SPS 33 system with NC6 frag/QT and Snowflake - Page 10

unbreakable · 08/23/2008, 07:00 PM

foot valve is what i made in the pics attached to the Intake of the pump. with that itll never lose prime, itll always have water so when it starts up next time itll start right away. the only thing i recommend you do is put a T on the return with two ball valves. that way when you start out, you can prime the pump by pouring water down the tube until its ready. if you dont do that youll have a pump running dry.

pics 1 and 2 of my previous post are the same pump, just showing you how long the plumbing is. another thing you can do is go to petco and buy the sump you need and drill it on the side at the bottom of it and attach your pump to it by a hose to minimize vibration

my pump is level with my sump but that shouldnt matter. im sure i could have it higher with the same plumbing and it still would work

cherubfish pair · 08/23/2008, 11:16 PM

I think I understand the foot valve and how it might always have water. How is your return line plumbed into the display? What keeps tank water from siphoning down the return line when the power goes out. I guess on your tank it does, but not so much as to flood the sump. The water levels out the same height in return line and in foot valve. Am I right?

unbreakable · 08/24/2008, 07:31 AM

yes you are correct. mainly because my return nozzles in the tank have an antisiphon holes which will fill up with air. that and the plumbing is in the overflowbox so not that much water will drain down

my QT does have this problem since my friend drilled the very bottom of the tank which would drain ALL the water to the sump. so what i had to do was just add a pvc pipe long enough vertically so when it did drain water it would stop when the water went below the output of the pvc pipe.

this is the 29g qt im talking about

left side is plumbing inside an overflow box and right side is the return

cherubfish pair · 08/24/2008, 10:59 AM

Okay, anti-siphon hole is the key here. I can't have anything sticking above the top of the tank because I'll have a tight fitting no-jump lid. But I can do this: run the return through a bulkhead as close to the top as I can get and put a lock-line nozzle with anti-siphon hole inside tank attached to the bulkhead.

cherubfish pair · 08/24/2008, 11:41 AM

Here's my liverock. Dry right now, but it will liven up once in the tank again. It's Walt Smith liverock and it's damn good rock. It's maricultured rock and I buy it at Petco one rock at a time, as I can afford it. You go online and you pay hundreds of $$ for crappy looking rock that is FULL of crud.

unbreakable · 08/24/2008, 01:13 PM

thats the rock they make themselves, right? how heavy is it?

cherubfish pair · 08/24/2008, 04:39 PM

It's made out of aragonite material and they throw it into the ocean for awhile to seed it bacteria and so on. I can't compare to the Fiji rock I had for their weight, it's been too long ago.

Tangwich · 08/24/2008, 08:34 PM

Hey Cherub, I really like how nicely everything is coming along. Keep up the great work.

cherubfish pair · 08/25/2008, 08:53 PM

Thanks Tangwich!

P.S. I read you might use Coralife salt? Don't. It has a high water content right in the bucket. Mine clumped up in the bucket all the time.

Tangwich · 08/25/2008, 09:03 PM

Thanks for the great info Cherub. Tropic Marine it is..lol

cherubfish pair · 08/25/2008, 09:07 PM

unbreakable, you have a vortech? How do you like it? I see they have what they call the MP20. It's output is 500-2000 gph. That's way too big for my 20 long. I told them they should make a true nano version.

unbreakable · 08/25/2008, 09:21 PM

mp40w is amazing. im impressed by this powerhead. in the past i was always looking online to see what new powerhead i could buy since the flow didnt meet my expectation or it was too much flow or too little, but with the vortech it solved my problem. i can adjust the flow to my liking, i can set whatever mode i want it in, and having them communicate with other vortechs is just awesome. i can control multiple vortechs with just 1

the best part of getting an mp20 is being able to upgrade it to an mp40w when ever youre ready, its not like youre stuck with an mp20 forever

i think the 20 long is too shallow for it to work. it will suck up your sand and spit it out the tank. i had to sell a dual calcium reactor and some other equipment i didnt need anymore to buy the two vortechs. i regret selling the calcium reactor but i think the vortechs are worth it

cherubfish pair · 08/26/2008, 04:44 PM

Are you sure the MP20 doesn't upgrade to the MP20w? What's min/max flow in yours? And how about the modes that you use?

I just can't see paying 300 bucks for one.

cherubfish pair · 08/26/2008, 06:51 PM

Just got my NC6 jigsawed at the glass shop again (hopefully the last time). I paid $20 for a little notch cutout. That's outrageous! Maybe I can get a cheap jigsaw somewhere.

I cut the notch out to accommodate the viper light mount.

cherubfish pair · 08/27/2008, 03:50 PM

Here's my return set-up ready to go:

That's a mini-jet 606 upgrade.

RickM61 · 08/27/2008, 06:04 PM

nice tank build so far...i hope petco has a license for putting their LR in the ocean..i had a marine biologist in cali tell me that it is a hugh fine for anyone caught putting any kind of rock in the ocean out there....lol i already thought about buying a bunch of lace rock and putting them in a little area of the ocean where i lived when i lived out there..after he told me that , i thought twice about it.. good luck on your build..look forward to seeing more..but take your time and you will do fine..

Rick

unbreakable · 08/27/2008, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by cherubfish pair
Are you sure the MP20 doesn't upgrade to the MP20w? What's min/max flow in yours? And how about the modes that you use?

I just can't see paying 300 bucks for one.

im pretty sure it upgrades to the mp40w. you can check it out on their website, its where i saw it. the mp40w is from 500 to 3,000 gph

http://ecotechmarine.com/products/mp20-mp40w.php

you might also need to upgrade the wetside, the part that is on the inside of the aquarium but im sure the same motor is used its just that the controller has it at lower RPMs

cherubfish pair · 08/27/2008, 09:53 PM

I think the vortechs have a broad, strong flow but lack the convergent/divergent chaos that the Oceans Motion 4-ways provide. Especially if you put a hydor flo on each closed loop bulkhead.

cherubfish pair · 08/27/2008, 10:04 PM

RickM61, I'm not sure about a license but Walt Smith International is based in Fiji.

PSam · 08/28/2008, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by cherubfish pair
I think the vortechs have a broad, strong flow but lack the convergent/divergent chaos that the Oceans Motion 4-ways provide. Especially if you put a hydor flo on each closed loop bulkhead.

You have not used a vortech then. Grab a couple and report back.

unbreakable · 08/31/2008, 10:07 AM

hows the tank coming along? i thought about doing the oceans motions thing, but then id have to have a large pump dedicated to this and didnt like how you had stick with pattern of flow

cherubfish pair · 08/31/2008, 08:17 PM

Got some black mollies today a Petco. woo. Ok, I know they're not reef fish but I'm using them to cycle my liverock. They're all males so don't have to worry about larvae rotting in the filter. Acclimating them in this shot.

cherubfish pair · 08/31/2008, 10:06 PM

Relying on this stock sponge as biofilter for the NC6 right now. When I get the mollies half way switched over to saltwater, I'll start adding liverock.

cherubfish pair · 08/31/2008, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by unbreakable
hows the tank coming along? i thought about doing the oceans motions thing, but then id have to have a large pump dedicated to this and didnt like how you had stick with pattern of flow

My tank is doing good as you can see I've got it filled with water now and have some livestock again.

The OM is half the price of a Vortech and I've already got the pump for the OM.

unbreakable, you should post some pics of your biocube.

unbreakable · 09/01/2008, 07:59 AM

if only i had a decent camera. the camera phone doesnt show too much of anything. ive been negelecting my little tank, but im also worried about adding corals from the lfs and getting my onyx clownfish sick. id like to buy larger pieces of rock instead of the little rubble it had

I fragged my hammer coral and going to trade one of the frags for a different type of LPS. the colt coral is really PO since its only morning and lights barely came on; hammer coral usually stretches out more. the brain coral is my favorite

here's an older picture:

and here's the 75g before it got taken over with algae and before the engineer goby decided to make tunnels and dunes

ill have to post pics when i get my digital slr back. this tank (biocube14) is actually a transfer from another biocube14 i had. first one was eperiencing leaks so i had to send it back to the store. had also traded the DIY rock i had in there for store credit

08/23/2008, 07:00 PM	#226
unbreakable D: Join Date: May 2007 Location: ? Posts: 2,868	foot valve is what i made in the pics attached to the Intake of the pump. with that itll never lose prime, itll always have water so when it starts up next time itll start right away. the only thing i recommend you do is put a T on the return with two ball valves. that way when you start out, you can prime the pump by pouring water down the tube until its ready. if you dont do that youll have a pump running dry. pics 1 and 2 of my previous post are the same pump, just showing you how long the plumbing is. another thing you can do is go to petco and buy the sump you need and drill it on the side at the bottom of it and attach your pump to it by a hose to minimize vibration my pump is level with my sump but that shouldnt matter. im sure i could have it higher with the same plumbing and it still would work __________________ INTERNET= Serious Business!

08/23/2008, 11:16 PM	#227
cherubfish pair Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Libby, Montana Posts: 7,061 Blog Entries: 1	I think I understand the foot valve and how it might always have water. How is your return line plumbed into the display? What keeps tank water from siphoning down the return line when the power goes out. I guess on your tank it does, but not so much as to flood the sump. The water levels out the same height in return line and in foot valve. Am I right? __________________ pairo chero Thanks for looking at my build thread and subscribe to it if you already haven't yet! Current Tank Info: thirty rimless

08/24/2008, 07:31 AM	#228
unbreakable D: Join Date: May 2007 Location: ? Posts: 2,868	yes you are correct. mainly because my return nozzles in the tank have an antisiphon holes which will fill up with air. that and the plumbing is in the overflowbox so not that much water will drain down my QT does have this problem since my friend drilled the very bottom of the tank which would drain ALL the water to the sump. so what i had to do was just add a pvc pipe long enough vertically so when it did drain water it would stop when the water went below the output of the pvc pipe. this is the 29g qt im talking about left side is plumbing inside an overflow box and right side is the return __________________ INTERNET= Serious Business!

08/24/2008, 10:59 AM	#229
cherubfish pair Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Libby, Montana Posts: 7,061 Blog Entries: 1	Okay, anti-siphon hole is the key here. I can't have anything sticking above the top of the tank because I'll have a tight fitting no-jump lid. But I can do this: run the return through a bulkhead as close to the top as I can get and put a lock-line nozzle with anti-siphon hole inside tank attached to the bulkhead. __________________ pairo chero Thanks for looking at my build thread and subscribe to it if you already haven't yet! Current Tank Info: thirty rimless

08/24/2008, 11:41 AM	#230
cherubfish pair Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Libby, Montana Posts: 7,061 Blog Entries: 1	Here's my liverock. Dry right now, but it will liven up once in the tank again. It's Walt Smith liverock and it's damn good rock. It's maricultured rock and I buy it at Petco one rock at a time, as I can afford it. You go online and you pay hundreds of $$ for crappy looking rock that is FULL of crud. __________________ pairo chero Thanks for looking at my build thread and subscribe to it if you already haven't yet! Current Tank Info: thirty rimless

08/24/2008, 01:13 PM	#231
unbreakable D: Join Date: May 2007 Location: ? Posts: 2,868	thats the rock they make themselves, right? how heavy is it? __________________ INTERNET= Serious Business!

08/24/2008, 04:39 PM	#232
cherubfish pair Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Libby, Montana Posts: 7,061 Blog Entries: 1	It's made out of aragonite material and they throw it into the ocean for awhile to seed it bacteria and so on. I can't compare to the Fiji rock I had for their weight, it's been too long ago. __________________ pairo chero Thanks for looking at my build thread and subscribe to it if you already haven't yet! Current Tank Info: thirty rimless

08/24/2008, 08:34 PM	#233
Tangwich Moved On Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Los Angeles & Montebello Posts: 1,563	Hey Cherub, I really like how nicely everything is coming along. Keep up the great work.

08/25/2008, 08:53 PM	#234
cherubfish pair Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Libby, Montana Posts: 7,061 Blog Entries: 1	Thanks Tangwich! P.S. I read you might use Coralife salt? Don't. It has a high water content right in the bucket. Mine clumped up in the bucket all the time. __________________ pairo chero Thanks for looking at my build thread and subscribe to it if you already haven't yet! Current Tank Info: thirty rimless

08/25/2008, 09:03 PM	#235
Tangwich Moved On Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Los Angeles & Montebello Posts: 1,563	Thanks for the great info Cherub. Tropic Marine it is..lol

08/25/2008, 09:07 PM	#236
cherubfish pair Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Libby, Montana Posts: 7,061 Blog Entries: 1	unbreakable, you have a vortech? How do you like it? I see they have what they call the MP20. It's output is 500-2000 gph. That's way too big for my 20 long. I told them they should make a true nano version. __________________ pairo chero Thanks for looking at my build thread and subscribe to it if you already haven't yet! Current Tank Info: thirty rimless

08/25/2008, 09:21 PM	#237
unbreakable D: Join Date: May 2007 Location: ? Posts: 2,868	mp40w is amazing. im impressed by this powerhead. in the past i was always looking online to see what new powerhead i could buy since the flow didnt meet my expectation or it was too much flow or too little, but with the vortech it solved my problem. i can adjust the flow to my liking, i can set whatever mode i want it in, and having them communicate with other vortechs is just awesome. i can control multiple vortechs with just 1 the best part of getting an mp20 is being able to upgrade it to an mp40w when ever youre ready, its not like youre stuck with an mp20 forever i think the 20 long is too shallow for it to work. it will suck up your sand and spit it out the tank. i had to sell a dual calcium reactor and some other equipment i didnt need anymore to buy the two vortechs. i regret selling the calcium reactor but i think the vortechs are worth it __________________ INTERNET= Serious Business!

08/26/2008, 04:44 PM	#238
cherubfish pair Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Libby, Montana Posts: 7,061 Blog Entries: 1	Are you sure the MP20 doesn't upgrade to the MP20w? What's min/max flow in yours? And how about the modes that you use? I just can't see paying 300 bucks for one. __________________ pairo chero Thanks for looking at my build thread and subscribe to it if you already haven't yet! Current Tank Info: thirty rimless

08/26/2008, 06:51 PM	#239
cherubfish pair Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Libby, Montana Posts: 7,061 Blog Entries: 1	Just got my NC6 jigsawed at the glass shop again (hopefully the last time). I paid $20 for a little notch cutout. That's outrageous! Maybe I can get a cheap jigsaw somewhere. I cut the notch out to accommodate the viper light mount. __________________ pairo chero Thanks for looking at my build thread and subscribe to it if you already haven't yet! Current Tank Info: thirty rimless

08/27/2008, 03:50 PM	#240
cherubfish pair Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Libby, Montana Posts: 7,061 Blog Entries: 1	Here's my return set-up ready to go: That's a mini-jet 606 upgrade. __________________ pairo chero Thanks for looking at my build thread and subscribe to it if you already haven't yet! Current Tank Info: thirty rimless

08/27/2008, 06:04 PM	#241
RickM61 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Michigan Posts: 174	nice tank build so far...i hope petco has a license for putting their LR in the ocean..i had a marine biologist in cali tell me that it is a hugh fine for anyone caught putting any kind of rock in the ocean out there....lol i already thought about buying a bunch of lace rock and putting them in a little area of the ocean where i lived when i lived out there..after he told me that , i thought twice about it.. good luck on your build..look forward to seeing more..but take your time and you will do fine.. Rick

08/27/2008, 09:53 PM	#243
cherubfish pair Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Libby, Montana Posts: 7,061 Blog Entries: 1	I think the vortechs have a broad, strong flow but lack the convergent/divergent chaos that the Oceans Motion 4-ways provide. Especially if you put a hydor flo on each closed loop bulkhead. __________________ pairo chero Thanks for looking at my build thread and subscribe to it if you already haven't yet! Current Tank Info: thirty rimless

08/27/2008, 10:04 PM	#244
cherubfish pair Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Libby, Montana Posts: 7,061 Blog Entries: 1	RickM61, I'm not sure about a license but Walt Smith International is based in Fiji. __________________ pairo chero Thanks for looking at my build thread and subscribe to it if you already haven't yet! Current Tank Info: thirty rimless

08/31/2008, 10:07 AM	#246
unbreakable D: Join Date: May 2007 Location: ? Posts: 2,868	hows the tank coming along? i thought about doing the oceans motions thing, but then id have to have a large pump dedicated to this and didnt like how you had stick with pattern of flow __________________ INTERNET= Serious Business!

08/31/2008, 08:17 PM	#247
cherubfish pair Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Libby, Montana Posts: 7,061 Blog Entries: 1	Got some black mollies today a Petco. woo. Ok, I know they're not reef fish but I'm using them to cycle my liverock. They're all males so don't have to worry about larvae rotting in the filter. Acclimating them in this shot. __________________ pairo chero Thanks for looking at my build thread and subscribe to it if you already haven't yet! Current Tank Info: thirty rimless

08/31/2008, 10:06 PM	#248
cherubfish pair Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Libby, Montana Posts: 7,061 Blog Entries: 1	Relying on this stock sponge as biofilter for the NC6 right now. When I get the mollies half way switched over to saltwater, I'll start adding liverock. __________________ pairo chero Thanks for looking at my build thread and subscribe to it if you already haven't yet! Current Tank Info: thirty rimless

09/01/2008, 07:59 AM	#250
unbreakable D: Join Date: May 2007 Location: ? Posts: 2,868	if only i had a decent camera. the camera phone doesnt show too much of anything. ive been negelecting my little tank, but im also worried about adding corals from the lfs and getting my onyx clownfish sick. id like to buy larger pieces of rock instead of the little rubble it had I fragged my hammer coral and going to trade one of the frags for a different type of LPS. the colt coral is really PO since its only morning and lights barely came on; hammer coral usually stretches out more. the brain coral is my favorite here's an older picture: and here's the 75g before it got taken over with algae and before the engineer goby decided to make tunnels and dunes ill have to post pics when i get my digital slr back. this tank (biocube14) is actually a transfer from another biocube14 i had. first one was eperiencing leaks so i had to send it back to the store. had also traded the DIY rock i had in there for store credit __________________ INTERNET= Serious Business!