5 or 7 small female anthias? - something that will stay mostly out in the open and be beautiful just to keep your mind off those derned sps things.

Dave.M

​

Im pretty stocked, here is what I have so far.

Blue Tang
Sohal Tang
Purple Tang
Sailfin Tang
Yellow Tang
Powder Brown Tang
Tomini Tang
Two bar Rabbit
Gold Flake Angel
Watchman Goby
Banggai Cardinal Fish x3
Panjama Cardinal
Dragon face Pipe x2
True Percs x3
Mandarin Goby
Melanurus Wrasse

On my list to get

Achilles Tang
Fowleri (if I can find one)

And 6-8 shoaling fish, maybe Longspine Cardinalfish