The Reef Central Corner Club Thread

[LV74-04]

Here is an update on my corner. Thanks again for all the great ideas here.

Have the sump mostly set up and water running. Ended up with the Eshopps ADV-100.
Left the stand at 28" tall. It is right next to my computer desk and is perfect while sitting. Also a good height for the grandkids. Our 90 is 38 and need a ladder to do anything inside.
The ASM skimmer i planned on using has too big a footprint so back looking for the best bang for the buck that will fit 9.5 X 10 box.
Gonna steal the idea of using plexiglass rods but UPS has lost them and waiting for replacements. Should start working on our rock soon.
Gonna run a float valve in the sump hooked up to the ro filter. Have a similar setup going to our makeup tank on the 90 and have run for about 6 months so far with no problems.

A couple of pics ... should get better in a couple of months

[bzuber]

Thanks for the clarification reefscape15 and advice on which color.

After looking at damac20's photos I am definitely going to go this route, thanks for the pix. It looks like you have the all actinic option. Once I make the purchase, I may pm you on how you designed your lights to pivot.

[Husky_1]

Thanks, I will continue to use my actinics. I think this is good to hear. I may have to "invest" in my viewing pleasure.

Originally posted by damac20
I think corals look the best when you use a combo of mh t5 actinic and powerbrites. the powerbrites really add that extra pop when used with actinics

[damac20]

Just an FTI Dr. smith and fosters has them on sale for their summer sale. I found it to be much cheaper than most online retailers and about $70 less than LFS's around me.

[Michael]

a little update about my tank, i took the koralia 1powerhead i had out of the tank and threw it as far as i could i think it hit next doors green house, anyhow ive had a move about with my flow, i have a tunze 6045 in the rear corner now aiming at the top and front glass, 2 tunze 6025s, 1 each side of the tank half way down and pointing towards each other, and 3 koralia 2 aimed directly at the reef wall, i also have 2 maxi jet 1200s at low level pushing water away from the back of the reef wall, 8 phs in all haha

its moving in there now, long term the 3 k2s are going to end up in next doors garden as the k1 did, and im going to replace the 3 of them with another 2 6025s

[reefscape15]

Jeez Michael! Thats a ton of flow! I also am going to be bumping up my flow quite a bit. I've been looking at some different powerheads, and have been weighing my options. I have only ran Korallias so far, and am thinking of trying something different. I've been looking at a new CoralVue Dual Prop powerhead thats rated at 1500gph, and kind of split between 2 Korallia type outlets. Also, I've been thinking about just adding 2 Taam Seio Prop powerheads that already have a magnetic, adjustable mount and I'd be adding 2 of the 1000gph ones. That would bring my total in tank flow up to 3200gph with the Seio pumps, or about 2800gph with the Coralvue pump. Also, once I finish my sump I'll be splitting the return and adding 2 eductors to blast some water behind the rocks. A Mag-5 will most likely be used as return pump, which is rated at 500gph at 5'. Hopefully the eductors will add a bit of flow, but I've never had any experiance with these.

[reefscape15]

So, for my sump plumbing, I've had some ideas. 7" wide DIY overflow with a 1" drain into the skimmer section of my sump. This will flow into a fuge section, and then into the return pump section. My plan is to use a Mag-5 and run 3/4" pipe up and over the back corner of the tank. I'd like to try a SCWD that is routed to 2 seperate 3/4? eductors. I'd like to get the return pipe down in my tank low enough that the SCWD would be hidden from view. The way I'm planning, the SCWD would have to be placed in the tank upside down, and I'm not sure if this would make a difference. Also, by mounting this inside the tank, I'm hoping that it will reduce some of the noise. I know Jesse took his out due to niose, but for only $17, I figure it's worth a try.

[gerryo]

Hi.
You guys and your shortforms. Us noobies can't keeo up to all this. This is in the NEW TO THE HOBBIE thread isn't it?

WHAT IS A "SCWD"???????

[Michael]

Originally posted by gerryo
Hi.
You guys and your shortforms. Us noobies can't keeo up to all this. This is in the NEW TO THE HOBBIE thread isn't it?

WHAT IS A "SCWD"???????

hi-gerro, yep only 106 pages to read now

[reefscape15]

HAHAHA!!! Sorry for confusing you. SCWD is short for Switching Current Water Director. It's a device that switches back and forth between 2 outlets only using the flow of the water. No power is needed. It's pretty cheap, and IMO worth a shot. Here's a link to F&S website about it:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...id=10668&rel=1

[gerryo]

Thanx reefscape. I like the idea of having a "squid" in my tank.

Do you know if they are available in Canada? Or does anyone else know?

[gerryo]

Hi Michael. Yes, only 106 pages and I have read all of them.
This is the first time I have seen the SCWD short. We here in Canada seem to be at least 6 months behind the US with the intro of new items. Especially here in Ottawa area. Will try to keep up - if that is possible.

[reefscape15]

I'm not sure if they are available up there or not. But they have been around in the states for at least a few years now. I'm hoping that Jesse will chime in soon on his thoughts about them!

[Misled]

gerryo, let me check with a friend of mine. He' has a store in Toronto area. They do make a little noise, which is why I removed mine. If you can, go with the one inch model. They supposedly last longer.

[nomorenames]

I have a SQWD on mine with a mag 9.5 and it really killed the flow I have the 3/4 model Iam thinking of putting it on a closed loop with a much lager pump

[reefscape15]

Well, sounds like I may want to avoid this item. I want some nice flow in the tank with the least amount of cords as possible, and the less noise, the better. Tank is in the bedroom, and if there was a "click" that my wife and I had to hear every 10sec or so, it could get a little irritating. Well, if I take the SCWD out of the equation and just split the return into 2 eductors, what does everyone think of that plumbing plan?

Jesse - is the swine flu back, or do you just have a cold?

[Misled]

Not taking any chances. I ended up with a Sea Swirl on my return and love it. It's a little more expensive though.

[Michael]

Originally posted by gerryo
Hi Michael. . We here in Canada seem to be at least 6 months behind the US with the intro of new items.

yeah i know, they gotta have everything first

[Michael]

h-mm i was trying to add a blog, but it didnt work haha

ok edit:-

basically i was trying to add a blog about our corners etc, i was thinking perhaps we could make an article about our tanks and get the reefkeeping boys to put it in a future monthly addition, obviously it will have to be good, this blog is purely an example, it needs lots of dialogue and more thourough pictures etc, this is a first draft so you know what im thinking, please chip in and help me out here

http://www.reefcentral.com/wp/?p=418

[Michael]

do you think we should ask the mods to change the name of the thread as well? maybe something like

"the reef central corner club thread"

[Hookup]

Originally posted by gerryo
Hi Michael. Yes, only 106 pages and I have read all of them.
This is the first time I have seen the SCWD short. We here in Canada seem to be at least 6 months behind the US with the intro of new items. Especially here in Ottawa area. Will try to keep up - if that is possible.

Hey Gerryo! Fellow Ovas'er...

SCWD's are found here... they are available thru a number of LFS's... I know that Ottawa Inverts can grab you one, but I'm sure others can as well.

I've not heard good things about them in the long-run... say two or more years down the road... they seem to go wonky (yeah, that's a technical term.. )... so install it where you can service it if necessary...

If you think we are far behind the US, look how far North America is behind Europe... Not saying all northamericas are behind, but as an average of system and methods, in general we are a few years back.. but hey, it's easier to improve a method than experiement and discover new ones... so let them do all the hard work, and we'll fix it up right later down the road ... HAHAHA (jk friends...just kidding)

[Hookup]

Originally posted by Michael
h-mm i was trying to add a blog, but it didnt work haha

ok edit:-

basically i was trying to add a blog about our corners etc, i was thinking perhaps we could make an article about our tanks and get the reefkeeping boys to put it in a future monthly addition, obviously it will have to be good, this blog is purely an example, it needs lots of dialogue and more thourough pictures etc, this is a first draft so you know what im thinking, please chip in and help me out here

http://www.reefcentral.com/wp/?p=418

There are no photos of my system on this blog.. therefore it is completely inadequate and basically not really worth reading... LOL

This is a great start and way more than a skelleton. I would suggest that we find a way to move the discussion of this "blog"out of this thread and into a place dedicated for it... not sure where... but I'd like to see a proposed format (Table of Contents) and then we can look to getting various corner tank owners to voulenteer to fill in the descriptions... after a few peer-to-peer edits, we should have one heck of a blog... IMO anyhow..

[Michael]

great idea hook, i thought the little blog i stuck up would just be an example, obviously we all need to input info into it, i like the table of contents idea, i cant do this on my own, id suggest some of you guys join up to the rc blog, and then we can all input bits into it before deciding together what stays and goes

[Hookup]

Originally posted by reefscape15
Well, sounds like I may want to avoid this item. I want some nice flow in the tank with the least amount of cords as possible, and the less noise, the better. Tank is in the bedroom, and if there was a "click" that my wife and I had to hear every 10sec or so, it could get a little irritating. Well, if I take the SCWD out of the equation and just split the return into 2 eductors, what does everyone think of that plumbing plan?

Jesse - is the swine flu back, or do you just have a cold?

I cannot speak directly to the SCWD, as I've never had one or seen one first hand... splitting the return is a great idea for sure... but that also scares me...

Why?

Cause the return is simply to get clean water back to your Display. Nothing more. ( I know you know that, but I'm just speaking out loud here.. )

Splitting it, indicates your looking to create circulation and flow patterns with it. Not a bad thing, so long as you are simply augmenting the good flow & circulation you already have...

Additionally, through my additional research I've come to believe that the flow thru the sump should be around 250 - 350gph... Not based upon your tank size, but simpy based upon the size of the skimmer.

Your skimmer? yeah, your Skimmer... But what? Your crazy you damn silly canadian, must be the maple suryp and rye...

maybe so, hickup, but think about this... Skimmers have a rating on them. They are rated for a target volume system size.

The question to ask is, "how did those companies get those ratings?". What are they based on.

When talking to compaines like Bubble King, MRC, Deltec, etc, the ones with actual engineers, not chinese knockoffs, they have test-spec's that they use to publish those numbers, and they all have a sump-turn-over rate of aroundd 300gph. (this is second hand info to me from someone who claims to have done the phoen-calling, whom I believe).

This allows the skimmer to skim out the organics at peak efficency before returning the water to the DT.

If we run 2000gph thru the sump, for a skimmer rated at 400gallons system size, and that same skimmer expects 300gph, how effective will that skimmer be? Likely not as effective...


What does it all mean to me? (the question reefscape is bound to be asking by this point)

As for your design of splitting the return, if your only splitting 300gph, will it even make a difference at 150gph per outlet in your system, and therefore do you want to go thru the work?


Fine, so you got some theory there boy from the frozen north... so what does that have to do with me...

well, nothing actually... its just info... the more you have the better armed you are... take it for what its worth, or more accurately what it cost you to gather... However, my system has been reduced to ~300gph turnover, i've also stoped surface agitation from the circ pumps, and created a flow pattern that directs the general flow from the bottom of the tank, up and around (the front of the glass) to push the "oil slick" to the surface skimming overflow...


Cheers....

PS: If you were building a closed loop system for flow using this design, and somehow I've re-interpreted what you wrote to mean the return from your sump... then you have been hit by a wall of text that is almost meaningless for your scenario... it still crits you for 10,000,000...

[Hookup]

Originally posted by Michael
great idea hook, i thought the little blog i stuck up would just be an example, obviously we all need to input info into it, i like the table of contents idea, i cant do this on my own, id suggest some of you guys join up to the rc blog, and then we can all input bits into it before deciding together what stays and goes

I was able to get a blog setup, but i am not able to edit/add content from work.. which will severly limit my ability to add content.. haha..

I have a start of an article on basic aquarium setup that I would like you all to read and consider as the introduction to our blog. I think that anyone looking at our corner tank blog/article will most likely need some basic how to setup an aquiarum advise as well.

Either way, it's something to read..