Triple-S Fish Ranch - 1700gal 164” x 48” x 56” SPS peninsula build

[rbarn]

Sorry for my electrical illiteracy, but that converter puts out 230V. Is that to two separate outlets at 115V each?

Dave.M

Kind of. You have 2 hot wires in 230v circuit. The pump he has is 230v pump.


On the 50 hertz that's a good catch. I think this is the the right one, but seems over kill.
http://www.tripplite.com/sku/APSX6048VRNET/

Little more research should find a 1000 to 2000 watt pure sine wave auto switching inverter charger that is compatible with the pump. Few calls to Pentair and Tripp-lite tech lines would be good idea

 

[prickles]

Got most of the perimeter plumbing installed, allowing me to move the reservoirs back into position. One observation from this: if you like nice neat straight lines in your plumbing, don't order 20' lengths of schedule 80 from a commercial construction supplier. This was the most warped, beat up and generally homely pipe I've seen. I'm pretty sure my blood pressure went up several points and/or I'm talking to myself even more than I used to after fighting to get 160' of it on the walls in somewhat straight lays. It boiled down to a laser level, pipe clamps, and brute force. I'm doubly glad I had the walls backed with plywood to allow for strong clamp mounts anywhere and everywhere.

Perimeter Plumbing Started
The especially crooked bits at the ends will be straightened out with additional clamps after the termination fittings are attached. A base cabinet with counter top will be installed on the right wall to hold all reactors and potentially a cryptic zone tank or refugium.

RO/DI and Salt Mixing Tanks
As a reminder, the small cone bottom tank is where I'll dump in the dry salt. This is to save me from having to schlep 60 pound buckets of salt up a ladder to pour into the 6" wide top opening of the saltwater reservoir. Instead, I will dump the salt bucket into the lower, wide-mouth cone tank in the middle, turn the valve below the cone to allow water to flow up into the mixing tank, then turn on the high power pump to draw the salt slurry and pump it up into the main reservoir through an eductor.

Unglued Prototype of Water Change Tank Plumbing
Starting trying to work out how the plumbing will work for the mixing station.

Things are going to be very tight, as this photo has only the pumps for the saltwater side. Plan calls for 2 pumps on each reservoir: one high power and one low power: high power will be used for mixing and for transport from RO -> Salt reservoir, low power to feed the UV reactor on each reservoir. Reason for the separate pumps is to reduce power usage and noise. Only the low power pumps will run continuously.

I wish I felt more confident that this will work as planned. I have a concern that the head pressure of the main reservoir tank will overcome the suction of the mixing pump: in other words, when I turn on the mixing pump, instead of drawing the slurry in and draining the cone bottom tank, it will just recirculate the main reservoir while the cone tank continues to fill and overflow. If this happens I will have to find a way to fit in another valve between reservoir and mixing pump, before the cone bottom input.

Paul,

Beautiful everything and nice work! I have read your thread start to finish and gotten a lot of great ideas and inspiration.

I was hoping you could give me some feedback. I am planning a mixing station like yours. What would you change and how well does it work?

thanks!

 

[pmrogers]

Hit menu, down to priming, select, select again, down to disabled, then enter you should be set.

Thanks for the pointer, timkatz71!

Paul,

Beautiful everything and nice work! I have read your thread start to finish and gotten a lot of great ideas and inspiration.

I was hoping you could give me some feedback. I am planning a mixing station like yours. What would you change and how well does it work?

Thanks for the kind words, pickles. I'll have to report back on the salt mixing station after I get the system up and running. Haven't yet used it.

I really like your decorating in the room outside the fishroom. It reminds me of the wood paneling in the Hearst Castle. Especially the ceilings. Really beautiful. :thumbsup: It would be really cool to see LARGE soft corals moving around in a tank like this. Would be like sponges and other soft corals in a shallow surf zone...
Daniel

Thanks, Daniel!

I also really like large soft corals. We had a nearly 3' diameter tree coral in the 750 that looked amazing in the current. No softies in this new tank, though, until all of the SPS are established and happy. I initially ran the 750 as a 50/50 mixed reef, and about 3 years in the soft corals started taking off and the SPS started declining. The standard water parameters tested fine so I thought it might be chemical warfare. Perhaps about 18 months into this tank I will mix in a few select soft corals and make sure they never become more than about 10% of the coral volume in the system.

this is the most amazing thing i have come along in a long time, im glad i get to fallow your build! wish i lived in taxes so i could see it and pick your brain, i love your methodical cleanliness and work it makes it look top to bottom amazing! thanks for sharing your build! how long till the house is complete? it looks amazing aswell

Thanks for joining the thread, midwestsalt! House is complete now, just pool and related landscaping left to go-- hoping to finish those up by end of year.

i would like your life... wow this is amazing... i cant imagine the magnitude of planning and stuff you have had to go through for this so far.

Are you doing this all yourself as far as plumbing and rock work?
I know i skipped some pages but what skimmer are you using? Are you using a controller?
Whats been your favorite part of this build so far?

Thanks so much, tidus10! I've been doing the plumbing and equipment electrical myself. Timfish helped a ton with the rock work and custom acrylic work, and professionals have done all of the construction and in-wall electrical.

The skimmer is an MRC IS-2492-W. The controller is an Apex. Hard to pick a favorite part-- I enjoy the entire process.

The is a dream tank and a awesome thread! Thank you for sharing. Very well thought out build, love your home and your wife must be pretty cool too! What other hobbies do you have? Watches, cars, boats... I'm sure you do it big whatever it may be

Thank you, Dmorty217! Too many hobbies -- aquarium, cars, and piano are the ones that occupy the most of my time.

What stuff did you use to spray the powerheads with? Is it safe since they will be in the water like that?

Nothing is sprayed on the powerheads. Perhaps you are seeing the remnants of calcareous algae on the Tunze 6305?

Here's one way to fix this.......

Install a Tripp-Lite 230V pure-sine wave inverter/charger between the pump. . .

and like others said, you should be able to turn off the self priming at start up feature. I would still recommend the inverter though, that way you never lose circulation even for short bit of time while waiting for gen to kick on.

Thanks as always, rbarn. If turning off the priming mode doesn't work I'll probably just go with a large true sinewave UPS for the simplicity of install. The media room equipment is on a couple of 20kW 240v Tripplites, so I know they do make units large enough.

The beauty of the house and the tank... Wow! Turned out beautiful. Love how everything complements each other as well.

Amazing build! Following along

Wow just wow. Told my wife that I was planning the next upgrade and it required cranes and she thought I was crazy. Then I showed her this thread and said we of course need to win the lottery first. Amazing work, amazing thread and can't wait to see what's next. Thank you for including all of us.

I have read from page 1 and I am truly amazed by this build. I would pay to see this. My hat is off to you and your dedication and hard work. The end result will be truly amazing. Subscribed.

Following along as well, I am blown away by this build!

Steelen, ReEfErAdDiCt86, Aaeolien, Reeferz412, firstlight10, thank you so much for joining the thread and for the kind words.

 

[scubadan206]

I have been reading about how some soft corals and sponges actually process wastes to be consumed by other corals. Some softies live on nitrates and phosphates, so you can feed other things more and not have as many problems with dirty water. Sponges also filter out any organics in the water and process it into food other corals eat. I will put some of these in my future large sump and use it like a benthic refugium of sorts. Most of these types prefer to be in low light just like bacteria. Some also grow quickly and could supply a food source for non reef-safe fish like angels and butterfly fish. Keep up the good work.
Daniel :wildone:

 

[Dmorty217]

Would love to see some more pics of progress and , well anything to do with this entire build. Have you tried out the HydroWizard yet, it looks like it will move some serious water in your tank!

 

[Oldude]

Fantastic build - Subscribed!
I am really interested in your salt slurry idea and mixing station. I am trying to figure out a way to automate mine.

 

[maxxII]

Forgive me if this has already been asked and answered as I’m only on page 17 of this thread and you posted this back on 12-15-2013 (Post 394):

UV for RO/DI
First of 2. Second UV will go on the saltwater reservoir

But why are you running UV on your RODi?

I get running it on your system itself, but I’ve never heard of anyone running it on their RODi set up and curious as to the rationale. Your system is very well planned out and I’ve been paying attention to how much you consider things before acting, so I can only assume there is a valid reason….I just don’t know what it is…

Thanks for sharing your home and your set up with us all.

ETA - Disregard the question. It was asked and answered on Page 18.

However as a follow on question, do you have a regimen for cleaning out your RODi and ASW mixing/holding tanks to prevent further possible bacterial outbreaks like you suspect you had previously?

 

[zachhll]

What kind of flow meter is that on the uv filter and where do you get them I've been looking for one for the same purpose

 

[Chrisrush]

Premium aquatics had them for sale a while ago on clearance. Not sure if any of the other retailers still carry them.

 

[pmrogers]

Would love to see some more pics of progress and , well anything to do with this entire build. Have you tried out the HydroWizard yet, it looks like it will move some serious water in your tank!

So far, just a quick test of the HydroWizard in the sump to make sure it was working. It was mounted on the long side, firing across the 32" width. I can confidently report that it would be more than sufficient for a 32" wide tank

Fantastic build - Subscribed!
I am really interested in your salt slurry idea and mixing station. I am trying to figure out a way to automate mine.

Thanks Oldude! I was hoping to test salt mixing this weekend but had too many issues with leaks to quite finish off the mixing station.

However as a follow on question, do you have a regimen for cleaning out your RODi and ASW mixing/holding tanks to prevent further possible bacterial outbreaks like you suspect you had previously?

Thanks for joining the thread, maxxII! No set regimen. I may flush the reservoirs with bleach once every few years if they seem to need it.

What kind of flow meter is that on the uv filter and where do you get them I've been looking for one for the same purpose

It is a TOM Aquarium flow meter from Drs. Foster and Smith, though they don't seem to carry it any more. In a quick google search I can't find anyone reputable that carries it. Between that and the Premium Aquatics clearance, I hope this doesn't mean it was discontinued because it doesn't work or fails rapidly!

 

[pmrogers]

April Update

April Update

Minimal progress over the last month due to work travel and weekend family activities.

Since the last update:

• In-wall plumbing and electrical for coral QT
• Finished output side of mixing station plumbing
• Leak testing for reservoirs
• Leak fixes
• Started on auto water change master panel

As I got serious about the island coral tank setup I realized that the plumbing and electrical for it was going to be too unsightly and bulky to run up the wall. The wall is directly in line of sight as you look into the fish room from the garage, and the walkway between tank and wall is only 2' wide at that point. So, time to tear out the FRP and cut some drywall.


In-wall lines:
Three 3/4" pipes, two 1/4" water lines, one 50' Apex cable, three switch lines, 6 high power electrical lines for lighting. These run from underneath the tank, through a floor chase to the wall, up the wall, above the drop ceiling. Once in the ceiling, lines run to the 4-tank fish QT rack, to the sink drain, and to the sump wall.

Leak Testing
Disconnected the black RO/DI reservoir and pulled it out of the corner to perform a leak test with the float switch bulkheads visible (the 2" unseals at the top and bottom). Didn't want any slow leaks going unseen in the corner.

Turns out I didn't need to worry about slow leaks. With about 6" of test water in the tank, I see this in the lower float switch holder:

Yep, no _slow_ leaks. This was pretty much a steady flow. After patching around the leak with JB Weld, started refilling. Made it up to about 60"' of water height before a slow drip started around the float switch washer. At this point I decided to just plug the entire 2" switch holder with silicone. Will test again after it has the week to dry.

Also had leaks around the 2" bulkhead that came preinstalled from the manufacturer, on both the black reservoir and white reservoir. The bulkheads proper were just fine, but where I screwed in my first fitting was leaking. Counting the Pentair pump on the sump, 4 of the 4 threaded 2" connections on which I used the Lowes heavy duty gray teflon tape have leaked. Pulled all 4 fittings, removed the tape and slathered silicone on the threads. No more teflon tape on 2" fittings for me.

Behind the Black Reservoir
A peak at the area behind the RO/DI reservoir. Lines on left wall (bottom to top):

• (1.5" pvc on floor) - intake lines for high- and low-power recirc pumps
• 3/4" line from salt reservoir to QT tanks
• Chase for electrical from black reservoir pumps to Apex power bar and manually switched power bar mounted midway up the wall on the right side of the image
• 1" line for high power pump to send water from RO/DI reservoir into saltwater reservoir
• 3/4" line for UV recirc in RO/DI reservoir
• 1.5" supply line for reactor station on opposite wall
• Four separate return lines from the reactors back to sump
• (yellow line at ceiling) - RO membrane flush line
• (red line) - output from RO/DI filter

The silver duct near 11:00 has a spring loaded damper that will open to supply outside air when the exhaust fan on opposite end of room is running. The white nipple on the bottom of the duct is a bypass for the skimmer air intake so that the skimmer can always pull fresh air.

5x Water Change Master Panel
Started on the master panel for the pumps I'll be using to automate daily 5 gallon water changes and top-off for each QT, and 2-part dosing into the sump. This board will hold 9 of the 17 LiterMeter III pumps. The remaining have to go on a separate board due to mounting space restrictions above the sump. 5 of the pumps will pull from the sump and deliver to the individual QT tanks; 5 will pull from the QT tanks and deliver to the drain; 5 will top-off the QTs with RO/DI from the reservoir, and 2 will dose Ca and Alk into the sump.

 

[dave.m]

No more teflon tape on 2" fittings for me.

You should apply the teflon tape but then smear silicone over the tape. Silicone won't adhere to the teflon but will bead and fill the tiny gaps in the thread making your seal watertight. That way you can later remove the connection if required.

Dave.M

 

[Steelen]

Paul,

Where did you get your QT from? And what are the dimensions (incl. gallon)?

If it was posted within your topic I am sorry I might have missed it.

I love the way it looks. Might be interested in getting something similar for my apartment when I move to Florida end of Summer from the Netherlands.


- Dennis

 

[li_newb]

Any reasoning for the LiterMeter over the Genesis Renew? Otherwise, you got some great taste. cant wait to see your livestock.

 

[Frostslasher]

Any updates? Absolutely love the tank and fishroom!

 

[rpjaws74]

every thing is top notch in this build

 

[MBMAX]

Just a dream.

 

[Reefcubes]

Great!!

Great!!

This morning I start reading, and my mouth fell increasingly open ..... great reef journal! Keep on posting, we will continue to follow!

With compliments!

Sincerely,

B
:thumbsup:

 

[maxxII]

You should apply the teflon tape but then smear silicone over the tape. Silicone won't adhere to the teflon but will bead and fill the tiny gaps in the thread making your seal watertight. That way you can later remove the connection if required.

Dave.M

Good info to know....Thanks for posting that Dave

 

[WLachnit]

Absolutely breathtaking!....... Thanks for sharing.

I am curious... What product did you use for sound attenuation and how effective is it, specs, etc.? I have bee looking and wondering how well they work for this application.