Yoccm's 300G DD In Wall Build

[prop-frags]

Looks like a great skimmer and your system looks fantastic so it is clearly doing it's job!!

I have wondered how convient the SSS units are to access and clean the pump?

The XP 5000 is rated for slightly higher tank size ... I do plan to have pretty heavy fish stock eventually so hopefully it is not too much skimmer for what I have planned. I also really like the auto cleaner option. How is that working out for you?

Thanks!
Maintenance is one of the areas where you get what you pay for. We are also running our Deltec AP851...much more expensive (and temperamental) but also easier to maintain, and with some great little features that we really appreciate in comparison to the less expensive Octopus. To clean the pump, and the bottom inside, you have to take several pieces out (e.g., bubble plate). Detritus collects in there rapidly, so it looks like it's going to be a routine chore. Another thing that's not quite a nice with the Octopus is the friction fit of the collection cup vs. the groove-tightener slot thingy for the Deltec.

The self cleaner is pretty slick. Certainly keeps the efficiency of the skimmer up for much longer between cleanings. You still have to tear the skimmer down every week or so, to clean the top of the collection cup, and that's more of a chore, since it has the self-cleaner pieces attached to it, (and those intricate parts need cleaning too).

The bottom line is that there's no silver bullet - and everything is a trade off. But for the price, the Octo is still highly recommended. The pump in that thing is an absolute BEAST. You really can't believe how much foam it produces until you see it in action.

 

[yoccm]

UPDATE:

Had a busy weekend!

First leak tested the tank .... everything looked good

Then me and my 17 y/o son spent the entire day today working on aquascaping .....

Here's what we ended up with

And here it is in the tank

It was alot of work ... used nylon rods and marcorock cement to put it all together.

Was a beast wrestling them into the tank but we did it!!!

Had a great day with my son ... really excited to see him so into putting this tank together. Great to share a hobby with him .... especially one as fun as reef keeping!

Still need to tweak things and will still probably put a small island in the middle slightly offcenter. Gonna let it sit here for a few days before I do anything with it.

 

[yoccm]

Well I just bit the bullet and ordered 2 MP 60s and the SRO XP 5000I skimmer with the auto cleaning head!!!

Man my wife is gonna KILL me :debi:

But gotta get these items so I can start cooking my rock.

Here is the plan ... I am going to order a custom sump which will take 6 weeks to get in. In the mean time I plan to fill the tank to below the overflows, fire up the MP 60s for flow and rig a temporary skimmer stand out of PVC that will hang on top of tank so skimmer will sit in 10"s of water in display tank to filter out the organics while cooking.

Would love some input on my approach ... good, bad??

 

[d3hree]

looking great Mike. Will your son go halves on the new equipment to make it less painfull?

Your plan is pretty much what I had intended to do with my tank with the addition of gfo reactor too.

I am not very familliar with vortechs but wont 2 mp60's in your tank boil the water?

 

[yoccm]

looking great Mike. Will your son go halves on the new equipment to make it less painfull?

Your plan is pretty much what I had intended to do with my tank with the addition of gfo reactor too.

I am not very familliar with vortechs but wont 2 mp60's in your tank boil the water?

Thanks!!! My son can't afford a combo meal at Burger King!!

As for the Vortechs ... I hope they don't boil my water :fun5::fun5:

They can be turned down to 3500 GPH flow so worst case I would have them at lowest setting but think my tank footpront will handle more flow than that.

Anyone with experience with MP60s?

Would love to hear if you think I went overboard with getting two of them...

 

[d3hree]

Like I said I have no experience of them personally. I have a mate with a 12ft tank who has one and is happy with the flow.

 

[Aquanaut of WA]

My 250DD overflows needed resealing too

My 250DD overflows needed resealing too

Hey Mike - if you look inside the overflows you will notice there is no silicone just the black plastic up against the glass. I siliconed the inside edge top to bottom and along the curved bottom as well. I will get some pics posted tomorrow. I still need to clean it up with a razor blade but think it will definitely help prevent a seam failure along the inside of the plastic overflow.

:deadhorse: My freshly delivered tank leaked at the bottom corner where the black and clear silicone met. It also lacked silicone on the interior of the box perimeter except where the glass backer was on my custom oversized overflow box that is designed to flow +3500gph driven by my SGDart 4300gph. The LFS had to wait for 4weeks for the back-ordered black silicone arrived for them to ammend the walls. PIA. But, I'm running now...super quiet w/bean animal plumming.:celeb3:

 

[yoccm]

:deadhorse: My freshly delivered tank leaked at the bottom corner where the black and clear silicone met. It also lacked silicone on the interior of the box perimeter except where the glass backer was on my custom oversized overflow box that is designed to flow +3500gph driven by my SGDart 4300gph. The LFS had to wait for 4weeks for the back-ordered black silicone arrived for them to ammend the walls. PIA. But, I'm running now...super quiet w/bean animal plumming.:celeb3:

I am sure yours looks much cleaner than my DIY silicone job!! At least all of mine is in the overflow boxes so not visible. My leak test didn't show any issues with water going into the overflows so I hope I am all set.

Sounds like you have some custom overflows in your set up. With the standard corner overflows I am not sure I am going to do the bean animal system. I was really hoping to use it based on the great feedback I have heard on how quiet it is and also the insurance policy it provides in not having water accidents.

Good luck to you in your build.

 

[Aquanaut of WA]

I believe it is very possible, because I minimized and altered the design to be used via a standard overflow box and not by coast to coast design as most have. The valves work brilliantly just above my sump drawer tower below the tank rather than behind the box or in the box as others have done. Since mine enter a box drawer and is technically not below water level for true silence, I trimmed down two ziplock square containers that keep the entering pipe submerged and silently overflowing into the drawer where it slows down to complete silence. 1 inch pipe could do just as well since my 1.5 inch drains so well I have to valve them back quite abit, but still achieve the objective....3,500gph torrent but silent.

250DD build thread...just moved in
http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/f13/peninsula-250-deep-dimension-new-build-diy-60184/

 

[yoccm]

I believe it is very possible, because I minimized and altered the design to be used via a standard overflow box and not by coast to coast design as most have. The valves work brilliantly just above my sump drawer tower below the tank rather than behind the box or in the box as others have done. Since mine enter a box drawer and is technically not below water level for true silence, I trimmed down two ziplock square containers that keep the entering pipe submerged and silently overflowing into the drawer where it slows down to complete silence. 1 inch pipe could do just as well since my 1.5 inch drains so well I have to valve them back quite abit, but still achieve the objective....3,500gph torrent but silent.

250DD build thread...just moved in
http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/f13/peninsula-250-deep-dimension-new-build-diy-60184/

Just checked out your build thread ... VERY nice!!! I may still try the bean animal system ... given that mine is an inwall build in my basement the noise reduction is not as ciritical. I might try the standard Durso first and see how noisy it is. The biggest thing I like about bean animal is the ultra fail safe on having an overflow accident.

 

[prop-frags]

Just checked out your build thread ... VERY nice!!! I may still try the bean animal system ... given that mine is an inwall build in my basement the noise reduction is not as ciritical. I might try the standard Durso first and see how noisy it is. The biggest thing I like about bean animal is the ultra fail safe on having an overflow accident.

+1
Very beautiful setup, Aquanaut. Thanks for sharing that link...we just love DD tanks, and in peninsula setup, even more goodness!

Chris, the advantage you can get from the herbie drains is quite a bit more flow through the drain, even if you're not concerned with the noise levels. Highly recommended.

 

[yoccm]

+1
Very beautiful setup, Aquanaut. Thanks for sharing that link...we just love DD tanks, and in peninsula setup, even more goodness!

Chris, the advantage you can get from the herbie drains is quite a bit more flow through the drain, even if you're not concerned with the noise levels. Highly recommended.

Mike, I know you drilled extra holes in your overflow to accomodate the herbie drain. What if I used the two holes in each drain to set up the herbie ... one herbie and one durso in each overflow box then I could plumb the returns up and over the top?

 

[prop-frags]

Yes, that can work, Chris.
Another approach is to have a herbie in both overflows, along with an emergency durso in one and your return line in another. The safety of this approach depends on separate drain lines for herbies and dursos, and then the capacity of the durso relative to your return pump. In our setup, we did something very similar this.

Take a look at this water flow chart - it is a good reference for water flow capacity through a PVC pipe of different sizes. There is a significant capacity increase in upsizing from 1" pipe to 1.5" (over double the max flow rate).

 

[yoccm]

Yes, that can work, Chris.
Another approach is to have a herbie in both overflows, along with an emergency durso in one and your return line in another. The safety of this approach depends on separate drain lines for herbies and dursos, and then the capacity of the durso relative to your return pump. In our setup, we did something very similar this.

Take a look at this water flow chart - it is a good reference for water flow capacity through a PVC pipe of different sizes. There is a significant capacity increase in upsizing from 1" pipe to 1.5" (over double the max flow rate).

Thanks for the advice Mike! I have 5 or 6 weeks to think about plumbing while I wait for my sump to come in. I like the Herbie option alot and will try to see how I can make it fit.

Been busy this weekend, I will try to get some pix posted for an update.

 

[yoccm]

The pool table is in and the kids are LOVIN it!!!

 

[yoccm]

And now for the tank.....

RODI system set up and ready to rock!!!

And water is going in... slowly.... but going in

And the most exciting thing to happen yesterday....

The skimmer arrived

This thing is a BEAST!!!!!

And finally, I built a DIY skimmer holder to go in display to cook rock while I wait for my sump

Now I am just waiting for the water level to rise enough for me to fire it up.

 

[Elite]

Pool table next to a glass tank?? You are brave ..

 

[yoccm]

Pool table next to a glass tank?? You are brave ..

Lol :rollface:

I did worry about that but we have the pool table about 6 feet away from the tank ... I hope it is enough!!!!

 

[launchnukes]

Looking good! I have a pool table close to my tank too. Lol.

 

[SmallYoccm]

"My son can't afford a combo meal at Burger King!!"

true statement :headwallblue: