squirrel's 40g CAD 2.0 - Stuff n Junk

[gena]

The promise of more hardwood flooring is always good .

 

I have no suggestions on the scape...looks GREAT to me. Rockscaping has never been my forte either lol.

[Lawnman]

Pictures of Lunch please

[squirrelieygrrrl]

Pictures of Lunch please

Here is an embarrassingly algae ridden picture of lunch. I have lost the battle with that tank. Don't judge!

 

 

 

 

I am in need of some plumbing help, desperately. I have tried a combination of the hoffer right side up and upside down, a 1" durso, and a 1 1/4" durso, an air valve on the 1/4" line with various height and air adjustments. Regardless of what I do with the drain the only thing that prevents an excessive amount of air to enter the drain and cause micro bubbles entering the display is choking back the gate valve on the drain and turning down the flow rate from the pump. I'm really not keen on this as a solution as I have no emergency drain should the gate become clogged. I'm beginning to wonder if my issue is more related to how far the water is falling in the overflow box and has less to do with the drain it's self, I'm a bit restricted in there as I added a second loc line return to the cad. Here's a picture.

 

[ScubaJ]

Looking at the picture... are you sure the air isn't getting sucked in at the discharge line? I have had that happen quiet a bit when I have a joint exposed. A quick test would be getting a hose clamp around the tubing.

 

By what you mention about choking back the discharge valve to reduce flow could also point to that being the issue.

[squirrelieygrrrl]

Looking at the picture... are you sure the air isn't getting sucked in at the discharge line? I have had that happen quiet a bit when I have a joint exposed. A quick test would be getting a hose clamp around the tubing.

 

By what you mention about choking back the discharge valve to reduce flow could also point to that being the issue.

Those bastards are on there so tight that would be next to impossible. You can hear the air going down the drain pipe, and then see it entering the sump sock compartment. When I mentioned choking back, I was more referring to the gate valve on the drain it's self, I then had to balance the return pump a bit to match reducing my turnover rate. What was solving the issue essentially is back pressure in the drain line so that no air is making its way down to the sump. I'm not crazy about choking back the drain line and creating back pressure because if it fails it's going to be ugly.

[ScubaJ]

Even if the air is entering the sump, how is it getting all the way to the return pumps to get into the display?

 

Unless I am misunderstanding the issue, I don't see how the air entering the sump can make it all the way through to the return pump. Are the microbubble in the sump staying all the way through the water column until they go through all the sections?

[squirrelieygrrrl]

Even if the air is entering the sump, how is it getting all the way to the return pumps to get into the display?

 

Unless I am misunderstanding the issue, I don't see how the air entering the sump can make it all the way through to the return pump. Are the microbubble in the sump staying all the way through the water column until they go through all the sections?

That's correct, the shear volume of microbubbles is obscene, and they are passing through two different baffle systems to reach the return pump. I had my friend over and we are going to modify the sump a bit and see if that corrects the problem. Despite there being a slight design flaw with the sump it still seems to me that the drain for what ever reason is letting way more air enter the sump than on my previous build with this tank.

[ScubaJ]

Gotcha. I think that is the ADV-200? Can you post a pic of the finished plumbing?

 

If you get the results from turning the drain down a bit, do you have a shut off valve on the return line that you can turn down to see what that does?

[squirrelieygrrrl]

 

Yes it's the adv-200, that was a poor decision on my part. I should have just had a custom one built. No valve on the return, but the pump it's self is dc, and I've turned it down quite a bit since 956 gph was way too much my that sized tank anyway.

[squirrelieygrrrl]

Let's start with the fact that my wife is a damn genius. After staying up till midnight last night tinkering with the tank trying to get rid of the micro bubbles, and finally giving up and going to bed. We were talking about the problem and possible causes I mentioned that the water diverts from the sock in two directions and saying the next thing I was going to try was modifying the sump and how irritating that is considering the price I paid for the thing. She asked why I didn't just add a second filter sock. Duh! Why didn't I think of that?!

 

Lo and behold, problem solved after installing it.

 

Love that woman.

[charnelhouse]

Beauty of a setup. That cabinet is uber. The scape looks perfect. Get it wet already....

 

 

 

 

(I mean for real wet, not just "frikkin frassin plumbin" wet)

[teenyreef]

I'm glad the extra sock saved that beautiful sump. You're right, your wife is a genius! Any updates? Is the tank wet yet?

[bobssecrtsn]

So I've had the skimmer for about 2 months now, i dont want to be a negative nancy! but this skimmer is reallllly terrible. I shouldve went with the aquamaxx c01.

 

 

this skimmer draws to much air, no matter if the volute is closed. i had to rig up some 1/8 tubing so less air can draw into it, after doing that the skimmer is working but only pulling tea skimmate, I wish they had a dc pump on this to control the speed. but if i were to do it again, ill get the aquamaxx.

 

you should prepare yourself with pulling the power cord out, you'll get super frustrated with it

 

also i saw in the picture, if your not using the ozone, cap it off!

[Pinner Reef]

I dunno how I missed this setup. Awesome set-up you've got going there.

[squirrelieygrrrl]

Beauty of a setup. That cabinet is uber. The scape looks perfect. Get it wet already....

 

 

 

 

(I mean for real wet, not just "frikkin frassin plumbin" wet)

 

Oh it is, and was while I was fine tuning the blasted plumbing!

 

I'm glad the extra sock saved that beautiful sump. You're right, your wife is a genius! Any updates? Is the tank wet yet?

I just needed her to point the obvious out. Lol. Wet and pretty much done with the cycle.

 

So I've had the skimmer for about 2 months now, i dont want to be a negative nancy! but this skimmer is reallllly terrible. I shouldve went with the aquamaxx c01.

 

 

this skimmer draws to much air, no matter if the volute is closed. i had to rig up some 1/8 tubing so less air can draw into it, after doing that the skimmer is working but only pulling tea skimmate, I wish they had a dc pump on this to control the speed. but if i were to do it again, ill get the aquamaxx.

 

you should prepare yourself with pulling the power cord out, you'll get super frustrated with it

 

also i saw in the picture, if your not using the ozone, cap it off!

I caught the ozone cap thing after reading a few threads on it on RC. I ended up having to run the water level much lower than was recommended, seems to be working fine so far. I'll let you know my thoughts after I spend some more time with it, I've heard they can be pesky to tune in, and I agree the pump is definitely overpowered a bit.

 

I dunno how I missed this setup. Awesome set-up you've got going there.

Thanks a bunch!

 

Now for some pics! It liiiiiiiives.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lunch is in the house, and was not amused with my picture taking.

[bobssecrtsn]

great it looks like your skimmer is doing alot better then mine -___- what height do you have yours set at? i have mine at 7.5" .....

[squirrelieygrrrl]

great it looks like your skimmer is doing alot better then mine -___- what height do you have yours set at? i have mine at 7.5" .....

 

Looks like mine is running at 6.5 inches, and I have the pipe almost closed. I've heard that running Zeovit tends to increase skimmer production, so that could be contributing to my success.

[vlangel]

Wow, nice set up and it is a beautiful sump. I am glad that you and your wife figured it out.

[squirrelieygrrrl]

Wow, nice set up and it is a beautiful sump. I am glad that you and your wife figured it out.

Thanks a bunch!

[squirrelieygrrrl]

Alright folks, a little update. The tank has been wet a month now running a full zeovit system. Cycled per their 14 day schedule. Water tests have resulted as follows for the past 3 weeks.

Ph n/a (because I've been lazy and still haven't calibrated the probe

Alk 8.6dkh

Ca 490

Mg 1470

Po3 .015

No3 25ppm

Salinity 35ppt (+/- 5) due to ato

Temp 76 (+/-1) controller variance in cycling on and off.

I've performed one rather large 30% WC due to an ato snafu last weekend, the No3 was the only value to really change and it came down to 15ppm, I was hoping that it would stay there. No such luck. Back up to 25ppm today, my thoughts are that the zeo is keeping it at this level however unable to decrease it below this threshold. My suspicion is that the rock is leaching the No3.

I have been very consistent in keeping all of the filtersocks and sponges clean.

Stocking is as follows, a number of zoas 60+ heads, a few hitchhiker mushrooms, 2 yumas, 7 Monti frags, 1 maxi mini nem, 1 acanthophyllia, 1 trachy, 1 red tux urchin, at least 20 hermits, 20 ceriths, 15 turbos, 20 nassarius, 1 psammacora, 1 maroon clown, 1 spotted mandarin (trained on pellets), 1 adorned wrasse, 1 blue spot jaw. I've been feeding everyone sparingly every other day aside from the mandarin who eats twice a day out of a shot glass a mix of foods, pellets, mysis, and formula one flake.

The only reasonable deduction I can make is that the rock must be leaching the nitrate, and for what ever reason the zeo isn't keeping up. Perhaps time is needed.

[bobssecrtsn]

greece wasnt built in a month , it'll go down just give it some time. i think the most important husbandry is the first few months, things go sideways real fast!. keep it up though!

[squirrelieygrrrl]

I know..... But damn it! I want it now!

 

I've never had this high of nitrates before during a cycle/new tank, I think the highest I've ever gotten was 5ppm. It's just a tad concerning.

[squirrelieygrrrl]

Alright folks, I'm starting to question my salifert kit for N03 it keeps testing out at 25ppm, irrespective of water changes, skimming, carbon dosing via zeovit or activated carbon. Here is my test result battery this weekend.

 

No3 salifert -25

No3 api - 5

Phosphorus - 0 Hanna ULR

Po4 -0 salifert low range

Ph 7.7 salifert

Dkh 8.7 salifert

Ca 490 salifert

Mg 750 salifert

 

I'm not sure wether to interpret the N03 results as the salifert is inaccurate or the api. I will retest with both kits in the morning.

 

I'm also surprised that the Mg fell that much in a week. I'll test again tomorrow for that too and dose accordingly

 

I find the 0 values for both low range phosphate and phosphorus curious. I would think I would at least get a minimal reading. I've tested those twice this week with the same results.

 

I have basically no algae what so ever aside from some slight diatoms and one patch of cyano in a low flow area. Which is what I would expect taking my results into account.

 

I'll test for I2, K, and Fe tomorrow just to see. I don't expect anything spectacular here as I don't have much in the tank to deplete these significantly. Also this week I plan to start daily testing for Ca, Alk, and Mg so I can begin dosing those if necessary.

 

I took a few pictures with the dslr which I'll start editing and uploading tonight but for now some crappy iPhone pictures will have to suffice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[teenyreef]

Pictures look great! This might sound like a newb thing, but I never could get a Nitrate reading that seemed trustworthy until I started using the Red Sea kit with the color comparison wheel. I could never figure out which color really matched with the Salifert. I guess maybe I'm partly color blind or something.

 

Also, for what it's worth, I hardly ever get readings above zero even with the low range Hanna Phosphorus tester.

[squirrelieygrrrl]

Pictures look great! This might sound like a newb thing, but I never could get a Nitrate reading that seemed trustworthy until I started using the Red Sea kit with the color comparison wheel. I could never figure out which color really matched with the Salifert. I guess maybe I'm partly color blind or something.

 

Also, for what it's worth, I hardly ever get readings above zero even with the low range Hanna Phosphorus tester.

 

Thanks! Ive heard that the Red Sea kits weren't reputed as terribly accurate. Though I have to agree with you that I have a hell of a time differentiating what tone pink/red for both salifert and api. Thats good to hear about the Hanna, I thought for sure I was either loosing my mind or completely forgot how to test.

 

And now for much better pictures, some of these were rushed and I'm a bit rusty but all in all I think they turned out not too shabby.