The Dream Tank 400 Gallon Display - IN THE WORKS - Input appreciated!!!!
- Thread starter obiwanthegoby
- Start date
Northside Reef
Premium Member
Thanks,
Got the rest of the insulation in and a lot of the wiring in place. The in wall electric heater I was going to use was too wide for the spot I wanted it so I get to take that back.
I'll get some pics up later, I am itching like mad right now
Got the rest of the insulation in and a lot of the wiring in place. The in wall electric heater I was going to use was too wide for the spot I wanted it so I get to take that back.
I'll get some pics up later, I am itching like mad right now
obiwanthegoby
Hair Algae cultivator
Ok,
I am set to make the movements tonight after I get out of my night class. Will probably take several hours to get the old tank drained, cleaned and into the back room. Plumbing the new sump in won't be fun either,... but should be fun.
Had another strike of bad luck this morning. I went down to check on everything before school/work as normal and heard a "non-normal" noise. The skimmer pump was making some unusual sounds and upon investigation I found this .....
I think my pump decided to eat it's seal. I'll be trying to address this tonight as well, well as best as I can. I have emailed Reeflo about it and If I have to I can place my ASM G-3 and the EV-120 into the new sump until I can get it fixed. Although for only having the pump since feb/march I wasn't expecting this. We'll see what Reeflo says.
I am set to make the movements tonight after I get out of my night class. Will probably take several hours to get the old tank drained, cleaned and into the back room. Plumbing the new sump in won't be fun either,... but should be fun.
Had another strike of bad luck this morning. I went down to check on everything before school/work as normal and heard a "non-normal" noise. The skimmer pump was making some unusual sounds and upon investigation I found this .....
I think my pump decided to eat it's seal. I'll be trying to address this tonight as well, well as best as I can. I have emailed Reeflo about it and If I have to I can place my ASM G-3 and the EV-120 into the new sump until I can get it fixed. Although for only having the pump since feb/march I wasn't expecting this. We'll see what Reeflo says.
obiwanthegoby
Hair Algae cultivator
Reeflo sent out new seals for the Skimmer pump, have that finished, skimmer is still not running though because I ran out of salt water during the massive tank move. Mixing up more now to do another huge water change and fill the skimmer.
I have figured out that the aquarium god hates me, I cracked my sump,... a small visual cack (meaning It isnt leaking... I gobbed silicone on the outside of it when it happened.) The crack radiates out from the bulk head for the return pump about an inch.
I promised my daughter a trip to the lake this weekend so the skmmer will have to wait until tomorrow night when we return. I may throw my G-3 or Ev120 in just for peace of mind as it has been skimmer less since Wednesday night. Plan to get the auto top off going in the next little bit and call it quits until I return from the lake. Its been a rough 2 days with little sleep. (this all started at about 9PM wednesday night.)
I will post pictures soon of the next sump in action and the rearranged system/room. Everyone say a prayer to the aquarium god that nothing happens while I'm gone.
Obi
I have figured out that the aquarium god hates me, I cracked my sump,... a small visual cack (meaning It isnt leaking... I gobbed silicone on the outside of it when it happened.) The crack radiates out from the bulk head for the return pump about an inch.
I promised my daughter a trip to the lake this weekend so the skmmer will have to wait until tomorrow night when we return. I may throw my G-3 or Ev120 in just for peace of mind as it has been skimmer less since Wednesday night. Plan to get the auto top off going in the next little bit and call it quits until I return from the lake. Its been a rough 2 days with little sleep. (this all started at about 9PM wednesday night.)
I will post pictures soon of the next sump in action and the rearranged system/room. Everyone say a prayer to the aquarium god that nothing happens while I'm gone.
Obi
melev
Well-known member
The bulkhead may have been overtightened. They should be hand-tightened only, and if you see a drip, maybe a tiny bit more with a wrench. A fraction of a twist.
Or the pump may have caused vibration.
Or the pump isn't aligned and level, flexing the wall of the sump a bit.
This isn't an area discussed much, but is very important to avoid cracking the wall of the sump.
Or the pump may have caused vibration.
Or the pump isn't aligned and level, flexing the wall of the sump a bit.
This isn't an area discussed much, but is very important to avoid cracking the wall of the sump.
JohnnyBassMan
New member
Aquarium God. Lol. Nothing happened while you were gone, he must have been looking after you.
obiwanthegoby
Hair Algae cultivator
Well as an update, still no pictures sorry!, The display and sump have been running flawlessly for over a week now. The "bubble" problem I have had may not be as much as a true bubble problem as I thought. I have made the supreme realization that my calcium reactor media is crap. As the estes material disolves it does so in completely, introducing a sand/mcuk into the water. This has slowly accumulated in the low flow areas of the tank i.E. the sump, bottom of the overflows, and in the skimmeras well as slowly clouding the tank. I have placed the effluent into a 200 micron filter sock and installed them on the overflows of the sump to see the water becomming more clear for the past few days. Ive oredered some schuran style media from Aquatic Ecosystems and am awaiting its arrival.
I have also added 4 fish, a filamented flasher wrasse male (awaiting a group of females), 2 bangaiis and a bi color blenny. Everyone is doing great. I did loose my cleaner shrimp and am not sure why, the fire shrimp on the opposite side of the tank is fine. Will be adding a harem of 7 dispar, bartlett, or ignitus anthias this month. Will post pictures this weekend and I get the 120 gallon fuge online, trying too figure out how to plumb it in well....
Obi
I have also added 4 fish, a filamented flasher wrasse male (awaiting a group of females), 2 bangaiis and a bi color blenny. Everyone is doing great. I did loose my cleaner shrimp and am not sure why, the fire shrimp on the opposite side of the tank is fine. Will be adding a harem of 7 dispar, bartlett, or ignitus anthias this month. Will post pictures this weekend and I get the 120 gallon fuge online, trying too figure out how to plumb it in well....
Obi
obiwanthegoby
Hair Algae cultivator
Swapped out crappy estes media for Jullian sprungs reborn media. compared hagen test kit to salifert KH. Hagen 120 ppm, salifert reads 3.31 meq/l. Im confused... I had used a unit conversion to find that the average range for KH in ppm should be around 140, but at 120 which would be low the salifert kit is reading HIGH. Did I convert wrong, or did I get a faulty salifert kit? It tests good for the control sample included. Calcium read 375ppm. I did a full test last friday, Magnesium, calcium, phosphate, strontium, and alk...wife misplaced the piece of paper i wrote everything on before I could load it in the spreadsheet,... the hunt is still on,....it also had all the readings from the hagen kits that ran out after the test...(comparison between ca and alk for hagen vs. salifert).
Sorry about the lack of pictures Im working on it...just busy.
Also waiting on a price for 9 bartlettes anthias from the lfs.... for addition in the next week or 2.
Obi.
Sorry about the lack of pictures Im working on it...just busy.
Also waiting on a price for 9 bartlettes anthias from the lfs.... for addition in the next week or 2.
Obi.
obiwanthegoby
Hair Algae cultivator
Kinda worried about the quality of the sand that came out of the old tub fuge. Started placing it in the 120 gvallon this morning and that sulfer smell started to come out. It was only in the tub for a month and ahalf oor two and has been in a garbage can for less than 3 weeks.... i think it will be ok.Will fill about 1/2 full of water tonight and let sit until i read zero ammonia niitrite and nitrates. I have quite a bit of live rock that I have quarantined off from the 120 breakdown ready to go in, should I place it dirrectly in or wait for the cycle?
I will also be going to the LFS today, he got in 20 bartlett anthias, Going to look them over and try to get him to hold on to 7 - 9 of them for a week or so to make sure theyre healthy. He also ordered in a mystery wrasse and some purple firefish. Only have 1 quarantine set up though, may have to get him to hold on to one of them (wrasse or firefish) until the quarantine is free....the bartlettes will probably get a dip in transit to the display tank....pictures tommorow I promise
Obi
I will also be going to the LFS today, he got in 20 bartlett anthias, Going to look them over and try to get him to hold on to 7 - 9 of them for a week or so to make sure theyre healthy. He also ordered in a mystery wrasse and some purple firefish. Only have 1 quarantine set up though, may have to get him to hold on to one of them (wrasse or firefish) until the quarantine is free....the bartlettes will probably get a dip in transit to the display tank....pictures tommorow I promise
Obi
melev
Well-known member
When it comes to using used sand, I always recommend that if it has been set up for more than 6 months, you should rinse it out thoroughly. If what you had in storage wasn't provided circulation, that could be a problem as well.
It would be best to wash it out. If you want specifics, let me know.
It would be best to wash it out. If you want specifics, let me know.
colombiano81
New member
Hi there: In these pictures I notice that you have an area of the bottom of your tank that does not have any sand. Did you do this intentionally? Is this what they call a "plenum"? If so, what are the advantages of doing this?
BTW: Awesome thread! I congratulate you!
BTW: Awesome thread! I congratulate you!
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14860904#post14860904 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by obiwanthegoby
Picture up dates... a few more frags... and some hair algae (no pics of the algae sorry guys :lol: )
Havnt had much time to work on the tank as it is the end of the semester and other things have also taken presidence. Hopefully over the break between my this sem. and summer sem (the last one ever WOO HOO!!!) I'll be able to get some straightening up, and some small things done. Still havn't tried to rid the micro bubbles...
obiwanthegoby
Hair Algae cultivator
No this isnt a plenum, it is just where the powerheads are blowing the sand around. Havnt been able to direct them any way to keep this from happening. Still experimented. Thanks for the complements.
obiwanthegoby
Hair Algae cultivator
Melev, plan as of now is to let the sand set up in the 120. Going to place an Ev 120 into the 120 with about 3 or 4 inches of water covering it. Let everything set up while I turn the sand bed over ever other day or so until the stench goes away and everything reads zero. At that point, Ill go ahead and fill the 120 and it's sump and put some of the quarantined LR in. With it being over 200 lbs of sand hauling it upstairs to rinse it and brining it back down would be a pain. Figured with the water changes, circulation, skimming and turning the bed over and stiring for a few weeks it would accomplish the same while cycling as well......what do you think?
Obi
Obi
Get some pods that will reproduce in your tank...the Tigger Pods are good for feeding, but not much else.
LL
obiwanthegoby
Hair Algae cultivator
...and here the cell phone pics are .... (sorry the sony is dead... as always....).....try to get better ones soon.... NOTICE THE BUBBLES ARE STILL PRESENT!!!!!!! ... the cloudiness is gone though...The bubbles are about as bad as when the old sump ran with filter socks. When I run ilter socks in the new sump... bubbles are completely gone though.
Right hand side
Middle
Bi-color blenny backing into his hole
Filamented flasher wrasse,... phones zoom is horrible....
Flasher
Flasher and Bangaii....
/IMAG0162.jpg[/IMG]
Right hand side
Middle
Bi-color blenny backing into his hole
Filamented flasher wrasse,... phones zoom is horrible....
Flasher
Flasher and Bangaii....
/IMAG0162.jpg[/IMG]
obiwanthegoby
Hair Algae cultivator
Couldnt resist he was at the front of the tank right on the glass...
obiwanthegoby
Hair Algae cultivator
New Sump
Tank and sump...
The "waiting tub"....all of the stuff from the 120.
The quarantine full of LR from the 120... killing the pests before placing in the new fuge set up....Will probably have 2 purple fire fish in it tonight also.
The new fuge and where all the work has been going into over the past couple weeks.... can only afford a few minutes at a time with a wife3 weeks from giving birth to my baby girl, school... and work...
The fuge is being filled with RO water right now... should be filled by sunday... am going to try and plumb everything in in the morning.
AND I RINSED AS MELEV SUGGESTED! carrying 200+ lbs of sand up two flights of stairs to the rarely used bath tub and then back down is hard work... and back breaking... took 7 or so trips with a 5 gallon bucket...
New media in the reactor...
couple more tank shots....
Calcium was 390 last night and alk. was 3.9 meq/l. Did a 45 gallon water change today as well. 10 gallons from the tank into the QT tank and 35 changed from the DT into the holding tub.
Overall I think the tank is coming together nicely despite spending a lot of time doing things differently than planned. Don't have as much time as I would like to spend down there so things can get finished, but that's life. Going to take off to the LFS to pick up the 9 Bartlett's, 3 cleaner shrimp (the one from the 120 died about a week after introduction... the fire shrimp is still kicking though.), also will probably purchase two purple fire fish. He ordered in a mystery wrasse for a good price but I am still contemplating him... heard they get kind of rough with some of the other fish that will be in my DT.
~obi
Tank and sump...
The "waiting tub"....all of the stuff from the 120.
The quarantine full of LR from the 120... killing the pests before placing in the new fuge set up....Will probably have 2 purple fire fish in it tonight also.
The new fuge and where all the work has been going into over the past couple weeks.... can only afford a few minutes at a time with a wife3 weeks from giving birth to my baby girl, school... and work...
The fuge is being filled with RO water right now... should be filled by sunday... am going to try and plumb everything in in the morning.
AND I RINSED AS MELEV SUGGESTED! carrying 200+ lbs of sand up two flights of stairs to the rarely used bath tub and then back down is hard work... and back breaking... took 7 or so trips with a 5 gallon bucket...
New media in the reactor...
couple more tank shots....
Calcium was 390 last night and alk. was 3.9 meq/l. Did a 45 gallon water change today as well. 10 gallons from the tank into the QT tank and 35 changed from the DT into the holding tub.
Overall I think the tank is coming together nicely despite spending a lot of time doing things differently than planned. Don't have as much time as I would like to spend down there so things can get finished, but that's life. Going to take off to the LFS to pick up the 9 Bartlett's, 3 cleaner shrimp (the one from the 120 died about a week after introduction... the fire shrimp is still kicking though.), also will probably purchase two purple fire fish. He ordered in a mystery wrasse for a good price but I am still contemplating him... heard they get kind of rough with some of the other fish that will be in my DT.
~obi
