small farm

[romanr]

Knee surgery has really slowed this project down but I finally took some pics with my phone of my new RBTA grow room. I've closed in 1/2 my garage for this project and the rough specs are below. If my knee starts to get better I hope to start plumbing and adding water in the next couple of weeks. The project will run around $5K and about $1.5K of that was for building supplies.

650 gallons total water (3 200g tanks + 50g sump)
Oct. DW-250 skimmer.
10K BTU A/C for maintaining temp
RO/DI filtration unit
Koralia 4's for circulation
Quiet One 6000 for return pump
800 gph U-tube overflows
400W Hellolights retro's over each tank
Anti-flood float switches in each tank
Sink
1500VA UPS for power backup, Marine Battery w/ inverter, and generator
200 LB of homemade live rock (unlit in sump for bio filtration/pod production)

 

[BigRick08]

looks like a great start, keep us posted. Sorry t hear about your knee

 

[Jeff]

Looking good

 

[tangwang]

Nice little setup. The only problem I see is the AC. It probably won't last very long in its current location

 

[romanr]

Didn't have too many options with the AC. It needed to be close enough so that I can easily change the filter and out of the way of the lights. I'll be sure to minimize any splashing around the unit.

 

[romanr]

Well, your AC suggestion got me thinking and I decided to play around with the configuration to see if something else was possible. My original drawings didn't have anything else as a possibility but now that the room is built and I can actually move things around it looks like another setup is probably more practical. What do you think?

 

[romanr]

Anthony Calfo suggested I put some plastic/vinyl "splash board" wherever the tubs touch up against drywall to keep splashes/salt spray from ruining the drywall.

 

[romanr]

Update:
I got hit with 2 things which set me back a lot with my project. I had knee surgery and 2 weeks later had an MS attack of vertigo and other MS symptoms which kept me out of work/commission for a month or so. I'm still not 100% but good enough to work and get going on my project. I am hoping to have everything done by the end of this Labor Day weekend. I really just have to wait on my tanks to fill up with my 50 GPD RO/DI unit and connect all the plumbing. I will then cycle for a couple of weeks with the aide of some Marineland BIO-Spira and some fish (probably Blue-Green Chromis). After then I will other my pods, hermits and anemones. I have decided to probably just put my anemones on the naked tank bottom but if that doesn't yield good results then I will explore other options.

 

[castor]

at a propagation presentation with calfo he said it is best to line bta grow tanks with that fake grass stuff they use for patios, they can't stick to it very well and pull right off. If you leave them to attach to the flat plastic you risk ripping their foot to get them off. Ask him, he's the one that said it.

 

[redox]

I know Im the one always talking about rust, but I had to mention to you the wheels on those rubbermaids need to be sprayed with some kind of corrosion prevention spray. They will sieze up and youll be draging it instead of pushing it. Just curious why you are using that type of overspill? why not bulkheads. Id hate to see a siphon break

 

[romanr]

A siphon break shouldn't cause any problems because of emergency float switches on each tank. At first I was going to drill those bad boys and it would have been cheaper than the float switches/overflows. What made me decide against it was the particular construction of the tanks. I will take your advice on the wheels. What do you spray the wheels with, WD-40?

 

[Kentanner11]

Hey your set-up looks great! One question if you need to replace your water heater can/will it fit inbetween your tanks?
Oh and where did you get those tanks at?

 

[romanr]

The water heater and access to attic space above garage are "issues" which would require the emptying of one tank. I thought about this and it gives me heartburn but space/money dealt me what I have. I figure I could empty one of the 200G tanks via siphon into 44G Brutes and place the critters in another tank for the emergency procedure. Yes it would be a project to do this but lets hope that this won't be needed anytime soon!

 

[Kentanner11]

yea really!

 

[romanr]

The tanks are "Big Box" palettes. They are food grade and made to hold liquids, etc. I got mine from www.marinecenter.com but they just had some extra ones they had to clear out. Here is another source.

http://www.tedthorsen.com/itemgroup.aspx?category_id=70507&msg=1

 

[Kentanner11]

Cool thanks!

 

[redox]

either triflow or CRC heavy duty corrosion inhibitor(seals out moisture/resist salt spray)I see there are limited areas for drilling bulkheads but that is a technicality that is easily overcome with a 2" bulk head in the side coupled with a 2'sweep 90% to a 2"/4" coupler and a 4" overspill cut to length to whatever the desired depth is and dont forget emergency float switches are electrical, yikes salt corrosion. That CRC product I recommended can be sprayed dirrectly on curcuit boards.

 

[Treeman]

I would put more plastic on the walls. It is amazing how far the salt spray can go.

I have fans on my sumps. They don't last more than a few months with the salt humidity. Evewrything in the area with metal or electric needs to be sprayed or waterproofed.

 

[redox]

Hey Treeman I was discussing the same thing on a different thread and for some reason the person thinks he is ruled out from salt corrosion. I guess he will eventually figure it out

 

[Treeman]

Yes, he will figure it out sometime. Even things that are made for it. I am continually amazed at how bad it is. You think you have it out of the way and something is corroded in a month. I have some Heat Pumps that are designed for the enviroment, You can't have it outside in the rain so you have to have it in the GH. It is vented outside and the GH is open sided to clear the heat out. Sometimes the controllers corrode in less than 6 months.