Marinland 60gl cube

[waldoz]

61.5 gl  It will drop probably will another bag of sand but I'm happy with the amount. It's up and running and dead silent on top. The sump has some noise but there is no filter floss.😁

 

 

 

We threw the Razor in n just for fun. Yeah we both don't like it. 🤣 

 

 

Maybe if there was a different option to hang it. But it's probably leaving with the 20L.  I had a brick hit me. That side chamber we were going to use cheato, well now it's going to be the ATO. I think it's about a gallon and half.  It will give us a lot more room under the stand. See if I can set that up tomorrow. All for now.

 

[waldoz]

Got the used Tunze nano ATO installed working great. It's got about 2 1/2 gallons of RO water. Going to pull the valve off and plug it for more room.

 

 

Put some covers to see how it would do.

Moisture is already building up in the sump.

 

 

 

Have not put any filter floss in yet still cloudy after moving some sand around.

 

 

 

Tank is sitting at 78F going to dial the Jagers to 80 and set up the Rancho in the next few days.  Once I get everything stable and  going. I will drop in the BIO-spira  and the pajama cradnal.

 

More to come....

[waldoz]

Abracadabra!

 

 

 

It's holding steady at 78F and might set up the Ranco later. I can set it up since the water temp will take a while to drop. I want to get this thing cooking since it was ice cold in the tub when I found the heater dead.

[waldoz]

So interesting thing is happening. The overflow goes up and down very slowly. I would say about quarter of an inch.

Should this valve be all the way open? 

 

 

 

 

 

Then would  I adjust the pump to compensate? I am only asking because I have not ever had one of these tanks. Thanks for any input.

[waldoz]

Never mind I think I got it very careful balance.

[PeterU]

I don't have a valve on my overflow line. I control the flow with a valve on the return line.

[waldoz]

I have a adjustable pump and at 100 it can't keep up. There are few things I should have gone the next size up on the pump. It's at 84% right now.  I think my heaters should have been two 150w.  We keep the house cold in the winter.  The summer time it should be fine.  These are for max of 53 gallons each.  If the other one took a dump on could at least keep close to where it needs to be.  I might swap out one to 150 or both.  Another thought would be to use the 150 in the winter months and 125 in the summer.  I'm kinda lazy so that probably won't happen.

[mcarroll]

20 hours ago, waldoz said:

Then would  I adjust the pump to compensate? I am only asking because I have not ever had one of these tanks. Thanks for any input.

Your drain should always be wide open.  I would re-plumb without the valve and without the soft tubing if possible.  Neither are needed on the drain side.

 

The drain will self-balance to the flow your return pump is putting out, assuming they are the right size for each other.  (Tell us the make and model of your pump.)

 

Can you post a clearer pic of the return pump and how it is plumbed?

 

5 hours ago, waldoz said:

I think my heaters should have been two 150w.

I strongly recommend keeping a right-sized heater in each tank vs oversizing.  Oversizing creates the possibility of cooking your tank if something goes wrong.  

 

(I've seen lots of those Ranco controllers fail....they aren't water proof, or even drip proof, and have a strong tendency not to be happy in a saltwater environment.)

 

So something like an Eheim 125 for the display and something like an Eheim 100 for the sump.

[mcarroll]

On 3/19/2021 at 8:10 PM, waldoz said:

As for sump order have to play around with it some more.  All my reading I have done says want as much water volume for evap in the pump chamber. Feeling like I want a 60 AIO 😆 and skip a sump but everyone I talked to says they will never go back.😲

This is kinda water under the bridge given how far along you are now, but you made some interesting observations here that made me want to comment.  😁

 

Our hobby (like most things) has a lot of conventional thinking in it...and to say the least, not all of it is gold.  A few examples...

• Baffles in the sump...conventional more than useful.  In 1980 they made some sense.  Even in 1990.  But in 2020 there are better/less invasive/permanent ways to hold a water level.
• Multiple drains...conventional more than useful.  Before powerheads (80's/90's) folks would be forcing 1000-2000+ GPH through their sumps just to give barely-adequate flow to their reefs  You only need enough flow to run the filtration these days...about 2x to 4x the display size in actual GPH...thanks to powerheads doing all the water moving.  One drain is fine for this mode.
• Sump "better" than no-sump....conventional more than useful.  This has never been true per se...use what makes the most sense.  Aesthetic preferences are the strongest reason to go one way or the other on this IMO....it doesn't really impact the basic function of the system.

Most of those things, most of the time, just make installs more complex and more expensive without much if any added benefit.

 

For what it's worth...

 

My system started out as a 38 Gallon display with a 30 Long sump.  It used two siphon overflow boxes. 😱 

 

After a few years I added a second display (50 Breeder) to have more room for corals to grow out.  Down to just one overflow per tank.  😱😱  

 

This was the best performing sump setup I've ever seen.  Never a leak.  Never a flood.  Not in ten years.   (This setup was similar setup to my old Oscar system I had for 20+ years....never a leak or flood there either.)

 

After ten years or so I replaced the dual-display+sump setup with a 125 Gallon AIO setup (about equal total volume before and after) using Tunze's Reefpack 500 for filter, skimmer and ATO.  This has been very nice to live with too.

 

Between my current and previous systems I would have to be forced to pick a favorite.....both rank as excellent in my book.

 

"Never go back" indeed.  That's hogwash. 😉 😉

 

Figure out what will work best for you and your setup....that's what is "best".  👍

 

$0.02

[waldoz]

Jabeo DCP-3500 it says 15.4 GL per minute, 954 hr . The Ranco is mounted on the outside of the cabinet as with everything else.  Testing it out tonight with heaters set at 80.  If I did this correctly  should come on at 77 and off at 79 with one deg swing.

 

At least with this setup I can still drain the rear chamber and change things if need be.  Right now it's dead silent and does not seem to be toilet bowling.

 

Appreciate all the suggestions so far. Just dropped in Bio-spira  with the pajama cardinal.

[waldoz]

The Ranco is rock solid. Its off at 78 and on at 77. Both Jagers are set at 80 I'm glad I went with this as I feel the ink birds are not as well built.  The PJ is doing fine probably take a few days for her to get used to the tank. Probably do some testing tomorrow.  

[waldoz]

Finally had a chance to swap out the lenses and clean up the Hydra 26.

 

Burnt lense both on UV.

 

 

 

Fixed and the LEDs look good.

 

 

 

I will have to make sure I don't go over 75. I will have to do some digging and see what's a good range.  I have seen some run around 45. All for now.

 

[waldoz]

Mounted the Hydra 26 with the new lenses.  I was telling my son I don't remember it being this bright 😎.

 

 

 

 

That was the same setting I was running on the 20L.  Lights probably be off for few more weeks.  We have decided that the bristle worms are not coming over. I was looking in the 20L after lights out and it looked like the sand was moving. LoL.  I also don't know if the limpets will make it either. 

[waldoz]

I don't know what I was thinking. I need to raise the light from 11" to 14.  Have to figure out how that's going to work. Probably just cut a section out and add three inches.  🙄. Repaint the bottom section I cut and weld.  Thinking back I wanted to make it adjustable but I thought it was not moving. LOL  I have a few weeks at least.

[mcarroll]

4 hours ago, waldoz said:

I don't know what I was thinking. I need to raise the light from 11" to 14.  Have to figure out how that's going to work. Probably just cut a section out and add three inches.  🙄. Repaint the bottom section I cut and weld.  Thinking back I wanted to make it adjustable but I thought it was not moving. LOL  I have a few weeks at least.

Why would you need it that high?  Dim the lights instead if it's related to the lenses making the intensity too much.  (Lemme know if it's not that, of course.)

 

Are the new lenses 90º or what?  I can tell you the mathematically "correct" height to start experimenting with if that would help.

[waldoz]

They are the stock ones. I don't think they had any other options.  The other thing is BRS did a setup of the 26 over a 60 cube. I know some people don't like their stuff but I do.  They did par readings etc for optimal height and spread.

 

https://youtu.be/8xO8PP70u2k

 

[mcarroll]

On 12/24/2021 at 1:16 AM, waldoz said:

Mounted the Hydra 26 with the new lenses. 

Still 90º then....you just needed "un-burnt" lenses.....I forgot.  (That was bad planning on the manufacturer's part...putting lenses in that their emitters would burn out.  Would be more understandable on a DIY rig. LOL 😉)

 

90º lenses make the math super simple.  

 

Divide the tank's shortest edge length (if rectangular) by 2 and that's your "ideal" mounting height – where you should get excellent coverage, but no light-spill outside the tank.  According to preference or local needs, you can adjust up or down from there.  So something like 12" should be about right for your lights.

 

Wondering what's up that made you say 14" would be required earlier?  It's (mostly) just going to dump a percentage of your light outside the tank...the higher you go the higher the percentage of waste...which isn't the end of the world, but it is wasteful, bad for your eyes and the aesthetics of the room.

 

If you want, you can summarize the relevant parts of that BRS vid into the thread...if you think it's relevant.

[waldoz]

We don't have a par meter and I really don't want to guess like we did on the 20L.   I think I have tracked one down and will prob use it once we get the numbers set.   

 

 

 

These par readings were 6" under the water and I think the top of our rock is about 10" under the water.

I think though since we have RBTAs will have to turn it up a bit which I totally forgot about those guys.  Currently  the 26  is actually at 11"  1/8  and my foam mat took all the rest up.    

Guess just have to see what happens when we turn the lights on.   My wife got me a gift card to CFC  local fish shop so excited to spend that on some clowns.

[mcarroll]

Seems like something is wrong with your post....is there supposed to be an image?   What is the peak number found at the water's surface?   (I take it you finally use a PAR meter for your readings?)

[waldoz]

Thanks, for some reason it was showing up on mine.  Will not get the par meter till I have the lights on.

[mcarroll]

If that pic is something you find online somewhere, can you just post a link?  (nano-reef's software should handle the downloading for you)

 

Otherwise, I guess we'll just stand by. 😉 

[spectra]

Shows up on my end.............. @mcarroll you on a commodore 64.......... sorry had to..........

 

[mcarroll]

1 hour ago, spectra said:

commodore 64

Atari 800, d00d!

 

😉

 

[spectra]

10 minutes ago, mcarroll said:

Atari 800, d00d!

 

😉

 

Hey I had both as a kid............ I have been around the block a few times............ not one of the youngsters on here...........

[mcarroll]

So readings from BRS, but that's the color profile you're running, correct?    

 

Are you targeting a particular type of biotope with that color scheme?  If not, that's an unusual profile.  "Unnecessarily" heavy on UV, V, G, R, and W....and strangely light on blue's for some reason.  

 

Seems like things might be fairly dim at 24" down, assuming those numbers are representative of what you find over your tank.  I'll wait and see! 🙂