Zachtos’ unique 240G reef w/ 375G sump/fuge-growout/RDSB/aggro tank

[zachtos]

I finally decided to implement my natural gas heater design. I would call the design a huge success. I'm estimating a 6-8 month payback based on my utility rates and kwh usage and $200-300/year savings.

<img src="http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q151/zachtos/240G%20rebooted/IMG_1418-1.jpg" border="0" height="600" width="800"></img>
parts laid out, note, I changed the original pump to a mag18

<img src="http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q151/zachtos/240G%20rebooted/IMG_1427.jpg" border="0" height="600" width="800"></img>
here is the 100' coil in the sump

<img src="http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q151/zachtos/240G%20rebooted/IMG_1457.jpg" border="0" height="600" width="800"></img>
proper fittings

<img src="http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q151/zachtos/240G%20rebooted/IMG_1435.jpg" border="0" height="600" width="800"></img>
pump connections, notice that it's plumbed so I can disconnect the pump, and still drain the water heater

<img src="http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q151/zachtos/240G%20rebooted/IMG_1434.jpg" border="0" height="800" width="600"></img>
Tee w/ valve off the hotwater line

<img src="http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q151/zachtos/240G%20rebooted/IMG_1432.jpg" border="0" height="800" width="600"></img>
Full Setup, I installed a new water heater to replace my 17 year old heater at the same time

<img src="http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q151/zachtos/240G%20rebooted/IMG_1065.jpg" border="0" height="600" width="800"></img>
my DIY ranco controller for $60

<img src="http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q151/zachtos/240G%20rebooted/IMG_1431.jpg" border="0" height="800" width="600"></img>
The Ranco controller turns the recirculating pump on and off

<img src="http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q151/zachtos/240G%20rebooted/wheat.jpg" border="0" height="600" width="800"></img>
diagram to illustrate connections

Energy Calculations
I was using around 300kwh in the warm months, and up to 800kwh in the cold months. ($31-$88/month in electric heat). I should now use about 17 mcf to 45 mcf per month ($18-$48/month in gas heat and negligible electric use.) So, around $300/yr gas vs $550/yr electric (around $250 / year savings in energy, maybe more based on summer peak rates). SOOooo, the project does make sense for me, but you will have to run your own energy calculations. A kill-a-watt meter will help you determine if it's worth converting. But for reference, I would say a 1 year payback on a 500G system with electric rates of $0.11/kwh and $1.07/mcf. It cost $225 to build the setup I installed.

Results
-@$#$% Amazing. A water heater is around 40,000BTU, so when you convert that over, think of it as 30 of the strongest 350W heaters you can buy in your tank at once. It raised my tank from 55F to 80F in only 4 hours. 4 hours!!! My old 1200Watt setup would take a WEEK! I have the ranco set at 80F with a 2 degree differential. It kicks the mag on rougly every 2 hours for about 60 seconds. It takes... 60 seconds... to raise my 500G system, 2 degrees... this is because there is so much energy in the 100' PEX coil that it continues to heat the water after the pump shuts off. This is the perfect setup for doing water changes. It only takes about 15 minutes for the tank to heat from 74F to 80F after a large water change.

Caution
-use compression fitting for PEX
-use CPVC glue and couplings for CPVC and FLEXIBLE PVC
-your water heater may have lots of sediment in the bottom, it must be THOUROUGHLY cleaned before you start recirculating the water heater. Otherwise, your pump will clog up with sediment instantly.
-a mag drive is not able to withstand over 5psi, otherwise it leaks. I solved this with superglue, but that is NOT a solution, as I can no longer clean this $110 pump out ever again.
*using the wrong fittings for the PEX can result in a flooded basement or a dead reef system (thank me later)

Conclusions
This is a fantastic way to heat large bodies of water. It is cheaper, but not more efficient. The reason it is cheaper, is because gas right now is cheaper per BTU then electric. If you have a newer water heater or want to add a self cleaning feature to your water heater, this would be a great way for you larger systems to start saving cash.

 

[Goodwin9]

Very interesting, but I have to admit that I have never seen a hot water heater plumbed with PVC plumbing.

 

[melev]

Thank you for the pictures. I was wondering what you'd done.

Normally 3w per gallon is enough to heat a tank, but perhaps in Michigan that number would be 5w per gallon. That explains why 1200w wasn't enough for your 500g system. 1500-2500w is the range yours needed.

The water heater closed loop method is nice. A guy in California did the same thing for his outdoor greenhouse tank. His water heater was on the side of the house, and the plumbing was buried in the ground, traveling 60' to the in-ground sumps. He loved it, and it looks like you did something very similar. The Mag pump is the only thing that seems to be the weakness in your system, or point of failure. The PEX tubing won't be an issue I'm sure, because it is very tough material.

I like how you secured the Ranco to the electrical box. That looks really good.

You mentioned making your own sensor for spills. If you have a controller (Aqua Controller III for example), you can buy a sensor that will trigger an alarm module and even call your cell phone or email you. I have a $6 gizmo from Harbor Freight that uses 3 AAA batteries, and if I accidentally overflow my RO/DI containers, it screams. Of course, that only works if you are there to hear it and if the batteries are still good.

Is your water change really 6 degrees colder than the reef water? It would almost be worth having another coil set up to warm up the mixing water. It would take a second sensor though, or the ability to switch it over to the mixing vat. And of course, you'd have to remember to switch it back again! :eek2:

 

[zachtos]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14255683#post14255683 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
Thank you for the pictures. I was wondering what you'd done.

Normally 3w per gallon is enough to heat a tank, but perhaps in Michigan that number would be 5w per gallon. That explains why 1200w wasn't enough for your 500g system. 1500-2500w is the range yours needed.

Is your water change really 6 degrees colder than the reef water? It would almost be worth having another coil set up to warm up the mixing water. It would take a second sensor though, or the ability to switch it over to the mixing vat. And of course, you'd have to remember to switch it back again! :eek2:

Yes the mag18 is a problem. I'm open to replacement pump suggestions that can handle 35psi. I had to superglue it shut so it would not drip. That was a dumb idea, but I really need the heater pump to keep my bill down these winter months. Hopefully it does not get plugged up, but I'm confident in that pump, especially in a freshwater environment. And I probably can get into the pump even w/ super glue but I may have to glue it back together (think piggy bank).

I would say 5W/gallon is necessary in Michigan, especially with a basement sump. The heaters needed to run just non stop and I was getting very large electric bills this winter from it.

This is my new solution for heating mix water. It took too long to heat each container prior to mixing, especially considering all the spare heaters have broken thermostats as usual.

Now I can just do a 18% water change and let the mix water sit in the sump for a half hour while it mixes and rapidly heats from the coils. Then I can flip the return pump back on and not have a big system temp fluctuation. But I've been allowing 3-4F degree swings from water changes for years w/ no problems or signs of stress. Of course, the tank can't tolerate a 30F degree change for some reason.

*I'm now thinking of putting my emperor angel inside my 240G reef and pulling out my yellow tang and kole tang. Those tangs were vicious and I needed to cut bioload anyhow. I don't have zoas now so perhaps it's safe to have a large angel since it's only a SPS tank soon. I'm still researching the compatibility of a flame angel in the display w/ SPS only and the emperor too.

 

[melev]

You may do better with a Panworld or Iwaki pump. And what about building a section with a strainer that goes before the pump, similar to the leaf catching section on a pool system? You could close the ball valve before and after that section, pull out the strainer to clean it off, and reinstall it.

 

[zachtos]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14256463#post14256463 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by melev
You may do better with a Panworld or Iwaki pump. And what about building a section with a strainer that goes before the pump, similar to the leaf catching section on a pool system? You could close the ball valve before and after that section, pull out the strainer to clean it off, and reinstall it.

good improvements. I should have asked before buying a pump for the project. The strainer system I may look into, as I have no funds available for a new pump at the moment. good ideas for people looking to mimic and improve.

 

[zachtos]

7 days later:

Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm (I must have missed this cycle as it never raised???)
Nitrate untested
sg 1.023
temp 77-78F
water looks fairly clear

No more deaths. Everyone is happy and eating. Zoanthids are open and look like they may make it. Frogspawn and mushrooms also look happy again.

Losses recorded from incident:
20+ SPS colonies
rose bubble tip anemones x2
achilles tang
foxface rabbit fish
5 blue chromis
6 green chromis
Pajama cardinal
5 square feet of Green star polyps
2 black spine urchins
2-3 emerald crabs
20+ pepermint shrimp
all my copepods (and probably this will cause my copperband to starve)

Survivors:
-Sailfin, Hippo, Purple, Yellow, kole, Scopas x2 Tangs
-Emperor Angelfish juvenile
-Clarkii clown x 2
-watchman goby (amazing, he was stuck to a powerhead for a while)
-Bangaii Cardinal
-chromis x 3-4
-10-12 zoanthid colonies (knock on wood)
-4-5 headed Frogspawn colony
-blue ricordia x 3
-hairy mushroom x too many
-@!#$ Aptasia

*I am waiting for a bronze hot water recirculation pump to show up in the mail before connecting back to my hot water heater system. The mag 12 burned up and I'm trying to send it back for warranty repair. It probably was not designed for that temperature or pressure but the replacement pump is.

*I'm also upgrading my RO/DI with a booster pump and extra membrane to create a 150GPD unit with less wastewater. I will need this to start performing daily 20% water changes for a week to get 80% of the tap water out of my system. Dilution is the solution.

bks709 is holding a handful of millipora and montipora caps for me and has offered to help find a few corals for me in the next month or so. The tank will have corals thriving again in no time.

I also must decide on the future of some fishes. I have pondered putting the emperor angelfish into the display (he will likely eat my surviving zoas?). I also have a flame angel that was ordered before the incident that I am unsure of what to do with??? I am also thinking of taking the yellow and kole tang out and placing one of them into the refugium tank, and the other goes to a LFS for credit. I need to lower bioload anyways, and reduce display agression from the kole/yellow.

 

[mcliffy2]

Wow, been lurking here awhile and just saw this - that is truly a nightmare. Kudos to you on bouncing back and not throwing in the towel. If you are in Chicago anytime, I can give you a bunch of SPS frags to help you get restarted. No cost of course.

 

[melev]

:eek2: I never even thought about the water temperature passing through that pump. Good point. What is the water heater's temperature? 120F?

 

[zachtos]

I think I have the heater set at 135F, quite high, but we don't have kids and the gf loves very hot showers.

*one annoying non reef thing is that I got a piece of rust or debris from the old water heater jammed in the CPVC line feeding up into the shower now... grr. Not sure how to get it out!

My new RO/DI upgrade shows up today, I will post a brief photo of it later as it's very boring, but important.

I have a flame angel waiting for me at the LFS but I don't know what to do with it now. I know I want to put the emperor in the display and I do not plan to buy any fishes whatsoever to keep my nitrates low. I'm willing to lose the zoanthids if the large angel goes crazy (but I'm told an auto feeder w/ pellets will help stop him). I'm not sure about the flame angel though, sounds risky.

The kole/yellow are getting caught this weekend and moved either to the sump, fuge or LFS. Need to lower bioload and aggression in the display.

 

[zachtos]

Updates: (2 weeks after)

No new deaths.

Water is fine, Nitrate I'm sure is high though. Small algae bloom that the tangs are keeping under control. I need a new cleanup crew though.

All zoanthids survived and are open. A few colonies lost some heads, but they will recover quickly.

I placed the emperor angel into the display and shuffled the yellow tang to the display refugium. I still want the scopas tang out to reduce aggression and lower bioload more.

The only new fish I will be getting is a flame angel. So now I will have two angel fish in my display and am expecting them to probably destroy all my zoanthids. I'll try to sell them off prior to that and put them in the frag tank. I only want SPS now anyways, as the zoanthids got in the way of my SPS' bases and they were competing.

-I have installed my new heater recirculation pump. It works like a dream. You can't even hear the pump operate. It's doing a wonderful job and my tank is back to being heated by natural gas again. It's a bit slower then the old pump, it takes about 15 minutes to bring 500 gallons up 2F degrees. I'll get photos after my photobucket account resets this month.

-I also upgraded my RO system to a Reef Miser setup w/ 8800 booster pump from 'the filter guys.' ( I love them by the way, best customer service EVER). I should now be able to make 150-200 gallons per DAY!!! (I used to be only able to make 50GPD).

*So now that I have a strong heater and a fast water maker, It's time to start doing daily 20% water changes for a week straight. This should bring my purity to 80% or so by next weekend.

I want to add SPS to the tank after the water change regimen is complete or perhaps the week after that. (3-4 weeks after the crash)

 

[TandN]

Fwiw flame angels pick @ sps I know from experience as well as a lot of other people I know

 

[zachtos]

I've read that they are a 50/50 chance of eating soft/meaty corals and that they may pick but do not 'eat' corals. I don't want to add this to my display if it will eat SPS though, as I will never get it out!!!

 

[TandN]

I know of besides myself about 20 others that have tried them in there sps tanks and every single one of them has removed it due to picking at there SPS

 

[zachtos]

I'll think about it more this weekend. I can place him in the display refugium in the mean time. I mostly just wanted a splash of red fish in the tank. I could always buy another lyretail anthias male, the old one jumped out, but now the tank is covered.

 

[michika]

Can you tell me more about heating your tank with natural gas? Or possibly a link to your heater?

 

[zachtos]

natural gas to heat your tank
-Here's the link to the seperate thread I created to specifically address that portion.
-The heater is working great now that I have a proper hot water recirculation pump.

*I screwed up many parts of the hot water device, but I learned so much. It will be a great addition to the already planned In-wall tank for my next home. The next tank will be ULTRA energy efficient.

 

[melev]

What pump did you end up using for the heater coil system?

 

[zachtos]

The link in the prior post has all the details, but It's a Taco 006-BT4 - 006 (Threaded) Taco Bronze Circulator. It had 3/4" FPT. I am confident in my plumbing job this time. The pump is quite heavy though and I had to put a floor joist parallel with the plumbing to secure it better as I used CPVC. Sometimes I wish I knew how to sweat copper pipe. The pump is fully rated for pressure and heat as that's what it was built for. only 60W too!

 

[melev]

Sweating copper is very easy, but like anything you need to be meticulous as you prepare the fittings. You should learn how, because I think you'll like it.

I did look in that thread, but didn't see it. Sorry. Will you be posting a new set of pictures of it?