**former thread of the month** Rebuilding the Reef - Log of a 90 Gallon Restarted - Page 29

thrlride · 08/20/2005, 03:00 AM

Too funny Marc!

Trekkie · 08/20/2005, 08:26 AM

Boy, That was a lot of work.

Just kinda saw the title and started to read, and boy time flies. After about the fourth or fifth page I looked at the date and hope that the reason the thread was so long is that it was going very well and fun to talk about and that nothing very bad happened. I feel for you where your first tank cracked.

Very adventurous. I've wanted to do so serious plumbing into my crawlspace. Was worried about the temperatures though in the summer/winter causing problems. My long term goal is to replace my 75 with something monsterous but I don't have a layout that would let me do an in-wall in my home. So I'd need the monster sump for that somewhere, and the crawlspace would be awesome. I'm going to have to do some temperature tests to see how cool it gets there in the winter. It doesn't feel too bad in the summer so I'm not worried there, more worried about things getting too cold.

Lots of interesting info in there. Greetings from central North Carolina.

Jamesurq · 08/20/2005, 09:50 AM

Thanks Trekkie!

My thread is filled with strife - it's character building

As far as the temperature control, the winter here wasn't a problem - I have 2 - 250W heaters and was able to keep the temperature pretty steady at 80. (the max during the day with all lighting firing down on the water). It might be a little different this year with the addition of the new fishroom - so we'll see how it goes.

In the summer - for instance the last few days with about 95-100 degrees and 80%+ humididity it hovers around 82.

Good luck with the plumbing - a crawlspace isn't much fun to be in - but it's worth it to have a sump and closed loop pump that you don't have to listen to

Oh - and I'll be in that sump pretty soon as I hook the next tank into the central sump system - a 50 gallon acrylic pentagon corner tank. Not sure what the theme will be but it won't be SPS. I'm thinking an agressive community tank with a couple softies.

Jamesurq · 08/20/2005, 11:02 AM

Oh - I meant "I'll be in that crawlspace pretty soon" not sump

Oops.

Jamesurq · 09/14/2005, 07:28 AM

OK - update time.

A few things have happened over the last month. I've battled over and over again with flatworms - and I'm almost at the winners circle...

I also put in place a water change setup.

Heres the setup:

Basically what I have here is 2 32 gallon rubbermaid tubs.
One for the topoff water (run with a kent floatvalve - hooked to an RODI unit with a 3 gallon tank - feeds the tank with a maxijet 900 hooked to a reeffantic level controller)

and one for the waterchange water. (circulation is one airlift tube and a lower bubbler (for when the water is low)

Jamesurq · 09/14/2005, 07:29 AM

To fill the waterchange tank - I just turn the valve on the top connecting bulkhead. The water flows into the waterchange tub until it reaches that height in the topoff tank. At which point - its up to the kent floatvalve to fill up the 2 tanks until full.

As you can see, the pump that I'm using is a Velocity T1 (finally found a use for it Kip )

It's plumbed into the sump through the wall.

The other side of the waterchange equation is the pump that dumps the water out... In this scenario - it's an aquaclear 5000 - a 950 or so GPH powerhead that can turn a tub of water into a jacuzzi in a few hours with the amount of heat it puts out. Perfect for a "on for 5 minutes" type of application

The pump feeds a garden hose that runs out onto my driveway (for now). I'm going to put something a little more permanent in place at some point.

Jamesurq · 09/14/2005, 07:29 AM

And here's the center of my little automated system - the lighting controllers.

I hit button #1 and 2 to shut off the main circulation and the skimmer. Hit button #3 to drain the sump - shut it off (syphoning does the rest). Takes about 3 minutes to drain. Then I hit button 4 to turn on the T1 and fill it back up again.

Easy as cake. Piece of pie!

I figure it's probaly about 25 gallons or thereabouts.

Jamesurq · 09/14/2005, 07:33 AM

In addition to the automated waterchange I put in place a high tech lighting system for my sump room. The DJ controllers switch on 2 sets of lights. One in the sump area and one above the sandtrade tanks. However, that switch is all the way on the other side of the room.

So using my brain I devised a complicated high tech plan of controlling a 4 foot dual NO light. Here is what I came up with.

Jamesurq · 09/14/2005, 07:35 AM

Additionally,

I know, I know - the fun never ends in James' thread....

I put in place this wonderfully high tech rock curing system. I picked up some rock locally for free that had a lot of NASTY looking algae and had been sitting in a tub without circulation for about a week - so I threw this contraption together to cure it.

It's run by a mag12 squeezed through 3/4" pipe into 2 double union ballvalves running to 2 spraybars in 12 gallon "brand X" rubbermaid containers, draining to a 10 gallon "brand X" tub.

Notice the 3rd ballvalve in the chain. Perfect for waterchanges or soaking your pants for that "I just wet myself" look that all the kids are wearing now.

Lunchbucket · 09/14/2005, 07:29 PM

looking good man. keep the pics coming

Luchbucket

Jamesurq · 09/14/2005, 08:49 PM

OK - you asked for it.

Close up of one of my softies.... WHAT?? A softie in an SPS tank with a sandbed... ARE YOU MAD???!! Those of you that know me well can answer that one

My clowns (or at least the female) has decided that this open brain looks close enough to it's natural host - the carpet anemone.

Here's a shot of my happy and fat Red Sea Sailfin Tang. He's been hanging out with my Foxface - who's decided he doesn't want his picture taken

Jamesurq · 09/14/2005, 08:52 PM

Finally - the fulltank shot. Which I'm not happy with. I can't get the color at the top of the tank to show up (with the high lighting). The color is starting to come back to the SPS after the major bleaching and other problems associated with the flatworm treatment.

The red coralline has really taken over the tank as you can see. It's plating growth pattern is really beautiful - and it's a nice change from the standard purple and pink (which I have tons of too...)

toonces · 09/15/2005, 05:59 AM

hey james,
that's a great idea for the water change system! unfortunately, i don't have the space resources to create something like that right now, but with your excellent pictures/description, you've given me some ideas to toy with to make something in the room i have to work with.
thanks!
mike

thrlride · 09/15/2005, 07:09 AM

James,

Your sailfin looks like a cross between mine and kips. I guess he is getting his adult coloration.

Did he always look like that or has he started to change as you've had him?

Jamesurq · 09/15/2005, 07:12 AM

Glad to hear my system has sparked some creative initiative.

Jamesurq · 09/15/2005, 07:13 AM

Ryan -

Pretty much looked that way from day 1. He hasn't really grown much either, just in width

Kip · 09/15/2005, 07:41 AM

you see it everyday, so you may not notice it as much.... but, his colors are changing... when i get home i will post a shot of what he looked like when it first arrived (if i can remember to do it)

thrlride · 09/15/2005, 07:42 AM

Do that Kip, I'd be interested to see.

Kip · 09/15/2005, 07:49 AM

how's this for compare and contrast

james' juvie, the smaller... and my existing, the larger... this was back around mar-apr 05

thrlride · 09/15/2005, 08:10 AM

Hey, that's what mine looks like!

Here is mine. He's much fatter now.

thrlride · 09/15/2005, 08:10 AM

what is that on the glass kip? chaeto munching or algae in a scratch?

Kip · 09/15/2005, 08:13 AM

some chaeto i threw in there

my adult is a good bit larger now... he keeps adding stripes.

thrlride · 09/15/2005, 08:15 AM

I've never fed them chaeto, do you feed it all the time or on occasion?

Kip · 09/15/2005, 08:20 AM

rarely if ever... it drives them nuts... they like it, but hard for them to eat becuase they can rip it apart and chew it... they act like they are slurping up spaghetti and nibbling it.

thrlride · 09/15/2005, 08:52 AM

I guess I'll have to try that.

08/20/2005, 03:00 AM	#701
thrlride Aka lemmywinks Join Date: May 2003 Location: Harrisburg, NC Posts: 8,017	Too funny Marc! __________________ Beer Snob Current Tank Info: 210 gallon FOWLR (H&S 200a-1260 , panworld 50px-x, 2x Vortech w/ WWD)

09/14/2005, 07:29 PM	#710
Lunchbucket Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Brookings, SD Posts: 12,924	looking good man. keep the pics coming Luchbucket __________________ Trying to lose weight by walking is like trying to bake a cake w/ a cigarette lighter - Lunchbucket - "Nancy-Boy Extraordinaire" - maxxII- Current Tank Info: 58gal Oceanic RR, 2x400w MH (20k XM and 10k XM), Deltec PF601 Ca Rx, Deltec AP701 skimmer, mag950 return, iwaki 55rlt w/ an Oceansmotions 4-way unit, Tunze 7300 and 6000 each w/ controller, fluidized po4 rx

09/15/2005, 07:09 AM	#714
thrlride Aka lemmywinks Join Date: May 2003 Location: Harrisburg, NC Posts: 8,017	James, Your sailfin looks like a cross between mine and kips. I guess he is getting his adult coloration. Did he always look like that or has he started to change as you've had him? __________________ Beer Snob Current Tank Info: 210 gallon FOWLR (H&S 200a-1260 , panworld 50px-x, 2x Vortech w/ WWD)

09/15/2005, 07:41 AM	#717
Kip Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Dropping 2, hitting 3 Posts: 2,495	you see it everyday, so you may not notice it as much.... but, his colors are changing... when i get home i will post a shot of what he looked like when it first arrived (if i can remember to do it) __________________ Sept'06 TOTM Taking a break from the hobby while we move to a new house.

09/15/2005, 07:42 AM	#718
thrlride Aka lemmywinks Join Date: May 2003 Location: Harrisburg, NC Posts: 8,017	Do that Kip, I'd be interested to see. __________________ Beer Snob Current Tank Info: 210 gallon FOWLR (H&S 200a-1260 , panworld 50px-x, 2x Vortech w/ WWD)

08/20/2005, 08:26 AM	#702
Trekkie Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Wake Forest, NC Posts: 284	Boy, That was a lot of work. Just kinda saw the title and started to read, and boy time flies. After about the fourth or fifth page I looked at the date and hope that the reason the thread was so long is that it was going very well and fun to talk about and that nothing very bad happened. I feel for you where your first tank cracked. Very adventurous. I've wanted to do so serious plumbing into my crawlspace. Was worried about the temperatures though in the summer/winter causing problems. My long term goal is to replace my 75 with something monsterous but I don't have a layout that would let me do an in-wall in my home. So I'd need the monster sump for that somewhere, and the crawlspace would be awesome. I'm going to have to do some temperature tests to see how cool it gets there in the winter. It doesn't feel too bad in the summer so I'm not worried there, more worried about things getting too cold. Lots of interesting info in there. Greetings from central North Carolina.

08/20/2005, 09:50 AM	#703
Jamesurq Moved On Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Greensboro, NC Posts: 5,470	Thanks Trekkie! My thread is filled with strife - it's character building As far as the temperature control, the winter here wasn't a problem - I have 2 - 250W heaters and was able to keep the temperature pretty steady at 80. (the max during the day with all lighting firing down on the water). It might be a little different this year with the addition of the new fishroom - so we'll see how it goes. In the summer - for instance the last few days with about 95-100 degrees and 80%+ humididity it hovers around 82. Good luck with the plumbing - a crawlspace isn't much fun to be in - but it's worth it to have a sump and closed loop pump that you don't have to listen to Oh - and I'll be in that sump pretty soon as I hook the next tank into the central sump system - a 50 gallon acrylic pentagon corner tank. Not sure what the theme will be but it won't be SPS. I'm thinking an agressive community tank with a couple softies.

08/20/2005, 11:02 AM	#704
Jamesurq Moved On Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Greensboro, NC Posts: 5,470	Oh - I meant "I'll be in that crawlspace pretty soon" not sump Oops.

09/14/2005, 07:28 AM	#705
Jamesurq Moved On Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Greensboro, NC Posts: 5,470	OK - update time. A few things have happened over the last month. I've battled over and over again with flatworms - and I'm almost at the winners circle... I also put in place a water change setup. Heres the setup: Basically what I have here is 2 32 gallon rubbermaid tubs. One for the topoff water (run with a kent floatvalve - hooked to an RODI unit with a 3 gallon tank - feeds the tank with a maxijet 900 hooked to a reeffantic level controller) and one for the waterchange water. (circulation is one airlift tube and a lower bubbler (for when the water is low)

09/14/2005, 07:29 AM	#706
Jamesurq Moved On Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Greensboro, NC Posts: 5,470	To fill the waterchange tank - I just turn the valve on the top connecting bulkhead. The water flows into the waterchange tub until it reaches that height in the topoff tank. At which point - its up to the kent floatvalve to fill up the 2 tanks until full. As you can see, the pump that I'm using is a Velocity T1 (finally found a use for it Kip ) It's plumbed into the sump through the wall. The other side of the waterchange equation is the pump that dumps the water out... In this scenario - it's an aquaclear 5000 - a 950 or so GPH powerhead that can turn a tub of water into a jacuzzi in a few hours with the amount of heat it puts out. Perfect for a "on for 5 minutes" type of application The pump feeds a garden hose that runs out onto my driveway (for now). I'm going to put something a little more permanent in place at some point.

09/14/2005, 07:29 AM	#707
Jamesurq Moved On Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Greensboro, NC Posts: 5,470	And here's the center of my little automated system - the lighting controllers. I hit button #1 and 2 to shut off the main circulation and the skimmer. Hit button #3 to drain the sump - shut it off (syphoning does the rest). Takes about 3 minutes to drain. Then I hit button 4 to turn on the T1 and fill it back up again. Easy as cake. Piece of pie! I figure it's probaly about 25 gallons or thereabouts.

09/14/2005, 07:33 AM	#708
Jamesurq Moved On Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Greensboro, NC Posts: 5,470	In addition to the automated waterchange I put in place a high tech lighting system for my sump room. The DJ controllers switch on 2 sets of lights. One in the sump area and one above the sandtrade tanks. However, that switch is all the way on the other side of the room. So using my brain I devised a complicated high tech plan of controlling a 4 foot dual NO light. Here is what I came up with.

09/14/2005, 07:35 AM	#709
Jamesurq Moved On Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Greensboro, NC Posts: 5,470	Additionally, I know, I know - the fun never ends in James' thread.... I put in place this wonderfully high tech rock curing system. I picked up some rock locally for free that had a lot of NASTY looking algae and had been sitting in a tub without circulation for about a week - so I threw this contraption together to cure it. It's run by a mag12 squeezed through 3/4" pipe into 2 double union ballvalves running to 2 spraybars in 12 gallon "brand X" rubbermaid containers, draining to a 10 gallon "brand X" tub. Notice the 3rd ballvalve in the chain. Perfect for waterchanges or soaking your pants for that "I just wet myself" look that all the kids are wearing now.

09/14/2005, 08:49 PM	#711
Jamesurq Moved On Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Greensboro, NC Posts: 5,470	OK - you asked for it. Close up of one of my softies.... WHAT?? A softie in an SPS tank with a sandbed... ARE YOU MAD???!! Those of you that know me well can answer that one My clowns (or at least the female) has decided that this open brain looks close enough to it's natural host - the carpet anemone. Here's a shot of my happy and fat Red Sea Sailfin Tang. He's been hanging out with my Foxface - who's decided he doesn't want his picture taken

09/14/2005, 08:52 PM	#712
Jamesurq Moved On Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Greensboro, NC Posts: 5,470	Finally - the fulltank shot. Which I'm not happy with. I can't get the color at the top of the tank to show up (with the high lighting). The color is starting to come back to the SPS after the major bleaching and other problems associated with the flatworm treatment. The red coralline has really taken over the tank as you can see. It's plating growth pattern is really beautiful - and it's a nice change from the standard purple and pink (which I have tons of too...)

09/15/2005, 05:59 AM	#713
toonces Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Norfolk, Virginia, USA Posts: 1,131	hey james, that's a great idea for the water change system! unfortunately, i don't have the space resources to create something like that right now, but with your excellent pictures/description, you've given me some ideas to toy with to make something in the room i have to work with. thanks! mike

09/15/2005, 07:12 AM	#715
Jamesurq Moved On Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Greensboro, NC Posts: 5,470	Glad to hear my system has sparked some creative initiative.

09/15/2005, 07:13 AM	#716
Jamesurq Moved On Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Greensboro, NC Posts: 5,470	Ryan - Pretty much looked that way from day 1. He hasn't really grown much either, just in width

09/15/2005, 07:49 AM	#719
Kip Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Dropping 2, hitting 3 Posts: 2,495	how's this for compare and contrast james' juvie, the smaller... and my existing, the larger... this was back around mar-apr 05 __________________ Sept'06 TOTM Taking a break from the hobby while we move to a new house.

09/15/2005, 08:10 AM	#720
thrlride Aka lemmywinks Join Date: May 2003 Location: Harrisburg, NC Posts: 8,017	Hey, that's what mine looks like! Here is mine. He's much fatter now. __________________ Beer Snob Current Tank Info: 210 gallon FOWLR (H&S 200a-1260 , panworld 50px-x, 2x Vortech w/ WWD)

09/15/2005, 08:10 AM	#721
thrlride Aka lemmywinks Join Date: May 2003 Location: Harrisburg, NC Posts: 8,017	what is that on the glass kip? chaeto munching or algae in a scratch? __________________ Beer Snob Current Tank Info: 210 gallon FOWLR (H&S 200a-1260 , panworld 50px-x, 2x Vortech w/ WWD)

09/15/2005, 08:13 AM	#722
Kip Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Dropping 2, hitting 3 Posts: 2,495	some chaeto i threw in there my adult is a good bit larger now... he keeps adding stripes. __________________ Sept'06 TOTM Taking a break from the hobby while we move to a new house.

09/15/2005, 08:15 AM	#723
thrlride Aka lemmywinks Join Date: May 2003 Location: Harrisburg, NC Posts: 8,017	I've never fed them chaeto, do you feed it all the time or on occasion? __________________ Beer Snob Current Tank Info: 210 gallon FOWLR (H&S 200a-1260 , panworld 50px-x, 2x Vortech w/ WWD)

09/15/2005, 08:20 AM	#724
Kip Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Dropping 2, hitting 3 Posts: 2,495	rarely if ever... it drives them nuts... they like it, but hard for them to eat becuase they can rip it apart and chew it... they act like they are slurping up spaghetti and nibbling it. __________________ Sept'06 TOTM Taking a break from the hobby while we move to a new house.

09/15/2005, 08:52 AM	#725
thrlride Aka lemmywinks Join Date: May 2003 Location: Harrisburg, NC Posts: 8,017	I guess I'll have to try that. __________________ Beer Snob Current Tank Info: 210 gallon FOWLR (H&S 200a-1260 , panworld 50px-x, 2x Vortech w/ WWD)