Cali Kid Corals

Michael's Referbish

Not_Now_John

Not_Now_John

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OK bare with me while I get you all up to date.

There is no easy way to say this, so I'll just spit it out, my tank kinda sucks. There that feels better. So it is time to do something about it!

Lets start with the nitty gritty. Be gentle with me.

The Tank: just over 6 years old
135gallon all glass aquarium (or should I just call it aqueon now? either way, not made anymore) predrilled with 2 overflows 72x24x18 and large glass centerbrace
megaflow model 4 wet/dry sump (bio balls removed as of 5min ago)
Eheim model 1262return pump with single outlet
Artica Titanium Chiller 1/10hp on Eheim model 1260
3x Maxijet 1200 hooked up to wavemaker powerstrip
6x24in compact fluorescent and a single 150w MH in center
Red Sea C-Skim 1800 skimmer
250w heater
run passive carbon
dose Randy's 2 part calcium

Livestock:
1 sailfin tang (looks like something between "regular" and redsea)
1 Blackspot/swallowtail angelfish (was female, now male, still pretty)
1 maroon clown
1 bi-color blenney
1 sps of some kind (green slime?)
1 hammer coral
several hairy mushrooms
4 ricordias
a few leathers
2 pagodia corals
some zoas, maybe pallys
4 anemones
not much of a pod population to speak of
2 scarlet cleaners
10ish pepperments
4 cucumbers, 2 serpents and and an array of snails/hermits

What I want to change:
new lights (in progress, pile of CREEs from rapidled just waiting to be soldered)
new sump (probably 55g glass, maybe diy acrylic if I'm feeling brave)
refugium in said sump
Split return line at least once, maybe into 4
better circulation... probably an MP40 to start
GFO reactor and Carbon reactor
some type of carbon dosing (probably biopellets, may start with vodka)
switch to Kalk autotop off (just built auto top off switch, just need to buy Kalk and container!)

And there we have it, a lot of work to come. I can't do all of this at once due to both time and monitary constraints. Now the question is, what order do I prioritize these upgrades? The LEDs have been purchased so they will obviously be first, but I plan on spending the next 6months or so getting this baby looking beautiful like I know it can!
 
UPDATE: Due to the rather constricted space in my stand and a rather large skimmer, I am going to use 1 tank for sump, 1 for refugium.

Here's my ideas for baffle placement, feel free to comment. Right tank is a 29g, left is a 20long... thank you petco 1dollar sale. Would have liked a 40B but I only have 16" of width to work with.



Attached files /attachments/sites/default/files/sump baffles.JPG
 
Some ideas on plumbing. I am actually going to switch the durso drain to the same side as the siphon, but I haven't drawn a new picture yet. May also go with a behind and over return so I can keep 1"for all of it, but we'll see.

Currently using an Eheim 1262, kinda small but it's what I have. I would rather not buy a new one, but if I do, any recommendation on a new pump? I do have an Eheim 1260 running around form an old tank, besides heat, are there any disadvantages to duel return pumps? I could plump both up and over the back with the 1262 split to the refugium. Or would I be better served by a mag 12 or even 18? Not sure I have the space for an external pump, but I bet I could figure something out.

First pic shows current plumbing, return and drain are split to ease drawing.

Attached files /attachments/sites/default/files/current plumbing.JPG /attachments/sites/default/files/drain.JPG /attachments/sites/default/files/possible new return.JPG
 
Should be getting the glass for baffles tomorrow or early next week. Also going to spend Saturday working on those CREEs burning a hole in the garage. No fancy colored LEDs for me, just a 50/50mix of dimmable cool whites and royal blues.
 
Not_Now_John said:
No fancy colored LEDs for me, just a 50/50mix of dimmable cool whites and royal blues.
Click to expand...

You can always swap in a single standard blue, red or purple later. Even a single element is enough to accentuate the colours.
 
Luckily we are going to use screws instead of cement, so if the color doesn't look great it should be relatively simple to swap them out for different colors. It is my understanding that the single wavelength LEDs can be quite noticable in small numbers. Are you using LEDs bondolo?
 
Not_Now_John said:
It is my understanding that the single wavelength LEDs can be quite noticable in small numbers. Are you using LEDs bondolo?
Click to expand...

No LEDs here yet. Still researching, planning and waiting. I will likely do more 14K ocean blue rather than all royal blue. My current T5 fixture has Royal blue moon lights and I find them too blue.

My next purchases are likely a 24x48x16 frag tank (which would require me to get new lighting) or a couple of sea swirls (looking for used if anyone has any laying around).

Mike
 
I might die from shock going from CFs to LEDs, nevermind the tank. Frag tank is a back burner thing... no where to put it. In retrospect no frags to put in it anyway... so frags, then frag tank!
 
There might be an issue with the plumbing.
You have two separate drains. Keeping the flow balanced (or even constant) between the two
will likely prove difficult as you get growth and tank changes.
I would suggest an "X" if you really want that, where the two drains come together, then apart again,
and have a small valve on the skimmer side into the sump.
(Hope that makes sense)

LEDs can really hit or miss based on personal preference.
The lack of a broad spectrum can really bug you, or you may not notice at all.
I have DIY ones, with extra added colors, and am sortof happy, but I still want more.

Is there a check valve or siphon break on that return?
 
Hey rygh, I read about 90% of your led thread, interesting read, but seems to be one of those things you have to see for yourself.

I had already started a thread on rc, but wanted to get involved here too, guess I need to update.

I am basicly trying to run a beananimal system, but without the coast to coast . I now realise I need both the durso and siphon in the same overflow. However this would leave the other overflow with dead space as well as a general lack of surface skimming.
I am toying with the idea of using a durso mounted a hair below the display water level so it will at least skim the surface a bit. Not sure how that will work though.

I would then use the other 3/4" for the emergency (or the other way around) and run the return behind and over.

I am kind of adverse to check valves, but I will use a siphon break hole. Will make sure to plumb so sump can handle a siphon drain hole failure.

Not sure what you mean by the x though.
 
The concept of the X was to bring the overflow plumbing together, to one central point, then split them
apart again to the left/right side of the sump.
That way, even if the flow through the overflow varies from side to side, it does
not change the flow through the refugium versus skimmer section drastically.
I am running two overflows now, and they are not even close to the same amount of flow.

One of my favorite RC LED threads is "LED Color Aesthetics: The Emperor’s got no clothes. Or does he?"
Really seems to hit on the color issues. Plus shows how different peoples opinions are.
 
My recently installed return doesn't include a siphon break hole. I did definitely consider siphon effect though andhave tested multiple times to make sure the sump doesn't overflow. Right now I am just putting one of the return nozzles as close to the surface as I can. I would prefer a more certain solution. Where can I read about the best way to install a siphon hole in a return setup?
 
Ok little update,
  • Replaced the skimmer with a Reef Octopus Diablo 160XS, which in addition to being way more fun to say, has a fraction of footprint as the old skimmer and uses a single pump, so more energy efficient. I had heard of people having trouble finding metric fittings for this skimmer, but they now include a metric to standard converter so no problem there. Only complaint I have is that it's a bit too pretty, as gunk started to collect inside the neck it seemed like a disgrace to the skimmer! I'm sure that problem won't last long though ;)
  • Purchased 2 BRS reactors, one for GFO, one for carbon, no more bags in the sump for me! Currenty running off a MJ1200 each right now, but they will be tee'd off the return eventually.
    Speaking of returns, off a recomendation from gimmito I looked into the Water Blaster pumps and ordered a Water Blaster 7000 to replace the two Enheims and Maxijets. Now we're going to have some real flow going on and only a single pump to deal with. Of course to go along with this is a metric crap-ton (not to be confused with an imperial ton) of plumbing parts since the orange box never has what you need.
Diablo-160xs.jpg
 
> Where can I read about the best way to install a siphon hole in a return setup?

My preference is to have one of the return jets be just slightly below the water surface.
So no holes at all. The jet itself breaks the suction, when tank level drops a tiny bit.

The downside to holes above the surface is that depending on pressure/flow, you
either get water squirting out, with salt deposits/etc, or air sucked in,
with bubbles in the tank.

The downside to the holes below the water is they get clogged rather easily.

Another option is to have a Tee and a check valve.
So air can be sucked in, to break the vacuum, but water does not come out.
But then you depend on the check valve not getting stuck closed.
 
Exciting news. 90% finished with the plumbing modifications. Just need to pick up a couple different fittings for the chiller, I thought it was using 3/4" barbed fittings, but turns out it is 5/8" and I have no idea what I did with the alternate 3/4" fittings. Also need to cut a bit of the poly pipe for the reactors, but that won't take long.

I'll get some pictures up once everything is prettied up, but in the mean time, a brief description. In the final design, one overflow has the siphon with a gate valve on it, as well as an open channel durso. The other overflow box only has an emergency drain. The siphon can handle plenty of flow, but the overflow box... not so much. Currently I have the pump throttled down with a ball valve because the overflow can't handle as much as it can put out. I'd love to increase the flow, but I'm not sure how to go about that other than cutting a few more teeth. Anyone got any bright ideas? My only other thought was to add a second siphon with gate valve to the overflow with the emergency, and turn it way down so most of the flow is handled by the box with the open channel, but it will still do a bit of surface skimming.
 
Put some of the extra flow into your reactors? Wait - I think you mentioned that above.
Cut some teeth, install some gutter guard or similar to keep the critters out.

You're saying the overflow won't let enough water over, or it won't drain it out?
How much are you sending through the overflow? Turnover?

Those MJ's aren't the most efficient if I recall (although I admit to using one)
 
I don't have a flowmeter or anything, so all I know is the Water blaster 7000 is rated to 1800gph at 0ft head. Rough estimate with the fittings and pipes I have (not counting branch) is about 1000gph or so.

I think the gutter guard might be the way to go. Inside the overflow box is draining just fine, I just can't get as much water to flow through the teeth as I would like. If I turn up the pump and open up the siphon more, the siphon just clears the box and starts pulling air, and the water level in the tank starts to rise. So I know the drains can handle more than I'm giving them right now. I'm still toying with the idea of a second siphon with gate valve on the unused overflow, but I'm afraid it may be hard to balance everything if I do that. I can turn down the pump just fine with the ball valve, but I would still rather have more turn over.

Yes the MJs may not be the best, but they are certainly nothing if not ubiquitous! Only a temporary solution, I added a manifold to the return pump, I just have to cut some pipe to connect the reactors to it.

I'll through up a rough sketchup in a bit.
 
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