RocketEngineer's 75g/125g Setup
- Thread starter RocketEngineer
- Start date
RocketEngineer
Space is big.
Thanks uncleL.
Number 4 was very crafty and didn't offer me a proper angle for the kill shot. Kept ducking into the crevices every time I moved outside the tank. Being that it's hiding in one of my big rock structures, that one may be tricky to get. However, #5 was not so clever and went into a rock I could remove. Man, there are more of these uglies in there than I thought. The hunt continues.
Number 4 was very crafty and didn't offer me a proper angle for the kill shot. Kept ducking into the crevices every time I moved outside the tank. Being that it's hiding in one of my big rock structures, that one may be tricky to get. However, #5 was not so clever and went into a rock I could remove. Man, there are more of these uglies in there than I thought. The hunt continues.
As the Great Crab Battle wages, I've got some sump questions for you Rocket, I'm designing one in a 40b:
Should the baffle width be slightly narrower than the inside dimension of the sump, or should the glass be snug to glass? (I'm planning to order ¼" glass cut to size at a local glass shop)
When I "T" off my return for the fuge, how much gph loss should I expect? i.e. how did this effect the performance of your pump, did you figure a way to calculate it?
Have you figured out a way to blackout the sides of the fuge to isolate its light, or is this a minimal concern? -do the other parts of your sump want to grow anything?
I saw in another thread you said the fuge will not produce bubbles. I understand the water will cling to the glass baffles, but won't there be turbulence when it reaches the lower water level? I expect 7"-8" of fall from the fuge to the return section, and my pump will be right there. I'd love to save the couple inches of Fuge and eliminate the bubble trap, but my gut tells me to include it with that much fall. But I'd rather listen to your experience than my gut… Also, maybe a trap would make it harder for pods to escape to my DT?
Thanks for the help!
Should the baffle width be slightly narrower than the inside dimension of the sump, or should the glass be snug to glass? (I'm planning to order ¼" glass cut to size at a local glass shop)
When I "T" off my return for the fuge, how much gph loss should I expect? i.e. how did this effect the performance of your pump, did you figure a way to calculate it?
Have you figured out a way to blackout the sides of the fuge to isolate its light, or is this a minimal concern? -do the other parts of your sump want to grow anything?
I saw in another thread you said the fuge will not produce bubbles. I understand the water will cling to the glass baffles, but won't there be turbulence when it reaches the lower water level? I expect 7"-8" of fall from the fuge to the return section, and my pump will be right there. I'd love to save the couple inches of Fuge and eliminate the bubble trap, but my gut tells me to include it with that much fall. But I'd rather listen to your experience than my gut… Also, maybe a trap would make it harder for pods to escape to my DT?
Thanks for the help!
RocketEngineer
Space is big.
Tsteak, The baffles should be slightly smaller so there is some room for the silicone. I had mine cut 1/8" shorter giving you a 1/16" thick bead which is plenty. My first sump had 1/4" undersized baffles and I found the 1/8" gaps to be harder to work with.
My refugium has enough flow to ripple the surface and between what I get from the return plus what empties out of my Bucket DSB, the water flows over the entire width of the baffle. Exactly how much flow that is, I have no idea. I just know my DC6000 runs wide open at full speed and my BeanAnimal is nowhere near maxed out. To me, exact numbers aren't important when it comes to flow as long as I don't get oil slicks anywhere in the sump.
I'm using screw-in LED bulbs from the hardware store so they are fairly directional. I get some growth on the walls of the refugium but not much in say the skimmer section. I did black out the back of the sump but that was mostly so I could see what is in the sump and not what was behind it.
My fuge does produce bubbles but they are quite large and don't really go anywhere. Because of their size, they tend to go right back to the surface of the water and either pop or get pulled back down in the undertow created from the flow down the baffle. About 95% of them are created in one spot where the refugium baffle meets the front glass of the sump. Even if a bubble gets pulled into my return pump, I just get a spurt of bubbles in the display that eventually go away. I think the bigger issue is constant sources like the drains or the skimmer. Without a bubble trap after those two I know I would always have micro-bubbles floating around my display. And really, micro-bubbles are more a visual thing given what happens in the ocean with waves crashing.
My refugium has enough flow to ripple the surface and between what I get from the return plus what empties out of my Bucket DSB, the water flows over the entire width of the baffle. Exactly how much flow that is, I have no idea. I just know my DC6000 runs wide open at full speed and my BeanAnimal is nowhere near maxed out. To me, exact numbers aren't important when it comes to flow as long as I don't get oil slicks anywhere in the sump.
I'm using screw-in LED bulbs from the hardware store so they are fairly directional. I get some growth on the walls of the refugium but not much in say the skimmer section. I did black out the back of the sump but that was mostly so I could see what is in the sump and not what was behind it.
My fuge does produce bubbles but they are quite large and don't really go anywhere. Because of their size, they tend to go right back to the surface of the water and either pop or get pulled back down in the undertow created from the flow down the baffle. About 95% of them are created in one spot where the refugium baffle meets the front glass of the sump. Even if a bubble gets pulled into my return pump, I just get a spurt of bubbles in the display that eventually go away. I think the bigger issue is constant sources like the drains or the skimmer. Without a bubble trap after those two I know I would always have micro-bubbles floating around my display. And really, micro-bubbles are more a visual thing given what happens in the ocean with waves crashing.
Swope2bc
New member
For what it's worth my sump is a 40b and I have one baffle in my skimmer chamber and one at the fuge with my dct 12000 in the middle. I pump up from the basement so more than likely have about the same flow as Rocket with his dc6000. I have no bubbles out of the fuge and very minor bubbles out of my BeAn drains over the baffle. None ever make it back up the return.
RocketEngineer
Space is big.
They can run, but if they don't hide well enough they end up in a cup:
That makes 5. Way to many but that's my fault. I do hope this is the last of them but either way I'm going to keep looking.
That makes 5. Way to many but that's my fault. I do hope this is the last of them but either way I'm going to keep looking.
FlyingFishSKYw
Member
RocketEngineer's 75g/125g Setup
Did these all come from TBS rock? (I just scrolled back and saw that, yes, it is TBS rock). I'm planning on getting some for my 75 gallon. Any advice for preventing what you're going through?
Did these all come from TBS rock? (I just scrolled back and saw that, yes, it is TBS rock). I'm planning on getting some for my 75 gallon. Any advice for preventing what you're going through?
I once boiled water and used a turkey baster to squirt a gorilla that was hiding in a deep, dark crevice. It worked, and worked well.
RocketEngineer
Space is big.
I spotted a few on the rock when I got it but didn't take the trouble to remove them when the rock arrived. Looking back I should have removed them at that point and saved myself the trouble of finding them almost a year later.
I will have to remember that trick. That probably would have worked for the crafty one I'm still thinking is in there.
How much rock did you get? That sounds like quite a few. I agree that the good definitely outweighs the bad even now.
Bent
I got nothin'
I believe a whopping 30lbs maybe?
RocketEngineer
Space is big.
If that's the case there should be a lot more as I bought 20#s.
This is a big reason why I will not be buying actual "live rock" I'll be using probably BRS Reef Saver rock for my 40 Breeder. One thing I have learned being in this hobby is patience and lots of it and slow progression. If you don't then it will catch up to you later at some point.
Hofefully, you get things sorted out after this
Hofefully, you get things sorted out after this
RocketEngineer
Space is big.
Playing around with my camera tonight I was able to capture some pretty good shots of the corals.
Hairy Green Acro:
Candle Stick Acro:
The galaxea loves where it is:
My birds nest:
I'm tempted to frag this one and reattach it in several places near where it is now.
And still my favorite, my rose BTA:
There are many others in the system but those are the best pictures from tonight. And I still have room for more :beer:.
Hairy Green Acro:
Candle Stick Acro:
The galaxea loves where it is:
My birds nest:
I'm tempted to frag this one and reattach it in several places near where it is now.
And still my favorite, my rose BTA:
There are many others in the system but those are the best pictures from tonight. And I still have room for more :beer:.
RocketEngineer
Space is big.
FTS from earlier today:
RocketEngineer
Space is big.
I don't keep GHA on purpose, I just don't kill myself trying to remove every speck of it. And what I do have has been gradually been mowed down over the last few weeks by all the new snails I added a while back. Before the snails, I was removing most of it by hand every week or so which is a PITA but also served as a method of nutrient export. Not the easiest way of dealing with the stuff but I was able to keep it under control.
