My 75G Reef Build

[fishnfst]

The one at tap used to be acrylic or polycarbonate I think.. You pay a premium but its supposed to be better in the long run for your tank.. The cheaper eggcrate is made out of polystyrene..

 

[bigdeeezy]

hey dyngoe does this look better?

 

[bigdeeezy]

[quote author=fishnfst link=topic=3368.msg63069#msg63069 date=1226214596]
The one at tap used to be acrylic or polycarbonate I think.. You pay a premium but its supposed to be better in the long run for your tank.. The cheaper eggcrate is made out of polystyrene..
[/quote]

yea i checked out the stuff at HD today and they didnt look too sturdy...more flimsy and thin

 

[bigdeeezy]

does anyone know if the gate mod to my skimmer seems to be right/best way to do it?

 

[Elite]

I think so.. Not sure why you glue the pipe and have the output go directly into the return section. The skimmer may release micro bubbles. If that go into the return area, you will have micro bubbles in the display.

 

[bigdeeezy]

i just glued it so it doesnt leak...the output goes into the section before the return section so therefore all bubbles will rise to the top before it hits the return section...isnt that right? also the return pump will be submerged so i dont think there will be any bubbles

 

[Elite]

my bad that is you fuge section not the return. Hopefully the macroalgae will stop the bubble before they enter the return section.

Most people don't glue the pipe. Easier to modify later on if needed. If it leaks, it's in the sump.

 

[bigdeeezy]

yea the only 2 parts you see that are blue in the pic are the only sections that i glued...the rest arent...the tank is filled with water as of now and is almost up to par with the salinity (1.026) now how do you guys get the calcium, alk and MG levels up? i have a container of kent turbo calcium and a bottle of Kent Marine Tech M...are those any good?

 

[tuberider]

[quote author=bigdeeezy link=topic=3368.msg63596#msg63596 date=1226468089]
does anyone know if the gate mod to my skimmer seems to be right/best way to do it?
[/quote]

Looks good to me, make sure that the intake on your skimmer pump is completely unrestricted. It looks to me as if your intake is very close to you baffle, try turning the pump a bit.

 

[bigdeeezy]

[quote author=tuberider link=topic=3368.msg63653#msg63653 date=1226508664]
[quote author=bigdeeezy link=topic=3368.msg63596#msg63596 date=1226468089]
does anyone know if the gate mod to my skimmer seems to be right/best way to do it?
[/quote]

Looks good to me, make sure that the intake on your skimmer pump is completely unrestricted. It looks to me as if your intake is very close to you baffle, try turning the pump a bit.
[/quote]

will do

 

[pixelpixi]

What's the advantage of the gate valve over the standard riser tube?

 

[Elite]

[quote author=pixelpixi link=topic=3368.msg63749#msg63749 date=1226541406]
What's the advantage of the gate valve over the standard riser tube?

[/quote]
You can control the water by turning the valve. Much easier and better control than pulling the riser tube up and down.

 

[bigdeeezy]

heres an update on the tank...its up and running but i cant seem to get my skimmer to work properly...tried lowering the tee and tried to restrict air from coming in but it keeps on overflowing...can anyone spot anything that i might have did wrong??? here are some pics:

 

[Elite]

you open the valve all the way?? Did you put anything in the water??

 

[bigdeeezy]

yea i tried opening the valve all the way and fiddled with it but still the same result...if i took out the gate valve and left it without any pvc on the outlet it wouldnt overflow...didnt put anything in the water except RO water and IO salt

 

[Elite]

Lower the T. I think it's too high. That T is almost as high as the skimmer's neck. Can you push everything down fader?

 

[bigdeeezy]

ill try to lower it as low as possible to see what happens...can i just leave the air intake tube fully open without a air valve? or do i need an air valve?

 

[Elite]

I always ran mine fully open..

 

[bigdeeezy]

just want to share this with everyone for those who havent seen it yet...i think its pretty cool:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UisPT1WIY8E&eurl=http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=274111

 

[bigdeeezy]

just did some aquascaping today...lmk wat u guys think...also my halide setup wont work bc it keeps on breaking the circuit to the outlet i plug it in...also plugged it into a surge protector but still same thing...anything i can do to prevent that from happening?