TheKingInYellow Posted August 11, 2019 Author Share Posted August 11, 2019 I got the textured ABS cut for the bottom and I've been working through plumbing. Hopefully everything can be finished up there tomorrow, I'll give it a day to cure and start adding water Monday night. There is a gap around the edges of the ABS but I'm debating leaving it so that I'll have a convenient place for detritus to collect and be suctioned out. I could seal it but the black silicone I was using blew out the back of the tube while I was putting a bead down under the ABS sheet to hold it. Exploded all over the side panel but I think I managed to get it all off with wet paper towels. Fun! 1 Quote Link to comment
TheKingInYellow Posted August 12, 2019 Author Share Posted August 12, 2019 Couldn't get it all finished today but plumbing is underway. 2 Quote Link to comment
TheKingInYellow Posted August 12, 2019 Author Share Posted August 12, 2019 Shopping spree round one came in today. Apex leak kit, WXM, a second EB8, Koralia for the QT tank, hanging hardware for the Radions, my second Nero 5 and the feed pump for my Algae Scrubber. I decided that I want to do a coral QT as well so I brought in a Koralia and a Prime HD for that as well. Radions are sadly back ordered but hopefully they'll be in next week. Tonight's goal is to finish the plumbing and install the sump. 1 Quote Link to comment
TheKingInYellow Posted August 13, 2019 Author Share Posted August 13, 2019 Not as elegant as I would like, but we are plumbed! 1 Quote Link to comment
TheKingInYellow Posted August 15, 2019 Author Share Posted August 15, 2019 Alright first crack at the scape. Thoughts? 1 Quote Link to comment
TheKingInYellow Posted August 17, 2019 Author Share Posted August 17, 2019 Tanks about 75% full, making another batch of SW tonight to finish filling. Dr Tim's is in along with some ammonium chloride. Let the second cycle attempt begin! 2 1 Quote Link to comment
TheKingInYellow Posted August 17, 2019 Author Share Posted August 17, 2019 Finally, right? Going to do the BRS hybrid four month cycle plan so likely nothing in the tank for a month or so. I guess this blog will be a bit quieter. This weekend, however, is going to be Scott getting the apex installed and sorting out a wiring plan. Quote Link to comment
TheKingInYellow Posted August 18, 2019 Author Share Posted August 18, 2019 Finished filling the tank this morning, got a small leak in the secondary overflow but it's minor and drips directly into the sump. I did what any talented reefer would do and wrapped it in Flextape 😄 Honestly, not a big deal because I need to redo the overflow plumbing anyhow. I sorta ordered a Clarisea SK-3000. I figure this tank is already heavily automated, and taking filter socks out of the equation is the biggest thing I could do at this point to cut down maintenance. 1 Quote Link to comment
TheKingInYellow Posted August 19, 2019 Author Share Posted August 19, 2019 Woohoo about 2ppm nitrate! Ammonia is still high but I'm still dosing so that's not surprising. Haven't seen a nitrite spike though? Regardless any nitrate is a good sign. Keep cycling little tank! 2 Quote Link to comment
TheKingInYellow Posted August 23, 2019 Author Share Posted August 23, 2019 Christmas in August! 5 Quote Link to comment
TheKingInYellow Posted August 23, 2019 Author Share Posted August 23, 2019 It would be if the WXM and Radions would talk to each other. Spent several hours trying to get the WXM to see the Radions with no success. Quote Link to comment
TheKingInYellow Posted August 23, 2019 Author Share Posted August 23, 2019 Also having no luck with the cycle. Lots of ammonia, no nitrite and the barest of pinks for nitrate which I suspect may be a bit of a false positive from the Red Sea kit. It's been a solid ten days with the Dr Tim's, so I've ordered a bottle of Biospira to double down on the bacterial boost. 1 Quote Link to comment
TheKingInYellow Posted August 25, 2019 Author Share Posted August 25, 2019 Still no movement in the cycle, maybe a hint of nitrite in tonight's water testing. I added a dose is Seachem stability and I'll run through their seven day dosing cycle to see if I can get it kickstarted. My LFS got in a tiny but healthy looking one spot foxface and I've asked them to hold it for a week or two and I'm going to get my QT set up and running. Ideally I'll have some cycled media soon but I can run the 10g QT with just water changes and an ammonia alert badge if necessary. Quote Link to comment
TheKingInYellow Posted August 26, 2019 Author Share Posted August 26, 2019 Huh, what a difference a single night can make. Nitrite and nitrate were basically indistinguishable from zero yesterday. This hasn't even had time to develop, it's about three minutes on the nitrite and maybe thirty seconds on the nitrate. I guess my Dr Tim's was dead. 1 Quote Link to comment
TheKingInYellow Posted August 27, 2019 Author Share Posted August 27, 2019 QT is up and running, ready to bring home the Foxface tomorrow. The AT-AT is there for fishy protection. 3 Quote Link to comment
TheKingInYellow Posted August 29, 2019 Author Share Posted August 29, 2019 Okay lots of updates today. The Foxface is in the QT along with a single Springerii Damsel (couldn't pass one up). No pics yet they are extremely skittish and I've got them lights off and alone downstairs. I'll turn the lights on tomorrow around noon and try feeding some Nori an hour or two later. I've removed one of the baffles in my sump to make room for the Clarisea. I was hoping to avoid replacing the bulkheads but I can't see a way to make the plumbing work without coming straight down from the bulkhead so I'm planning to pull the bulkheads, plumb them with a union immediately, and then go straight to a barb fitting for silicone tubing. I'm not sure the bean animal overflow will work anymore since I won't have a gate valve anymore, so I'm going to go with dual Durso plumbing instead, plus the emergency overflow. Should be safe, quiet and reliable. I also installed the RAIN2 turf algae scrubber, it's running off another Sicce 1.5, but I had to stick that to the sump wall horizontally, lol. As it is I'm not sure how the hell I'll get the skimmer in there and I still need to add my carbon reactor! If I could remove the other baffle on the left it might all fit but it's siliconed to the sides and bottom, I'm not sure how to get it out. The one I removed was only attached at the sides and I ended up shattering it trying to get it out. Time for cable management too. Any hints on removing a baffle? 1 Quote Link to comment
Wonderboy Posted August 29, 2019 Share Posted August 29, 2019 Nice work - that looks like a serious F-5 cordnado Quote Link to comment
TheKingInYellow Posted August 29, 2019 Author Share Posted August 29, 2019 Lol yeah I'll do the cable management once I've finalized the equipment layout in the sump. Quote Link to comment
TheKingInYellow Posted August 29, 2019 Author Share Posted August 29, 2019 Both fish in QT look good today, more active, less timid and eating. The algae sheet was nicely grazed on as well. Hard to get pics at this point but here are Mulder and Scully. 1 Quote Link to comment
TheKingInYellow Posted August 31, 2019 Author Share Posted August 31, 2019 Bacterial bloom is clearing up, I imagine the skimmer is helping here. Looks like I'm close to the end of the cycle. Curious about my QT procedures, my LFS keys their display tanks at 1.015 and medicated with copper. I'm debating if I still need the full 30 day QT or not? 1 Quote Link to comment
TheKingInYellow Posted September 4, 2019 Author Share Posted September 4, 2019 Project "move everything in the sump and redo the plumbing" is almost complete, but I'd like to find the guy or girl who designed the Clarisea with a 32mm input pipe for the North American market and slap the fool. I've spent more time on trying to sort out a plumbing solution for this than the rest of the project combined. So frustrating! 2 Quote Link to comment
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