22L Phish's Escape

[littlephish]

So I have gone back and forth on 30/60L tanks with a few quotes for custom tank builds etc. I finally decided that I would just go ahead with the Mr Aqua 22L and I am working on a build heavily influenced by Scorched's design. I currently have a Spec V that I've been running for 2 years with some success, though I've had to keep my stock down to almost nothing for the last year to keep it stable and I'm ready to move on to a slightly bigger setup with more room for safety.

 

 

Current Equipment List

• Mr Aqua 22L
• 10G sump
• Oceanbox sump kit
• 4" Filter sock
• Jaebo DC pump
• 1" drains
• 1/2" returns
• Chinese LED

 

I've got a 3/4" check valve that i'm trying to figure out how to plumb in if i can find the right plumbing attachment for the Jaebo.

 

FTS 2016-02-12:

 

2016-03-05

[Marc.The.Shark]

The check valve will fail at some point, so make sure that you allow enuf room in the sump to handle the water when it does. That being said, I have similar size tank build going, almost went with the 22L, but wanted slightly more shallow. I am incorporating a true Union ball check valve with a Jebao pump to try it, although it's really not needed in my setup & I can just remove the ball & still have the union if it becomes problematic. I think everyone is a fan of Scorched, his tank is inspiring & I took a few ideas to my setup; drain placement high to the tank rim for example.

[littlephish]

I did math based on drain placement estimate and the tank dimensions and *should* have enough space if the valve fails. I plan to do a trial with it once I get the tank drilled. Hopefully I can do that this coming weekend and test fit everything for a wet trial run. Though that also means buying RODI water since my output is really only enough to do changes/ato.

[Scorched]

Good luck on the build dude!

 

Yep I run my tank without a check valve and it has worked for me for almost 4 years. That being said it is a pain when I want to stop the pump to feed corals or do a water change. I close the valve above my pump to stop the large amount of back siphon that this design causes. However I run a 10 gallon sump that is only half full when operating. So if the power failed while I wasnt around I would lose about 3-4 gallons from the display tank and the sump could hold all the water without overflowing.

 

I'm toying with redoing my plumbing to be all rigid pvc with nice cpex ball valves and a georg fisher wye checkvalve. Its an expensive upgrade but having easy to turn valves and easy to clean check valves makes this type easy to run and maintain.

 

 

If you do this do not copy this design. I screwed up when I was putting it together as I realized afterwards that the reactors only work with the water going left to right. So the entire setup needs to be flipped with the drains on the right. Reactors to the right of the return pump.

[littlephish]

Ok so my plan was to use hard lines until after my Wye check valve. But why is there an issue with this setup? I was seriously planning to plumb it almost just like this with reactors ran backwards.

[Scorched]

If you use a reactor with the bracket attached it can only be mounted one way.

 

 

However I just realized that the Standard and Mini reactors have the bracket screwed on with 4 tiny plastic screws, these could be removed to flip the orientation of the reactor. Thanks littlephish!

[littlephish]

Ok a little update. Today I got the tank drilled and cut down the largest bulkheads so I could slim them down and thread them in from behind still.

 

 

I also realized that with all the construction I've had going on redoing my master bathroom, that I screwed up and ordered the wrong size stand. That is a big disappointment since I already threw the box away, and I can't handle a 2" tank overhang on both sides.

[littlephish]

Ok, got the stand together, everything initially hooked up and wet. I decided to get my cycle started while I finalize my scape. Its a little rigged right now but I plan to clean this up more this weekend.

 

[littlephish]

Ok, the fact that I ran the soft return lines is starting to bug me. I've been fussing over them because i can't get them to sit well in that sock. I'm debating making a crapper trapper or whatever its called now so that I have something hard to jam them into since the sock really doesn't do a great job. Unless someone else has a suggestion on how to better keep them together as they go into my sump (rubber band replaced with zip ties already).

[littlephish]

I decided on a scape with as small of an arch i could make with the rock on hand:

 

 

After this picture I took all but 1 of my rocks from my old tank and stuffed it in here since thats where the majority of the bacteria live. I am going to wait a week before i move the rest and my clown over. That should keep me from dealing with any kind of mini cycles in a lot of ways where other people have straight moved their tanks up a size.

[littlephish]

 

I officially have a hair algae outbreak that just started. I wasn't sure exactly what it was before my work trip but now it's pretty clear. I was spot treating it with h2o2 3% today and my hermits are running around like crazy. I am ordering 35% h2o2 since I cant figure out a place locally that has it.

 

I also got some new corals in that i'm trying to solidify where i want to place them.

[littlephish]

So my Jaebo pump strangely came apart and I had to replace it tonight. Luckily I had a spare already. I did disassemble it when building the tank so I could take just the front part into stores with me to find the right fittings, but it seemed like it was seated fine. Now, I can't get the front impeller inclosing to seat properly again on that pump (the spare was never disassembled). Maybe the housing warped?

 

I wonder if I am the only person that has had this problem.

[Marc.The.Shark]

Man, Im jelaous of that Fisher Wye check valve! Lol. Good to know on the Jebao pump. What size did you end up with? I have the 6000 with two 1/2" returns, but running a SCWD, so only one on at a time. I didn't even look to see how they came apart, will I need to do that for cleaning? If so, thats gonna blow if they don't go back together well. Other than that the tank looks good!!

[littlephish]

So I had a dc 3000, and it has 3 slots/legs on each corner. But none on the top left, where the exit is! I actually ran that dc 3000 at ~ 80%, and my spare is a dc 6000. At the moment I can only run at 47% speed because I couldn't get the Wye valve back on due to the plumbing differences, and without it I've got as much water capacity as I can handle without it's safety. Maybe another plumbing adapter piece will work for me but I'm not sure what the dc 6000 size is.

[littlephish]

My clown has decided that every time I do something in my tank now he wants to attack me. What a dick.

[Dylan.N]

very nice! i am also starting a 22L. good aquascape inspiration here.

[ahoDMV]

My clown has decided that every time I do something in my tank now he wants to attack me. What a dick.

 

I had one like that also.. I never see it coming so every time I get nipped I yank my hand out the tank and water goes everywhere...

[Drew Shark]

 

I had one like that also.. I never see it coming so every time I get nipped I yank my hand out the tank and water goes everywhere...

I have the exact same thing happen. I have just learned to expect it and not react.

[Pyremind]

Haha, not having a clown - clown attacks don't actually hurt do they? I would think their bites are hilariously ineffective.

[littlephish]

Yea it startles me. It doesn't hurt at all its just i'm normally occupied with something else and Blam.

I've got decent coraline growth, and some hair algae still. I need to do another peroxide treatment on the bigger clumps.