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Doug's 180 Gallon Mixed Reef

99sf: yes thats the next job. Im going to build a stand to raise up the sump tank a bit off the ground. Im also going to have the glass cut to put baffles into the sump. Then I can set up the protein skimmer and make an in-sump refugium.
 
Argh!
Your plumbing is so nice and simple.
What are you planning - something that might actually work.
(I went a bit crazy with my plumbing. Oh well)

Looking good.
 
rygh: You're tank is so impressive! I'm just trying the boring, tried and true method. Im excited to see how yours turns out!
 
How cold does your garage get? Mine 99.99999% runs colder than my tank. I countered by wrapping sump in 1" foam sheets and insulated the plumbing runs. In fact, I'm out here right now enjoying a cerveza and watching my tanks.
 
dzuckerm said:
rygh: You're tank is so impressive! I'm just trying the boring, tried and true method. Im excited to see how yours turns out!
Click to expand...
Thanks, although I think you are the smart one here.
Your tank will likely be full of coral before I even get water in mine.
 
Well the tank is full of ro/di water now. Using a garbage can as my sump at the moment. I built a stand for my sump tank and started installing the baffles into the sump. Picked up some 1/4inch acrylic from TAP plastics in san mateo. Used the GE silicone II to attach them. Once thats dry I can get it plumbed into the system. I started heating the water today and will add salt soon (reef crystals).
I had to replace the Durso standpipes today. The original 1inch standpipes were kind of loud and made a suction sound. I up'ed them to a 1 1/4inch diameter and they work beautifully now. Now I'm looking for live rock! I'll probably need about 300 pounds.
Houser: My garage is fairly well insulated to doesnt get too cold. Hopefully it won't be too much of a problem
Rygh: Keep your chin up. You're breaking some new ground, I'm sure it'll be well worth it in the end.

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If I am looking at your sump right with the tape marks for your baffles, is your return section on the far left? If so that seems pretty small for the reurn section.
 
Silicon II does not work for this application if I'm not mistaking, it has mold/mildew chemical... bio... something.
Check the label. Silicon I is the correct one to use.
 
tumbleweed: I should have explained it. The left side will be the water coming from tank. The middle will be a refugium. And the right side will be where the protein skimmer and return pump will sit.

xcarat: I believe the GE silicone I or II will work. At least I know the GE Silicone II (that I used) is 100% silicone. You just can't get the "kitchen and bath" one, which has fungicides in it.

So here's the update for today: I finished installing the baffles. I will probably plumb in the sump tomorrow and see if it's water tight. Pis is below. I also have a pic of the overflow box with the Durso Standpipe and return line. there is one on each ocorner of the tank.
The tank is filled and also added sand. I will add salt tomorrow. Next I need to find some live rock (well...actually a LOT of live rock, around 300 pounds).



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got it. I recommend however not putting your skimmer in the return section of your sump since this is the section that will change through evaporation.
 
I guess I will have to put the skimmer in the middle chamber and then the return pump in the far right chamber? I can always use another tank as the refugium and plumb it into the sump
 
The first three baffles won't really do much. If you are using it as a bubble trap those three baffles should be right before the return pump. Skimmers sometimes can put out micro bubbles, a bubble trap after the skimmer is what you want.
 
So I guess I'm going to be setting up a seperate tank for the refugium then. I'll put the protein skimmer in the middle compartment of the sump and the return pump in the far right.
So I added salt to the tank and a few pieces of live rock. Looking on craigslist for more live rock.
I really have to make a decision on the lighting now. I'm leaning towards going all t5's. I'm thinking the ATI Sunpower 6x80w 60" fixture. What do you guys think?
 
I did some more work this weekend. Hooked up the top-off system from autotopoff.com. Hopefully I can maintain a relatively constant water level in the sump. That way I don't need to worry about having my return pump and protein skimmer in the same section of my sump. I wanted to keep them both in the far right section of the sump, thereby leaving the middle section open for a fuge.
I also put the protein skimmer in (reef octopus extreme xp3000). I made a little stand for it to lift it up off the sump floor. The skimmer seems great so far. Below are a couple of pics:

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Finally an update:
Well A lot has happened. Tank has been up for two months now. Its actually never went through much a cycle because I bought my live rock from someone local and took it right out of their tank and into mine. Had the normal outbreak of green hair algae, which i removed manually as often as I could with water changes. Its almost all gone now. The system is running very well and parameters are:
Temp: 77-79 degrees
SG: 1.026
pH: 8.3
kH: 9
ammonia: 0 (testkits are all salifert)
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: 0
Phos: 0.03
Calcium: 420
Magnesium: 1320.

Livestock: 2 paired percula clowns / 1 yellow tang (who hides everytime I go near the tank) / 4 small blue chromis.
Corals: Been adding a bunch of different softies / LPS / zoas (see pics below)
Everything looks good and the fish are all eating.

My next step is to add a BRS Dual Chamber GFO / Carbon reactor to help bring down the nitrates. I will plumb it into the sump and use a Maxi 1200 to feed it.
I plan to get a dosing pump eventually to dose 2 part (or 3 part). Once the tank has been running well for a while I plan to move onto SPS.
here are some pics (sorry I don't have a nice camera so these are just from my iphone):

The last picture is a hitchhiker who came in inside of a hole in one of the live rock pieces. Any idea what it could be?

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Just a quick heads up, if that is a big piece of GSP on a rock I see the the back left I would move it unless it is well isolated from the rest of your rock work. If you don't, you may have way more GSP then you ever wanted.
 
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