Oh pond liner, let me count the ways I love thee

Spaced Cowboy · 03/12/2021, 01:31 PM

So yesterday, I was pottering about in the fish room, and I started to change the neoprene tubing on the peristaltic pumps that handle my water-change, the black tubing in...

I do it once per year, to [hah!] stop leaks from forming. Anyway, through the glass, I hear my wife calling my name and it sounds urgent, so I go to see what's up. Came back 30 mins later, and forgot that I'd only reconnected the input to the pump, not the output, so it was just an open circuit drawing from 400G of NSW on the other side of the house...

I just went back there today - wasn't really planning on it, but thought I'd give the nem and corals a bit of a snack, and ... Oh! The floor was about a half-inch deep in water...

When I was planning the fish-tank, and given that I'd managed to leak saltwater onto the nice hardwood floors in the past to the extent that they weren't really nice any more, I'd specced out pond liner to go all over the floor of the new fish room (which was really just a walled-off part of the old living-room)...

... up to the height of about 6", and I'd put a drain in the corner of the room. The drain has a bit of a lip on it, which is why I only had a half-inch of water on the floor, I'm guessing.

I change a fair amount of water (it's automated) - a gallon every 2 hours, so I'd have had about 10-12g of water pumped out over the floor ...

So all I had to do was mop it up, and thank my lucky stars that I put in that pond liner - otherwise it'd be seeping under the studded-wall to the rest of the living room and ... well that doesn't bear thinking about

So, what's the piece of equipment, or other feature, of your setup that you're *so* glad exists that way ?

Jgoal55 · 03/12/2021, 09:21 PM

Pond liner is a great idea for a fish room. I built a drain under my sump in case it ever overflows and will line it.

On another note, which peristaltic pumps are those? And what controller/system are you using for the AWC?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Spaced Cowboy · 03/12/2021, 10:07 PM

The pumps are Simply Pumps PM600's. They can pump a gallon of water up a head of 8' in 40 seconds. They're monsters. The company is also really nice to deal with, and when they sent me the wrong PSU for the first one, they overnighted another no questions asked as a replacement.

They're also pretty loud

They're the only part of the fish room I can hear through the wall if standing next to the tank, and if you're in the same room, they're *very* loud.

TBH though we sort of got used to that. It's only 40 seconds long, and if you *don't* hear it at some time through the day, it's a good sign that something needs to be looked at.

The AWC is from a (sadly demised) company called Genesis Reef Systems, and it's awesome. I had no end of problems with salt-creep using LiterMeter before this, but not once has anything gone systematically wrong with the Storm (top off) or Renew (water change). They even talk to each other, so it doesn't try to do a top-off during a water-change, for example.

MrSandman · 03/13/2021, 10:58 AM

Since I couldn’t put a drain in my fish room I figured the next best thing was to build a tray that my sump sits in. The tray has about a 1” lip all around it to keep minor spills contained. Inside of the tray I also have a leak sensor to let me know if there is a spill. It’s saved me a few times for similar reasons as you.

Spaced Cowboy · 03/13/2021, 11:17 AM

Yes, a leak sensor to plug into the Apex is now on the wish-lust.

Hah! That’s a typo (thanks ottercorrect) but I think I’ll leave it...

Still sorting out my lighting right now so it’ll have to wait a month or two.

Sk8r · 03/13/2021, 12:04 PM

We actually HAVE a 5000 gallon pond (and a 300 gallon smaller one) intentionally, but we still find additional uses even for the trim pieces. That weed that WILL not stop growing, the pavers that keep getting weeds between, and many more...

Spaced Cowboy · 03/13/2021, 01:42 PM

Yeah, we have a koi pond too - with a "stream" that feeds it, running around the deck, so we had to buy the largest pool liner they sell. That piece in the photo above *is* an off-cut - where the deck went...

Where do you think I got the idea ? [grin]

Jgoal55 · 03/19/2021, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spaced Cowboy

The pumps are Simply Pumps PM600's. They can pump a gallon of water up a head of 8' in 40 seconds. They're monsters. The company is also really nice to deal with, and when they sent me the wrong PSU for the first one, they overnighted another no questions asked as a replacement.

They're also pretty loud

They're the only part of the fish room I can hear through the wall if standing next to the tank, and if you're in the same room, they're *very* loud.

TBH though we sort of got used to that. It's only 40 seconds long, and if you *don't* hear it at some time through the day, it's a good sign that something needs to be looked at.

The AWC is from a (sadly demised) company called Genesis Reef Systems, and it's awesome. I had no end of problems with salt-creep using LiterMeter before this, but not once has anything gone systematically wrong with the Storm (top off) or Renew (water change). They even talk to each other, so it doesn't try to do a top-off during a water-change, for example.

Awesome! Thanks for the advice!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Alex3344 · 10/29/2021, 08:11 AM

I believe that building a tank with a pond liner (check here what I mean https://www.backyardstyle.com/best-pond-liner/ ) would work fine, but, if you plan on installing a glass or acrylic window to view the tank, i think there would be many problems. I do not think that you would be able to easily bond/glaze the window in place; I think that a pond liner would have too much flex and it may be difficult to get a completely flat surface so one would have difficulty getting a proper seal with silicone. Its a cheap way to go as long as you were able to securely glaze in a window.

Spaced Cowboy · 10/29/2021, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex3344

I believe that building a tank with a pond liner (check here what I mean https://www.backyardstyle.com/best-pond-liner/ ) would work fine, but, if you plan on installing a glass or acrylic window to view the tank, i think there would be many problems. I do not think that you would be able to easily bond/glaze the window in place; I think that a pond liner would have too much flex and it may be difficult to get a completely flat surface so one would have difficulty getting a proper seal with silicone. Its a cheap way to go as long as you were able to securely glaze in a window.

To be fair, I wasn't suggesting making a *tank* out of pond-liner, I have a glass tank from Miracles. The pond-liner is a catch-all for water getting on the floor, to protect the nice hardwood flooring underneath.

Vinny Kreyling · 10/30/2021, 04:36 PM

I got a nice surprise when I opened the cabinet for the new tank when we moved.
The entire bottom & up the sides & ends to the door openings are lined with PVC.
Saved my butt a few times already!

03/12/2021, 01:31 PM	#1
Spaced Cowboy South Bay Reefer Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 395 Blog Entries: 29	Oh pond liner, let me count the ways I love thee So yesterday, I was pottering about in the fish room, and I started to change the neoprene tubing on the peristaltic pumps that handle my water-change, the black tubing in... I do it once per year, to [hah!] stop leaks from forming. Anyway, through the glass, I hear my wife calling my name and it sounds urgent, so I go to see what's up. Came back 30 mins later, and forgot that I'd only reconnected the input to the pump, not the output, so it was just an open circuit drawing from 400G of NSW on the other side of the house... I just went back there today - wasn't really planning on it, but thought I'd give the nem and corals a bit of a snack, and ... Oh! The floor was about a half-inch deep in water... When I was planning the fish-tank, and given that I'd managed to leak saltwater onto the nice hardwood floors in the past to the extent that they weren't really nice any more, I'd specced out pond liner to go all over the floor of the new fish room (which was really just a walled-off part of the old living-room)... ... up to the height of about 6", and I'd put a drain in the corner of the room. The drain has a bit of a lip on it, which is why I only had a half-inch of water on the floor, I'm guessing. I change a fair amount of water (it's automated) - a gallon every 2 hours, so I'd have had about 10-12g of water pumped out over the floor ... So all I had to do was mop it up, and thank my lucky stars that I put in that pond liner - otherwise it'd be seeping under the studded-wall to the rest of the living room and ... well that doesn't bear thinking about So, what's the piece of equipment, or other feature, of your setup that you're so glad exists that way ?

03/12/2021, 09:21 PM	#2
Jgoal55 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Miami / Coral Gables Posts: 3,187	Oh pond liner, let me count the ways I love thee Pond liner is a great idea for a fish room. I built a drain under my sump in case it ever overflows and will line it. On another note, which peristaltic pumps are those? And what controller/system are you using for the AWC? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk __________________ Jorge S. "I need Reef Addiction Therapy" Current Tank Info: Being set-up. Timeline: One day.

03/13/2021, 10:58 AM	#4
MrSandman Team RC Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: South Bay, So. Cal. Posts: 5,408 Blog Entries: 6	Since I couldn’t put a drain in my fish room I figured the next best thing was to build a tray that my sump sits in. The tray has about a 1” lip all around it to keep minor spills contained. Inside of the tray I also have a leak sensor to let me know if there is a spill. It’s saved me a few times for similar reasons as you. __________________ June 2001 Tank of the Month. Yes, i said 2001. Current Tank Info: 112G 36"x36"x20" Lee-mar rimless. Build Thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2293182.

03/13/2021, 12:04 PM	#6
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	We actually HAVE a 5000 gallon pond (and a 300 gallon smaller one) intentionally, but we still find additional uses even for the trim pieces. That weed that WILL not stop growing, the pavers that keep getting weeds between, and many more... __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

10/30/2021, 04:36 PM	#11
Vinny Kreyling Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Miller Place, NY Posts: 7,206	I got a nice surprise when I opened the cabinet for the new tank when we moved. The entire bottom & up the sides & ends to the door openings are lined with PVC. Saved my butt a few times already! __________________ 250 gallon mixed reef, 2 Reefbreeder's Photon V 2, Deepwater BLDC 12, DAS EX-3 Skimmer, MTC mini cal, 2-3/4" Sea Swirls, Aquacontroller & 6 Tunze pumps.

03/12/2021, 10:07 PM	#3
Spaced Cowboy South Bay Reefer Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 395 Blog Entries: 29	The pumps are Simply Pumps PM600's. They can pump a gallon of water up a head of 8' in 40 seconds. They're monsters. The company is also really nice to deal with, and when they sent me the wrong PSU for the first one, they overnighted another no questions asked as a replacement. They're also pretty loud They're the only part of the fish room I can hear through the wall if standing next to the tank, and if you're in the same room, they're very loud. TBH though we sort of got used to that. It's only 40 seconds long, and if you don't hear it at some time through the day, it's a good sign that something needs to be looked at. The AWC is from a (sadly demised) company called Genesis Reef Systems, and it's awesome. I had no end of problems with salt-creep using LiterMeter before this, but not once has anything gone systematically wrong with the Storm (top off) or Renew (water change). They even talk to each other, so it doesn't try to do a top-off during a water-change, for example.

03/13/2021, 11:17 AM	#5
Spaced Cowboy South Bay Reefer Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 395 Blog Entries: 29	Yes, a leak sensor to plug into the Apex is now on the wish-lust. Hah! That’s a typo (thanks ottercorrect) but I think I’ll leave it... Still sorting out my lighting right now so it’ll have to wait a month or two.

03/13/2021, 01:42 PM	#7
Spaced Cowboy South Bay Reefer Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 395 Blog Entries: 29	Yeah, we have a koi pond too - with a "stream" that feeds it, running around the deck, so we had to buy the largest pool liner they sell. That piece in the photo above is an off-cut - where the deck went... Where do you think I got the idea ? [grin]

10/29/2021, 08:11 AM	#9
Alex3344 Registered Member Join Date: May 2018 Location: Netherlands Posts: 23	I believe that building a tank with a pond liner (check here what I mean https://www.backyardstyle.com/best-pond-liner/ ) would work fine, but, if you plan on installing a glass or acrylic window to view the tank, i think there would be many problems. I do not think that you would be able to easily bond/glaze the window in place; I think that a pond liner would have too much flex and it may be difficult to get a completely flat surface so one would have difficulty getting a proper seal with silicone. Its a cheap way to go as long as you were able to securely glaze in a window.