M1A1 - 29g LPS Reef

[M1A1]

Index

• Acrylic overflow build, plumbing
  
• Cement rock wall **Do NOT do this with Quikrete Hydraulic Cement!**
  
• BoostLED PAR30 PAR data. Pfft.
  
• LED controller, drivers, emitters
  
• DIY LED PAR data
  
• Full of coral FTS - February 5, 2011
  

 

 

 

History

As of February 3rd, 2011, this tank has been dismantled. This post still serves to remind me, and anyone, of what can happen if you become apathetic during the Summer and Fall. Change your GFO when it becomes saturated, monitor your skimmer's performance and your water parameters, and do water changes!

 

My previous setup isn't detailed here on NR, but here are the important details:

- Perfect 75g with 'DIY' black acrylic overflow, drilled 'Herbie' style

- 4x 54W T5HO; currently 3x Blue+ and 1x Aquablue Special

- 1x 110W VHO; currently SuperActinic

- Set up January 3rd, 2008

- High CO2 in unfinished basement = Low pH = Poor coral growth, excellent algae growth

- Poor coral growth + Constant algae blooms = Unhappy reefer

 

A FTS from March 2010 when things last looked relatively normal:

 

Here is a FTS from today, September 2 2010, and a few closer shots to show the bleaching and algae I'm tired of dealing with:

 

 

 

 

So, after throwing way too much money at trying to reduce or eliminate the effects, I have decided to go after the cause, and will be breaking down this tank within the next two months. The location for the new tank is on our main floor in a main area that will require aesthetics of the entire setup to be the number one priority. And I only have three square feet of floor space to work with, ¡no mas!

 

Plans

 

So, with three square feet, obviously I should go with a 20long, 29g, or 30g. Right now there is a freshwater planted 15g-tall in the spot this saltwater tank will eventually go and we very much enjoy the taller display tank since it doesn't require as tall of a stand to get the contents closer to eye height. And PetCo happens to be running their $1/gal sale which includes 29g's, so this is pretty much a no-brainer: the new system will be a 29g display. Slightly less of a no-brainer is what corals to keep since the 75g really is a mixed reef. But, given the growth rate and prices of SPS compared to most LPS, I think I'll be keeping all of my LPS and only two or three select coral frags to grow out.

 

The rest of the details...

- Display drilled for three 1" bulkheads = Two drains (Herbie ftw again) and a return line

- 1/4" black acrylic overflow, toothless

- Open top display, leaving rims on to match the stand

- Shallow sand bed of CarbiSea Special Grade

- Minimal amount of rock on sand bed

- Hide equipment as much as possible, including overflow

- Minimalist lighting scheme = Three PAR30 bulbs, to start, with 4:1 Blue:White LEDs

 

That all adds up to... (No Euphyllia on SketchUp Warehouse, so just pretend )

[Kerkythea render]

 

That's all fancy and whatnot, but I need some opinions on the sump for this system.

 

Should I go with a 20long sump including my spare EuroReef RS80 and as much extra live rock as I can fit (left side of return pump):

 

Or should I go with a much smaller 10g sump with the RS80 and plumb (not shown) the return pump into a 5g 'RDSB':

 

I like both ideas for different reasons and have been on a research kick lately, which lead me to the RDSB idea. A 5g bucket RDSB will have a larger impact on a smaller tank like this and when used along with the RS80 I think should keep algae to a very minimum. But the larger volume of the 20long sump is always nice and being able to keep more LR from my 75g would be nice.

 

So, post your thoughts, and I will provide the purdy renders.

 

 

Cheers,

Marty

[M1A1]

Bump.

 

Picked up some 1/4" fiberglass rods and a 5/16" masonry drill bit today so of course I couldn't resist putting a few holes in some concrete pavers to test and the rods fit perfectly. Now I just have to pick up some hydraulic cement and I'll be ready to build that wall.

[M1A1]

After a lot of research and questions asked I decided to go with the big sump and a small RDSB mounted above the sump. Apparently a 5 gallon RDSB is appropriately sized for a heavily stocked 100 gallon or lightly stocked 200 gallon system, so I only need a 2-3 gallon RDSB for my 40 gallon system. Found a small bucket in the garage that should work just fine: 9.25" diameter, 9.25" height = roughly 2.5 gallons. The feed for the RDSB will be Tee'd off of the return pump (Quiet One 4000) with a gate valve to dial in the flow to the recommended 300gph.

 

 

Of course the impeller for the RS80's feed pump (a GenX ) is busted so I have to either buy a replacement impeller, replacement pump, or a new skimmer altogether. Murphy couldn't let this build go off without a hitch...

[M1A1]

A busy week of work on the tank...

 

Built my overflow.

 

Siliconed overflow into tank.

 

Cut, routed, painted and attached the rear of the stand.

 

Finished both drains (main siphon and emergency) and part of the return plumbing.

 

I also painted the back, sides, and bottom panes of the 20L sump because I had time and a can of paint.

 

My sump baffles should be delivered this week and I am almost done painting the RDSB stand and bucket. Give everything a week to cure and the first water tests will be on Sept. 22nd or so; I plan on first testing both the display and the sump separately outside and then putting everything back on the stand to do a full system test with the return and (empty) RDSB. My main water movement device will probably be here by then so I will have a chance to dial in that as well.

 

Luckily the 75g is doing well now that the weather has cooled and we are able to keep the windows open all the time. The pH hit 8.2 for the first time in almost two years without any changes to my kalk dosing.

[Enyo]

Nice idea for the RDSB! This has rekindled the DIY in me to possibly plumb a RDSB elevated above my sump like you did. Good job, this is a super clean setup (due to your nice planning perhaps? ).

[M1A1]

Planning is always a good idea, but this required a bit more thought just due to the lack of space for various support items (top off reservoir, dosing pumps and containers, etc) that I have now on the 75g.

 

A few people have suggested the RDSB might be overkill or even useless on a tank this small because I won't have that much NP waste from a massive bioload. I think that my previous setups had mediocre NP removal systems even for their low bioloads and that is one of the reasons I always have/had some problem to take care of. Each previous setup has had a skimmer but none have started with 'oversized' skimmers (75g started with an RS80), I didn't get into refugium/fuges seriously enough for it to have an impact, I didn't run carbon or GFO continuously, and I only did 20 gallon water changes on a 100g system.

 

Hopefully this system will start with 'excellent' NP removal and I won't have to keep throwing additional things into place to combat nutrient problems. I'll have the RS80 with a Bubble Blaster HY-1000, a 2.5g RDSB feeding into an activated carbon filter, high capacity GFO in a reactor, and weekly 20 gallon water changes (about 50% of system volume).

 

Anyways: still waiting for my baffles, finished painting the RDSB, and waterproofed the cabinet drawer with some leftover Drylok. Five days til the water test!

[Rehype]

Very nice...look forward to seeing it filled up

[M1A1]

Thanks, still three more days to wait for the silicone to dry on the sump baffles so water is close!

 

I picked up 4 pieces of dry rock yesterday totaling about 40 pounds. Three are pukani-type which is great because they are easy to break up for use in building rock walls; the other is a massive ~20 pound piece that's much denser than even fiji or tonga shelf/branch stuff on one side, but is very porous and holey on the other side. Not sure whether I'll break the big piece up as it won't fit anywhere as is.

 

Just finished a 30 minute muriatic acid wash though because this rock was dry for a few years and the guy didn't remember where he bought it or its' condition then. So I opted to acid wash it to dissolve any bound phosphates and other organics. I'm making some RODI water now so the rock can soak in a bleach solution overnight which will dissolve any remaining organics without eating away at the rock.

 

Also picked up a Sicce PSK-2500 pump for the RS80 which came with the standard white pinwheel and the yellow flat wheel for adding mesh. The Sicce's output is 3/4" FPT and the RS80 has 3/4" pipe input, so I got real lucky in only needing a simple 3/4" MPT pipe adapter. The input on the Sicce is a bit FUBAR'd though as someone previously glued the air tube into the volute, but they didn't push the tube in far enough so the nozzle is anywhere in the water stream. I'll see how it works when the tank is cycling but that may be the reason it was for sale as it doesn't look like it will pull any air .

[M1A1]

Leak tested both tanks outside yesterday/today, no problems except a little drip from a threaded elbow where I didn't apply any teflon paste. So I put everything back together, using teflon paste on the threaded parts , stuck a hose through a window and filled her up.

 

 

 

The return pump is sitting on a scrap piece of HDPE at the moment so it has a mildly audible hum, but the skimmer pump is much louder anyways. I will definitely have to build a silencer for the air intake, which is surprising because it was barely sucking in any air thanks to the shoddy venturi placement.

 

I'm going to let the tank run for a few days while I try to find more ingredients for the rock wall. Then its just that and the light mount to take care of before I can move it into place and start the cycle.

 

 

Marty

[M1A1]

A month in review:

 

Sept 30 & Oct 1

Finished rock wall using ~15lbs of rock and ~5lbs of cement; took about 8 hours total but I was taking my sweet time.

 

Getting prepped

 

Half done (saran wrap on all sides so cement didn't stick)

 

Side shot

 

Oct 2 - Oct 5

Moved system into place, filled with saltwater, fired everything up.

Measured pH after 24 hours = 8.60

 

Oct 6 - Oct 18

Out of town, tank sitter handled top-off

 

Oct 19

Back home, spent the day cleaning the 75g of hair algae

 

Oct 20 - 23

Built light rack and moonlights, painted, installed

 

'Moonlights' (18x blue 5mm LED)

 

 

 

Main lights (3x BoostLED 4:1 Blue:White, 40deg optics)

 

 

Distance from bottom of bulbs to rim of tank is 18 inches and I have holes drilled in the two support pipes to allow me to lower the entire rack in 2-inch increments.

 

Oct 28

Black poster board background 'installed' and two test corals added

 

 

 

 

 

I still need to hook up the RDSB and fix the skimmer pump before the system is complete. I'm debating using the nondescript bucket for the RDSB because I'm not sure it won't leech something into the water. So I may build an acrylic tank instead which will make better use of the available space, will allow me to see any changes in the RDSB, and won't be quite as ugly. I also want to see if I can fit an acrylic RODI reservoir behind or beside the the tank since it is evaporating about a gallon per day and I really don't want to do that manually.

 

 

Cheers,

Marty

[bananahands]

This is going to be SWEET! tagging along.

[Giga]

Have to say I like it

[M1A1]

Thanks guys!

 

I leave later today for another week out of town so I haven't touched the tank since the previous update. I haven't checked the Nitrate/Nitrite/Ammonia levels to see where it is in the cycle either so I will have to do that when I get back, as well as build the RDSB and maybe a RODI reservoir. Tank sitter (thanks a ton, Nate!) will be by a few times to check on everything and hopefully this goes as well as the last trip.

 

 

Marty

[phi delt reefer]

Really like your setup. Very well thought out.

 

I like the idea of the DSB in a separate container. I read that after awhile its good to swap the DSB out cause they reach their maximum nutrient load or whatever its called. I haven't set up my tank yet but I think i might do the same as you did. I did see some else put their DSB in their sump but in an acrylic tray so the entire thing could be lifted out.

 

Also - what type of test kits are you using. I find a ton of people have a bad batch of test kits or they expired and they don't know why things aren't working out in their tanks.

 

 

Have you heard of bio-pellets instead of GFO? I am hearing some pretty good success with the products (except for the people who had a bad batch of pellets). I am going to try pellets in a BRS Dual reactor along with ROX carbon. They say you should use less carbon but change it out bi-weekly vs. using a lot and only swapping it out quarterly or what not.

 

Good luck with the build, can't wait to see the tank stocked.

[M1A1]

I think I'll let the pellet 'technology' get a little older before I consider using it over GFO. The price will have to be more reasonable and the results/effects better documented, especially since GFO regeneration is so easy and inexpensive.

 

I have Salifert kits, most are 'expired' actually, so that's why I have to wait til I get back in town and can get a local LFS to double check my numbers.

 

 

Marty

[M1A1]

I borrowed an Apogee PAR meter from a friend for the price of a can of diet soda. I didn't have high hopes because of how high the bulbs are mounted but the results surprised me anyways. Remember: three BoostLED PAR30 bulbs, 4 blue and 1 white with 40 degree optics, mounted so the bottom of the bulb is 18 inches above the surface of the water.

 

 

 

These numbers are right in line with what BoostLED claims are appropriate levels for softies and LPS, the only corals I plan to move to this tank. I think their claim needs to have a source listed, at the minimum, because it is in very stark contrast to what I have seen, read, and measured over the past couple years. At these levels I wouldn't add any corals to this system for long-term growth.

 

So, I'm back to the drawing board in terms of lighting. I was originally going to build an array to guarantee I got the color, PAR, and features I wanted, but apparently I jumped on a particular bandwagon that had no wheels. I'm now weighing my options in terms of adding supplemental LEDs or replacing the entire system. One thing will remain the same though: I will not be changing the height of the bulbs since this was designed as and is an open-top system that requires elevated lighting.

 

It isn't a failure, it is just a result that won't work.

[gulfsurfer101]

Sucks to hear your not happy with the par bulbs but at least your tank is off to nice start.

[ScubaJ]

Wow, those are awful PAR numbers considering their video claims WAY more. Sorry to hear about that. Have you contacted them about your findings and seeing if you got faulty bulbs or something isn't right?

 

Right in their video they claim 150 PAR @ 20" depth. (Granted it looks like the bulbs are 6" above the surface... still, your numbers should be much higher I would think)

 

Gorgeous tank by the way.

[M1A1]

Thanks for the comments.

 

I have not spoken to anyone at BoostLED but I can tell you the bulbs are operating as they should. They run at just over 120 degrees Fahrenheit and draw only 10 to 11 Watts of power. That is normal and apparently so are my results. I'm going to sell all three bulbs after Thanksgiving (locally first probably) as I rustle up some cash for a proper LED array.

 

I moved the coral to my 75 gallon reef and despite a major hair algae problem, they're all doing really well. The GFO on the 75 just went through its' third regeneration so I've got a good routine for that now, but I have lost a bit of volume due to the chemical breakdown and general clumsiness.

 

And other random bits:

- Bought bench to replace ottoman next to tank. Has a hinged top and room inside for 2x 5.5 gallon tanks (RODI reservoirs), my battery backup, and all the other reef stuff.

- Finalized size and design of acrylic RDSB (12"x10"x9"; ~4 gal), will order material tomorrow.

 

 

Marty

[sayn3ver]

that scape is well done sir. Nice reef cliff. Actually, its a shame this is going to be soft, LPS and zoas since some monti and branching SPS off the top and side of that cliff would like very nice.

 

You have plenty of room for adding a "garden" to the base or elsewhere on the bottom. Maybe a small patch reef away from the wall.

 

or leave it as is. Looks really good to me. Very different but not for its own sake and it doesn't sacrifice function of the tank.

[holdorf333]

I came here expecting MBT.

[M1A1]

[M1A1]

Minecraft killed my Photobucket bandwidth.

 

That said, the tank is back. New rock wall after the old one came crumbling down, literally, due to concrete shrinkage and general unstableness. So, 20 pounds of BRS Reef Saver, 5 pounds of BRS pukani, three feet of fiberglass rod and four tubes of epoxy later, new wall. Bigger, lighter, with more room for coral and fish alike.

 

 

I cannot belive how hard it is to get a decent photograph with the royal blues on.

 

And in true DIY style, my controller...

has Nintendo buttons, in a cigar box.

[M1A1]

LED Controller

The LED controller is run by a PIC18F4550 and includes a DS1307 Real-Time Clock (breakout board), five input buttons/switches, a 16x2 LCD screen, two PWM output channels, and two ADC input channels. Each ADC input is connected to an LM34DZ temperature sensor that is attached to the LED heatsinks.

 

The entire controller 'circuit' is pretty simple:

 

After the hardware was picked I started planning the program by mapping my LCD menu system:

The five-button user interface means no extraneous screens are needed for exiting sub-menus and the 'Enter' key can be reserved exclusively for editable screens like changing the clock or timers.

 

The program was written in Basic for use with the Swordfish Compiler mostly because I already know Visual Basic. There are over a thousand lines of code at the moment but I'm an avid blank-line user so probably only 800 lines of actual code; roughly three weeks of on-and-off programming and debugging. The compiled code is programmed by a PICkit 2 in-circuit to avoid handling the electronics as much as possible.

 

The current model is still a bit of a 'demo' and was built just with some perf board and things I had in my part bins.

I do like the cigar box as a housing but I hope to get some PCBs made soon to really up the geek level. The Nintendo 'Reset' momentary buttons will probably stay put but I'm not sure whether I'll paint the caps, since it is a fairly intuitive button setup without any labels.

 

LED Drivers and Emitters

I tried something a little different for driving my LED array and bought a dozen of these seemingly innocent devices. Although DX rates them at 1*3W, the datasheet for the PT4115 says it will handle up to 1.2A and 30V, which is a bit more than 3W. Increasing the current from '650-700mA' to 1.2A is accomplished by changing a single SMD resistor near the chip, which also happens to have a 'DIM' pin. Connect a PWM signal (or a potentiometer if you're so inclined) to this pin and you've got dimming. The drivers come with four rectifier diodes in order to accept 8-30V AC or DC power which means they cause a bit of efficiency loss and may heat the entire driver at higher currents, so they should be removed. The MR16 'connectors' aren't any good either so you'll have to remove them and connect up your own power leads, being sure to get the right polarity. The electrolytic capacitor on the other side of the board is a fail-safe place to connect power leads to guarantee the correct polarity.

 

The LEDs I used were six tri-stars from LuxeonStar.com with two Luxeon Rebel royal blue and one Rebel neutral white emitter each. They're more expensive than individual emitters and the optics choices are severely limited, but they work pretty well in my application. I'm currently using the Carclo 44-degree frosted tri-lens and my only complaint is that they aren't clear. A 50 degree clear tri-lens would be perfect but I doubt I'll find anything that fits or works properly.

 

 

Three tri-stars are mounted roughly 2" apart on a 5.886" profile, 5" long heatsink from heatsinkusa.com and are secured using some Bergquist thermal pads. The heatsinks were drilled to hide the wiring in the heatsink fins. A 120mm Antec TriCool fan is zip-tied to the top of each heatsink but rests on four rubber 'screws' to prevent any vibrations. Completely overkill in just about every aspect but at least I don't have to worry about overheating LEDs.

 

 

And finally some FTS':

 

 

 

 

In total I spent just over $350 including all of the controller parts. I probably could have saved $50 with individual LED stars rather than tri-stars.

 

I definitely need a new camera.

 

 

Cheers!

Marty

[M1A1]

Rebuilt the entire LED system with a 24V power supply since my ATX 12V P(o)S was shutting down randomly. Should have done it this way from the start but of course hindsight is always 20/20. Here's the current wiring diagram for the LEDs: 24V LED wiring diagram.

 

Shot of the whole lighting 'fixture':

 

I also finished the wood panels to hide said fixture:

 

Recent test results:

1/13/11

- Ammonia = 1.0ppm

- Nitrite = 0.5ppm

- Nitrate = 0 ppm

 

1/14/11

- NH3 = 0.5ppm

- NO2 = 1.0ppm

- NO3 = 0ppm

 

1/15/11

- NH3 = 0.5ppm

- NO2 = 1.5ppm

- NO3 = 5ppm

 

Hopefully it'll be done cycling by the end of next week so I can add a few corals and get everything else (reactors, skimmer, etc) running.

 

 

Marty