180G Office Paradise (2 Years Old!)

[ajayjack]

If it were me I would silicone it now since doing it now will require less work. Waiting till the tanks full and everything and then deciding to do it, is gonna suck.

 

+1

[JDigital]

I gave it some serious thought and concluded the following.

 

The bottom lip of my return bulkheads are 3.5" down from the trim of the tank. Originally my herbie stand pipe setup was something along the lines of the short pipe (Main drain) was 9" below the trim (the emergency was 7" higher). Obviously, in the event of a power outage, if I left the leak as is and didn't change the stand pipe the water level would equalize to the lowest point where water can drain, that being the top of the lowest stand pipe. This would drain a huge portion of the tank. Not Good.

 

What I did instead of tearing the tank apart and removing the overflow was modify my main standpipe to a higher height in the overflow. Approx. 1.5" higher than the bottom lip on my return bulkheads. This required a slight adjustment to the emergency as well to be higher but still beneath the trim of the tank. Thus, in the case of a power outage, the lowest point for any water to drain back to the sump was the bottom lip of the return bulkheads, which are at a safe height that I calculated before drilling them.. My sump can handle the drain back.

 

While this probably isn't ideal solution... In the case of a power outage, It will work and function properly without flooding the office. At all other times it will function as a normal overflow as it will drain water faster than it can "leak" in (which worked out to be 1/8" over the course of 1hr). Seeing as the water level in the overflow will be operating very near the top the leak will be basically nil as the pressure difference will be nearly identical.

 

Had my system only had the single overflow I would have done the painstaking work of tearing it out and re-siliconing it in. Thankfully I have a dual system, the one on the left side of the tank has a full seal and seeing as my return line is a single 1" pipe and my overflows are each supporting 1" drains with 1" emergencies, I can actually lower the workload on the leaky overflow as it can run a low turnover since it is only feeding my refuge in the sump. The one on the left side can take over the workload of feeding the skimmer section and keeping up with the return pump.

 

I hope that all makes sense to anyone who takes the time to read it. I know it's a wall of text!

[JDigital]

This is a very nice looking set up as is that soon to be 62g!

 

I need to find a new place to rent before I can setup that 62G..

 

 

I'm glad I didn't go with a RO/DI that does any less that 100GPD... I came into office for 9 hours on Saturday to let the water flow, and then it ran for another 8.5hrs on Sunday.. that got the tank to about 55-60%.. It's been running since 7am this morning and I still got about 20% in the DT to fill + the sump.. Glad I only have to do this once!

 

Patience, Patience, Patience.....

 

 

 

Does anyone have experience with Reef Lobsters in a reef tank?

 

My general manager asked me today if he could have a lobster in the tank.. Immediately I was hesitant, asked what kind he was referring too, and told him I would research it as I have zero experience with them.

 

I gave him two options after browsing Live Aquaria..

 

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_di...&pcatid=555

 

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_di...&pcatid=752

 

Any input would be greatly appreciated before I get myself into something I have no experience with.

[CLR]

Well it says to be cautious when adding to a reef so that's a no go in my book with inverts. But that's just me, if I were u I would try to get them to look stay shrimp like cleaners or fire shrimp which will be more active and beneficial to the tank. Just my .02

[patback]

JoelRhale had a lobster. He said while it never ate anything, it made a huge mess and could constantly drag stuff around and rearrange rockwork.

[JDigital]

Well it says to be cautious when adding to a reef so that's a no go in my book with inverts. But that's just me, if I were u I would try to get them to look stay shrimp like cleaners or fire shrimp which will be more active and beneficial to the tank. Just my .02

 

I will probably have those in the tank as well.. Cleaners at least. I'm more concerned about it snagging smaller fish. Will have to give it some thought I suppose

 

JoelRhale had a lobster. He said while it never ate anything, it made a huge mess and could constantly drag stuff around and rearrange rockwork.

 

Rearrange rock work?? How big of a rock can a 4" lobster move?

 

 

Update:

 

Well the tank and sump is finally wet and circulating (during office hours until I get my check valve from The Reef Shoppe). The sand will be getting added as soon as I get the skimmer online in combination with a filter sock to polish the water after.

 

 

Picked up an Ocean Runner 2500 return pump yesterday to use a my feed for the Skimz 202. Unfortunately the seller broke the thread connector on it so I've got to fix that today before I can use it. (At least I got the pump for free because of it)

[JDigital]

Well it seems like if something can go wrong with my builds it does.. No super serious, but looks like I will have to take my brand new Water Blaster HY7000 pump into to the LFS where I bought it to get checked out... I fired it up this morning and it was fairly silent, after a few hours I could hear it from my office. Loud humming noise that started to get a bit of a clicking noise that you could hear in the rotation.. unplugged it at that point. :neutral:

 

Hopefully it is a simple fix.

[JDigital]

Photo-dump!

 

Eggcrate gone.. Sand in..

 

 

After adding the sand in the light from the tank no longer lights up the sump area. Not impressed with that (although knowing it was inevitable), I decided to shed some light on the situation.

 

 

In a giant box of misc aquarium stuff that came with the tank, I found myself 3 Marineland LED lights. While not powerful enough to use over the tank, I decided that one of them should work nicely in the sump area. Tossed some screws into the stand, a few zip-ties later and voila!

 

 

 

The Skimmer slowly seems to be breaking in. I was having a **ck of time with it yesterday, overflowed a couple times, I was getting an incredible amount of microbubbles back into my sump/DT.. I turned it off last night when I left the office, however I've had it running the whole time I've been here this morning and so far is seems a better. I don't have the light overs the tank on, so its difficult to tell if I have any microbubbles making their way to the DT.

 

I'm really not sure if I should even run the skimmer for now as there is nothing alive in the tank yet, I only start adding Zeobak yesterday. Will pick up a few prawns or shrimp today to kick start the cycle. Only reason the skimmer is really running it to break it in, and in combination with a 300 micron sock, try and polish the water after adding the sand.

 

 

[disaster999]

the sock you put in might have something to do with the skimmer overflowing and puking bubbles. new sock tend to do that because of whatever residue left on the sock after being manufactured.

 

let everything break in for a while and should return to normal

[JDigital]

the sock you put in might have something to do with the skimmer overflowing and puking bubbles. new sock tend to do that because of whatever residue left on the sock after being manufactured.

 

let everything break in for a while and should return to normal

 

 

The skimmer has calmed down over the course of the weekend, still fiddling with it to dial it in, but no more overflows (so far)...

 

Well this weekend was a bit of a pain in the arse..

 

I wasn't sure what my evaporation was going to be like on this tank. This weekend opened my eyes.

 

I topped it off Friday night before going home, with plans of coming in Saturday anyways to rearrange my office so I actually have a view of the tank.

 

Came in Saturday about 10am. And checked the tank, only to realize my sump had dropped by about 1.5" in water level just overnight, and that happened without any lights on. So its obviously dry in the office, needless to say I had to get a ATO sooner than later as I can't be coming into the office 7 days a week. Although I never budgeted for a $175 Tunze ATO I figured it was time to DIY this part of the build.

 

Put in an order on Aquahub.com this morning..

 

 

Hopefully it gets here before next weekend, but I'm not holding my breath.

[guatenano]

Wow man this is a serious tank, im really excited to see what you do next, definitely following this thread!

[CLR]

I'm really interested in that ATO, Let me know how u like it when u get it all set up and what was the price?

[JDigital]

Wow man this is a serious tank, im really excited to see what you do next, definitely following this thread!

 

Thanks guatenano. Should make our office quite a bit nicer!

 

I'm really interested in that ATO, Let me know how u like it when u get it all set up and what was the price?

 

Will do.. Seems like a good kit, comes with a 2nd float switch to act as a backup if the first one gets stuck in the "on" position. Which will give me piece of mind.

 

Price was $39.99 + shipping from www.aquahub.com (being in canada my shipping is about $23). I've got everything else that is needed. So it should be about $60.

[guatenano]

bump for an update

[fewskillz]

Wow, great build so far. Welcome back.

[saltwatercoral]

Looking great! Cant wait to see this thing stocked!

[JDigital]

bump for an update

 

Not much of an update right now.. I'm currently working on building up a bacterial colony in the system since I used dry marco rock. Ammonia+Zeostart3+Zeobak. Will be adding the ATO to the setup either tomorrow after work, or Saturday.

 

Wow, great build so far. Welcome back.

 

Thanks skillz, feels good to be back in the salty-ness. Especially now that I'm getting my start my 62G build at home. I've missed the hobby these last few years.

 

Looking great! Cant wait to see this thing stocked!

 

You and me both...

 

I sent out a email to the office staff yesterday with my proposed stocking list. Obviously there are a few fish on the list that I am hesitant about, but still included them.

 

**NOTE** ALL of these fish will NOT be getting added. It was just a list compiled for the office staff to choose from.

 

Lamarck's Angelfish

Watanabei Angelfish

Five Lined Cardinalfish

Longnose Hawkfish

Axilspot Hogfish

Convict Tang

Yellow Tang

Powder Brown Tang

Sailfin Tang

Blue Throat Triggerfish

Multicolor Lubbock's Fairy Wrasse

Scott's Fairy Wrasse

McCosker's Flasher Wrasse

Hi Fin Red Banded Goby

Orange Stripe Prawn Goby

Dilectis Dottyback

Orange Line Chromis

Bicolor Blenny

Midas Blenny

Tail Spot Blenny

Sunset Anthias

Coral Beauty Angelfish

Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse

Zoster Butterfly

Mertensii Butterflyfish

Schooling Bannerfish

Tahitian Butterflyfish

Leopard Wrasse

Goldstripe Maroon Clownfish

[JDigital]

I received the ATO kit from aquahub.com last week, finally got around to setting it up yesterday. Pretty simple system to setup.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looks like I still have a few zipties/wires to clean up, but the system is working flawlessly.

[MikeTR]

Not much of an update right now.. I'm currently working on building up a bacterial colony in the system since I used dry marco rock. Ammonia+Zeostart3+Zeobak. Will be adding the ATO to the setup either tomorrow after work, or Saturday.

 

Good call on using the ammonia to get things started. I'm about 4 weeks in and no sign of any levels rising. Probably 2/3rds of the rock I used was cooked for 8 months in a brute while I got everything set up. Rest was dry Marco rock. I did add 80lbs of live sand to the 200lbs of dry but there obv not enough live stuff to do anything there. My small tank is getting broken down today and all of the gunk is going into the 180. Really hope that starts a spike in params. Nice to see another 180 in the mix.

[JDigital]

Good call on using the ammonia to get things started. I'm about 4 weeks in and no sign of any levels rising. Probably 2/3rds of the rock I used was cooked for 8 months in a brute while I got everything set up. Rest was dry Marco rock. I did add 80lbs of live sand to the 200lbs of dry but there obv not enough live stuff to do anything there. My small tank is getting broken down today and all of the gunk is going into the 180. Really hope that starts a spike in params. Nice to see another 180 in the mix.

 

Thanks Mike..

 

Yea considering my entire system was DEAD... and not wanting to possibly introduce any nasties with unknown live rock I went the Ammonia route. Hoping to see a good bacterial bloom in the coming days. Will be watching the test kits closely as well. Ammonia was off the chart yesterday.

[MikeTR]

Be careful on how much you add, you can actually prevent the bacteria from breaking it down into nitrites. If u don't see the nitrites go up within a week you'll need to change out some water and bring the ammonia down.

[nano_tank]

You got the sexiest Sump, I've ever seen.

[JDigital]

You got the sexiest Sump, I've ever seen.

 

You'll have to see the one I picked up yesterday for my 62G tank, once I get a chance to get it out of my car today and get a picture taken.

[hypersnyper694788]

nice build, i cant wait to put together a big tank

[JDigital]

nice build, i cant wait to put together a big tank

 

What do you have right now?

 

My life is soon to be consumed by reef management.. 180 at the office and my personal 62 at home.