6 feet of reef

[patback]

33 minutes ago, spectra said:

I am not even sure I have ever used a bilk head with threads........ always glue the pvc to them..... 

 

I do remember one on the 750 but it was a soft like that I swapped out to a rigid pvc like on the return. It did weep a little but was in the sump so didnt matter.......

 

Did you use tape on the threads ? Any way to try and snug it up ? 

No tape. I had then as snug as I could get it. It didn't leak for probably an hour then I "simulated" a running tank by tapping all over the piping and 20 minutes later I had water out all of the threads. Literal droplets, but enough to not be good. 

[spectra]

29 minutes ago, patback said:

No tape. I had then as snug as I could get it. It didn't leak for probably an hour then I "simulated" a running tank by tapping all over the piping and 20 minutes later I had water out all of the threads. Literal droplets, but enough to not be good. 

You need tape on the threads...... thats why they leaked....... 

 

and you probably glued everything so............. 

[patback]

4 minutes ago, spectra said:

You need tape on the threads...... thats why they leaked....... 

 

and you probably glued everything so............. 

No tape on pvc fittings ever. Adds to stress on the plastic and causes breaks down the road. 

 

[spectra]

29 minutes ago, patback said:

No tape on pvc fittings ever. Adds to stress on the plastic and causes breaks down the road. 

 

 

Well never had issues over the years of doing it that way. 

 

I dont like threads they leak.......... just glue it all together.......... 

 

Have to plumb a system for a friend in a few weeks. Everything I had her order was slip connections....... I think the total order with BRS was almost 600 in fittings and pipe...... she wanted the fancy colored stuff.......... plumbing is going through a wall as sump in in a room behind the tank and also a frag tank attached to the main system........ 

[patback]

26 minutes ago, spectra said:

 

Well never had issues over the years of doing it that way. 

 

I dont like threads they leak.......... just glue it all together.......... 

 

Have to plumb a system for a friend in a few weeks. Everything I had her order was slip connections....... I think the total order with BRS was almost 600 in fittings and pipe...... she wanted the fancy colored stuff.......... plumbing is going through a wall as sump in in a room behind the tank and also a frag tank attached to the main system........ 

What size system?  600 is insane. 

[spectra]

10 minutes ago, patback said:

What size system?  600 is insane. 

 

Tank is about 120 gallons frag tank is 40 or 50 and sump will hold 25 plus I think. All tied together...... bulk heads added up along with gate valves........ plus you start getting into the 90s and 45s and well it all adds up......... funny thing is the colored pips is cheap in the end...... 

[FISHnChix]

10 hours ago, patback said:

After spending all day and a shit ton of money, I leaked at the threads of my bulk head and had to cut just beneath them, making alot of what I did today pointless. #### this hard plumbing. I think I'm going full soft plumbing just for ease. Sucks, because the schedule 40 looked so much better. 

I'm definitely not a fitter but I've run a lot of high psi thread pipe and never had issues with making it leak proof.  Even on high psi gas lines and steam but.... with threaded pvc my shit at the house will always eventually leak. Spent a lot of time online reading on if you should use tape/liquid tape/ bare .. lot of conflicting info. Threaded pvc just sucks

[patback]

8 hours ago, FISHnChix said:

I'm definitely not a fitter but I've run a lot of high psi thread pipe and never had issues with making it leak proof.  Even on high psi gas lines and steam but.... with threaded pvc my shit at the house will always eventually leak. Spent a lot of time online reading on if you should use tape/liquid tape/ bare .. lot of conflicting info. Threaded pvc just sucks

I agree. I just had a shit ton of threaded parts from condensate lines in my truck and I figured hey... let's save a few bucks. 

Now I'm in the hole for a couple hundred for this current set up and just dropped another couple hundred on the soft and slip fittings  

[patback]

Beginning the leak check 1 five gallon bucket at a time. Still waiting on rock to arrive so I plan on letting it run with tapwater for 24 hours and then draining it and having pre-made saltwater delivered or picking it up myself. Rockscape will be done in between

[patback]

Tank is leak checked and running. I had some issues with the dursos surging, but I drilled out the vents a bit more and it is running good now. Maybe a little high, but good enough. The wife finished up what she was doing, so she helped me with the hose to fill up the tank the rest of the way. Believe it or not, the dursos are near silent. Instead I just have the splash that is super loud due to the splashing of the sump style I got off ebay. I'm hoping once I put filter socks in it quiets it down, and I also have some foam siding pad laying around that I'm thinking I will cut to insulate the stand walls and hopefully dampen the noise even further. 

I will let the tank run till tomorrow then drain it down and rockscape on Friday. 

[mcarroll]

On 10/29/2022 at 12:34 PM, FISHnChix said:

Spent a lot of time online reading on if you should use tape/liquid tape/ bare .. lot of conflicting info.

Follow manufacturer's guidance, IMO.

 

For example, Spears offers this:

https://www.spearsmfg.com/how_to/FG-3B-0105_0706_English.pdf

 

Tape is fine if used properly.  (Over tightening is a concern.)

 

A partial quote:

Quote

The Problem with Using TFE Tape Sealants

TFE tape sealants require special attention on application. Failure to follow the instructions below can result in female thread breaks due to excessive tape use, difficult assembly due to insufficient tape, leaks due to failure to cover starting threads, and leaks due to incorrectly applied tape that bunches at the thread entrance. Since TFE tape is a really good lubricant, care must be taken not to over-tighten taped joints.

 

As Spectra said, I've never had a problem with taping threaded fittings.  Doesn't mean tape is foolproof tho. 😉 

[spectra]

Did you leak test with SW ? if just fresh it will probably be different..........

 

I Did my 100 that way and well............ had to change things around once I put SW in........... 

[FISHnChix]

5 hours ago, mcarroll said:

Tape is fine if used properly.  (Over tightening is a concern.)

Actually youre wrong.  Straight from one of the largest manufacturers of pvc fittings.  Like I said there is tons of conflicting information out there. And overtighting can happen but biggest concern is actually using too much tape and then cracking the female joint from expanding it while tightening the fitting. 

[patback]

6 hours ago, spectra said:

Did you leak test with SW ? if just fresh it will probably be different..........

 

I Did my 100 that way and well............ had to change things around once I put SW in........... 

Yup just freshwater. I didn't think it would make a difference but assumed temperature would be the deciding factor more so. 

Everything is flex so my biggest concern was that the tank- being used and transported 15 miles in the back of a shit box f150, leaking. If one of the barbs leaks, it'll be as simple as a tightening a hose clamp. 

[spectra]

5 hours ago, patback said:

Yup just freshwater. I didn't think it would make a difference but assumed temperature would be the deciding factor more so. 

Everything is flex so my biggest concern was that the tank- being used and transported 15 miles in the back of a shit box f150, leaking. If one of the barbs leaks, it'll be as simple as a tightening a hose clamp. 

 

Well hopefully it wont but like I said I had mine silent and brought it in the house and filled it up........... glug.......glug......... had to re do the pipes a little......... 

[patback]

11 minutes ago, spectra said:

 

Well hopefully it wont but like I said I had mine silent and brought it in the house and filled it up........... glug.......glug......... had to re do the pipes a little......... 

I hope not, but I got the return pump whipping water through this thing. I can always cut back on the return valves to slow flow to the display tank more if it can't keep up. 

Would be nice if it wasn't a durso set up, but oh well. 

After I did everything I thought of making 2 drains, 1 return a back up emergency drain and only having one return. Too little too late. 

[patback]

Not crazy about the mountain part but I like the overhang. 

I was unable to drill through the branches as it sort of wanted to crumble. I'm sure I could have, but I didn't. It is all 100% epoxy and cyanoacrylate. Seems like it will hold but time will tell. 

[patback]

Side views as well. Actually looks really cool from the sides, but it's hard to get on camera. 

[patback]

I also decided I am too busy to try to re-learn arduino all over again. For now I have the old rkl to control the pump, heater and skimmer. Just ordered a new duo ato. I'd still like to make my own controller down the line. 

I also found out reefkeeper is out of production?  They were always so big back when I was really into the hobby.  

[WV Reefer]

12 minutes ago, patback said:

Not crazy about the mountain part but I like the overhang. 

I was unable to drill through the branches as it sort of wanted to crumble. I'm sure I could have, but I didn't. It is all 100% epoxy and cyanoacrylate. Seems like it will hold but time will tell. 

That looks pretty cool 

[patback]

First bit of water is now being made. Lowest cost of water delivered by truck we got was $350, so it looks like we have two days of water production and salt mixing to work on. Also need to still scrub the skimmer to get it ready for use again. 

[spectra]

Well since you have dry rock and sand............. just put the ro line into the tank and fill it up.......... then add salt and mix...........

 

I did it with my 100 build if I remember right.......... 

[patback]

25 minutes ago, spectra said:

Well since you have dry rock and sand............. just put the ro line into the tank and fill it up.......... then add salt and mix...........

 

I did it with my 100 build if I remember right.......... 

I've done it with my other tanks but I don't have any water anywhere near this tank and kids would inevitably decide that they need to touch the water line if I just were to extend it. Would be nice to be able to just let it fill up and go about my day without buckets. 

[mitten_reef]

that scape is dope!!!  love the long-ledge/overhang

[WaterBoxer]

13 hours ago, patback said:

I also decided I am too busy to try to re-learn arduino all over again. For now I have the old rkl to control the pump, heater and skimmer. Just ordered a new duo ato. I'd still like to make my own controller down the line. 

I also found out reefkeeper is out of production?  They were always so big back when I was really into the hobby.  

Reef-Pi!

 

If you have any experience with Arduino or other MCUs at all, then a simple Reef-Pi build shouldn't be too difficult for you. You can find off-the-shelf parts for things like temp or PH sensor boards now and there's even support for some smart power strips too so you don't have to mess with 110/220v relays if you don't want to.

 

The dev mentioned that they're working on support for ESP32 and maybe some other MCUs for the next major release as well, so if sourcing a pi board is an issue then there may be some alternatives soon. I think the idea is to be able to run the ReefPi software on just about anything and then use remote MCUs to connect to the equipment and sensors.