EBR

Well, it's finally getting time to turn this thing on, but would like a sanity check: This is a DIY kalk stirrer that I got second-hand, and has a screw-on top to add the kalk (to keep it air-tight I suppose?). Once filled with enough kalk to saturate the water (leaving some solid in the bottom of the chamber), I set the timer to stir it up a couple of times a day for a few minutes. I have an auto-top off that draws from a 5g bucket that would feed into this chamber, with the output of the chamber then going into the sump. Question: should the output (that goes into the sump) draw from the top or bottom of the chamber? It's not the best photo, but you can see the feed to the bottom -- the other connection is very short and near the top. Thanks. Matt

Bump. Any thoughts on how to handle the PVC sub-structure in previous post? Thanks. Matt

Enough excuses, Jeff.

Seahawk -- welcome! And when's the tank tour? (ha!) Jeff -- Holy moly! Looking forward to see more. And nice idea on the wall trim for the plumbing. I've been trying to figure out how to trim out the pipes I have out my own wall (still just a big hole in the drywall), and I think you've inspired me :-) Great work! Matt

Well, the lights are not ready yet, so it isn't time for the big move, but it's getting close. In the meantime, I'm playing around with some aquascaping ideas. I plan to have a larger island on the right side, some beach front in the middle, and then a smaller island on the left side, closer to where you can walk by. For the big island, however, I definitely want to avoid a poop trap by just piling up a bunch of rock -- a cave would be good with a hidden powerhead blowing through to keep any crud from building up. So with yet another trip to HD, and a few minutes of cutting ... cleaning the pieces: assembly: and in the tank. The really white rocks are ones that had been sitting in my basement for over a year (from when I downsized the 55g) and were as funky as funk can get, but nothing that 15 minutes, bleach, and a garden hose couldn't clean up. The other rock is from the current 55g: and looking a bit to the left, you can see where I'm hoping to keep it open enough to let water flow through: Trouble is, I've never made one of these kind of structures before. Has anyone else? Two questions: A) There's plenty more rock in the 55g, but I am not so sure how to best hide the front of the structure, other than searching for that perfectly curved piece of LR to lay across the top. Any other ideas? B) glue or not glue? And a bonus -- this was taken this morning before the lights came on, and it was really the first time (in a long time) that I noticed how much this frogspawn has grown. When I got it last summer, it was just a single head on a stick -- now it's got four distinct branches, three of which are getting ready to split themselves! Matt

Actually, I saw that thread -- very cool idea. But alas, I don't have nearly the room for such a device -- but again, it's darn cool :-) Matt

Thanks, everyone! I'm not so much worried about power going out, given the 15kW auto-switching generator in the back yard :-) I also have a second return pump (also a Ehiem 1262) that I plan to use for a closed loop one day -- in the mean time, it will serve as a spare for the return pump. My concern/question was more geared toward whether having both heaters in the sump had any unforeseen effects -- can the sump get too warm? I might also imagine that the heaters would not run as often if they were dispersed throughout the system, giving the water less time to cool off. BTW, these heaters have just the little knob to set the temp -- not a separate controller. EDIT -- Oh, and it's a 125g tank and a 30g-ish NAGA sump Matt

Got two heaters to help with the fault tolerance, and trying to decide the best place for them: 1. both in the tank? 2. one in the tank and another in the sump? 3. both in the sump? Ideally I'd like them both in the sump and out of view, but wondering what issues that may raise. Thanks. Matt

Yeah, I agree with the "live" moniker -- no need for it. That particular bag was one that I got from someone second-hand (unopened, ind you) for around $20 bucks -- in 2005 ;-) I do need to see BRK for myself soon, but it's just a long haul for me. Anyway, thanks. Matt

Just to be clear, the stuff on the right is this: The stuff in the middle is what I got from someone about a year ago when they moved out of the area and broke down their tank (so I'm not sure what it's official name is). Also, I do not plan to have too much substrate either -- not right away, at least. Certainly enough to cover the bottom nicely, but not a DSB. I'm just still gun-shy from my CC debackle and want to keep the poop trap to a minimum, and plan to have the critters do the stirring work for me :-) Matt

I really do like the way you think, my friend :-) And actually, the stuff on the right is the CaribSea you mention -- I think you guys answered it for me -- that a mix would be OK. And Howard -- thanks for the tip on the Nit bomb. I think I suffered that some time ago with the 55g (that had the crushed coral) -- never again with that stuff -- Yuck! Thanks again. Matt

The contestants: Crushed Coral (left) is NOT in the running -- I show it here for size comparison. Anyway, I have a 5g bucket full of the middle substrate, which is nice, and I happened to have one bag of the Aragalive sand on the right. After putting them both in, I think I like the Aragonite-size better, but I'd have to buy about five bags ($100 bucks or so?). On the other hand, I already have a bucket of the other, slightly larger grain substrate and it won't cost me another nickel. The crushed coral in the 55g was such a nightmare, and I really don't want to deal with such a poop-trap again. So what do you think? 1. will the middle sample be a problem like the CC? 2. will a mix of the middle and right samples prove to work as well as just the right one by itself? Planned critteres include gobies, stars (I think), nasarius snails (sp?), and any other good sand-sifters. Thanks! Matt

Very cool idea -- That will certainly help you manage the the profile elevations of the panel fields and the corner trim (columns). Great work! Looking forward to more... Matt

Shouldn't be a problem. Here's what I have on my 55's CL:

Working on an update, but in the mean time, I have a question... I'm now planning how to aquascape, and am thinking about using a PVC structure to support some of the rock off the floor of the tank. I've seen others do it as well, but am wondering about the ends of the PVC -- do you leave them open (thus letting small critters in there), or cap them off (not sure if there is a disadvantage?)? Thanks. Matt

Well, the time has come to freshen up the RO/DI for the first time. Is the DI resin something that a LFS normally carries? I found a place online where I can get enough to refill a canister for $10 bucks (on sale) +S/H (or 5 pounds for $32+S/H). Just wondering where there might be a good deal around here. Thanks. Matt

Never mind -- answered my own question. Matt

Wow. That has so GOT to suck. (ugh) Matt

Ah. I didn't catch the blue area at the top of the one shot from the back -- must have been distracted by the mess o' spaghetti :-) Thanks. Matt

OMG. What a great idea. How cool is that!? So let me get this straight ('cause I really like the DJ panels, but don't have an AC yet). You would normally leave the switches in the on position, allowing them to turn on/off as the AC3 dictates -- leaving you the option of breaking the connection at will -- right? I'm just not clear on how the panel of boxes fits in. I'm guessing that cords from the DJ panels go to the AC3, and the panel of boxes get plugged into the DJ panels, and then "things" get plugged into the panel of boxes. In any case, that is a very cool idea. And nice, clean, detailed work! Just plain neat. This thread is bookmarked :-) Matt

Yeah, but it's so much easier to say that _I_ would move the tank when, in fact, it isn't my tank. And no, nothing is impossible, really. If you do have access through the stand to the wall, then all the better. Those 2x4 actually look like the underside of some trusses, and if so, you might be able to drill a modest hole right through them without losing structural integrity -- so long as the hole is in the middle, and not along the edge. As for the "footer", think of a wall being a bunch of vertical 2x4s with another 2x4 above and below -- I think what DaveS was referring to was the bottom plate of the wall. I like this option the best, too. The flexible electrician drill bits come in all sizes -- I've got a 4' auger and t works wonders, especially when you have a long reach in a tight space.

Very, very cool. How 'bout a web-cam on this puppy? It would save us from hounding you for pictures, you know ;-) Matt

I thought of something this morning that I just wanted to make clear on my set up -- the FW delivered (manually) from the basement will go into a 5g bucket under the stand. Top offs are then made (automatically) from that into the sump. I'm not sure if that was clear from my thread. HTH.

Wow -- not sure what to say, but I'm glad I could bring something to the table for others. It's an awesome way to do water changes -- so much better than bucket brigades. Some thoughts: - I totally agree with everything that DaveS and rioreef have said. When running the PVC, I had the advantage of drilling from the top-down. It took just one time (years ago) to learn my lesson when I drilled up from the basement only to come out in the middle of a finished floor -- it would be REALLY bad to come up through your neighbor's floor (AH!). If looks and aim are important, drill from the finished side. - How are you planning to control the DI input -- I suppose a float valve of sorts? If you can, in fact, run the DI tubing all the way to the tank, I like the idea of just going through the baseboard, and putting a plant in front of it. As for the head height, my RO line is split off and goes to the fridge for drinking water -- but I had to add a booster pump since we have well water and the pressure sucks (oxy moron, I know -- so sue me ;-) - Of course, that doesn't solve the salt water delivery or drainage issues. In all honesty, if a) moving the tank for a day is not an option, and b) access on the right side is no better than the left side, I would seriously consider drilling right through the bottom of the stand and through the floor. Hardwood flooring is not that difficult to patch later on (is it hardwood or laminate? the latter may not be so easy). But, my first choice would be to move the tank on a Friday, run the plumbing and patch/paint on Saturday, and put it all back on Sunday. Of course, real life and spouses (I say this not knowing you or whether you're married) may have something different to say about chewing up an entire weekend like that, you know ;-) - Back to plumbing -- I'd like to see what is on the other side of the tank -- do you have a photo of that? I'm also not sure how some things downstairs line up with upstairs. From your series of photos, I suppose the point of access you are considering is between the joists in the 6th photo, behind the insulation (which is where the sill plate would be)? Where does the triple-truss line up with the tank? Is the wall to the left of the tank actually an air chase to the upstairs? If so, I see there is some plumbing next to the air ducts in the basement, which leads me to think that perhaps there is some dead-space in the wall immediately to the left of the tank -- perhaps you could run the pipes into the chase (or between the studs in that short interior wall) and exit to the right, into the left side of the stand. Again, plants. Looking forward to more... Matt

Ouch! Glad you were able to recover.