Ted_C's 150 Gallon Frag / Quarantine Build
- Thread starter Ted_C
- Start date
snake1
Premium Member
I have never done this for my fish tank but at work I always bend PVC with a heat gun or heatbox it turns PVC into a wet noodle and then you just shape it until it cools and then it stays permently...with that being said it would make better flow I.e. no couplings or 90s or 45s or glue joints to fail
Ted_C's 150 Gallon Frag / Quarantine Build
Flex PVC. Same stuff they use for spas. I think the Depot sells 2" so you would have to use a reducer or order it online. This company is great, but they're on the other side of the country so shipping takes a little longer.
http://flexpvc.com/PipeVsHose.shtml
Flex PVC. Same stuff they use for spas. I think the Depot sells 2" so you would have to use a reducer or order it online. This company is great, but they're on the other side of the country so shipping takes a little longer.
http://flexpvc.com/PipeVsHose.shtml
Last edited:
Ted_C
Active member
Thanks Guys.
After looking at what I'm working with - I don't think I can bend the PVC and get it to work in the sump to flow the standpipes into the filter socks below the water level.
The standpipes come down into a threaded bulkhead, then a street 90 (which I've cut down considerably) redirects the flow into the filter socks.
Even if I were to be able to bend PVC or buy flex PVC - I wouldn't be able to unscrew it from the bulkhead as it needs to make an almost 90 degree turn to get into the filter sock. If I can't unscrew it - I cant remove the filter socks.
After looking at what I'm working with - I don't think I can bend the PVC and get it to work in the sump to flow the standpipes into the filter socks below the water level.
The standpipes come down into a threaded bulkhead, then a street 90 (which I've cut down considerably) redirects the flow into the filter socks.
Even if I were to be able to bend PVC or buy flex PVC - I wouldn't be able to unscrew it from the bulkhead as it needs to make an almost 90 degree turn to get into the filter sock. If I can't unscrew it - I cant remove the filter socks.
Ted_C
Active member
So I've been running now for 22 days. I haven't been testing anything for the cycle (Nitrates, Ammonia, etc.) as I figured my diatom bloom would tell me when I was coming out of it. Unfortunately, I don't think I have anything in the tank for the diatoms to start up or to feed off of. I started with dry sand, dry biomedia blocks and it's been so hot - the windows have remained closed up. Also, the Spectrapure UHE may have stripped the silicates from the water (as it's intended to do) so much that I have no silicates for them to feed off of.
The original two shrimp disappeared and I removed and replaced the filter socks once. I put another in and have been occasionally ghost feeding pellets.
Updates since the last pic:
Added lots of PVC for habitat hiding.
Added a Maxspect Gyre 150.
Added an Avast ATO system w/ kalk stirrer (no Kalk added yet)
I didn't like the flow characteristics of the maxspect Gyre and the top level of my frag racks - so I cut the top level off.
I'm still having troubles with the maxspect gyre, the dual overflows and the nature of the oceanic bracing - it's pushing water above the bracing which then causes problems in my lighting. Maybe I'm just pushing too much water with the Gyre
I also had trouble with the maxspect in Gyre mode (Forward / Backward flow) - I couldn't tune the overflows - one would be sucking air while the other one would be well over the standpipe. Then it'd switch and I'd have the same problem on the other side.
Added 100 small frag plugs and 100 large discs (Ocean wonders Araganite) - the pH shot up by 0.5 (from 7.3 to around 7.8) when I did this. The plan here is - when I start buying frags - I will use my own frag plugs and cut the corals and remount them (along with dips of Bayer and Pro Coral Cure - this is to avoid some of the common pitfalls of transferring pests.
I also took off the strainers for the Open Channel standpipe and installed a coupling instead. This allows me to raise the water level in the overflows and eliminate the waterfall noises.
Still to do:
Get a table saw and some dado blade sets so I can rebuild the canopy.
Install screen tops (using 1/4" Pond Netting from Drs Foster and Smith)
Make a "funnel" for the Neptune Apex Auto-feeder so the pellets will drop into the funnel and sink instead of going over the overflows.
The original two shrimp disappeared and I removed and replaced the filter socks once. I put another in and have been occasionally ghost feeding pellets.
Updates since the last pic:
Added lots of PVC for habitat hiding.
Added a Maxspect Gyre 150.
Added an Avast ATO system w/ kalk stirrer (no Kalk added yet)
I didn't like the flow characteristics of the maxspect Gyre and the top level of my frag racks - so I cut the top level off.
I'm still having troubles with the maxspect gyre, the dual overflows and the nature of the oceanic bracing - it's pushing water above the bracing which then causes problems in my lighting. Maybe I'm just pushing too much water with the Gyre
I also had trouble with the maxspect in Gyre mode (Forward / Backward flow) - I couldn't tune the overflows - one would be sucking air while the other one would be well over the standpipe. Then it'd switch and I'd have the same problem on the other side.
Added 100 small frag plugs and 100 large discs (Ocean wonders Araganite) - the pH shot up by 0.5 (from 7.3 to around 7.8) when I did this. The plan here is - when I start buying frags - I will use my own frag plugs and cut the corals and remount them (along with dips of Bayer and Pro Coral Cure - this is to avoid some of the common pitfalls of transferring pests.
I also took off the strainers for the Open Channel standpipe and installed a coupling instead. This allows me to raise the water level in the overflows and eliminate the waterfall noises.
Still to do:
Get a table saw and some dado blade sets so I can rebuild the canopy.
Install screen tops (using 1/4" Pond Netting from Drs Foster and Smith)
Make a "funnel" for the Neptune Apex Auto-feeder so the pellets will drop into the funnel and sink instead of going over the overflows.
gambitcobra
New member
now that is one super clean setup
Ted_C
Active member
well - very weird story here.
I seem to have skipped the diatoms and the green hair algae in my cycle. I went straight to Cyanobacteria or red slime.
That is slowly running it's course (changing filter socks daily, lowered the red output on my LEDs to something like 4% maximum (running the lamps at 40% total intensity and lowered reds to 10% Maximum intensity).
I learned my lesson last time with the 120 - I will not use chemiclean or any other method to clean up the cyano. I'll just let it run it's course.
Currently have two ocellaris, two Fire fish (one red one purple) and two neon gobies and 4 hermits.
I did loose a royal flasher wrasse - I think it was due to habitat (it didn't like any of the hiding places I set up for it). Or it could be I have a reputation amongst the wrasses. They see me coming and they know me and say - nope - we wont live in this guy's tank (haha).
I seem to have skipped the diatoms and the green hair algae in my cycle. I went straight to Cyanobacteria or red slime.
That is slowly running it's course (changing filter socks daily, lowered the red output on my LEDs to something like 4% maximum (running the lamps at 40% total intensity and lowered reds to 10% Maximum intensity).
I learned my lesson last time with the 120 - I will not use chemiclean or any other method to clean up the cyano. I'll just let it run it's course.
Currently have two ocellaris, two Fire fish (one red one purple) and two neon gobies and 4 hermits.
I did loose a royal flasher wrasse - I think it was due to habitat (it didn't like any of the hiding places I set up for it). Or it could be I have a reputation amongst the wrasses. They see me coming and they know me and say - nope - we wont live in this guy's tank (haha).
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