Kinda's Large Tank Adventure (LTA)

[Kindanewtothis]

The pipe just before the elbow is a bit too long, it's pushing on the vertical one and creates an angle.

[Kindanewtothis]

57 minutes ago, seabass said:

is the leak coming from the glass, or from a plumbing to plumbing connection?

From the glass

[seabass]

If there is enough torque caused by the pipe, you are risking cracking the glass.  For the return, I might use flexible tubing instead.  Plus, with a DC pump, I don't think you need a shutoff valve.

 

But if you are sticking with PVC, I'd just remake that section so that it fits.

 

1 minute ago, Kindanewtothis said:

From the glass

Are you just hand tightening?  Once you work out the plumbing so that it fits properly, you might need to tighten it just a bit more.  But you don't want to over tighten, as that can crack the glass too.

[Kindanewtothis]

1 minute ago, seabass said:

Are you just hand tightening? 

Yes, should I be using tools? I did not want to crack the glass.

 

2 minutes ago, seabass said:

Plus, with a DC pump, I don't think you need a shutoff valve.

I only bough this one because they were out of regular connector. Although, I could then close one side of the return.

[seabass]

2 minutes ago, Kindanewtothis said:

Yes, should I be using tools? I did not want to crack the glass.

 

I only bough this one because they were out of regular connector. Although, I could then close one side of the return.

With the plumbing not flush, tightening could crack the glass.  You want to fix it first.  If nothing else, I'd consider a section of flexible tubing so to relieve the torque and vibration of the pump.

 

Sure, you can use a valve to adjust flow between the returns.  But I would probably have at least one of the returns all the way open.

[Kindanewtothis]

11 minutes ago, seabass said:

With the plumbing not flush, tightening could crack the glass.  You want to fix it first.  If nothing else, I'd consider a section of flexible tubing so to relieve the torque and vibration of the pump.

 

Sure, you can use a valve to adjust flow between the returns.  But I would probably have at least one of the returns all the way open.

I'll cut on the other side to shorten the pipe and add a valve at the same time. Hardware store again tonight.

 

The pump has flexible piping and the anti-return was already on it

[Kindanewtothis]

[Kindanewtothis]

1/2 hydra 32hd with brand new lens!

 

Really easy to change them!

[Kindanewtothis]

And now 2 hydra 32hd with brand new lens, linked to the app and working perfectly.

 

Broke the small saw I used to cut the pvc pipes... need another one... so plumbing is not done yet.

 

Lifting the tank on friday with a friend to place the 5.5g next to the sump (it won't pass with the 37g in place).

[seabass]

6 hours ago, Kindanewtothis said:

it won't pass with the 37g in place

So the two won't fit in the stand at the same time?  Or is it just going to take some more work to get them both to fit?

[Kindanewtothis]

27 minutes ago, seabass said:

So the two won't fit in the stand at the same time?  Or is it just going to take some more work to get them both to fit?

Both will fit but with the sump already there the 5.5 won't fit in the door. It has to go by the top.

[Kindanewtothis]

On 8/29/2022 at 2:14 PM, seabass said:

With the plumbing not flush, tightening could crack the glass.  You want to fix it first.

Done! It's not leaking anymore ! Thanks

 

Edit: Nevermind there is a drop here and there... I'm using silicone (inside)

[seabass]

Just give it a tiny turn (maybe 1/8th of a turn) more and it should be fine.

[Kindanewtothis]

1 hour ago, seabass said:

Just give it a tiny turn (maybe 1/8th of a turn) more and it should be fine.

I need to find my groove joint pliers, by hand I cannot thight it more.

[seabass]

Be careful, just a tiny bit should do it.

[Kindanewtothis]

Tested my Ro/Di water for Silicate.

 

Result is 0.03, I know 0 would be best but 0.03 seems low to create diatoms blooms?

[Kindanewtothis]

14 hours ago, seabass said:

Just give it a tiny turn (maybe 1/8th of a turn) more and it should be fine.

It works! Tx (had to use pliers)

[Kindanewtothis]

One of the overflow leaks in the display. Should I let this go or do I silicone it?

Edited September 1, 2022 by Kindanewtothis

[Kindanewtothis]

Silicate is 0.03 > 0 in the 50g.

 

Could a little silicate with high Po4 feed diatoms that way?

 

 

[seabass]

35 minutes ago, Kindanewtothis said:

One of the overflow leaks in the display. Should I let this go or do I silicone it?

You could seal it up.  It's easier to do it now then after it's running.  It might be a good precaution to take.

 

If it's leaking, the whole tank could slowly drain to the level of the drainpipe; and if the drainpipe isn't leak free, the tank could slowly drain to the level of that leak (which could be the display).  Granted a slow leak would take a very long time to drain a tank that size, but (during a power outage) it might be enough to overflow your sump in a matter of hours (depending on how full your sump gets when power is cut to your return pump).

 

Normally, the water in the overflow only drains to the level of the drainpipe.  But if the drainpipe isn't leak free, the whole overflow could drain.  And if the overflow box itself leaks, then the display water will drain too.  I say this because my drainpipes are just slip fit (and not sealed).  And I can drain my overflows without overflowing my sump, so I'm not worried about sealing these pipes.  Plus, my overflow boxes are 100% leak free.

 

Make sense?

[Kindanewtothis]

3 minutes ago, seabass said:

You could seal it up.  It's easier to do it now then after it's running.  It might be a good precaution to take.

 

If it's leaking, the whole tank could slowly drain to the level of the drainpipe; and if the drainpipe isn't leak free, the tank could slowly drain to the level of that leak (which could be the display).  Granted a slow leak would take a very long time to drain a tank that size, but (during a power outage) it might be enough to overflow your sump in a matter of hours (depending on how full your sump gets when power is cut to your return pump).

 

Normally, the water in the overflow only drains to the level of the drainpipe.  But if the drainpipe isn't leak free, the whole overflow could drain.  And if the overflow box itself leaks, then the display water will drain too.  I say this because my drainpipes are just slip fit (and not sealed).  And I can drain my overflows without overflowing my sump, so I'm not worried about sealing these pipes.  Plus, my overflow boxes are 100% leak free.

 

Make sense?

A lot, especially in a power outage. I will seal it even if it seems a very very little leak and I think it would take weeks/months to empty the display. Plus, I bought ball valves for the drains as well so I could just close it if needed.

[seabass]

31 minutes ago, Kindanewtothis said:

Silicate is 0.03 > 0 in the 50g.  Could a little silicate with high Po4 feed diatoms that way?

IDK, could be.  Diatoms need silica in addition to phosphate and nitrate (like other phytoplankton).  You've cultured your own phyto, so you know how that works.  If you were culturing diatoms, you'd have to add silica.

 

Read through this again:  https://reefs.com/magazine/silica-in-reef-aquariums/

 

I've never had a long term diatom problem before, so I don't have a lot of experience in dealing with a long term bloom.  Generally, the diatoms use up the available silicate and eventually die out.  I feel that removing the diatoms helps to export this silica.

 

Since your RO water contains silica, you are constantly supplying silica to your tank.  As in the article above, that might not be such a bad thing.

 

Your UV will help to kill the diatoms.  However, it will do nothing to address the silicate in the water.  Possibly making your tank more dependent on UV to keep it clear.  You could potentially try to resolve the silicate input by using a DI resin which is made to handle silicate in your source water:  https://www.amazon.ca/SpectraPure-Silicabuster-Color-Indicating-Cartridge/dp/B008I08RLI/

 

[Kindanewtothis]

21 minutes ago, seabass said:

Since your RO water contains silica, you are constantly supplying silica to your tank.  As in the article above, that might not be such a bad thing.

Sure got lots of sponges on my rocks and in the canister filter.

 

21 minutes ago, seabass said:

Your UV will help to kill the diatoms.  However, it will do nothing to address the silicate in the water.  Possibly making your tank more dependent on UV to keep it clear.  You could potentially try to resolve the silicate input by using a DI resin which is made to handle silicate in your source water:  https://www.amazon.ca/SpectraPure-Silicabuster-Color-Indicating-Cartridge/dp/B008I08RLI/

These cartridge are expensive, I will see how thing goes in the 120g with lower nutrients (proper skimmer and refugium, more water). I'm planning to use the UV I got for now if needed. The guy I bought the sump from had an elaborated system and was using a UV full time. 

[Kindanewtothis]

40 minutes ago, Kindanewtothis said:

The guy I bought the sump from had an elaborated system and was using a UV full time. 

He said it helps in fish deseases prevention.

[seabass]

5 minutes ago, Kindanewtothis said:

He said it helps in fish deseases prevention.

It can help to control parasites like Ich.  However, UV will not clear Ich from a reef tank.  There are Pros and Cons for running UV.  I'm neither a proponent nor an opponent of using UV.  A number of people use it, but more of us don't.