Boret June 10, 2009 Author Share June 10, 2009 Thanks Rik! I think so too! Any thoughts on the remote Live Rock Tank? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoozilla June 10, 2009 Share June 10, 2009 Any thoughts on the remote Live Rock Tank? A good alternative to RDSB for nitrate reduction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boret June 10, 2009 Author Share June 10, 2009 What software did you use for your technical drawings? I'd like to use something cheaper and easier than AutoCad, but more sophisticated than PowerPoint. Jon Jon, Find HERE an article about using SketchUp for Aquarium projects. B. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boret June 11, 2009 Author Share June 11, 2009 You can find some SketchUp aquarium models HERE (www.reefs.org) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoozilla June 11, 2009 Share June 11, 2009 Boret- I like your RLRT (remote liverock tank) concept. The only thing I would be concerned about is the accessibility of the Maxijet pump for maintenance purposes. You could opt to use only the existing flow from the pvc pipe coming from the sump to RLRT and using the maxijet in level 3 only. Though the amount of detritus kick up is only as good as the flow coming from the sump. Or, maybe using a 3" diameter pvc pipe vertically through the liverock layer to house the Maxijet pump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boret June 11, 2009 Author Share June 11, 2009 You are right about accessing the pump.... The other thing that could work is to leave a 3"x3" opening in one of the corners of the eggcrate between Level 1 and Level 2. You could even build eggcrate walls, from that opening all the way up to the eggcrate in Level 3, or even all the way up. I will try to come up with a design and I will post it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoozilla June 11, 2009 Share June 11, 2009 You are right about accessing the pump....The other thing that could work is to leave a 3"x3" opening in one of the corners of the eggcrate between Level 1 and Level 2. You could even build eggcrate walls, from that opening all the way up to the eggcrate in Level 3, or even all the way up. I will try to come up with a design and I will post it. Sounds like a plan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boret June 12, 2009 Author Share June 12, 2009 Picture update Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggarza June 14, 2009 Share June 14, 2009 wow boret your tank is awesome. i will be starting a build thread once i complete my move back to va in august. i read through your entire thread and it is quite interesting. i like how you take the time to carefully plan things out rather than jumping in blindly just to redo it again later. a solid approach. two thoughts i had concerning your lr tank: 1. could you place the modded mj above the rock layer and use pvc to extend/direct flow under rock. that would make care and cleaning much simpler. 2. you might also consider 'blacking out' the tank in order to create a cryptic zone area. this would be the cheapest route and provide for the growth of sponges that, along with the lr, will provide exceptional filtration. ~alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boret June 15, 2009 Author Share June 15, 2009 Thanks for the compliments Aggarza and welcome to WAMAS and to the metro area. The first tank I built I didn't plan at all. I kept buying cheap equipment and modding as I was learning. For this tank I learn quite a bit from fellow WAMAS members. I spent time looking at different tanks and posting here to get feedback. It took me over a year to feel ready to put the tank together. (it could have been quicker but life and work got on the way). I hope you take your time. It does pay in the long run. I might go with a black out tank after all. I got a hold of a 70 gallon Rubbermaid stock tank and I think it will work great as a Live Rock tank. Plenty of room. As far as the other idea... I am still trying to understand it. . So you mean to create a tube with PVC to direct ("channel") the flow from the powerhead, right? I have never seen anything like that and I am not sure how it will work. Most of these powerheads loose a lot of "power" after a few feet of water. I am not sure if that would be the case with the MJ and a 2 or 3" PVC tube. Plus from what I am trying to picture, I will need a few feet of tubing and a couple of elbows. If I can provide an access "door" through the eggcrate to the powerhead I shouldn't need to do much to access it and service the pump. Also, being just LR with no aesthetic purpose, and no corals growing on it, I don't see a major issue moving the rock around to reach the powerhead. But the little experience that I have in the hobby has tought me that if you don't make it easy, you won't do it. Since I devised a semi automatic water change system I change water more often. When I had to do it with buckets I procrastinated too much. The same might apply to the LiveRock Tank. If I make its maintenance an easy task I will do it.... other wise it will end up not getting done. I currently run a modded MJ1200 in my sump. That stops detritus from settling in the bottom, keeping the sump fairly clean. I want to apply the same concept to the Live Rock tank. I have seen some large Live Rock tanks in LFS and they have tons of detritus in the rock. I could be wrong but all that "dirt" might endanger the filtration purpose of the live rock. I guess LFS just want to Rock in there to stay "live" so they can sell it. My idea is to add more water volume and increase the natural filtration capabilities of the system. Thanks for the ideas. I really appreciate the folks that take the time to post with their different suggestions. One question though.... what did you mean with a "cryptic zone area"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggarza June 15, 2009 Share June 15, 2009 yeah i guess i made it confusing, lol. here is a crappy gif that show what i meant... the gray box shows your projected location. the red box is where i meant to place it. by placing it on top, you can easily remove the pump, without disturbing the pvc, every month or so for cleaning or service. hopefully that makes sense. ~alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boret June 15, 2009 Author Share June 15, 2009 Thx for the image Alex. I am still trying to figure out how the modded MJ will direct flow through that thin pipe. This is what I was planning on using: Maybe you thought that I was going to use a regular MaxiJet. Then your image makes sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggarza June 15, 2009 Share June 15, 2009 lol yeah i did, sorry... ~alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boret June 26, 2009 Author Share June 26, 2009 Quick pic update Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesbuf June 26, 2009 Share June 26, 2009 JEEZ. Looking good homie. You're putting my 92gal to shame right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boret June 26, 2009 Author Share June 26, 2009 LOL!!! Sure!! ha ha ha ha You are to blame for my tank James... after all you got me into the corner tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesbuf June 26, 2009 Share June 26, 2009 LOL!!! Sure!! ha ha ha haYou are to blame for my tank James... after all you got me into the corner tank. Nah, really. I've let mine go. That crash I had set me back bigtime. Just hasn't been the same :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boret June 29, 2009 Author Share June 29, 2009 UPDATE I added a few things to the system. I emptied the little space under the stairs and made it into my 2nd wet room. I used to have the RODI reservoir there only, now I added a refugium and a 70 gallon stock tank. After some thought I decided to go with the stock tank as a Remote Live Rock / Sump, because it will increase the total volume of water of the system (close to 190gl) and it will provide me with plenty of space to add live rock. I will also be moving some equipment there like the second fan and the second heater. It will also free up some stuff from the 1st wet room where the skimmer and 30gl sump will remain. I haven't connected it to the main system, still looking for leaks. Right now I use a MAG 9.5 as the return, a WON 600gph rated internal pump to feed the chiller that outputs into the refugium and a MJ600 to feed the Carbon reactor. The idea with this addition is to run all of those things off one external pump. As you can see in the picture I am using a Reeflo Dart as the main pump. This pump will feed the Chiller, the Carbon reactor, the refugium and the main tank. I also left a couple of outlets available in case I add things later on such a UV lamp or frag tank. The pump will go as high as 3600 gph, way too much for the return so what I will do is to throttle it back with a valve, but I also have a T prior to that valve that outputs back into the sump just in case I need to reduce back pressure. From the main tank the overflow will go to the 30 gl sump with the skimmer, and from there it will go into the 70 gl stock tank. I will also have to redo my ATO because with this setup, the 30 gallon sump that holds the skimmer will have a constant level and only the 70 sump will lower with evap. I will have to move one of the DC8 to this room. Either that or add a 3rd one! (toys!!) The refugium will be fed from the pump, go into a SCWD and into 2 LocLines at each side of the fuge. The Fuge will overflow into the sump. This way the output of the fuge will go through the Main display before it reaches the skimmer. This first picture gives you an idea of the limited dimensions of the room (if you can call that a room!!) A few labels on this picture to give you a better idea. Any ideas? Any thoughts? I am considering the option of using a Y and connect the output of the chiller into the return line, that way it might be more efficient, otherwise it will go into the 70 sump and eventually get into the main tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boret July 5, 2009 Author Share July 5, 2009 I added a Frag Tank. A 20L tank that feeds off one of the 3/4" outputs, into a SCWD and into the frag tank through 2 LocLines at opposite ends. The frag tank overflows into the sump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate July 6, 2009 Share July 6, 2009 Nicely done. Frags tanks rock! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sikryd July 6, 2009 Share July 6, 2009 Thats looking sweet! Great work - I love the zoo garden Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boret July 6, 2009 Author Share July 6, 2009 Thanks guys!! I can't wait for all the stuff to grow!! I wish all the corals grew at the rate the slimmer does. It is insane it has triple its size in 3 months. I want the frag tank mainly as a place to keep "extras" of the corals I have in the main tank. I purchased a couple of eductors for the loclines inside the frag tank. I want to see what kind of flow I get just with the 3/4" pipe through the SCWD and the eductors. How much flow do you need in a frag tank anyway? It is fairly small being a 20g long tank, but I have a modded MJ ready just in case. I'll tell you one thing though... now that I have nicer pieces I am worry all the time about possible loses. So far I have only lost one piece, a blue tort, and it sucked because I loved that piece. I had some STN on two pieces but I was able to save them fragging them and placing them in different locations. I think the frag tank will give me some peace of mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boret July 10, 2009 Author Share July 10, 2009 Frag tank is up and running. The new 70 gal sump is connected and everything its running off the Reeflo Dart. So far so good. Time to relax from the PVC building and the glue fumes!! Time to enjoy the livestock. I took a bunch of pictures today. I only had my point and shoot digital camera so I had to mess around with photoshop to darken the background, blur the edges and sharpen the image. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHUBAKAH July 10, 2009 Share July 10, 2009 Keep me in mind for a frag of this. Tank is looking real nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onux20 July 11, 2009 Share July 11, 2009 Very nice. Keep the pics coming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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