Wholotta wawa - 180G Reef - Taste the Rainbow

[najluni15]

Anthias are fun. I would steer away from lyretail. Mine killed each other off. Now I have one transitioning female/male that kills anything else remotely resembling an anthias. I put a male three times her size and she killed him! Bartletts are really nice and some of the other ones look nice

[MikeTR]

So you're not planning on GFO for the phosphates?

 

Yes, I'm running carbon and GFO in separate nextreef MR1 reactors. Ive been gradually increasing the amount of media and just now got up to 1 cup of gfo. Time to get serious about eliminating the phosphates so I'll be testing every other day to see it's effects.

[MikeTR]

phos is down to .07, carry on.

[MikeTR]

phos is still .07. If it reads the same or higher on Sunday i'll assume GFO is used up and replace it. Tank wont get much attention for the next few days, not even feedings. My sister is down from NY and will be drinking myself into oblivion for a few days at the beach. Alkalinity has since dropped to 7 so I need to fork over some cash for the dosing pumps. Recommendations? Brs dosers? Whatever I choose it'll be run off my Apex. Needing a reason to buy another EB8 anyways.

[MikeTR]

Someone is trying to tell me to change out my GFO..tested phos at .08. Since I haven't been around since last Thursday, I went to take a peak at the sump and noticed 1/4" of water in the bottom of the stand.. Considering the reactors are the only thing that I've been recently messing with, that's what I'm going to look at first. Just to be sure I'm going to pull out the skimmer so I can get a good look at the connections on the reeflo return pump.. and well, since the pump is accessible, might as well pull it and clean it. I've been running it as a Dart, but have wondered if the Snapper impeller would still provide enough flow.

[metrokat]

I have my BRS dosers hooked up to the Apex. GFO usage does result in Alkalinity drop, as does skimming. So you have to compensate for those.

[MikeTR]

blew out my flip-flop..

 

leak is coming from the union on a sch 80 cepex ball valve on my return. Quickly switched the direction of the valve and it doesn't leak when closed. brought out the heavy duty shop vac for the job. Should just need a new o-ring and I'll be keeping a few extras on hand from now on.

[MikeTR]

can't find just the replacement o-rings anywhere.. grr..

[Blubbernaut]

can't find just the replacement o-rings anywhere.. grr..

Home Depot...?

[Arkayology]

Dang! I hate leaks!

[MikeTR]

I planned ahead to try and contain any leaks, but it's got me to start rethinking if a union here is really needed or not. If I don't use one and the ball valve fails then I'll have to cut pipe. A latching pipe cutter makes short work of 3/4" pipe and its real easy to glue up, but can only cut the pipe so many times I guess. So really.. after 8 months I have a disintegrating o-ring? Makes me nervous about the other ones.

[MikeTR]

Stopped at a dive shop on my way home and picked up some silcone grease.. the o-ring looks fine so greased it back up, but no such luck, went ahead and ordered a replacement valve and an extra as a spare. Not really how I wanted to spend my brs points.

On a brighter note, just ordered a bunch of frags from reef gardener. Time to get started on a ceramic sign.

________Beware
Birdsnest Island


[MikeTR]

They say it gets worse before it gets better riiiiight? Ugh.. so while fiddling with the valve, seems I created a leak in the return bulkhead. The nut was still hand tight on the bulkhead though. I backed it off, tightened it up again, and gave it a 1/4 turn with the wrench. Was still dry this morning so hopefully we're good.

 

Canceled my BRS order.. going to change out to a Spears fitting which can be had at one of my local plumbing supply co's. I'm almost tempted to cut pipe and change them all out. Funny how I just bought these latching pipe cutters too..

[jdantunes]

Mike... Sorry that you have such a bad experience with your ball valve. I do swimming pool and spa system plumbing and in my experience if you going to still replace your union ball valve with new ones go to usplastics website and look for +GF+ valves. They are the best valves money can buy. Look at my build, I plumb a couple of them to my return pump. Never had a problem. They work great when I take my return pump out to maintain it.

[MikeTR]

I went ahead and forked over the dough for some Spears valves.. decided to go ahead and replace all of them. $140 for 3 valves.. ouchies.. much cheaper than ripping out a floor though. Now my reeflo pump is leaking after I put it back together.. sooper..

[metrokat]

[MikeTR]

:(

 

Took the pump apart one last time, stretched the o-ring just ever so slightly and it seemed to fit better. Thought I finally had gotten it only to see that the seal around the shaft needs to be replaced. Should be covered under warranty. Tank is now running off the mag 18 i use for water exchanges. It pumps just the right amount through a 50ft hose. At least I'll have a chance to drain manifold and swap out the valves this way without having to worry about rushing it. No need to panic just yet.

 

 

[MikeTR]

special thanks to the makers of one badass shop vac..

[MikeTR]

Reeflo isn't open yet... but you can bet I'll be their first caller. Now that the tank is on life support, I can deal with the other problems with the pump that I've just settled with. The dart impeller is ever so slightly drilled off center so there's a small ticking sound as if it's just grazing the housing and the hum of the motor is noticeably more audible with the snapper impeller, not as much with the dart, but it's not as quiet as it should be.

[jdantunes]

I know that Reeflo is a hobbyist favorite brand. But all that I hear is problems with these pumps. Why not use one of the other many options out there?

[fewskillz]

Mike... Sorry that you have such a bad experience with your ball valve. I do swimming pool and spa system plumbing and in my experience if you going to still replace your union ball valve with new ones go to usplastics website and look for +GF+ valves. They are the best valves money can buy. Look at my build, I plumb a couple of them to my return pump. Never had a problem. They work great when I take my return pump out to maintain it.

No wonder your plumbing looks so good!

 

special thanks to the makers of one badass shop vac..

I need to get one of those...

 

Good luck getting everything back up and running, leak free this time!

[MikeTR]

I know that Reeflo is a hobbyist favorite brand. But all that I hear is problems with these pumps. Why not use one of the other many options out there?

 

Don't get me started as I wish I had. However, The price point is attractive, wattage is low, and I can buy 2 pumps (main & backup) for what the others cost. 3 year warranty that reeflo will stand behind. I don't think I can just slap a different brand in there now and get the plumbing to line up.

 

Have my feelers out for a backup dart.. they may stand behind their warranty but I can't be down for the amount of time it'll take to get it back to me.

[MikeTR]

sad day for the wallet.. sad sad day.. ordered a new reeflo pump.. $289.. $140 in valves.. I knew I was gonna have to do it anyways.. just not quite ready to shell out for it.

[MikeTR]

ohhhhh but it's alllllll worth it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All new sticks from Reef Gardener..

 

yea.. yea... clean up my sandbed.. i know i know..

[FlowerMama]

^{I like the way your zoas/palys are spread along that curving rock. Nice layout for them.}