Scott's 50-Gallon In-Wall Build - Page 20

scbauer · 06/02/2010, 03:28 PM

Well, it seems clear that the wrasse did indeed burry herself in the sand before she died, because about a week or two after she disappeared, I started to have a cyano outbreak. It has slowly gotten worse and worse over the past few weeks. I think it's time to take some drastic measures... thoughts?

I'm thinking phosban alone, but might go as far as removing all the rock, coral, and fish, scrubbing the rocks, removing all the water from the tank, getting rid of the sand bed, then putting about 25% of the water back in the tank while making about 75% new water. After rinsing the scrubbed rocks, I'd put them back into the "clean" tank and then start running phosban. Any help would be appreciated.

-Scott

weirze · 06/02/2010, 05:18 PM

wow that sucks thats the bad thing about wrasses if they burry themselves in the sand....
and what you are telling us it almost the only thing you can do after you try the phosban
good luck
andrew

reeftanknewbie · 06/05/2010, 03:43 AM

great build....keep the pics coming....

scbauer · 06/13/2010, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reeftanknewbie

great build....keep the pics coming....

Thanks! Going to post some new picts soon.

-Scott

scbauer · 06/13/2010, 09:17 PM

Ok, I did it. About 10 days ago, I bought some RowaPhos from my LFS and "installed" it that night in my TLF Phosban reactor (that was previously running with carbon). While the algae didn't go away, over the past week it does look like the algae has stopped growing. I decided I still needed to be aggressive, so this morning I did something I thought I would never do in a single day.

9:00 am - Removed about 35 gallons of water from the display tank.
9:05 am - Carefully removed all rock/coral from the tank without disturbing the sand
9:30 am - Caught the 3 fish, 2 shrimp, and crab. Put them in the 32-gallon brute "holding tank"
10:00 am - Wife woke up and asked what the hell I was doing
10:15 am - Removed all snails and hermit crabs that were left, placed them in my fuge
10:30 am - Drained the majority of the remaining water from the display tank down into the sump until the sump was just about to overflow.
note: while the tank was down, the sump/fuge was still running with water flowing from the sump, through the RowaPhos, through the UV, into the fuge, then back into the sump (through a filter sock)
11:00 am - Started vigorously stirring the sand in what water remained (probably about 5 gallons) - wow, what a smell... the water turned dark grey and I now know why you are not supposed to disturb a deep sand bed
11:30 am - Drained the dirty water and started removing all of the sand from the tank.
12:30 pm - Sand is gone and 95% is reusable. The other 5% was removed using a shop vac, so it went straight into the garbage. Just before the shop vac, I scrubbed all sides of the tank very well with a stiff brush, removing all algae, then rinsed the sides of the tank so everything was down at the bottom to be vaccuumed away.
1:00 pm - Washed sand very well using the dirty tank water, then again using fresh salt water, then again using RO/DI water without salt. Then one last time for good measure, with fresh salt water.
1:45 pm - About 20% of the sand went back into the tank.
2:00 pm - Flipped the switch to turn the return pump back on, thus emptying the sump back into the display tank. As the sump started to get low, I refilled it with new salt water that was made up Friday night and has been mixing/aerating since then... about 20 gallons.
2:45 pm - Tank is about 90% full as I have also started pumping the water from the temporary holding tank (aka 32 gallon brute garbage can) back into the display tank.
3:00 pm - Moved all of the rock and coral back into the display tank, there's about 6" of water left in the bottom of the garbage can. I'm going to need every drop because the display still isn't full and I don't have any more fresh water.
3:30 pm - Everything and everyone is back in the tank. The tang got a little scratched up on one side, I think she swam too fast past some rocks earlier in the day as I was starting to remove things.
4:00 pm - Everything is running smooth, I'm off to the pool for an hour or two of swimming and laying in the sun!
6:00 pm - Tank is already clear and looks GREAT! My previously 6"+ sand bed is now about 1/2" - 1" and not blowing around like I thought it would. There are a few spots where the current is so strong that the sand bed has blown away and it is just bare bottom, but it's not a big deal.
7:30 pm - Garage is all cleaned up, wife's car is back in the garage (happy wife = happy life) and it's time for a drink.
7:45 pm to 8:15 - Typed this long explanation that I'm guessing only one or two people will read, but in 2 or 3 years when I go back and read this thread, I'll be happy I documented what I did.

Well, it was a long day, but I think it was well worth it. I'll follow-up in about a week and let everyone know if the tank is still looking good and hopefully free of algae.

Also, I took a few pictures while I was in the process of cleaning the tank, so I'll post those pictures when I get around to moving them from my camera to my computer.

That's all for now. Thanks for reading.

-Scott

psteeleb · 06/17/2010, 04:42 PM

Scott - nice work on the "shifting sands" write up

a deep sand bed is nice untill the day you take it out, and like you said, they will stink up the place once exposed

scbauer · 11/16/2010, 10:15 PM

Wow, I can't believe it's been another 5 months with no posting. I guess this is what happens to a "build thread" when the building is done.

Anyways, tank is still running smooth. I vaccumed the sand this past weekend and did a 15-gallon water change. I also replaced all my light bulbs. I bought the same Iwasaki 14,000K 250W MH bulb but changed out my T5 bulbs for all Super Actinics (these):

I'm going to be changing my fuge into a frag tank to grow some SPS frags using LED lights. I'll cross-post my new thread here soon.

-Scott

scbauer · 11/16/2010, 10:29 PM

In case anyone wants to chime in about how I'm setting up my frag tank, here's the link:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...php?p=17932466

psteeleb · 11/17/2010, 11:36 AM

good to see your still around
I'll be following the frag tank build

dainiusiva · 12/22/2010, 01:50 AM

on a side note - Scott, Kalnapilis beer is better than Svyturys

scbauer · 12/22/2010, 03:40 PM

Labas dainiusiva, I have to disagree... Svyturys is much better than Kalnapilis!

scbauer · 12/22/2010, 03:41 PM

Quick update... I took a little video with my iPhone for everyone to see. Unfortunately youtube doesn't let me upload HD video unless I'm on WiFi and I wasn't when I uploaded the video. Enjoy!

psteeleb · 12/22/2010, 09:34 PM

looks great Scott
everything looks healthy and happy

scbauer · 12/23/2010, 03:46 PM

So about a week ago, I decided to run by the house at lunch to check on our new puppy and when I got home, the garage was flooded! Not something I like to see considering my tank is in the garage! I started to freak out but luckily when I opened the door to the fish room, the fish room floor was dry. Turns out my RO/DI unit was leaking...

Fast-forward to last night, I put all new filters in the RO/DI housing and reconnected everything and immediately I saw water spraying out the back. Oh no! Turns out one of the fittings (a small JG elbow) had a hole in it and under 100 PSI it decided to just start spraying all over the wall.

Issue is now resolved and on the bright side, this gave me a chance to buy a dual in-line TDS meter so I can now see that my home water has about 495-510 PPM TDS and after the RO and DI, I have 0 PPM! Yay for water filters!

-Scott

ejcatmul · 01/09/2011, 05:01 PM

Just curious maybe I missed it, what brand of test kits do you use?

scbauer · 01/09/2011, 05:17 PM

I use both the API Reef Master test kit and a few Tropic Marin test kits for redundancy.

scbauer · 01/09/2011, 06:28 PM

Don't think I posted anything here about my wavebox project, but I'm most of the way done with a custom external wave box for my tank. Here's the thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=1947585

-Scott

reeftanknewbie · 06/20/2011, 05:28 AM

Scott,

any updates?

scbauer · 07/07/2011, 11:26 PM

None at all. Sorry. The wavebox is built but I've not hooked it up. The tank is basically on cruise control right now. I am considering building a DIY LED array to replace my halide/T5 lights. I'll let you know if I do.

-Scott

scbauer · 11/10/2011, 03:54 PM

Ok, it's official... The tank is no more. Tank is gone, fish room is gone, and we're packing up and moving to San Francisco. I'm sure I'll eventually start another project but for now all equipment is going back into storage.

Thanks to EVERYBODY who helped along the way, I really enjoyed working on this project and learning everything that I did. Hopefully next time I'll be able to go bigger and better.

Here's where the tank used to be:

Bye for now..............

psteeleb · 11/10/2011, 03:57 PM

double post

scbauer · 07/23/2017, 10:30 AM

Hard to believe it's been almost 6 years since I shut down my tank, but we just bought a new house and I'm thinking it might be time... what do y'all think?

Misled · 07/23/2017, 11:35 AM

Welcome back Scott!!! I was setting up my 54 when you started this thread. I'm building a new set up now. No time like the present!!!!

scbauer · 07/23/2017, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Misled

Welcome back Scott!!! I was setting up my 54 when you started this thread. I'm building a new set up now. No time like the present!!!!

Diana A · 07/23/2017, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scbauer

Hard to believe it's been almost 6 years since I shut down my tank, but we just bought a new house and I'm thinking it might be time... what do y'all think?

I just looked at your last project...cool. I think you should do another

06/02/2010, 03:28 PM	#476
scbauer The Buff Reefer Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Northern California Posts: 1,699	Well, it seems clear that the wrasse did indeed burry herself in the sand before she died, because about a week or two after she disappeared, I started to have a cyano outbreak. It has slowly gotten worse and worse over the past few weeks. I think it's time to take some drastic measures... thoughts? I'm thinking phosban alone, but might go as far as removing all the rock, coral, and fish, scrubbing the rocks, removing all the water from the tank, getting rid of the sand bed, then putting about 25% of the water back in the tank while making about 75% new water. After rinsing the scrubbed rocks, I'd put them back into the "clean" tank and then start running phosban. Any help would be appreciated. -Scott __________________ offical member of the "WIAGAS" club "Wondering If Anybody Gives A ...." ...for when your thread has 50 posts, and 48 of them are yours Current Tank Info: No tank. Got out of the hobby in 2011 but I’ll be back one day!

06/05/2010, 03:43 AM	#478
reeftanknewbie Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Effort PA Posts: 1,067	great build....keep the pics coming.... __________________ 80 gallon Blue Line rimless tank, 40 gallon breeder sump, DIY ATS, SWC 160 cone skimmer, ocean revive LED. Current Tank Info: 80 gallon blue line rimless tank

06/17/2010, 04:42 PM	#481
psteeleb Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: DFW Texas Posts: 5,249	Scott - nice work on the "shifting sands" write up a deep sand bed is nice untill the day you take it out, and like you said, they will stink up the place once exposed __________________ A smooth sea never made a skillful mariner Current Tank Info: 110g Mixed Reef, LED's & T5's

11/16/2010, 10:15 PM	#482
scbauer The Buff Reefer Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Northern California Posts: 1,699	Wow, I can't believe it's been another 5 months with no posting. I guess this is what happens to a "build thread" when the building is done. Anyways, tank is still running smooth. I vaccumed the sand this past weekend and did a 15-gallon water change. I also replaced all my light bulbs. I bought the same Iwasaki 14,000K 250W MH bulb but changed out my T5 bulbs for all Super Actinics (these): I'm going to be changing my fuge into a frag tank to grow some SPS frags using LED lights. I'll cross-post my new thread here soon. -Scott __________________ offical member of the "WIAGAS" club "Wondering If Anybody Gives A ...." ...for when your thread has 50 posts, and 48 of them are yours Current Tank Info: No tank. Got out of the hobby in 2011 but I’ll be back one day!

06/02/2010, 05:18 PM	#477
weirze Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: sault ste marie Posts: 45	wow that sucks thats the bad thing about wrasses if they burry themselves in the sand.... and what you are telling us it almost the only thing you can do after you try the phosban good luck andrew

11/16/2010, 10:29 PM	#483
scbauer The Buff Reefer Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Northern California Posts: 1,699	In case anyone wants to chime in about how I'm setting up my frag tank, here's the link: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...php?p=17932466 __________________ offical member of the "WIAGAS" club "Wondering If Anybody Gives A ...." ...for when your thread has 50 posts, and 48 of them are yours Current Tank Info: No tank. Got out of the hobby in 2011 but I’ll be back one day!

11/17/2010, 11:36 AM	#484
psteeleb Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: DFW Texas Posts: 5,249	good to see your still around I'll be following the frag tank build __________________ A smooth sea never made a skillful mariner Current Tank Info: 110g Mixed Reef, LED's & T5's

12/22/2010, 01:50 AM	#485
dainiusiva Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Lithuania Posts: 396	on a side note - Scott, Kalnapilis beer is better than Svyturys

12/22/2010, 03:40 PM	#486
scbauer The Buff Reefer Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Northern California Posts: 1,699	Labas dainiusiva, I have to disagree... Svyturys is much better than Kalnapilis! __________________ offical member of the "WIAGAS" club "Wondering If Anybody Gives A ...." ...for when your thread has 50 posts, and 48 of them are yours Current Tank Info: No tank. Got out of the hobby in 2011 but I’ll be back one day!

12/22/2010, 03:41 PM	#487
scbauer The Buff Reefer Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Northern California Posts: 1,699	Quick update... I took a little video with my iPhone for everyone to see. Unfortunately youtube doesn't let me upload HD video unless I'm on WiFi and I wasn't when I uploaded the video. Enjoy! __________________ offical member of the "WIAGAS" club "Wondering If Anybody Gives A ...." ...for when your thread has 50 posts, and 48 of them are yours Current Tank Info: No tank. Got out of the hobby in 2011 but I’ll be back one day!

12/22/2010, 09:34 PM	#488
psteeleb Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: DFW Texas Posts: 5,249	looks great Scott everything looks healthy and happy __________________ A smooth sea never made a skillful mariner Current Tank Info: 110g Mixed Reef, LED's & T5's

12/23/2010, 03:46 PM	#489
scbauer The Buff Reefer Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Northern California Posts: 1,699	So about a week ago, I decided to run by the house at lunch to check on our new puppy and when I got home, the garage was flooded! Not something I like to see considering my tank is in the garage! I started to freak out but luckily when I opened the door to the fish room, the fish room floor was dry. Turns out my RO/DI unit was leaking... Fast-forward to last night, I put all new filters in the RO/DI housing and reconnected everything and immediately I saw water spraying out the back. Oh no! Turns out one of the fittings (a small JG elbow) had a hole in it and under 100 PSI it decided to just start spraying all over the wall. Issue is now resolved and on the bright side, this gave me a chance to buy a dual in-line TDS meter so I can now see that my home water has about 495-510 PPM TDS and after the RO and DI, I have 0 PPM! Yay for water filters! -Scott __________________ offical member of the "WIAGAS" club "Wondering If Anybody Gives A ...." ...for when your thread has 50 posts, and 48 of them are yours Current Tank Info: No tank. Got out of the hobby in 2011 but I’ll be back one day!

01/09/2011, 05:01 PM	#490
ejcatmul Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Utah Posts: 53	Just curious maybe I missed it, what brand of test kits do you use?

01/09/2011, 05:17 PM	#491
scbauer The Buff Reefer Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Northern California Posts: 1,699	I use both the API Reef Master test kit and a few Tropic Marin test kits for redundancy. __________________ offical member of the "WIAGAS" club "Wondering If Anybody Gives A ...." ...for when your thread has 50 posts, and 48 of them are yours Current Tank Info: No tank. Got out of the hobby in 2011 but I’ll be back one day!

01/09/2011, 06:28 PM	#492
scbauer The Buff Reefer Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Northern California Posts: 1,699	Don't think I posted anything here about my wavebox project, but I'm most of the way done with a custom external wave box for my tank. Here's the thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=1947585 -Scott __________________ offical member of the "WIAGAS" club "Wondering If Anybody Gives A ...." ...for when your thread has 50 posts, and 48 of them are yours Current Tank Info: No tank. Got out of the hobby in 2011 but I’ll be back one day!

06/20/2011, 05:28 AM	#493
reeftanknewbie Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Effort PA Posts: 1,067	Scott, any updates? __________________ 80 gallon Blue Line rimless tank, 40 gallon breeder sump, DIY ATS, SWC 160 cone skimmer, ocean revive LED. Current Tank Info: 80 gallon blue line rimless tank

07/07/2011, 11:26 PM	#494
scbauer The Buff Reefer Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Northern California Posts: 1,699	None at all. Sorry. The wavebox is built but I've not hooked it up. The tank is basically on cruise control right now. I am considering building a DIY LED array to replace my halide/T5 lights. I'll let you know if I do. -Scott __________________ offical member of the "WIAGAS" club "Wondering If Anybody Gives A ...." ...for when your thread has 50 posts, and 48 of them are yours Current Tank Info: No tank. Got out of the hobby in 2011 but I’ll be back one day!

11/10/2011, 03:54 PM	#495
scbauer The Buff Reefer Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Northern California Posts: 1,699	Ok, it's official... The tank is no more. Tank is gone, fish room is gone, and we're packing up and moving to San Francisco. I'm sure I'll eventually start another project but for now all equipment is going back into storage. Thanks to EVERYBODY who helped along the way, I really enjoyed working on this project and learning everything that I did. Hopefully next time I'll be able to go bigger and better. Here's where the tank used to be: Bye for now.............. __________________ offical member of the "WIAGAS" club "Wondering If Anybody Gives A ...." ...for when your thread has 50 posts, and 48 of them are yours Current Tank Info: No tank. Got out of the hobby in 2011 but I’ll be back one day!

11/10/2011, 03:57 PM	#496
psteeleb Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: DFW Texas Posts: 5,249	double post __________________ A smooth sea never made a skillful mariner Current Tank Info: 110g Mixed Reef, LED's & T5's Last edited by psteeleb; 11/10/2011 at 04:07 PM.

07/23/2017, 10:30 AM	#497
scbauer The Buff Reefer Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Northern California Posts: 1,699	Hard to believe it's been almost 6 years since I shut down my tank, but we just bought a new house and I'm thinking it might be time... what do y'all think? __________________ offical member of the "WIAGAS" club "Wondering If Anybody Gives A ...." ...for when your thread has 50 posts, and 48 of them are yours Current Tank Info: No tank. Got out of the hobby in 2011 but I’ll be back one day!

07/23/2017, 11:35 AM	#498
Misled RC Mod Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Pittsburgh, Pa Posts: 11,440 Blog Entries: 11	Welcome back Scott!!! I was setting up my 54 when you started this thread. I'm building a new set up now. No time like the present!!!! __________________ Jesse I'm not saying I'm Batman. I'm just saying nobody has ever seen me and Batman in a room together.