Sinistard's 68.8 Acrylic Tank Journal [Photo Intense]

[Kinetic]

Read all the pages, this is really going to help my project out as well.

A couple of comments / questions:

1. You mentioned an ATO before. Have you decided what to do? I've been messing with ATO's for awhile now, and came to some conclusions: a) if you have just enough water in your ATO so that it will NOT flood your sump, you should be ok. A container just small enough to drain clean without overflowing your system will be good. Problem is the pump runs dry. Or if you use siphon / gravity fed you're safe there. This means you'll also need to fill up the resevoir more or less often depending on the size. b) i've grown to love reef fanatic level controllers. It's a 2 sensor system, and I use one to sense level of the water in the sump, and then the second higher up to detect if the one below got stuck. Weekly checks of these sensors should be good. It has never failed me, except when a piece of carbon (who knows) got lodged in one, but the safety sensor saved me, as well as the resevoir running dry. I used a TOM aqualifter which didn't burn out either. So with these 2 safeties, you should be ok. c) you can place the safety sensor in the resevoir with the topoff water, so when it is empty, your pump will turn off. This is also good if your resevoir is again small enough to not overflow your system.

2. I see that your fuge drains into your sump. Won't this create more micro bubbles? How are you battling this? I know the trigger systems has bubble traps, but once it overflows into the sump, new microbubbles will appear. Or is this not true?

3. My basement is huge, it's the exact footprint of my house, and it's very well ventilated by fans (I have a little office down there) etc. Do you think it will be ok humidity wise? My house is a 3 room house, and again, the basement is the entirety of the footprint of the house.

4. How much was that rubbermaid 100g? Where did you buy it from? I'm considering that, though my water changes will have to be HUGE. I may go with something like 50 gallons or smaller.

5. Your AquaC is a good skimmer, but very undersized for your system, that's for sure. I just bought myself an ASM G3, which isn't too expensive. They are clones of EuroReef which are very good, and I think they perform pretty well too. Maybe you've addressed this already and I've missed it.

6. Is that the sequence dart you have for the closed loop still? On your replies in my thread you didn't mention if you were still using it.

that's all for now, looks sweet!

 

[ga_reefer_guy]

Sinistard nice set-up I hope I can manage to do as well with my set-up as yours.

 

[Sinistard]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6656902#post6656902 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ga_reefer_guy
Sinistard nice set-up I hope I can manage to do as well with my set-up as yours.

Thanks

 

[Sinistard]

koden

1.

I have not figured out my top off system yet. I would like to have it as automated as I can (not have to fill a reservoir every few days). This is what I have come up with in my head, I don't know if it will work or not.

I will have a small reservoir above the sump to use as a safety tank. Maybe 5 gallons. I will have my RO system drain into the 5 gallon though a float valve to keep the 5 gallon tank full. I will also put a Silenoid on the line coming in from the RO system controlled by a float switch located in the bottom of the 5 gallon tank so if the 5 gallon tank emptys, water from the RO will be shut off via the silenoid.

I will have a line going from the 5 gallon tank to the sump with a Solenoid on it controlled by a double float switch, like the ones on www.autotopoff.com

With every functioning normaly the reservoir will stay full and the sump will be at the level of the bottom switch. If the bottom switch fails water will drain from the reservoir and when the reservoir emptys the float switch located in the bottom of the reservoir will shut off the RO line effectivly only allowing 5 gallons at the most to drain into the sump. If the float switch in the reservoir happens to fail at the same time the bottom switch in the sump fails the top switch in the sump will turn off the water coming in. The RO will then be shut off by the float valve keeping the 5 gallon from overflowing. I can add a drain above the float value so if it fails the RO water will drain into a drain in my basement floor not just all over the floor.

This way there will be 3 levels of "safety"

I hope that all makes since, I will make a diagram later.

I am not familiar with the workings of the silenoids or the float switchs so I don't know if this plan will work or not but I think it will. One question I had is if power fails do the Silenoids close? Also can you submerge a float switch and use it like I plan to, closing a silenoid when the water level drops?

If anyone has any comments or if there are any flaws in this set up let me know.

2.

The flow though my fuge is very slow so micro bubble is not really a problem. The sump is big enough that any bubble caused by drain float to the top before they can get sucked in by the return pump.

3.

I am not sure on the humidity thing, maybe someone else with more experiance will chime in.

4.

The rubbermaid 100g was around 60 dollars and I got it at The Tractor Suppy Store.

I will never have the tub full. I will run it around half to three quarters full so 50-75 gallons. I figure the more water volume the better.

5.

I am selling the AquaC and getting something bigger. I think I am getting a Geo skimmer. www.calciumreactor.homestead.com.

He is local and makes a very good product from what I have read. It will probably be over kill but better to much then not enough.

6.

I am still using the dart and I think it will end up being ok but time will tell on that. I ended up getting around the same flow from it that I was getting from my panworld.

 

[Kinetic]

Thanks for the answers!

I may consider going with a different pump other than my DART then. It sounds so underpowered for what it is. With the money I can get from the DART, I could get a more powerful pump... any suggestions?

 

[MacnReef]

Holy cow!!!! GREAT JOB!!!

Can't wait to see that thing running...gotta join this thread.

Mike

 

[gmatt]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6607125#post6607125 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Sinistard
I got some work done on my "hood"

Here is the frame of the hood. I plan to stick the crown molding on the bottom.

[I added a 2x2 to both end on the inside of the hood and cut 2 pieces of angle aluminum that sit on the 2x2s.

Next I cut 2 pieces of 2" flat aluminum to use as plates for the 2 aqua-medic pendents. I drilled holes to match the mounting holes on the pendents, the spacing was different on the 2 pendents. I used machined #10-32 1" screws that fit in the holes for the hanging kit that come with the pendents, matching nuts, #10 washers and 1/4 lock washers to connect the plates to the lights
Here is the arrangement of washers and nuts that I used.

I stuck the 3 washers under the plate as spacers and the nut, washer and lock washer above the plate to lock the screw in place. Basically I screwed the screw in around 1/3 inch careful not to bottom it out and then tightened the nut while holding the screw in place. The nut and lock washer will keep the screw from coming loose.

The plate slides in between the 2 pieces of angle aluminum. This way I will be able to slide the lights left and right easily.

Once I get the lights where I want them as far as front to back I will stick screw though the angle aluminum into the 2x2s. This will keep the plates for falling out of the channels.

Next I need to add the crown molding and the hinge. For now I plan to keep the top open. Eventually I plan to add a couple t-5 lights to the hood.

Another great Idea!!!! for me to borrow, yeah ok, steal LOL.
I like it.

Thanks

 

[rjwilson37]

Great topoff information Sinistard, thanks as I have been looking for something.

 

[ga_reefer_guy]

Sinistard which Panworld are you using for your CL?

 

[Sinistard]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6659010#post6659010 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MacnReef
Holy cow!!!! GREAT JOB!!!

Can't wait to see that thing running...gotta join this thread.

Mike

Thanks, I can't wait either

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6659334#post6659334 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gmatt
Another great Idea!!!! for me to borrow, yeah ok, steal LOL.
I like it.

Thanks

Thanks, if you have any questions about the set up let me know.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6659884#post6659884 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rjwilson37
Great topoff information Sinistard, thanks as I have been looking for something.

Thanks you but keep in mind this is just an "idea" for a ATO it has not been tested (by me anyways). It makes since in my head and I hope it works but we will see. I don't know if anyone else had tried something like this.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6665226#post6665226 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ga_reefer_guy
Sinistard which Panworld are you using for your CL?

It's a PS200

http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merc...&Product_Code=PW-200PS&Category_Code=Panworld

 

[Kinetic]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6665866#post6665866 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Sinistard
It's a PS200

http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merc...&Product_Code=PW-200PS&Category_Code=Panworld

isn't the panworld for your return, not CL?

 

[Sinistard]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6666017#post6666017 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by koden
isn't the panworld for your return, not CL?

Sorry, koden is right the panworld is my return pump and the dart is my CL pump. I did not read the whole question.

 

[Sinistard]

I'm still finishing my hood so I figured I would post a few pictures of the tuned overflow.

Here is what it looks like in the overflow box.

The one in the middle is the 1.5" main overflow that splits in the basement then goes into the fuge and the sump.

The ones on the left and right are the emergency overflows. If the main overflow gets clogged for any reason water will raise and go though the 2 1" pipes. I added the second one to handle the amount of water that my pan world was returning. I'm guessing around 1200gph

I have not finished the plumbing on the second e-drain so I have not been able to test it yet.

The height of the water in the overflow will be just below the overflow teeth minimizing the noise created by water splashing.

This type of overflow is very quiet, the only noise I here is the occasional splash of water in the overflow.

I thought about making one of the 1" pipes a bit higher and have it drain into a bucket that has a sensor in it to turn off the return pump and/or to make a buzzing sound to warn me that I have a good sized clog in the main overflow.

The bucket would then overflow into the sump so if it happened while I was gone I would not end up draining the tank.

 

[Kinetic]

are these overflows comprable to a stockman standpipe configuration? does it reduce the noise?

 

[Sinistard]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6680154#post6680154 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by koden
are these overflows comprable to a stockman standpipe configuration? does it reduce the noise?

They are not the same as a stockman standpipe. I had a durso standpipe (similar to stockman) set up and it made a lot of running water noise and I got a lot of bubbles in my sump.

Here is a post from a few pages back where rdmpe recommended the silent overflow that I now have set up.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6180859#post6180859 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rdmpe
I think your bubble issue will be even worse with saltwater. Freshwater doesn't hold the bubbles nearly as long afaik.

This drain setup doesn't generate any bubbles or noise
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=344892 but you have to have a second drain hole available as an emergency drain in case you have a clog.

 

[Sinistard]

oops

 

[Sinistard]

I have everything done upstairs now. I plumbed the last emergency overflow and got the hood painted and mounted.

Here is a picture of the whole thing. I need to move the rug over around 2 inches and level out the stand before I add water.

Here is under the tank.

I put in one of the American DJ power strips under the tank and ran power cords (home made extention cords) to the basement that connect to the 2 pumps and the 2 MH ballasts. This way I will be able to turn off the pumps and lights from upstairs and I will not have to run downstairs every time I want to feed the tank or need to have the lights off for any reason. I ran the ballasts to the basement because the were kind of loud.

I also ran a GFCI outlet to connect the American DJ strip to. It's mounted on the stand behind the strip.


And a picture of the hood. It's on a hinge for easy access to tank. Now I just need to figure out a good way to prop it up while I am working in the tank.

That's it for now, I need to let the PCV glue dry then I will be able to run my last leak/flow tests. After the tests I can start adding RO water to the system which will take a while, my RO is only 25 gpd.

 

[Kinetic]

25gpd! hehe =) nice! Why not just tap water run it first and then drain?

 

[melev]

That is really looking like a sweet setup. That plumbing is crazy, and anyone visiting will just roll their eyes in confusion. :spin2:

What did those light fixtures cost again, with what wattage? I really love their streamlined look.

 

[alten78]

that light setup is awesome, i have that same fixture (aquamedic ocean light) and was looking to mount it and another to a hood.

Got mine for about $250 for the 250w